Today's Entertainment

Baking meets light construction this week as Food Network and HGTV team up to present a unique holiday special. "All-Star Gingerbread Build," airing Saturday, Nov. 28 on both networks, pairs pastry chefs Duff Goldman ("Ace of Cakes") and Ron Ben-Israel ("Sweet Genius") with "Property Brothers" Jonathan and Drew Scott in a one-off competition to see which tandem can create the best life-size gingerbread house. "I don't know if it's the first time the networks cooperated," says Ben-Israel, who was partnered with Jonathan Scott, "but it's definitely not a regular occurrence, and it was a chance to get together and enjoy it and learn and be challenged." In the hourlong special, plans are drawn up and then wooden skeletons are built. To these are attached bricks made of gingerbread for the exterior walls and tiles made from the pastry for the roof shingles. A mortar made from royal icing bonds everything together and then a studio audience judges the final products. A good time, according to Ben-Israel, was had by all. "Duff and I are friends," he says, "but we live on different coasts and we don't always have a chance to get together. ... You know, we always said we wanted to work together more, so even though we were competing against each other, we actually had a good time. You know, how can you not be happy when you do gingerbread houses for the holidays?" And learn something new in the process, as the bakers picked up carpentry tips and the Scotts got to use baking implements in construction. "There were no losers," Ben-Israel says. "Everybody did well. I mean, this was for charity, so it wasn't really about Duff and me and the twins competing against each other. It's let's have fun and put it all together for the community's joy . It wasn't about ego." What book are you currently reading? "It's called '10 Percent Happier' by Dan Harris. ... He's a newscaster, I think, with ABC. ... And he had a meltdown on the air while he was anchoring a show and consequently he learned to meditate. And so the book is fascinating. ..." What did you have for dinner last night? "I'm staying at the Anders Hotel in West Hollywood while I film in L.A. and I had a lovely dinner. I actually asked them to make me an omelet because I'm here for a long time. ... So I asked them to make me an omelet with olive oil, no cheese and no butter because I'm attempting to adapt to the Mediterranean Diet. And they made me a big casserole of market vegetables. ... And it was a delicious meal." What is your next project? "The interesting thing about where I work is it's a little bit like fashion. ... We are really getting ready for the spring season, which means I'm coming up with a lot of new designs, so we make mock-ups to show clients. So these are display cakes and lots of sketches ... . And then of course, the Food Network has all these different ideas, so we are on the drawing board with new ideas for shows ... ." When was the last vacation you took, where and why? "... My last trip has been to Cartagena in Colombia. I went there to speak for a conference for Latin America wedding professionals and it was just fascinating, so I got there a little early and I stayed a few days extra to absorb the local flavors. The food was amazing. ..." Bakers and builders join forces on 'All-Star Gingerbread Build' Ron Ben-Israel BY GEORGE DICKIE Page 8 November 23 - 29, 2015 FRUIT BASKETS Shippable Gift Boxes Available 533-6311 1/2 mile West of SR 15 on CR 38 at the Orchard, Goshen, IN OPEN MON.-FRI. 9-5:30; SAT 9-4:00 www.Kerchersorchard.com Apple Cider Pick up a gallon today! Give a Holiday Harvest! Nobody Knows Our Hometown Better! • Carpet • Vinyl • Ceramic Mon.-Fri. 8-5 • Sat. 9-1 65669 US 33 East • Goshen 642-4770 TOLL FREE 1-877-642-4770 Area's Largest Selection of Remnants Large Inventory of Carpet, Laminate, Vinyl, and Luxury Vinyl Tiles! On or Off-Site Catering All Occasions Dine under the glow of gas lanterns Breakfast and Lunch Meals also available Open Tuesday through Saturday OEC Super Buffet 4024 Elkhart Rd Goshen IN 46526 Tel: 574-875-1298 Elk Lunch Monday-Friday 11am-3pm Adult $7.25 Children 2 years old $1.99 3-6 years old $3.50 7-10 years old $5.00 *Saturday Lunch $7.75 Dinner Monday-Friday 3pm-9:30 pm Adult $10.75 Children 2 years old $2.99 3-6 years old $4.50 7-10 years old $6.00 *Sunday Dinner Price ALL DAY $10.75 SENIOR DISCOUNT 10% PRICE

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