Metropolitan Cooking and Enterainment Show

Check out the Metropolitan Cooking and Entertainment event at the D.C. Convention Center on 5 and 6 November.  The cost is $27 for general admission at the door - I swear it was only $10 or $15 general admission when the event first started some years ago.  Guest chefs this year include Paula Deen, Guy Fieri, Giada DeLaurentis, and more - check out the website at http://www.metrocooking.com/.  Celebrity theatre tickets, for cooking demos with your favorite chef, are $65 or more in advance and can be over $100 at the door.  The pricier the ticket, the closer the seat to the stage.  The theatre is huge - if you're in the back, you're watching on the big screen.  After seeing my favorites a couple of times I figured out that I really have the most fun walking the floor.  For the cost of general admission you can see lots of cooking and carving demonstrations; get hints on party planning, table setting, centerpieces, etc., during half hour presentations scheduled throughout the day; and taste all kinds of butters, sauces, rubs, dips, drinks - and purchase the things you like.  You'll also find cookbooks, aprons, and unique utensils.  Take a backpack and a few sturdy fabric bags for thing things you buy.  Grab a business card from vendors whose wares you like - you can order from them online in the future.  Remember to take your credit card.   Easy trip via metro from SOMD.