I love spending time in the kitchen and trying new recipes.

My side tables are full of cooking magazines with the corners folded down so I remember that, at some point, a particular dish spoke to my culinary senses.  However, with the stage of life my family is in, I seldom get back to the stacks of magazines, and if I do try something new and my family likes it, I seldom remember where I put the recipe.

With the Hormel Historic Home’s upcoming Foodie Throwdown just around the corner, I know there are at least five chef teams also doing a lot of testing in their kitchens. Our 5th annual event is not only a lucrative fundraiser that supports the preservation of the Home, it is also a showcase for a group of people who find cooking an enjoyable passion. With 5-Star Food as the theme, I know the chefs are working on preparing their best recipes yet.

A new feature to this year’s Throwdown is the opportunity to sample wines from Albert Lea’s Three Oak Wines. For $5 a person, you can sample five or six of their 11 wine varieties.  Three Oak was recently awarded the 2014 Minnesota Governor’s Cup trophy for their single varietal 2014 Frontenac Gris at the 7th Annual International Cold Climate Wine Competition held at the University of Minnesota.  They are in the process of adding a tasting room to their property, and they are currently selling the wines at the vineyard.

Historically speaking, fine food was also a tradition in the Hormel family. George Hormel wrote about his mother’s skills in the kitchen in his autobiography, “Three Men and a Business:”

“I ate the good things that poured out of her kitchen at every meal with a relish and capacity that surprised even her.  I particularly remember a golden “Johnny cake” she used to make from fresh-ground cornmeal, sorghum molasses, eggs, milk, and shortening—a far different kind of cornbread from any one can find today.  She filled her hungry brood with young green cabbage coleslaw doused in sour cream, potatoes boiled in their jackets or baked, mashed rutabagas seasoned with butter and cream, and other fresh vegetables.  And her vitamin-rich meat and vegetable soups, her stews and browned beef hash would have put life into anyone this side of a mummy.  Before mealtimes the most tantalizing odors stole out of her kitchen, the kind you could taste…”

If you are able to join us for the Foodie Throwdown on Saturday, Feb. 27, I know you will experience cooking much like George did.  Visit www.hormelhistorichome.org for more information or to purchase tickets.

 Hearth & Home Series

10 a.m., Tuesday-Rescheduled Date

Truths and Myths of a Gluten Free Diet presented by Hy-Vee Dietician, Courtney Kremer. Free

Harris Piano Contest Final Contest

4 p.m., Saturday, Paramount Theatre

The top eight contestants in four age categories will vie for top honors. Featuring performance by Peggy Reich and MarySue Hormel Harris.

 5th annual Foodie Throwdown

Doors open at 6 p.m., Samples at 7 p.m.,

Saturday, Feb. 27

Tickets are $30 and are limited to 175 people.

Featuring live music by Reminisce and food samples from five area food enthusiasts. Auction to support the HHH will also take place.