Come hungry
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WHAT: The 13th annual Taste of Cleveland
WHEN: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Aug. 29; noon to 11 p.m., Aug. 30; noon to 11 p.m., Aug. 31; and noon to 8 p.m., Sept. 1
WHERE: Time Warner Cable Amphitheater at Tower City, 351 Canal Road, Cleveland
TICKETS: Free from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 29, $7 on Aug. 29 after 4 p.m. and on Aug. 30 through Sept. 1 (Children ages 12 and under are free). Entertainment is included in the general gate admission; however, a limited number of VIP reserved seat tickets are available at Ticketmaster locations.
INFO: 216- 241-5555 in Cleveland, 419-474-1333 in Toledo or ticketmaster.com.
One year ago, Jenn Thomas was unsure of her future and working as a bartender. Now, the Cleveland-area native is set to appear as a presenter at the Taste of Cleveland, a position for which she is uniquely suited. At a food event featuring top-notch chefs and restaurants, the average home cook may feel daunted. However, Thomas is here to show you that anyone can do anything, as long as they put their mind to it and find self-confidence.
Last fall, the Cuyahoga Falls resident, a few years short of a college degree, loved two things: cooking and watching “The Rachael Ray Show.” Then, on a whim, Thomas decided to enter Ray’s “So You Think You Can Cook?” contest. A few days after submitting a videotape of her making a lasagna burger, Thomas found herself in New York City as part of the competition.
“Because Rachael Ray wasn’t professionally trained, everybody in the contest was a home cook,” Thomas said. “I don’t actually know why I was picked. Maybe because of camera presence, I’m not quite sure. I think maybe the tape just showed that I have a lot of fun in the kitchen.”
The combination of Thomas’ vivacious personality and common sense kitchen approach led to her victory in the contest, for which she received a week of boot camp at The Culinary Institute of America, a published recipe in “Every Day With Rachael Ray” magazine and a segment on “The Rachael Ray Show.”
“Really, I don’t know why I won,” Thomas said. “It was definitely like the heat of the competition. I think the reason I stayed in it as long as I did is because I just stayed true to myself. I did every single challenge they gave us and thought, 'If I was making this at home, what would I make? What would I make for my nieces and nephew? What would I make for my parents?'”
After winning the contest last November, Thomas appeared on “Good Morning America,” where she met Jack Black and then returned to Rachael Ray’s television set for her segment, which she said was hilarious.
Since her celebrity exposure, Thomas, who said she learned how to cook from her mom, Beth, and her dozen years spent in Girl Scouts, has found plenty of culinary demonstration work. Aside from appearing at the I-X Center and the Ohio State Fair, the 26-year-old is also committed to speaking at elementary schools where she stresses healthy eating.
“I get a lot of confidence in the kitchen,” Thomas said. “And I think that’s very important for young girls to learn what food is, how it affects your body and how you can take control of that by making it yourself.”
Thomas is also writing a cookbook based around the idea of making the most out of what you have in your cupboard, which is what she'll be speaking about at the Taste of Cleveland.
“I will be hosting five or six demonstrations a day that people can do at home,” Thomas said. “My cooking is about making the most of what is in your cupboard. I like to use a lot of leftovers. I hardly ever use things that you can’t get at a regular grocery store. So my cooking style is really fun, and it’s a good opportunity to learn quick and fun recipes before summer is over.”
“It’s not, like, genetic,” Thomas said. “It’s something you have to work on. I mess up a lot of things. I think people need to realize that. I meet people who say, ‘I don’t want you to taste this because it might not be good.’ And I’m laughing to myself thinking if you knew what I ate and all of the stuff that I burned. So that’s how you learn is from your mistakes.”
She added, “And the message is – not to be cheesy – you have to work your ass off to get your dreams. You have to go get them yourself.”