News…

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Division of Culture and History will resume its First Lady’s Culinary Cultures program in April with three sessions that will feature West Virginia chefs and food specialists from around the state. The 2013 demonstration programs feature a variety of cooking styles and food choices.

Chef John Wright of Bridge Road Bistro coordinates the program, which began in 2012 with Chef Robert Wong.  The program serves as a memorial to Chef Wong and his enthusiasm for sharing West Virginia’s culinary culture with others.

The sessions each include three classes and cost $60 per person. Classes run from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. The series is limited to 20 participants and registration is required. To register, call John Morrison at 304-558-0220 or e-mail him at john.d.morrison@wv.gov.

During the first two classes of each session, participants will learn about different cooking styles and techniques. For the third class of each session, participants are invited to bring a guest for the class.

The schedule for 2013 is:

April 15 – Springtime Soups with John Wright, Bridge Road Bistro
May 6 – Deli Secrets with Judy Byrne, AAA Catering
June 3 – Grilling Out with Paul Smith, University of Charleston

July 1 – Garden Treats the Vegetarian Way with Dale Hawkins of Fish Hawk Farm
August 5 – Canning and Pickling with Jill Brookover of Sunny Hollow Farms
September 9 – Cooking with Seafood with Joe Harmon of Joe’s Fish Market

October 7 – That’s Italian with Jeremy Still of Edgewood Country Club
November 4 – Cooking with Grains with Jeremy Still of Edgewood Country Club
December 2 – Christmas Dinner with Tootie Jones of Swift Level Farm

For more information about the Culinary Cultures program, contact Caryn Gresham, deputy commissioner of the Division, at (304) 558-0220.

The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is an agency within the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts with Kay Goodwin, Cabinet Secretary. The Division, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the Division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

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