Dish-Houston

DISHIES!!! Do you love...we mean LOVE food??? Tell us how much you love food and the best story wins tickets to this weekend's Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining show!! PAULA DEEN WILL BE PUTTING ON 3 SHOWS!! OOOHH Pass the Butterrrrrrr CLICK HERE to sobmit your story!

The Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show is THIS weekend at Reliant Center and headlined by celebrity chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, and Food Network star Paula Deen, with special guest Heloise, the writer, author, and speaker who specializes in lifestyle hints and hails from San Antonio, Texas. The "Queen of Merrymaking," Tara Wilson of Dallas, rounds out the show’s stars.

The James Beard Foundation has partnered with the event, presenting a rotating roster of Texas-based talent set to entertain and enlighten attendees on an exclusive cooking stage. The current list of James Beard affiliated chefs includes Chefs Bryan Caswell and Robert Del Grande of Houston, Chef Jason Dady of San Antonio, and Chefs Ty Thoren, John Tesar, Larry Matson, Scott Gottlich, and Gina Gottlich from the Dallas-Ft. Worth area.

More personalities are conducting a variety of workshops over the weekend, including entertaining and event décor expert Rebekah Johnson, cake decorating aficionados Cynthia Bayne and Sheila Brooks, enviro-centric Tru Meals owner Renee Herndon, and etiquette authority Virginia Johnson, all of Houston. Lecturers from around Texas and beyond round out the list of talent on hand to discuss such far-ranging topics as chocolate, knife skills, coffee beans, olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and food and travel writing.

Amidst the live discussions and demonstrations with Paula Deen, Heloise, and the rest of the impressive list of participants will be a labyrinth of vendor booths featuring samples and wares from more than 100 exhibitors. Local and international specialty foods and food-related products will be for sale throughout the weekend.

General Admission tickets are $22 in advance and $25 at the door. Children ages 4-12 are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. Children ages 4 and younger are free. General Admission tickets allow entrance to demonstrations, entertaining presentations, and vendor booths on the exhibit hall floor. Additional tickets are required for special events, such as a luncheon with Paula Deen and entry to special lectures by the headliners. For a full listing of events and tickets, visit www.metrocooking.com.