It’s 10:55 AM on Saturday, October 23, 2010 – and the Incredible Food Show swirls and smells all through the Lexington Convention Center and Rupp Arena as we wait for Giada De Laurentiis to appear at 11:00. 

Thoughts while waiting: 

• Love my seat! I’m surrounded by white coats — chef gear — and nothing is more exciting.

• Does Giada travel with a roadie crew? The boom operator, the white coats who came out and set up things — are they her people or our people? [Late breaking answer: Ours!]

• Does Rupp Arena own this kitchen setup? Dang! Right where Cuz swatted a basketball away from a helpless enemy a few months ago, a full-fledged kitchen reigns, complete with rising steam from the pot of pasta water a sous chef set up earlier. So many ways to heat up Rupp! 

• I predicted the Giada audience would be more male than female (and no, I’m not explaining that prediction.) But quick inspection says the audience is probably three-to-one female. Maybe we all want to be Giada? Or at least see first hand what it’s like to be Giada? 

• Whoa! I just figured out where I’m sitting. Really in real life. Section 33, Row D, Seat 1. It’s General Admission to Giada, right on an aisle, perfect view of the stage (except for the boom, which just adds to the fun) – but REALLY I’m right behind the south goal, four rows up, looking directly across at the pep band seats. People would commit mayhem for this seat during a Cats home game. On, On U of K! 

• Who are the 10 special humans who are right on the stage with the kitchen set? Luminaries? People who paid more? Eight women and two men. [The answer shall be revealed in time, or at least 20 percent of the answer.]

• Happy swirl of talk from the white coats around me…”boiling method”…”butter”…”Paula Deen”… 

• Maybe the double ovens and the giant chef cooktop/oven on the set don’t have to work, but the refrigerator seems alive. At least its interior lights work. A chef-togged woman and man come out occasionally to open a food package, move something an inch, wipe something off the counter-top, open and close the refrigerator. Then back they go, behind the set. 


That’s it – all done with the pre-demo musings. Here’s talented, adorable local chef Brigitte Nguyen on stage with a hand-held microphone, welcoming us, inviting audience members to come to microphones placed near the stage to ask questions at any time during the demo. How cool is that?

Brigitte says: All recipes from today’s demonstrations will appear at IncredibleFoodShow.com 

And here we are, giving a large Kentucky Proud Welcome to Giada De Laurentiis! Tall! Skinny jeans, low-cut purple silky vee-shaped top draping inches below a white rough cottony jacket punctuated with some metal buttons. She could be a country music star….but she’s a cooking diva.

To be continued…. 

Blogged by: Rona Roberts
Photography by: Paul Hooper