Floored! NRA Show 2008 News

And the winner is...

He wowed us with margarita fire shrimp in a two-minute video, now Chef Keith Snow is coming to Chicago.

Snow, the founder of harvesteating.com, is the winner of the NRA’s Hot Chef Challenge. His two-minute cooking-demo video was among the top three vote-getters on the YouTube competition.

A Facebook friend, Ken Burgin, alerted Snow to the Hot Chef Challenge a few days before the deadline. Snow already had a video shoot scheduled for May 6, so he quickly developed an idea for his Hot Chef Challenge entry, shot the cooking demonstration and edited the video.

Within two hours of posting it to YouTube (about 12 hours before the contest ended) and his Web site, he overtook the then-leading vote-getter.

When we spoke to Snow this afternoon, he was working out the menu details for his 60-minute demonstration at the NRA Show’s Culinary Scene. Sorry, fans, no wild-caught margarita fire shrimp for you.

Snow also is making plans for his second visit to the NRA Show, where as the executive chef for a Colorado ski resort he first tasted a Chicago-style, Vienna Beef hot dog. “We actually put those on the menu at the ski resort,” Snow said.

In addition to cooking at the Culinary Scene and sampling hot dogs, Snow plans to dine at Celebrity Chef Rick Bayless’ Topolobampo. Snow says he's also interested in seeing how restaurants embrace environmentally friendly practices and hearing Chipotle CEO Steve Ells speak (at one the NRA Show’s 65 education sessions).

Save some green with NRA Show's Blue Plate Specials

Among the many, many reasons attendees love the NRA Show are the Blue Plate Specials. Now, you might be asking yourself, "Huh? What are 'Blue Plate Specials?' And how are they 'special?' Everyone's telling me everything is 'special' these days."

Well, you have a good point. But just hear us out.

Blue Plate Specials are deals exhibitors give customers who stop by their booths and place orders during the Show. Blue Plate Specials include discounts on items such as apparel and computer software as well as free trials and consultations. Check out the Blue Plate Specials Web site for a comprehensive list.

These days it never hurts to keep a few extra dollars in your pocket, right?

Are you an exhibitor who wants to drive more traffic to your booth? All you need to do is log onto the Exhibitor Information Manager, and submit your promotion online.

Blue Plate Specials are indeed special, wouldn't you agree?

In sausage scarf and Crocs, Batali style compliments NRA Show

There will be many great celebrity chefs and authors stopping by McCormick Place's Grand Concourse at this year's Show, but one you definitely don't want to miss is Renaissance man Mario Batali.

The master of Italian cuisine not only knows his way around a kitchen (and sausages apparently!), but he also operates several of his own restaurant enterprises in New York City, penned several award-winning books and remains ubiquitous in the television and online mediascapes.

And yes, he loves Crocs.

Batali will be signing his latest book, Italian Grill, at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 17. He definitely will be the man of the hour, with or without his favorite footwear. Maybe he'll even put in an appearance at the Crocs booth.

Get more details here about Batali and other big names appearing at the NRA Show!

What you love about Mario?

Live… from Top Chef Chicago…

If you didn’t get enough of Chef Art Smith on last week’s episode of Top Chef, check him out at the NRA Show. Smith, the personal chef to Oprah and contributing editor to O, the Oprah Magazine, and Oprah.com, is one of 16 restaurateurs who will be signing their books at the NRA Show.

 

Last year, food fans and culinary enthusiasts lined up for hours to meet some of the chefs participating in the Celebrity Book Signings and NRA Show Bookstore. Cameras flashed repeatedly as friends and spouses tried to capture on “film” their culinary heroes signing books for loved ones.

 

Smith will sign two books: “Back to the Family: Food Tastes Better Shared with the Ones You Love” and “Back to the Table: The Reunion of Food and Family." Maybe he’ll share his thoughts on healthy, family-friendly cooking while he signs. Or, maybe he’ll dish on why peanut butter and tomato isn’t a good choice for a Top Chef competition — or any meal for that matter.

 

What you want to know from Smith or any of the other Celebrity Book Signing stars?

Two for one: Book signings feature dynamic chef duo

The couple that bakes together stays together.

At least that's the case for Tony and Cathy Mantuano. The co-chefs of Chicago's Spiaggia are among the well known chefs- and restaurateurs-turned auteurs at this year's Celebrity Book Signings.

Find out more about the Mantuanos and other chef-slash-authors on tap to sign their books at the NRA Show. Check out the full Celebrity Book Signings lineup!

Will it blend? That is the question.

Not that we’d ever encourage anyone to pulverize an iPhone in a blender, but it sure makes us wonder what those crazy guys at Blendtec are up to next.

Luckily, we get to meet Tom Dickson and find out. Tom, the lab coat-wearing star of the Will it Blend videos on YouTube, is one of the 2,100-plus NRA Show exhibitors.

Dickson's been coming to the NRA Show ever since he launched his first commercial blender 15 years ago. And after he started grinding glow sticks, golf balls and other goodies on video in 2006, he also put his blenders to the test on the NRA Show floor.

The other day, Dickson took time out from his decimations to tell us about his cameo in a Dreyer's Ice Cream (another NRA Show exhibitor!) commercial and give us a preview of what to expect at his booth. Here’s what he had to say...

NRA: That commercial for Dreyer's Dibs was hilarious ... but kind of gross. Did they really "wax" that man's back with that giant lollipop?

Dickson: It took three hours to put the hair on that guy. Then they put it on my back.

NRA: Besides smoothies, what will you blending at this year’s NRA Show?
Dickson: Every two hours, we blast away golf balls, marbles, golf balls, electronics, cell phones – the harder the better. We’ll be on the look out for other things to blend. No matter where we go, we’re always looking.

What do you want Tom to blend at NRA Show 2008? Tell us!

Winding up for the pitch

NRA Show Chairman Bill Anton turns relief pitcher next month at Wrigley Field. As the Chicago Cubs face off against the Pittsburgh Pirates May 17, Anton will throw the first pitch.

"It’s a thrill,” says the Cubbies fan and founder of Anton Airfood. “It’s one of the last great traditional ball fields. It still has all the character and traditions of the game.”

The pitcher’s mound is familiar territory for Anton. As a student at Oak Park High School in suburban Detroit, Anton was a pitcher and first baseman. Watch out, Pirates!