Paula Deen Brings Southern Charm to 17th Annual Taste Philadelphia Festival of Food, Wine and Spirits This Weekend

King of Prussia, PA -- Valley Forge Casino Resort will host Queen of Southern Cuisine Paula Deen for the 17th Annual Taste Philadelphia Festival of Food, Wine and Spirits this weekend, October 16-18, 2015. Deen has lost over 40 pounds and will share her favorite recipes lightened up on stage for two demonstrations on Saturday, October 17, 2015, at 1:00pm and 3:00pm. Recipes will come from her soon-to-be-released 15th cookbook, entitled Paula Deen Cuts the Fat. Deen joins over two dozen other top chefs from the region and country including Chef Nicholas Elmi (Top Chef) and Nicole Gaffney (Food Network Star). Deen's demonstration is sponsored directly by Valley Forge Casino Resort. Tickets are on sale now at www.vfcasino.com.

"We are thrilled to add a taste of the south to this year's festival with Paula Deen's lightened up comfort classics," said VFCR Chief Marketing Officer Jennifer Galle. "The Queen of Southern Cuisine will bring more than her delicious homestyle recipes, she'll show festival goers the art of creating a culinary experience that brings together family and friends, perfect for this season."

Hot on the heels of the announcement that Deen will join the lineup for the 21st season of Dancing with the Stars, Deen and VFCR announce two intimate cooking demonstrations for her fans while she is in town for the Festival. Chef on Stage will run from 1:00pm to 2:00pm on Saturday, October 17, 2015, and include a seated cooking demo with recipe secrets, cooking techniques and southern charm on stage at The Venue. Paula's Fall Favorites, will run from 3:00pm to 5:00pm on Saturday, October 17, 2015. Deen and VFCR will transform the new Valley Beach Poolside Club into an outdoor Fall Festival with seasonal cocktails and culinary creations inspired by her classic fall favorites. Dilworth's Custom Design will be creating a custom cooking island for both of Deen's demonstrations. Lightened up and new recipes will be taken from her new cookbook, Paula Deen Cuts the Fat (released September 8, 2015).

Deen's appearance is part of the 17th Annual Philadelphia Festival of Food, Wine and Spirits. This annual three day gastronomical festival, presented by One Step Events at VFCR, features award-winning wineries and distilleries from around the world, celebrity chef demonstrations, wine tastings, food from restaurants around the region and food centric exhibits.

Other celebrity chefs that will join Deen at Valley Forge Casino Resort will include East Passyunk's Chef Nicholas Elmi, winner of the 2014 season of Bravo's hit reality series Top Chef; Nicole Gaffney, finalist on the hit show the Next Food Network Star; Ashley Sherman, lead cook on Hell's Kitchen Season 13 and Ron Duprat, one of the top competitors on Bravo TV's "Top Chef"; and many more stars from Hell's Kitchen, MasterChef and other top rated cooking shows.

Local chefs (in addition to Elmi) will include Barbie Marshall, Chef Partner of SOOP Catering and Hell's Kitchen Season 10 finalist and Frank Benowitz, Chef Instructor at Mercer County Community College (MCCC). VFCR's new resident Chef Luke Palladino will also showcase his new restaurant LP Steak during the Festival, and host a Festival after-party and meet/greet on Saturday, September 17, 2015, with details to be announced.

Tickets for Deen's demonstration and the Festival itself are on sale now at ww.vfcasino.com and on Ticketmaster. Deen's Chef on Stage is $50.00 per person and Fall Favorites is $75.00 per person. Both tickets include general Festival admission. Festival tickets separate of the demonstrations start at $45.00 per person and includes wine tastings, commemorative glass and admission to Valley Forge Casino Resort.

Festival hours are Friday, October 16, 2015, 6:00pm to 10:00pm, Saturday, October 17, 2015, 11:00am to 3:00pm and 4:00pm to 8:00pm, and Sunday, October 18, 2015, Noon to 4:00pm. Attendees can enjoy free valet and on-site parking, along with free resort and casino access with Festival tickets. A block of rooms is being held for Festival attendees. Reserve your stay in one of the well-appointed guest rooms - in either the Casino Tower or Radisson Tower - that puts you steps from the excitement and action.

For more about the 17th Annual Philadelphia Festival of Food, Wine and Spirits, visit www.phillygourmetshows.com.

For the full schedule of events and entertainments coming to Valley Forge Casino Resort this fall, please visit www.vfcasino.com/entertainment/valley-forge-music-fair.

For information about Valley Forge Casino Resort, visit www.vfcasino.com, like Valley Forge Casino Resort on Facebook and follow @VFCasinoResort on Twitter.

ABOUT PAULA DEEN - Paula Deen, the Queen of Southern Cuisine, is an American cooking and lifestyle icon. A successful author, entrepreneur and cook, Deen's success story began with $200 left in her name and she decided to start "The Bag Lady," a home- based catering company. Soon after, she expanded and opened The Lady & Sons in Savannah, GA with her sons, Jamie and Bobby. Deen is the author of 14 cookbooks that sold more than 11 million copies.

In June 2014, Deen launched her nationwide live tour, Paula Deen Live!, which featured Deen creating her favorite seasonal dishes and playing interactive games with her husband Michael and her fans. Deen's latest venture is her new and interactive digital lifestyle network, the Paula Deen Network, which launched in September 2014. The Paula Deen Network allows her fans to engage and access Deen and her recipes anytime, anywhere-on computer, smartphone, or tablet.

In March 2015, Deen launched her first free mobile game, Paula Deen's Recipe Quest, and premiered her first show on EVINE Live. On April 27, 2015, she opened her new restaurant, Paula Deen's Family Kitchen, in Pigeon Forge, TN. In May 2015, PDV launched Paula's podcast, Get Cooking with Paula Deen, and radio show, What's Cooking with Paula Deen. On September 8, 2015, PDV will release Deen's cookbook, Paula Deen Cuts The Fat.

Grateful for all she has been blessed with, Deen and her family continue to give back to the community through charitable causes and launched The Bag Lady Foundation in 2012 to support issues of hunger that affect families across the country.

For more information, find Paula Deen on her website www.pauladeen.com or on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/PaulaDeen and @Paula_Deen on Twitter.

ABOUT PAULA DEEN CUTS THE FAT- Paula Deen Cuts the Fat is the first new book from Paula in two years and it was worth the wait. Paula Deen has lost over 40 pounds and shares 250 of her favorite recipes lightened up. This brand new cookbook presents lightened up versions of fifty of her classic southern recipes and presents new recipes that cuts the calories but not the delicious taste. Including:

• Everyone's Favorite Pimiento Cheese
• New Savannah Gumbo
• The Lady's New Cheesy Mac
• Beaufort Shrimp Pie
• Nutty Sweet Potato Balls
• All-New Peach Cobbler

And soon-to-be favorites such as:
• Crabby Shrimp Dip
• Kale Caesar Salad
• Better-Than-Basic Meat Loaf
• Southwest Chicken Enchiladas
• Baked Coconut Shrimp
• Flourless Chocolate Fudge Cake

With honesty, insight, and her trademark Southern charm, Deen also shares for the first time her personal story of triumphs over adversity and explains her decision to go public with her diabetes, a disease that affects millions. Whether you're a longtime fan of her dishes or looking to incorporate healthier meals into your diet Paula Deen Cuts the Fat will help you achieve your goals.

ABOUT VALLEY FORGE CASINO RESORT - Valley Forge Casino Resort is the region's only full-amenity gaming resort, located conveniently near the Main Line and easily accessible from Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Valley Forge Casino Resort offers an unparalleled guest experience featuring a safe, exclusive gaming environment with 600 of the hottest slot machines and 50 table games; live entertainment including the Valley Forge Casino Resort Music Fair, which brings national headliners to the Valley Forge Casino Resort Convention Center; upscale dining at Pacific Prime and Viviano; bars and lounges that offer a range of experiences from the area's hottest DJ's at Center Bar to Valley Beach, a new daytime poolside and outdoor club, to Valley Tavern where sports fans can watch their favorite teams on big screen TVs while enjoying pub fare and a wide assortment of craft and draft beers. Valley Forge Casino Resort offers over 100,000 square feet of recently renovated meeting, conference and banquet facilities, and luxurious hotel accommodations. Valley Forge Casino Resort, Philadelphia's premier entertainment destination.