What's Cooking At The Jacksonville Home + Patio Show

Not only does the Jacksonville Home + Patio Show deliver the best in interior design, home improvement, and DIY projects - this year's edition also features a full menu of delicious treats for foodies! Check out what we're cooking up at the show.

1. The Fabulous Beekman Boys - Dr. Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell left the Big Apple to become goat farmers in upstate New York. The delightful duo have recently published their third cookbook and will be sharing their best tips for incorporating the farm-to-table movement into your home.

2. Recipe Hacker, Todd Wilbur - Ever wondered what makes McDonald's special sauce so special? Or wished you could create an exact replica of a warm, gooey Cinnabon at home? Make sure you see Top Secret Recipes author Todd Wilbur when he graces the Jacksonville Magazine Cooking Stage on Friday and Saturday. Todd has made a career out of  uncovering the highly-guarded ingredients in popular fast food and restaurant recipes. Get great recipes, watch live demonstrations, and see if you can beat his taste test!

3. Food Truck Rally - Back by popular demand, Jacksonville's favorite food trucks are rallying in the Lay-Z-Dayz courtyard on Sunday, October 5th starting at 11am. Enjoy a delicious variety of tasty offerings and unwind with the stylings of our DJ.

The Jacksonville Home + Patio Show takes over the Prime Osborne Convention Center October 2-5, 2014. Bring your appetite and a friend or family member to the show - right now you can get two tickets for the price of one when you like us on Facebook. Don't miss out, get your tickets today. We can't wait to see you at the show!

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Summer Sneak Peek at the Calgary Home + Design Show

With the sun blazing down and backyard barbeques filling up your social calendar, it’s easy to forget that fall is only a couple of months away. Though we love the ice cream, lazy Sundays at the lake and dining al fresco that summer brings, we can’t wait for fall to arrive – and with it, the Calgary Home + Design Show. What’s in store this year, you’re wondering? Short answer: lots. 

Here’s a sneak peek at our top five things to see at the Calgary Home + Design Show, happening September 18-21 at the BMO Centre.

1. Trail Appliances Cooking Stage

Stop by to meet Calgary’s best-known chefs and foodies at the Trail Appliances Cooking Stage. You’ll catch Tomo Mitsumo, owner and chef of Goro + Gun, and other top chefs from Poppy Innovations, Crave Cookies & Cupcakes, Fiasco Gelato and Downtownfood. Plus, don’t miss the Samsung Cooking Challenge: Tag Team Kitchen, featuring three home cooks partnered with three top chefs in a battle for culinary supremacy, hosted by Chef Corbin Tomaszeski. We have no doubt you’ll find inspiration for your own culinary creations!

2. ChairLIFT

If you’re going to sit, you may as well do so in style. Local media personalities, designers and tastemakers will each upcycle a pre-loved chair with Rust-Oleum products and a $50 budget (plus a little elbow grease) for silent auction, with 100% of proceeds benefitting Habitat for Humanity Southern Alberta and its affiliated ReStore Calgary. Bid on your favourites for a chance to walk away with a one-of-a-kind masterpiece and the pride of knowing you helped support a worthy cause.

3. Life Hack 

If disorderly junk drawers and difficult DIYs are bringing you down, this is the place for you! Learn how to live a clutter-free life with inspiration from the students of the Bow Valley Interior Decorating program and get the down low on clever tricks, tactics and shortcuts to keep your life organized on the cheap. Like to get social? Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for the chance to share your life hack – it might be featured at the show!

4. Food Truck Alley & Eatery presented by CJAY92

You asked, we delivered. YYC Food Trucks presented by CJAY92 are back by popular demand, with delicious offerings from Calgary’s favourite driving diners. Fiasco Gelato, Subs n’ Bubbles, Bento Burrito, Waffles & Chix and more, will be on site to satiate your appetite. You’ll find this mouthwatering fare just outside the south entrance to the BMO Centre.

5. Ask a Designer

Up your style quotient, free of charge! Bring in those colour swatches, fabric samples and floor plans - now is your time to ask a designer. Alberta’s top interior designers, like Wanda Weston of WW Designs, Paige Johnston of Lux Design, Suzy Leslie of Alterior Design Inc and Nyla Free of Nyla Free Design, will be on-site to offer up no fuss, no muss design know-how in 10 minutes or less – just the right amount of time to make magic happen in your home.

Are you as excited as we are for these fine features? We have so much more in store for you this fall, be sure to buy your tickets to the Calgary Home + Design Show online early for the best deals!

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Culinary Court: Chef Tawfik's Recipe, Roasted Squash Salad

It's that time of year folks, time to see what's trending this season at The GTA Home Show (Feb. 20 - 23 at the International Centre).  This year, the show will feature an entire section dedicated to you stomach! Culinary Court will be the perfect place to treat your taste buds. Fuel up with good eats from Canada's favourite food trucks while getting some incredible cooking tips on the Culinary Court Cooking Stage! 

One of the experts on our stage will be Tawfik Shehata, Executive Chef The International Centre.  As a preview of his presentation, he's given us the delicious recipe below, take a look and get choppin' tonight!

Roasted Squash Salad with Ontario Honeycrisp Apples, Toasted Squash Seeds and Goat Cheese in an Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Serves 8 

Ingredients:

• 1 Medium Butternut Squash, peeled and diced into 1” cubes, seeds reserved
• 2 Ontario Honeycrisp Apples, skin-on, cut into matchsticks
• ¾ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• ¼ cup Honey
• 2 tbsp. Butter, melted
• ¼ cup+2 tbsp. Olive Oil
• ½ bunch Thyme, leaves picked
• 8 oz. Fresh Goat Cheese, crumbled
• Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Method: 

For The Roasted Squash:

Preheat oven to 375^¡. In a large mixing bowl mix half a cup of the apple cider vinegar, honey, melted butter and a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Whisk to combine. Toss the diced squash in the apple cider mixture, transfer to a baking sheet. Roast for approximately 20 minutes basting regularly with remaining cider mixture. Reserve bowl.

For The Roasted Seeds:

Remove seeds from connective membrane; soak in a bowl with water for about 5 minutes. Strain and turn out on a clean dish towel. Fold the dish towel and rub the seeds in between to dry and remove any excess membrane. Toss seeds with the 2 tbsp. olive oil, a pinch of salt and black pepper. Lay in a single layer in a skillet or baking sheet and bake in the oven at 375^¡ for 8-10 minutes or until seeds are golden. Drain on paper towels.

To Make the Vinaigrette:

In a small mixing bowl combine the remaining ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar with a pinch of salt and pepper, whisk to dissolve salt, then while continuing to whisk, drizzle in the remaining ¼ cup of olive oil. Add picked thyme leaves just before serving.

To Assemble:

Return squash to the bowl used to make glaze. Add thyme leaves to vinaigrette. Dress with the vinaigrette (you may not need all of the vinaigrette), toss, check seasoning and arrange on eight plates or a large serving platter. Toss the apple matchsticks in the bowl and use to garnish the squash.  Sprinkle the crumbled goat cheese and the roasted seeds over the top.

Serve and ENJOY!!

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Don't miss everything at The GTA Home Show's Culinary Court & Culinary Court Cooking Stage at the show! 

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Food Truck Sunday: A Guide for Food Truck Newbies!

The 2013 spring edition of the Jacksonville Home and Patio delivers a tasty new feature with the launch of Food Truck Sunday. The culinary event brings together seven of Jacksonville’s most popular food trucks for a rally in the courtyard area on Sunday, March 3.

The trucks will set up in the courtyard area during show hours, complete with al fresco dining on teak outdoor furniture and a DJ playing music.  The cost of food is not included in show admission.

New to the food truck scene? We polled Jacksonville top foodies to give their quick reviews and don’t miss dishes from some of the participants:

The Salty Fig

Image via Jacksonville.com

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