Thank you to our generous Cooking Demos Sponsors!

11 am

Tiffany Alexandria

ChooChoo-ca-Chew

Tiffany says she would much rather be in what she calls “hole-in-the-wall places” than fancy restaurants. She loves local and genuine, something she traces to her Asian heritage. Through her business, CHOOCHOO-ca-CHEW, she’s giving people insight into what her native Taiwanese cuisine and culture are all about.

One of the things she delights and specializes in is re-creating authentic recipes with ingredients from local farmers. In fact, she devotes much of her time to promoting the southeast Minnesota region. Tiffany is all about local and seasonal ingredients, and making food from scratch. She’s also a whizz with food photography shares her talent and enthusiasm through her social media channels @choochoocachew.

12 pm

Beth Dooley

Beth Dooley's Kitchen

Beth Dooley, James Beard Award winning food writer is a columnist for the Taste section of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune, and appears regularly on KARE 11 (NBC) television and MPR Appetites with Tom Crann. She co-authored The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen with Sean Sherman, winner of the James Beard Award for Best American Cookbook, 2018.  Other titles include: Savory Sweet: Preserves from a Northern Kitchen, In Winter's Kitchen: Growing Roots and Breaking Bread in the Northern Heartland, Minnesota's Bounty: The Farmers Market Cookbook, The Northern Heartland Kitchen  and she coauthored Savoring the Seasons of the Northern Heartland with Lucia Watson, James Beard Award finalist.

An Endowed Chair, Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA), Beth is
often working on her next book. Her recent book, The Perennial Kitchen: a guide for
climate savvy cooks, offers recipes and kitchen tips to connect
home cooks to the growers and makers creating a delicious future.

1 pm

Hannah Garry

Blazing Star, Decorah, IA

You might remember Hannah from our "Hot off the Pass" chef feature in LOCAL FEAST! vol.6!

About the restaurant, Hannah said, "...it was important to us to showcase the local produce we have year round. Local beets, carrots, potatoes, squash and onions are almost always on our menu. But some of my favorites are the ones with the shortest window of availability, like strawberries, raspberries, and tomatoes. Eating those crops feels like a celebration of summer and makes me feel more connected to the passing of the seasons."

2 pm

Sammi Loo

Ootori Sushi, Mezza9 Cafe & Desserts, Bebap Korean Eats & 1928 Cocktails & Bites

Sammi says, "Cooking and making delicious food is my passion." 

You can also see she likes to open restaurants! When she did her demo with us in 2023 she had just opened Bebap. We're excited to see what she will share with us this year!

3 pm

Scott Taylor

Pedal Pushers Cafe, Lanesboro, MN

You might remember Scott from our "Hot off the Pass" chef feature in LOCAL FEAST! vol.6!

Scott says that local sourcing has been something they've gravitated to over the course of their 19 years of scratch cooking at Pedal Pushers. At any given time he can list off a number of local vendors that they work with despite the extra effort it takes to figure out delivery challenges and fluctuating availability. "We strive to present a unique and flavorful menu in a comfortable atmosphere with as much local sourcing as possible."