RECIPE FOR FUN!
SECRET KITCHENS TOUR & GOURMET MARKET SET FOR JUNE 13

WHEELING, WV, (May 18, 2009) – Enjoy a slice of style, a cup of inspiration and recipes on how to turn a tired, neglected kitchen into a banquet for the eyes. The Museums Committee of Oglebay Institute is serving up the yummiest kitchens in town for its summer fundraiser - a Secret Kitchens of Wheeling Tour and Gourmet Market.

Taking place Saturday, June 13, the event begins at the Mansion Museum in Oglebay and offers home tours and shopping that the culinary curious are sure to enjoy.

This kitchen tour invites guests to walk through five, intriguing host kitchens ranging from English Country Traditional to Tuscan elegance. Tour goers will find inspiration for a total kitchen re-do, ways to incorporate small, clever details into their existing kitchens or a chance to simply look and marvel.

The Gourmet Market features 30 merchants and artisans selling items such as kitchen accessories, plants and herbs, cookbooks, pottery, scented candles, oils and watercolors, hand made jewelry, floral wreaths and outdoor furniture, handmade baskets, gourmet foods and spices, cookware, cutlery and more.

“The marketplace is free and open to the public. Even those not going on the home tour are invited to stop by and see how products from these quality vendors can spice up their own homes,” Museums director Christin Stein said.

Stein added that this popular biennial event is perfect for those who like how-to shows or decorating magazines.

“All of the kitchens are very different in terms of style, design and décor, and each is very reflective of its owner’s personality,” she said. “The owners have put their hearts and souls into designing kitchens that are attractive as well as practical, and each one has personality- plus.”

Stein said that all the host kitchens have two things in common. “They are all active kitchens, as the owners all enjoy cooking, and they are all perfect examples of how kitchens can be transformed into more than just a place to cook and eat. These kitchens are entertainment areas where friends and family gather to make memorable moments at home.”

From the gleam of cool granite and the smooth sheen of brushed steel to whimsical decorating touches and creative use of spaces, these kitchens are sure to elicit ideas for tour goers to take home.

Wheeling residents Sally Riley and Samantha Buch co-chair this fundraiser for the Museums of Oglebay Institute. Chairs of the vendors market, Charlotte Karges, Barbara Ruben, Stephanie Grove and Kathy Figaretti, turn the brick pathways of Oglebay’s Burton Center into an extraordinary marketplace. Other committee members also assist them.

To discover exactly whose kitchens are being featured, purchase a ticket at the Mansion Museum between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., June 13 and receive a detailed map to find each of the secret kitchens. Names will be revealed then – and only then.

All vendors will be open for business from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Kitchen tours begin at 10 a.m. and continue until 4 p.m. Tickets for the Secret Kitchens Tour are priced at $20 each. The public is welcome to shop the Secret Kitchens Gourmet Market even if they choose not to tour the kitchens.

The Museums of Oglebay Institute include both the Mansion and Glass Museums, located in Oglebay and offer the public an elegant glimpse into the past. Once the summer home of millionaire philanthropist Earl W. Oglebay, the Mansion Museum offers 13 period rooms, brimming with antique treasures and local history artifacts, along with the Wymer General Store and Sinclair Pharmacy collections and a changing exhibit in the Sauder Gallery. The nearby Glass Museum houses the finest collection of Wheeling glass in the country.

Self-guided tours of both museums are offered daily. For more information, please call the museums at 304.242.7272.