First & Jenn

Fresh off her victory in a cooking contest on foodie Rachael Ray's talk show, Cuyahoga Falls floral designer Jenn Thomas will whip up her award-winning lasagna burgers at RemodelOhio, which opens today at the I-X Center. She'll also explain that she favors cooking any high-carb dish with loads of cheese. "To me, cooking is fun and not a career," says the 25-year-old Thomas. "I do it to relieve stress more than anything else." Besides the cooking demos, the home-remodeling show spotlights dozens of seminars on decorating rooms, hanging wallpaper, and working with contractors. There will also be drawings to win a pool table, high-def TV, and a $500 shopping spree at Handyman Connection. For Thomas, it's just another in a string of post-contest public appearances on such shows as Good Morning America that have brought her celebrity-level attention. "Where it all goes, who knows?" wonders Thomas. "I've always been interested in helping young women with eating disorders and image problems. Maybe this is a way to reach those people." The show runs from noon to 9 p.m. today and tomorrow, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the I-X Center, 6200 Riverside Drive. Tickets are $12 (free for kids younger than 16). Call 216-619-6278 or visit www.remodelohio.org..
Jan. 24-25, 12-9 p.m.; Sat., Jan. 26, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sun., Jan. 27, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., 2008