IACP comes to town

The International Association of Culinary Professionals is hosting a networking event in the Twin Cities Oct. 9-11 and is opening the sessions to nonmembers. Among the public offerings: a half-dozen educational sessions Oct. 10 at Cooks of Crocus Hill in St. Paul, including working with brands, bloggers, photo photography, trend-spotting; cheese, chocolate and wine-tasting and pairing, and a lunch demo by author/cooking instructor Raghavan Iyer; and on Oct. 11, a tour of the Mill City Farmers Market in Minneapolis. For all the details about preregistration (fees and locations), visit https://kiosk.eztix.co/kiosk/32460, or go to the main website at www.iacp.com.

BH&G opens its kitchens

Better Homes and Gardens is opening the doors of its test kitchen in Des Moines to host its first consumer cooking experience Oct. 10-11. This two-day event includes demos and classes by two notable chefs, James Beard award-winner Scott Peacock and master baker Gesine Bullock-Prado, along with BH&G editors. The weekend begins with a hearty opening reception and welcome dinner that spotlights innovative holiday recipes. Attendees also may book a seat for the Tastes of the Season dinner Saturday evening with BH&G editor-in-chief Gayle Butler and other editors and chefs. Visitors get gift bags valued at $200, a printed cookbook with all recipes debuted during the event, and food served Friday evening, and Saturday breakfast, lunch and closing reception. The weekend's cost is $395, with the more intimate Saturday dinner an additional $150. To register via Eventbrite, visit bit.ly/1sCaap8.

Congratulations

We are happy to report that freelancer Steve Hoffman has won a first-place award for his essay on hunting, "From the Wild," that ran last year in Taste. The award was presented by the Association of Food Journalists. His essay earlier won first place in the competition sponsored by the International Association of Culinary Professionals, and will appear in "Best Food Writing of 2014," to be published in October. Find the story here.

STAFF REPORTS