Everyone knows that when you walk into Rupp Arena on game day, you’re walking into the house of one the greatest traditions in the college sport. We love our basketball, and the fans come out in droves to support their team and cheer them on.

It’s well known that the Big Blue Nation is one of the most fierce and compassionate fan bases in the NCAA, which is one of the reasons why it’s such an exhilarating rush to come and watch this UK team play. And it’s not just fellow Lexington community members that our games are attracting these days. Celebrities and famous faces have been visiting Kentucky basketball games for years, just to sample that incredibly overwhelming power that the Kentucky team and their fans bring to every event.

Big names from the world of pro sports come in and are blown away by the power that UK basketball brings out to the court and receives from the crowd. LeBron James and Ervine “Magic” Johnson have both stopped by in recent years and have been met with the emphatic Big Blue fans…and loved it!

The music industry hasn’t been shy either when it comes to making visits to the Kentucky basketball team. Both Jay-Z and Drake have come to UK games in the past and have been equally enamored with the raucous crowds and the skill on the court.

We of course have celebrity Big Blue fans that have grown up loving Kentucky basketball, like the lovely Ashley Judd. Ashley isn’t bashful when it comes to expressing her devotion to the Cats! You can sometimes spot Ms. Judd in the lower arena, shouting and cheering along with her fellow Kentucky fans.

All of this symbolizes what’s important at UK: community. Each person who sits down at Rupp to enjoy a UK game, or watches from home, becomes a part of our Big Blue Nation. We’re an inclusive community, taking in all fans who want to be a part of our Wildcat family. And we are always more than happy to cheer along side them.

The intense competition of Arenacross is making its way to Rupp Arena this weekend, February 4^th and 5^th. The AMA Arenacross Series is an extreme rough ride of high endurance motocross racing that is fun for the whole family!

Come check out Round 9 of this 16-rider race, as this series travels around the country. AMA Arenacross has been making stops at many of the most well-known and celebrated arenas in the United States, including our wonderful Rupp Arena. Each race takes place on a man-made dirt combat zone, using over 150 truckloads of dirt to shape and mold the previous home of UK Men’s Basketball into an unrecognizable Arenacross dirt valley.

Watch the spectacle of Arenacross, as motorist fly through air and battle it out over technical obstacles with competitions so close, there is no room for error. These events are truly some of the most unique challenges you’ll ever witness because anything can happen during these events, and it’s up to the drivers to make harrowing, split second decisions when it counts.

Defending champ Tyler Bowers leads a pack of vastly talented riders, ready to suit up and take their place on top of the winner’s podium, trophy in hand with the AMA Arenacross Series title.

The action isn’t over after Saturday’s battle royal, either. Join us again on Sunday for Amateur Day, where future stars will take on the track and compete with other riders of all skill levels. This is an event that is sure to feed your need for speed.

And let’s not forget about the kiddies, folks! The AMA Arenacross Series is fun for all members of the family, young and old alike! Hang out with us at the track party and post-race autograph session for fans of all ages and get to meet the biggest and brightest of the Arenacross tour. You don’t want to miss out on this incredible weekend!

Remember, adult admission is $20 and for kids, just $5! Tickets are still available at the Rupp Arena box office, Ticketmaster.com, and by phone at (859) 233-3535.

Two words for parents considering taking their youngsters to Barney’s Birthday Bash: floor seats! Your toddler or young child will want to dance along to every song, and you the adult companion will have a very satisfactory experience letting your little one dance to her hearts content!

There is also plenty of room for boogying in the first tier seats.

I took my 3 yo daughter to the Bash on Sunday, and she danced, clapped, and sang with such delight! Barney’s repertoire is familiar, so I had no trouble singing along. The large video display offered a combination of lyrics, illustrations, and the interviews with youngsters made popular on the Barney TV show.

The performance theme is, as the title suggests, the celebration of birthdays. This was great because my 3 yo knows what birthdays are and could follow along with every story line. The song and dance numbers were fun and colorful with lots of lights and confetti surprises.

Barney’s friends BJ, Baby Bop and Riff were all there, and so were four dancers who really helped to keep the crowd engaged in the performance. The quality of the production was solid and, as usual, the concessions at Rupp Arena are very fairly priced. Connoisseurs will notice that the Barney shwag is less expensive than some other childhood characters’ souvenirs.

Finally, and this really is the best thing about Barney, the performance is educational and entertaining. It will set young people on a path of good expectations for entertainment and social engagement in the arts.

Mom: What was your favorite part of the Barney show?

Daughter: All of it!

Blogged by: Megan Smith
Photos by: Megan Smith

When Disney on Ice “Princess Wishes” opens on the mystical city of Agrabah, I feel like I have stepped into my daughter’s storybook. I know this story well, the one about how Aladdin helps Princess Jasmine escape certain mischief at the marketplace, and soon after, he discovers the ancient lamp, gives it a rub to read the words when… POOF! The raucous, rowdy Genie appears and grants the wishes that let Princess Jasmine and Aladdin find their happily ever after.

Oh, except it is so much better than the storybooks!

“Princess Wishes” offers dazzling renditions of our favorite bedtime stories in a surprising and exhilarating fashion. In two acts of four scenes each, the performance features high quality pairs-skating and top-notch chorus lines – with larger-than-life Disney costumes and all! Movie lovers will be thrilled to hear their beloved ballads, but this show is not a recreation of movies or books. It is an original un like anything you’ve seen before.

The first act features a version of “Be Our Guest” you’ll never forget and hilarious sub-plot with the Seven Dwarves. Then, it knocks your socks off with an eye-popping underwater adventure as Ariel leaves the ocean life for her dream of becoming human.

The intermission is adequately staffed and busy parents need not leave their seats to buy the cutest souvenirs snow cones on earth (but if you should, you’ll find that the Rupp Arena concessions are very fairly priced.) The vendors will test your parenting mettle, but just when you think you can’t bear to say no to your little princess one more time, the lights dim and Act Two begins.

Act Two is forty minutes of pure fun! First, Mulan teaches young friends to be tough by being kind – nice that we got some wholesomeness and girl power in this production too. The second scene retells the story of how Prince Philip saves the sleeping Princess Aurora. For those of us who despise Maleficent the Evil Fairy, there is a real charge in watching this pyrotechnically enhanced rendition!

“Princess Wishes” comes to its apex with “Cinderella,” which takes place in the magical ball where the Prince and Cinderella meet and fall in love. The skating is excellent, the costumes and choreography truly professionally, and the Cinderella performance features a ballad I’ve never heard before.

Like a night in the Magical Kingdom itself, the finale is a celebration of hope and imagination… just the right finish new family memories!

Blogged by: Megan Smith
Photos by: Paul Hooper

The very popular Reds Caravan will visit Lexington on Sunday January 30th at The Shops at Lexington Center from 11:00 am-1:30 pm. The event is free to the public and fans will have the opportunity to interact with current and former players, broadcasters and members of the Reds front office staff.

Scheduled to appear in Lexington are outfielder Jay Bruce, 2010 first round draft pick Yasmani Grandal, former Red “Mr. Perfect” Tom Browning, broadcaster Jim Kelch, President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Walt Jocketty, Chief Operating Officer Phil Castellini, and mascot Mr. Redlegs.

Hall of Famer and Special Advisor to Baseball Operations Joe Morgan and Reds President and CEO Bob Castellini will also join the group for the Lexington stop as a special bonus for Reds fans in the Lexington area.

The group will field questions from fans and sign autographs. Due to time constraints, autograph sessions may not be able to satisfy all fans in attendance.

Reds sales representatives will answer ticketing questions and officially announce the 2011 game date for “Lexington Community Day with the Cincinnati Reds”.

Representatives from the Reds Hall of Fame, the Reds Community Fund and Cincinnati USA Regional Tourism Network will also be in attendance to help fans and answer questions.

For more information about the Reds Caravan and updates visit www.reds.com/caravan.

I was introduced to Jeff Dunham and his “little people in the boxes” on Sunday at Rupp Arena. I attended the Jeff Dunham: Identity Crisis Tour show knowing relatively nothing about him other than he was a ventriloquist. I’d heard of the comedian, but admit that I had never seen him perform and I knew little about the cast of colorful characters that perform with him. What a treat!

The show opened with Jonathan Arons, the dancing Trombone Guy, followed by Brian Haner, the Guitar Guy. The Trombone guy was fantastic! He had the crowd roaring within in minutes as he danced his way through a variety of music genres. And Guitar Guy, arguably the most politically incorrect of any act that took the stage, brought the house down with his witty lyrics to “Fist Fighting in the Waffle House” and “God Bless Arizona.” Although I feel certain that Guitar Guy’s comic fodder offended some people, both comics did a good job of getting the audience warmed up for an evening of entertainment.

Dunham is easily one of the funniest stand-up comics, playing straight man to a cast of puppets, featuring Diana the drunk, cantankerous Walter, Achmed the Dead Terrorist, the purple Peanut, and Jose Jalapeno on a Stick. I spent the first 10 minutes of the show trying to determine of whom Dunham reminded me — and it finally came to me – Dennis Quaid! See the resemblance?

Dunham first introduced us to Diane, his newest character. She is a drunken divorcee with at least three to four marriages under her belt. She, along with Walter, proved to be one of my favorite characters. Her sultry voice and sideway glances, and Walter’s crossed arms and “I don’t give a damn,” attitude were hysterical. Dunham is such a pro at his craft, I actually forgot, on several occasions that he was the man behind the voices – he’s perfect in his banter and in his ability to improvise.

At one point during the show, Achmed the Dead Terrorist literally got his torso stuck and was unable to straighten himself back up. As Dunham worked to untangle him, the bug-eyed terrorist got another opportunity to deliver his favorite line, “I kill you,” and the crowd cheered wildly. I’m still not convinced this bit wasn’t staged, but regardless, it played out really well. Dunham promised that Achmed’s son will be introduced to the line-up soon. He’s currently working on the voice and persona.

Throughout the show, Dunham introduced his other friends, including the hyperactive Peanut, and Jose Jalapeno on a Stick. Bubba J, although featured on the banners and promotional materials, never made an appearance. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the show. Dunham is truly talented and the audience clearly adored him. The guy sitting directly behind me seemed to know most of the lines even before Dunham said them. And while I might normally find that annoying, his belly laughter was so genuine and so contagious, it was hard not to just go along with it.

Blogged by: Jana Curd
Photos by: Paul Hooper

I am a Horror fan. My adoration for the genre began almost from birth as I was born close to Halloween, every year forcing my girlfriends to watch late night movies like Steven Spielberg’s Poltergeist, Night of the Living Dead, and John Carpenter’s The Fog during holiday themed slumber parties. There was something special about these films that I couldn’t explain then, but understand now; they are classic. The faceless shape, the hidden terror, the shambling zombie…they are fun. They are scary. And they have created a fan base no other genre can rival.

Welcome to Scarefest!

I had heard about Scarefest from numerous acquaintances, but had never attempted to learn more. I don’t know what made this year different, perhaps my commitment to watching a horror movie a day during October, or the sudden sadness when the season was over last weekend. It doesn’t matter because after checking the website…my jaw hit the floor. Not only was Scarefest bringing in classic, horror celebrities like Danny Trejo, Adrienne Barbeau and Danielle Harris, but the very man behind the modern day zombie, George Romero! Known for directing cult classics such as Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead…among countless others.

What really sealed my interest in this year’s festival, though, was the appearance of the one and only Tom Atkins. I grew up watching (and loving) Tom in films like The Fog, Creepshow, Escape from New York, Halloween 3, and Night of the Creeps…just to name a few. And he was going to be in my hometown!

We decided to get to the event early on Saturday, beat the crowds, and it was a good idea. I knew where the first stop must be. When I found Tom’s table there was only one person standing there. My view focused. I walked up. I spoke. I forget what I said. It’s obvious I was being such the fan. To my great pleasure, Tom Atkins was nice, and humble, and flattered…and asked for a hug! I’ve never tried to meet a celebrity before. I wasn’t sure how it worked. There’s a fear their real-life personality could ruin all the fictional characters they’ve played, all the movies they’ve acted, that you’ve grown to cherish. But this was one part of Scarefest I didn’t need to fear. Tom signed a Night of the Creeps poster for me, gave another hug and I was on my way…extremely happy.

Directly next to Tom Atkins was Adrienne Barbeau, the other reason why this year’s event was so appealing. There was a line to see her, but at that point there was a line to see Tom as well. The crowd was growing by the moment. Again, the short wait was well worth it as Adrienne was charming, humble and happily ready to converse with her fans. I mentioned John Carpenter’s The Fog as one of my all-time, favorite horror movies. She met my compliment with one of the warmest smiles, suggesting we take a photo.

After feeling completely fulfilled by the event already, we noticed the man himself, George Romero. The line to see him was out the door. It was shocking. And understandable. His work, so often full of social commentary, has inspired everything about the present day zombie. When it comes to the horror genre, there is arguably no one bigger.

The floor was packed with horror and supernatural fans. Some in costume, most not. I assumed the costumes were only going to multiply by day’s end. And there were so many other celebrities of the genre that I personally (and shamefully) didn’t know about. But no worries, Scarefest had produced enough fans for all.

I found my friend Justin Stewart vending at the event with his art and illustrations, sketches of Leslie Vernon displayed on his table. We continued to the other tabling vendors, a grand variety of art, comics, fashion, and films to peruse. I was ready to spend some money. I discovered the British zombie mini-series, “Dead Set” on DVD. I bought a collection of five horror trading cards from the amazing artist Robert A. Scott. I was even able to find a gift for my 7-year old nephew; a beautifully creepy, mounted moth proving there was something for everyone at this event.

So kudos Scarefest, you now have another devoted attendee. I can’t wait for next year’s event. To quote Tom Atkins in Night of the Creeps “Thrill me!” I have no doubts you will.

Blogged by: Sara Turner of Cricket Press

Does it help that Giada De Laurentiis was, as she says, born into the movie business? She seems as comfortable walking around and talking on stage with a head mic as if she had just walked into a friend’s kitchen.

Never mind that she was born in Rome and lives in LA. Her Kentucky audience likes this woman with her beautiful smile and her easy, laid-back manner. We are comfortable with her.

She invites audience members to come up on stage to help cook each of three pasta recipes. Squealing!!! Hand waving!! Big male voice from high up, way in the back, “How about me, Giada?” Laughter – and then Giada says “Okay, come on up.” So he bounces himself up onto the waist high stage while Giada turns away to look for the steps.

First things first: a big Giada hug for Matt – who says he does no cooking in everyday life, but loves creamy pasta sauces over chicken. Giada says, “You can make this pasta with mushroom cream sauce and add your chicken.”

Now comes a revelation about how to get non-cooks cooking: do all the prep work in advance, as the Sullivan University students have done for Giada’s demonstration.

With the prep work to jump start him, non-cook Matt starts cooking easily. Dumps handfuls of salt into the pasta water, empties the dry pasta into that already boiling water, upends the already chopped shallots into a sauté pan filmed with olive oil. He’s cooking!

So all we need at home to teach people to cook is two prep chefs! Who knew?

To be fair, now Matt graduates to actual chopping. He chops some already sliced button mushrooms so they become more finely chopped button mushrooms. He chops chives, using Giada’s specially designed mezzaluna knife.

And now I’m starting to wonder about that pasta…wouldn’t it be done and getting soggy by now, after perhaps 10 minutes in the boiling water? And where’s the sink? How would they plumb Rupp Arena’s center court? If there’s no drain, what happens to the pasta water on the stage?

Giada leaves Matt to continue cooking, asks Sullivan Culinary student Monica to watch over the pasta, and moves to the front of the stage to take audience questions (”AQ,” from here on.)

AQ: Which mushrooms are best?

GDL: Whatever you like: button, Portobello, shiitake — your choice.

AQ: How did you manage morning sickness when you were pregnant?

GDL: Bagels saved me, and I don’t usually like bagels. That, and I toughed it out.

AQ: I’m going to chef’s school in the spring. What advice do you have for me?

GDL: Look around, try everything, figure out what you like out of all of it. Congratulations.

AQ: My husband and I recently went to Italy, to Cinque Terre, and we had…an onion. Caramelized, I think, I don’t know…and my husband wants me to learn to make them.

So after a little ribbing about getting back to Cinque Terre to find out in person, and after some back and forth about the exact nature of the memorable onions (small, individual, appetizers on a platter with other appetizers), Dr. Giada diagnoses these Unforgettables as Cippolini onions. She prescribes a cooking method: blanch, peel, roast at 400 – 450 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden and soft. Add Herbes de Provence; consider a bit of balsamic vinegar.

Back to the cooking now, to tease Matt – who takes it well — about slowing down the cooking so he can prolong his time upon the stage, holding off the next two dishes and the replacement audience member sous chefs. As she cooks, Giada explains The Secret of the Pasta Water: The glutens in the pasta water stick to the pasta and help the sauce and cheese stick to the pasta. She advises saving a cup of pasta water when draining the pasta, and, in this case, using about ¼ cup of the water to get the right consistency for the dish.

And suddenly, there’s pasta with mascarpone-mushroom-shallot sauce and grated Parmesan, topped with freshly chopped chives. Since the dish Matt was stirring never actually cooked, Giada uses the sauce the Sullivan University Culinary students made beforehand.

And so I learn another home cooking lesson: Have a correct version of the dish made up just in case the stove won’t get hot.

Now the money shot – Giada and Matt taste the Student version of the pasta, and say “hmMMMmmm.” Matt departs to a round of applause, carrying the bowl of finished pasta back into the stands to share with his wife.

AQ: I thank you for interesting me in cooking, and making it so I can do it. My husband thanks you. And my neighbors thank you. You made it look easy and if it’s easy for me it’s easy for anyone.

GDL: It IS easy. Thank you.

AQ: What’s your favorite thing to cook?

GDL: How old are you?

Caitlyn: Eleven.

GDL: And what’s YOUR favorite thing to cook?

Caitlyn: I want to cook with you.

And so onto the stage come Caitlyn and her mother Paula, to cook Spaghetti with Beef, Smoked Almonds, and Fresh Tomato Sauce. Giada says, “And my favorite thing to cook, to answer the question, is desserts. Anything chocolate. I love chocolate.”

Giada shows Caitlyn how to distribute herbs evenly over the fat slices of beef tenderloin: bring the hand high over the dish, dropping the herbs from that height onto the meat. Jamie Oliver has been known to do this with some shaking and posing and “styling.” For Caitlyn, the prep island was at about chest level, so getting the hand high above the plate would have required raising it above her head.

First Giada Aphorism, spoken when Caitlyn murmured that she “was not good at this.”

GDL: “There’s something about telling yourself you’re good at this that makes you become good at this.”

Applause!

Second Giada aphorism: “You have to tell the garlic what to do. Don’t let the garlic tell YOU what to do, Caitlyn.”

After a few reassurances and instructions to Caitlyn and Paula so they could keep things cooking, Giada comes back to the audience.

AQ: I’m getting married in April, and my fiancé and I are trying to figure out what to serve as the entrée. What do you suggest?

GDL: Are you meat eaters? What do you like?

Questioner: We’re kind of chicken and beef people.

GDL: Beef tenderloin with curry mayo is luscious. Beef is dressier for a big event.

AQ: I love cooking your recipe for ravioli with chocolate that you deep-fry. I can’t make them fast enough, somehow. Can I put them in the refrigerator? Should I cover them?

GDL: [Before they are cooked] Yes, put them in the refrigerator and cover them with a damp cloth.

AQ: What embarrassing moments have happened behind the scenes?

GDL: [Pauses, smiles, and tells a story in detail, something like this.] It was for the Today Show, my very first appearance, and my first big television cooking show, right after my first book came out. It was with Matt Lauer [audience laughter and a few claps.] I was so nervous, so excited. I had flown in from LA and with the time difference I was tired. They have people help with the prep – you have to get there so early. I did look at my prep, and then…the spots are pretty short, about four minutes. You don’t even know what’s happened and it’s over. I think I made grilled chicken with a couple of different toppings, easy things, food anyone can cook. So I’m doing the sauces and all of a sudden we are finishing and we are getting ready to taste, and I see Matt is able to cut his chicken with a fork. I’m thinking, if he’s cutting it with a fork, is it raw? Is it done?? All of a sudden, Matt runs to the back, the camera follows him, and he spits the chicken out and says, “Giada’s trying to poison me!” What had happened was that the prep chef had cooked the outside lightly, gotten those grill marks we all know how to make, but it was not cooked through. I’m thinking, “It’s over. I’m never going to have a life. I’m dead.” Literally, my mouth was like this: [shows wide open horrified "huh??"] I ran out so fast, no one could catch me. But then I got a call back. They said Matt loved it, thought it was the best segment ever. So you can come back from anything. That — happening live — was worse than anything that ever happened behind the scenes.

Right here is where I notice Monica from Sullivan Culinary carrying the steaming pot of pasta back stage, while Giada talks with Caitlyn about food she has “made” on the game “Cooking Mama.” Something about squid ink with spaghetti and hot dogs – probably not a Giada recipe.

I missed this during the first pasta cooking demo with Matt. Now I get that there is no sink on stage (no one has washed hands, I realize.) The pasta leaves the stage to get drained. Probably into a bucket?

And then Giada, Caitlyn, and Paula taste their finished spaghetti with beef and smoked almonds. Caitlyn wants hers cut.

GDL: Cut? No! You can’t cut pasta? Na na na na na na na I can’t hear that. SUCK! [Third Giada Aphorism coming up!] Part of the fun of spaghetti is that you can suck it up!

The fine looking spaghetti with good things leaves the stage with Caitlyn and Paula. Giada takes more questions.

AQ: Is Giada at Home set at your home?

GDL: It’s where I live about six months a year, while working on the show. It’s a set based on my kitchen. The view is my view. My husband put his foot down a long time ago. There are so many cameras and so much equipment that they take over. You need a place to get away. So no, it’s not my own home, but it’s like my home.

AQ: Do you ever cook with fruit wines, like pineapple or orange?

GDL: I have to make recipes that will work all across the country, so I tend to use more generic types of wine. I like to cook with limoncello – I make my own. Can you get limoncello in Kentucky?

Audience: Yes!

GDL: Good! People in Kentucky seem to know their alcohol. [Laughter] I encourage people to take my recipes and make them your own. And citrus? That’s one thing I’m constantly saying around the country: citrus brings all the flavors alive and truly wakes up your palate.

AQ: Depending on how you answer my question, I may have a follow-up question.

GDL: Okay.

AQ: How do you feel about answering my question while I come up there on the stage and cook with you?

GDL: Come on up!

AQ: [Once on stage] It’s about salt. Some of my relatives can’t eat salt. How do I cook well without it?

Giada then begins recruiting some more people to come cook with Mr. No Salt, asking someone from among the ten on stage to join her. The audience starts saying “Richie, Richie” – a chant heard a few times before in Rupp Arena – and former UK men’s basketball standout Richie Farmer, current Commissioner of Agriculture for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, semi-reluctantly stands up to help. There’s an answer to one of my pre-Giada questions: Richie and Becky Farmer constitute two of the 10 people who are sitting right on stage.

The audience is laughing, talking: Richie Farmer takes the limelight in Rupp Arena WITHOUT a basketball. The different lives of Rupp Arena commingle!

Uh-oh. Small problem. Richie Farmer doesn’t like Italian food. Becky Farmer doesn’t either. Richie says, “I played for Rick Pitino for a while so I had to learn to like it a little.”

GDL: We’re making a pesto. I’m guessing Richie doesn’t know what pesto is.

[Richie nods, agreeing.]

GDL: We’re using arugula. Have you ever had arugula?

[Richie shakes his head. No.]

GDL: Did you say you’re the head of Agriculture?? When you say you’re the head of Agriculture, what does that mean? Do you actually go out to the farms?

RF: I help the people who do agriculture. I help the people who farm.

GDL: Well, what do you like to eat? Beef? Would you have liked the dish we just made?

RF: I like beef.

So Giada sets Richie and Mr. No Salt to work on the pesto: add arugula, walnuts, olive oil (LOTS), garlic, parmesan, lemon zest and jalapeño to a food processor, fit the lid on correctly, push the “On” button. Richie has a surprise: he DOES know that the heat in the jalapeño is concentrated in the seeds.

Giada takes more questions as the two men carry out her instructions about completing the pesto.

AQ: What inspired you to start cooking? [From two girls who are 12 and 13]

GDL: [Tells a story, shortened here] When you come from a large Italian family like mine, with lots of cooking going on, you start cooking at about age five. I think I got my passion from my grandfather. His passion and excitement about food is what inspired me. My family thought I was nuts. I was a couple years older than you when I decided that food would be my life. My family was in the movie business, and food was the last thing they wanted me to do. “Whaaaat??” They wanted me to go to college, and so I did, and then I went to culinary school.

Time to taste the pesto. Richie Farmer, Mr. No Salt, and Giada all take tastes. Giada says, “We didn’t add any salt. What does it need?”

Audience, loudly: “Salt!”

Mr. No Salt begins adding more flavors: lemon zest, more cheese, which includes salt. Pasta water, which includes salt.

The three taste again, and agree: It needs salt. In goes some salt. Process. Taste again. Giada, who is stirring the pesto into the cooked fusilli, says, “That’s better, but it could use more. Let’s taste the pesto the [Sullivan University Culinary] students prepared, and compare.”

Richie Farmer offers an aside, “I tell you, I’ve done a lot of things in this Arena – but never cooked.”

Giada demonstrates again that pasta water saves pasta dishes. After she stirs the pesto and cooked fusilli together, she says, “The pasta water has the natural starches from the pasta in it, and they loosen up the sauce.” Sure enough, on the big screen, one can see the fusilli and pesto seem to relax a little, glisten a bit more.

The taste comparisons yield a verdict: The student dish is spicier. Giada is diplomatic: “They’re both delicious – you all did a great job.” She looks at Richie, who has tasted carefully, but now is eating bite after bite after bite, nodding, saying, “It’s good.” Spouses join their men on stage, and then Richie Farmer recognizes his three sons in the audience. Giada calls them onto the stage for a taste.

The responses might map childhood taste buds. Mr. 13 Year Old says, “It’s okay.” Mr. 11 Year Old says, “I don’t like it.” Mr. 8 Year Old looks for a place to spit his bite out and says, eventually, to much laughing in the audience “It’s disgusting.”

Giada says, “Yes, it can be an acquired taste,” and turns, laughing, back to the audience for two final questions.

AQ: Should you put oil in the cooking water with pasta to keep the pasta moist?

GDL: [Tiny bristle] The pasta is already moist. The water keeps it moist. If you put oil in the pasta water when it’s cooking, when you drain it and put sauce on it, the sauce will sliiiiiide off. The only exception is lasagne. You put oil in that water to keep the lasagne sheets from sticking together. Don’t put oil in your pasta water.

AQ: How do you stay so fit?

GDL: Small portions. No matter how good anything is, you can’t eat all of it. I’d say an appetizer plate is correct for most people. And I move. I move all day. I work out. You gotta get up and move. Ride horses – do anything you like, but just move.

And that’s all, says Brigitte Nguyen.

Thank you, Giada. Kentucky loved it all – all of us, that is, with the possible exception of those Kentuckians under driving age.

Blogged by: Rona Roberts
Photography by: Paul Hooper

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