An early Thanksgiving celebration of food, fun, and family traditions took place Sunday, November 16, at the Theatre at the Center. Cookbook author and food columnist, Phillip Potempa, brought the warmth of his family farm kitchen to the stage sharing recipes for a seven-course holiday meal.
The star of the show was a deep-fried 13-pound turkey cooked to a golden brown in under two hours, as Potempa shared recipes for pumpkin bread, sweet and sour cabbage soup, carrot cake (prepared in Grandma Potempa’s mixing bowl), cheesy cracker spread, drunken cocktail weenies, and a refreshing white wine sangria.
Potempa’s helpers served samples for the audience to enjoy. The show was interactive with lots of audience participation. Games, giveaways, and prizes kept the audience engaged as Potempa shared family stories as he prepared recipes featured in his cookbooks.
Following the show, the audience could visit Phil’s Farmer’s Market to take home something from the farm such as, jams, preserves, wine, pickles, birdhouses, peppermint oil, and, of course, cookbooks to replicate what they saw and tasted at the show.
What a fun, farm-themed way to begin the festive holiday season!