I am a big fan of the show “Chopped” on Food Network and love seeing the chefs overcome extreme time and ingredient constraints. They always seem to prevail under pressure and get their food on the plate for judging.

While the upcoming Foodie Throwdown at the Hormel Historic Home won’t be quite as intense, the resulting delicious food will be presented with flair and care as the chefs vie for your vote.

In the seventh annual event,we will host a Hoedown featuring six area food enthusiasts making a main dish and dessert.

2018 chef teams:

The Hoot and Ole’s and Just Take the Cake team of Jeremy Olson and Kathi Finley.

Father Daughter team of Neal and Berghyn Hull.

Just Neighbors team of Leah and Levi Erickson and Tom and Kim Schulte.

The Wicked Kitchen (aka Wade Kolander).

Spam Museum team of Terri Bergstrom and Shelly Hovland.

Team Hy-Vee featuring Chef Kristine.

The evening will be filled with live bluegrass music by the Silver Prairie Band, interviews with the chefs, silent and live auctions and the culinary creativeness of our contestants. Chopped chefs always have a project or purpose for the prize money they might win. The chefs participating in the Foodie Throwdown gain notoriety and praise and the cause they are supporting is the Hormel Historic Home. As our major fundraising event, the Foodie raises money that supports our mission of preserving and sharing the Hormel family legacy. We rely on your support so we want to offer you a fun night to socialize, dine, and be community minded. Tickets are $35 and available at http://www.hormelhistorichome.org/calendartickets.html.

Inez Taylor Butler, a frequent contributor to the historic Hormel Company Squeal magazines, wrote the following about Lillian Hormel’s kitchen skills. Her focus was on being frugal but keeping her husband and son well fed.

“Few in this day and generation know what it was like to keep house as Mrs. George A. did in the early days of her marriage. There were no conveniences, no water in the house. She cooked, and heated the house, with wood. All her life long she was efficient and methodical, and this was as evident in later years when she managed on a grander scale as it was in the early days of her marriage.”

Taylor lists several family favorites in one article. “As befitted a meat packer, he [GAH] liked meat and he was particularly fond of beef pot roast, leg of lamb, and his own sausage. Another favorite dish was sauerkraut and mashed potatoes, mixed together and served with sausages or spareribs. He liked corn meal and so Mrs. Hormel had corn bread and corn muffins frequently. He liked custard-the baked kind.”

Success allowed Mrs. Hormel to have household help, but she continued to do her own cooking because she enjoyed it. I like her example-do what you enjoy.