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On the last day of KitchenAid's The Book & The Cook celebration last month, she was at the Fort Washington Expo Center showing visitors how to make Jamaican Spice-Jerk Chicken in the afternoon. That evening she made her way to Ambler to greet guests at KC's Alley, Bridget's at 8 West, Agave Cantina & Grille and The Shanachie during the Ambler Progressive Dinner. Each restaurant had adapted dishes from her many cookbooks and field guides as a way of showcasing the borough's appealing new restaurant row. And on Friday and Saturday, April 28 and 29, she will be one of the special guests at the inaugural Greater Philadelphia Women's Expo. On Friday, between 6 and 8 p.m., she'll be there at the Fort Washington Expo Center to sign books and meet visitors at the event's preview. At noon on Saturday, she will create three separate dishes from around the world that will highlight her lifelong love of healthy cooking. She'll be at the expo center all day to sign books and to answer anyone's questions about food and cooking. She is, of course, Elkins Park chef, food writer and educator Aliza Green. She told me, "It's so much fun to do these programs, because I love talking to people." Green says she was recommended for the cooking segment of the Women's Expo by her longtime friend Carol Saline, Philadelphia magazine's senior health columnist and author of the New York Times bestseller "Sisters." Saline will also be on hand at the expo as the keynote speaker and to discuss her latest book, "A Day in the Life of the American Woman." Green will prepare three dishes from her book on beans: Vegetarian Spicy Hummus Dip, Moroccan Golden Split Pea & Pumpkin Soup, and Country-style Ziti. In her hummus dip, the always inventive Green includes the chile pepper chipotle and the dark, purply-brown berry-like sumac, a tart spice with a lemony taste, and dried chick peas, since they are more firm and nutty than the canned variety. For her soup, Green uses yellow rather than green split peas, as no soaking is needed and they are easier to digest. She explains that the yellow peas also have a sweet, nutty flavor that's not as strong as green peas. Ground cinnamon and ginger and two large pinches of exotic saffron lend a golden color and sweet, warm aroma to the soup. She also likes using tasty, pre-peeled butternut squash for the orangy-gold coloring it produces. Green fashions the base of the sauce for her ziti dish from canned cannellini (Italian white kidney beans). She purees half the beans and leaves the rest whole, adding broccoli rabe, garlic and sun-dried or plump, roasted plum tomatoes to produce a striking color and flavor. She explains that the beans' acidity and the greens' alkalinity neutralize each other and make the sauce eminently digestible. And she tops it with half a cup of strong aged Pecorino cheese. The noted cookbook author will also regale guests with tips and secrets encouraging them to experiment with herbs and spices they've never used before. (See sidebar on Green's "Field Guide to Herbs & Spices" on page .) The first Greater Philadelphia Women's Expo, co-sponsored by the American Heart Association, Philly.com, BEN-FM and the Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association, will offer a range of entertainment, health screenings, spa treatments, informative motivational seminars, exhibitors and discount shopping aimed at helping women to manage and enhance every aspect of their busy lives. The expo will open on Friday night with "Ladies Night Out," a Las Vegas-style male revue featuring the Men of the Cave, wine tastings and a fitness demonstration. A portion of the proceeds from this evening will benefit the American Heart Association, which will provide screenings throughout the expo. Saturday's events include several family-oriented activities, including a visit by Dora the Explorer (10 to 11 a.m.); a fashion show hosted by Montgomery County-based children's wear manufacturer Annie Quinn, with models between the ages of 3 and 8 (10:30 a.m.); and belly dancing lessons for mothers and daughters by Willow Grove's Lurainya. Hip scarves, veils and cymbals will be provided to anyone who would like to participate. From healthy cooking and illuminating speakers to belly dancing and kids' fashion show, the first-ever Greater Philadelphia Women's Expo promises to be an enlightening and entertaining event for women of all ages. Greater Philadelphia Women's Expo will take place at Fort Washington Expo Center, 1100 Virginia Drive, Fort Washington, Friday, April 28, 6 - 9 p.m., & Saturday, April 29, 10 to 5. Tickets: $7; free for children under 12. Free parking. Info: 215-968-4593 or www.philadelphiawomensexpo.com. |