Mmm Mmm MetroCooking!

There was a bellyful of food and fun at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center all weekend long as Metro Cooking DC returned for its eighth year with television chefs, hundreds of specialty food vendors, cooking demonstrations, cookbook authors… and enough workshops to satisfy even the pickiest eats enthusiasts.

A rotating roster of television chefs — including The Chew’s Jason Roberts; actress Debi Mazur (of Entourage) and her husband Gabriele Corcos from The Cooking Channel’s Extra Virgin; the Food Network’s Extreme Chef Terry French; cookbook author and James Beard 2012 Best Chef Southeast honoree, Atlanta’s Chef Hugh Acheson; and Grill Sergeant Brad Turner — inspired the crowds, already enticed by a labyrinth of vendor booths in the Marketplace featuring samples and wares from more than 200 exhibitors, with both local and international specialty foods and food-related products.

This year’s show featured two new areas: the Grand Tasting Pavilion, where attendees sampled favorites from DC area restos/chefs/caterers/food trucks like Del Campo, 1789, Cedar, Bourbon Steak, Founding Farmers, The Hamilton, Thally, Fujimar, Hank’s Oyster Bar…. and the Holiday Bazaar, an entire section dedicated to specialty gifts.

Additional personalities conducting workshops over the weekend included Rocky Fino, author of Will Cook for Sex: A Guys Guide to Cooking; Kim O’Donnel, author of The Meat Lovers Meatless Celebrations; Arsha Jones of Capital Ciy Mumbo Sauce; and Lindsey Becker of The Date Dish.

*Photos credit Michael Woestehoff, The Ellsworth Agency