Chef Mark's Kitchen

Summer is here and THE PLACE TO BE for all the best in LOCAL produce, meats, dairy, sauces, seasonings and packaged goods is at Hen House Market.

For the 8th straight year, I'll be at a different Hen House store each Saturday from 10-4 throughout the summer, cooking and demonstrating new, easy & interesting recipes using the best local products. Two of my first featured recipes will be Braised Caribbean Spiced Cabbage with Smoked Bacon and also Chuck Wagon Cheddar Burgers.

It all starts this Saturday, June 23 at the Corinth Square (83th & Mission) Hen House Store. Stop by for great fun, fabulous food and sensational savings.

The much anticipated Hen House Copper River Salmon event begins Wednesday and I'll be demonstrating Copper River "Santa Fe Salmon" at 2 Hen House Stores this upcoming Friday (87th & Lackman) & Saturday (119th & Roe) from 1-5 in connection with my friend Chef Gary Puetz, the "Seafood Steward" who's flying in from the Pacific Northwest for the event. Stop by to taste the WORLD'S BEST SALMON and stock up while it's available.

If you like SALMON, you won't want to miss my next Hen House Heart Healthy cooking class. We're doing an entire class using what some consider to be the world's finest salmon, COPPER RIVER SALMON. Look forward to 6 recipes & food samples, such as CHILI SEARED SALMON WITH SWEET PEAR & PINEAPPLE SALSA - (YUM!), Nutritional info, AND a bag of recipe products all for ONLY $25!!! Saturday, May 12th from 2-4 p.m. Call the Hen House Store at I-29 & 64th Street (KCMO) to register (816) 746-1400, or contact me if you have any questions. See you at the class - Chef Mark Alan

3 Italian Chefs Cooking: Chef Jasper, Chef Mark & Chef Pistachio Bearnini

Congratulations to Chef Mark Alan & Chef Shannon Kimball for being asked to represent KC as the quest Chef's at this years National Pheasant Fest this weekend at Bartle Hall. Chef Mark will be demonstating Venison Tequila Chili & also Bison Country Fried Steak on the Wild Game stage 4 times during the event. Chef Shannon is doing a Dijon Pheasant dish each day. Attached is the link to the stage schedules for this event, which has an atendence of over 20,000 people! http://www.pheasantfest.org/page/1/2012seminars.jsp

2012 National Pheasant Fest Seminar Schedule The full Seminar Schedule is now available - get a head start on scheduling your day!

I spent a wonderful part of my Valentine's Day showing the students at Oak Hill Day School in North KCMO how to make Heart Shaped Pizza. The part they enjoyed the most was when I spin-tossed the dough 15 feet into the air. The teachers didn't share our same enthusiasm of throwing food in the lunch room! I hope I'm invited back, but it'll probably depend upon what results from the next time they serve pizza for lunch to the kids!

KCFA ANNUAL JANUARY SOCIAL/MIXER: If you make a locally produced food, are thinking about it or just interested in local foods, then the annual KCFA Social is something you should plan on attending. It's at EBT's Restaurant (www.EBTRestaurant.com) on Tuesday, Jan. 24 from 5:30-7:30/8. It's a free event (with a cash bar). Chef Tate Roberts is providing exceptional appetizers and it'll be a great place to meet and talk with members and see what the KCFA is all about. If interested please just let me know so we can make sure to have the appropriate space, food, etc. Thanks - Chef Mark Alan

EBT Restaurant | The Pleasure is Ours!

And the winner of the Hen House Market & Chef Mark Alan "Aspiring Student Chefs Challenge is........"

As an addition to my fall Incredible Edible Squash series, I'm adding "Scary Squash" to the 12 simple squash recipes I developed and am showcasing at a different Hen House Market through November, as well as their Holiday Celebration Oct. 28-30. Check out my website for the recipes, and check out Martha Stewart Living Magazine for the Scary Squash How-To's. www.ChefMarkAlan.com

Join Chef Mark Alan and Chef Randy Webb, (owner of Tall Grass Toffee) along with 20 more of KC Best Chefs Tuesday evening (9-27) at this years annual KC Chef's Association charity dinner & auction event at Union Station. It's a wonderful evening of fine food, lovely libations, entertainment and music, benefiting Harvester's Food Bank. For more information: www.bestofkansascitychefs.com/index.html

A SPECIAL PURCHASE of late harvest LOCAL Missouri peaches allows me to make one last batch of this years top-selling PEACHY-KEEN HATCH CHILI PEPPER SALSA! Excellent for dipping with chips, but people are emailing me with all sorts of new and interesting uses for this SWEET-HEAT combo taste: on grilled shrimp (pictured) and fish, chicken and pork, as a pizza topping, on baked potatoes, mixed in with cooked rice, in fish & chicken tacos, as flavoring for crock-pot pork and much more! Available ONLY at KC area Hen House Markets and ON SALE for $2 off per pound (ONLY $2.99 a pound!) while available.