One hour special celebrates delicious recipes that can be made at home

CONWAY -- "Home Cooking With Kat & Friends," a one-hour special from Arkansas PBS that highlights recipes that can be made at home, will premiere Thursday, June 4, at 7 p.m.

Kat Robinson -- Arkansas food historian, author, travel writer and "enthusiastic foodie," will host this culinary narrative featuring guests ranging from renowned chefs to home cooks from across the state.

"This is an opportunity to return to our roots in a comforting way," Robinson said in an AETN news release. "Our lives have been busy; now, with more time in our own homes, many of us are turning to our own kitchens and rediscovering our love of cooking.

"We're bringing out the old family cookbooks and working with foods that are available to create meals for those under our roofs again, like our parents and grandparents once did. Our kitchens have become bright spots in uncertain times."

"Home Cooking With Kat & Friends" will share the foods people choose to eat when they are unable to order what they want on demand and will tell the story of what chefs and home cooks are creating while they aren't dining out.

Segments will include:

• Zara Abassi of @zaramadeit food blog making Natural Strawberry Popsicles. Born in New York City and from an international background, Abassi cooked at her family's restaurant (Masala Grill) and helped with menu development and dessert production for others. She's now a recipe developer for magazines and while proficient in desserts, her true strong suit is savory foods and teaching others to cook.

• Kelli Marks of Sweet Love Bakes making Pantry Packet Oatmeal Cookies. Marks learned her way around the kitchen from of her grandmother. She opened Sweet Love Bakes in January 2012 with the idea that treats can both feed a sweet tooth, as well as the soul.

• Ken Dempsey, executive chef for Aramark Russellville School District, making Pork Rind Crusted Fried Green Tomatoes with Strawberry Shrimp Pico. Dempsey credits his grandma's kitchen for his passion for food and cooking. He is an avid barbecue enthusiast who has won multiple awards.

• Scott McGehee and John Beachboard of Yellow Rocket Concepts making Grilled Pizza. Yellow Rocket Concepts is a Little Rock-based restaurant group that owns popular eateries including Zaza, Big Orange Burger, Local Lime, Heights Taco & Tamale and Lost 40 Brewing.

• Ruth and Grace Pepler of Dogwood Hills Guest Farm making Dogwood Hills 2 Egg Omelet. This mother-daughter duo run a homestead farm that offers visitors an authentic, hands-on farm experience on 82 acres of Ozark hills. They also host monthly farm-to-table dinners and the annual Cast Iron Cook Off.

• Coby Smith of The Hope Bistro making Dill Salmon with Sautéed Asparagus. Smith has served as the executive chef at Fox Ridge Luxury Senior Living and at Arkansas Heart Hospital, where he received many accolades, including a feature on "CBS This Morning."

"Creating this no-contact cooking program has been challenging," Robinson said. "Much of what you'll see was recorded on a cellphone, by cooks who may have not had video experience before.

"These stories matter, even if the technology isn't state-of-the-art. The recipes, the individuals, and what they bring to the table are all part of the story."

During the broadcast, viewers will have the opportunity to make a donation to Arkansas PBS and receive such items as a DVD of the program, a commemorative recipe booklet or one of Robinson's books, "Arkansas Food: The A to Z of Eating in The Natural State" or "Another Slice of Arkansas Pie."

"Home Cooking With Kat & Friends" will also air Saturday, June 6, at 2:30 p.m.; Sunday, June 7, at 7 p.m. on ARPBS-4 WORLD; and Monday, June 8, at 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. on ARPBS-2 CREATE.