The Heat Is On.

Before MetroCooking Dallas This Weekend, Bobby Flay and Paula Deen Share Some Recipes With Us.

This weekend, the Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show rolls into Dallas with Paula Deen and Bobby Flay in tow as the event's celebrity chefs. Held at the Dallas Convention Center, the event will feature cooking presentations and special meet-and-greet opportunities with several experts on cooking and entertaining. Pretty decent timing on all this, too: With the holidays coming up in just a few months, now's as good a time as any to step your home cooking game up.

Headlined by Food Network stars Paula Deen and Bobby Flay, MetroCooking Dallas has partnered with The James Beard Foundation to present a rotating roster of Texas-based chefs set to entertain attendees on an exclusive cooking stage. The current list of chefs scheduled to appear include Stephan Pyles, Tre Wilcox, Richard Chamberlain, Adam West, Bruno Davaillon and Abraham Salum. Along with this list of amazing talent, there will also be several Dallas-based businesses on hand, showing off their talents with a variety of tastings and workshops. In total, over 150 exhibitors and vendor booths will be present.

Plus, lucky us, we've been given a little sneak peek and at what Ms. Deen and Mr. Flay will be cooking up this weekend. And, no, you don't even need to ask: Of course we'll share those recipes with you.

Paula Deen's Southern Chicken and Dumplings.

The Chicken.
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken (2.5 pounds), rinsed, patted dry, and cut into 8 pieces; 3 celery stalks; 1 large yellow onion, chopped; 2 bay leaves; 2 chicken bouillon cubes; 1 teaspoon of salt; a pinch of garlic powder; a pinch of black pepper; 1 can condensed cream of celery or cream of chicken soup.

To prepare the chicken: In a large pot, combine the chicken, celery, onion, bay leaves, bouillon cubes, kosher salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and 16 cups water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the chicken is tender and the thigh juices run clear when pierced with a knife — about 40 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and discard the leaves. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, pick the meat off the bones, discarding the bones and skin. Return the chicken meat to the pot. Add the canned soup to the pot and simmer gently over medium-low heat.

The Dumplings.
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 cup ice water.

To make the dumplings: In a medium bowl, mix the flour with the salt and mound together. Beginning at the center of the mound, drizzle about 2 tablespoons of ice water over the flour. Using your fingers, and moving from the center to the sides of the bowl, gradually drizzle the flour with about 3/4 cup ice water and incorporate. Knead the dough and form it into a ball. Dust a small handful of flour onto a work surface. Roll out the dough (it will be firm), working from the center, until it is 1/8 inch thick. Let the dough relax for several minutes.
Once the dough is nice and relaxed, cut it into 1-inch squares. Pull each piece in half and drop the halves into the simmering soup. Do not stir the pot once the dumplings have been added or they may break apart. Instead, gently move the pot in a circular motion so the dumplings become submerged and cook evenly. Cook until the dumplings float and are no longer doughy — 3 to 4 minutes.

To serve, ladle the chicken, gravy, and dumplings into warm bowls.

Bobby Flay's Cast Iron Potato Salad with Roasted Green Chiles, Cilantro, Green Onions Raddicchio, and Creamy Garlic Dressing

The Dressing.
Ingredients: Creamy Garlic Dressing; 1/2 cup prepared mayonnaise; 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar; 1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard; 3 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped to a paste; Kosher salt and pepper.

Directions: Whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, garlic and salt and pepper in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Let sit while potatoes boil to allow flavors to meld.

The Potato Salad.
Ingredients: 2 poblano chiles, stems removed; Canola oil; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 3 lbs Russet potatoes, scrubbed; 1 small head raddichio, halved and thinly sliced; 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped; green onions, (green and pale green part) thinly sliced sliced.

Directions: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Toss poblanos with a few tablespoons of canola oil and season with salt and pepper. Put on a baking sheet, roast in oven until the skin is blackened on all sides, and turn the chiles a few times over the course of about 25 minutes. Remove the chiles to a bowl, cover the top with plastic wrap and let sit on the counter for at least 15 minutes and up to a few hours. Remove the chiles to a cutting board, remove the skin and seeds and thinly slice. Set aside. While the chiles are roasting, put the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover by 2-inches with cold water. Add 2 tablespoons of kosher salt to the water, bring to a boil over high heat and cook until a skewer or paring knife inserted into the center meets with no resistance, which should take about 25 minutes (depending on the size of the potatoes). Drain the potatoes and let cool for at least 5 minutes on a cutting board. Cut each potato into 1-inch dice. Heat 3 tablespoons of canola oil in a large cast iron skillet over high heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Add the potatoes in a single layer and cook until a crust has formed on the bottom. Gently turn them and cook until all sides are golden brown and crisp, adding more oil if needed. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl, add the chiles and raddicchio and the dressing and gently stir to combine. Fold in the cilantro and green onions and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

General Admission tickets to MetroCooking Dallas cost $24.50. Tickets for children aged 4 to 12 are $12.50. Children 4 and younger get in free. Go here for more information and a full list of events.