Dinner Tonight – Cooking with Chef Cruz by Johanna Hicks

PublishedApril 28, 2017

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I’ve been giving little teasers in the media about “Dinner Tonight”, and now that the plans have been finalized, I’m excited to announce all the details! Dinner Tonight is a program developed by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension to provide information about family meals, kitchen tips, and nutrition while providing recipes and cooking demonstrations. A multi-county team of Family & Consumer Sciences agents from Hopkins, Hunt, Rains, and Wood Counties worked several months to put together an exciting event that should be of interest to both men and women. “Dinner Tonight – Cooking with Chef Cruz”

We have partnered with Hidden Lakes Hunting Lodge to bring “Dinner Tonight – Cooking with Chef Cruz” to northeast Texas. Chef Cruz Minjarez will be the featured chef, demonstrating healthy cooking techniques for wild game, including Red Stag, Buffalo, Duck, and Quail. Extension FCS agents will be sharing recipes for delicious side dishes to pair with the wild game, as well as food safety and nutrition information for the dishes. Chef Cruz is originally from San Antonio, and prior to become the Executive Chef at Hidden Lakes Hunting Lodge, he served as a chef in Sitka, Alaska.

“Dinner Tonight – Cooking With Chef Cruz” will take place on Tuesday, June 6, 2017, at Hidden Lakes Hunting Lodge, in Yantis. Pre-registration is $20 if paid by May 12. The first 20 people to register will be on the tasting panel! Registration after May 12 is $25. Seating is limited, so if you would like to attend, please contact the Hopkins County Extension Office at 903-885-3443. You may also contact the Hunt, Rains, or Wood County Extension Offices.

Each attendee will receive a goody bag, and door prizes will be given. Directions to Hidden Lakes can be found on the registration form. In the meantime, please call if you have questions.

Say Yes to FCS

Do you know of a high school senior who will be entering college in the fall? A special “signing” will take place on Thursday, May 4, to recognize students who will be going into any number of areas under the Family & Consumer Sciences field. Below is a list of areas that will be recognized:

Education and Early Childhood
Facilities Management
Family & Consumer Services
Food Production and services (culinary arts)
Food Sciences, Dietetics, and Nutrition
Hospitality, Tourism, and Recreation
Housing and Interior Design
Human Development
Parenting and Child Development
Interpersonal Relationships
Health and Wellness
Textiles
Fashion Design, Fashion Merchandising
Consumer and Family Resources (Extension education)

A special signing event will be held at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office, 1200 W. Houston, Sulphur Springs, on Thursday, May 4 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. This is a come and go event, and media will be on hand to cover the event. The student does not have to be from Sulphur Springs! All school districts in Hopkins County are encouraged to help us share this information with their students.

One of the slogans for Family & Consumer Sciences is, “Without us, you’d be uneducated, homeless, hungry, broke, dysfunctional, and naked.” We teach life skills that can be carried all through life, so we wanted to take the opportunity to recognize students who are helping us to make this impact on our communities. If you have questions, please feel free to call my office at 903-885-3443.

Closing Thought

“You cannot help people….permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves” – Abe Lincoln

Johanna Hicks, B.S., M.Ed

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service