Food is a big part of the Ridge Meadows Home Show - from the exhibitors selling spices to saucepans, to The TIMES BBQ School where Chef Dez will teach you to be the BBQ king or queen of your block to the local high school culinary students who are keeping the army of volunteers at the home show fed and hydrated.

Chef Dez - whose birth certificate reads Gordon Desormeaux - will be at the TIMES BBQ School giving lessons on how to best handle the barbie.

Chef Dez will use ingredients from Meridian Gourmet Meats and Seafood and Langley Farm Market, sharing the professionals' secrets to turning out succulent seafood, steaks, poultry, vegetables, and fruit on the backyard grill.

At Family Fest, Chef Dez will instruct kids on how to prepare food for the grill with two fast-and-easy no-cook sauces and a mouth-watering Cajun flank steak with grilled asparagus, grilled pork chops, and grilled pineapple spears.

Chef Dez will also be giving instructions on making jambalaya, which he calls the "best one pot meal you've ever eaten."

Look for The TIMES BBQ school in the outdoor area of the home show.

TIMES BBQ School

Chef Dez's weekend schedule

- Friday, May 4 5:30 p.m. Cajun Flank Steak with Grilled Asparagus - one of the best steaks ever!7 p.m. Fiery Asian Grilled Pork Chops with Grilled Pineapple Spears

- Saturday, May 5 Noon: Get the kids helping out! Grilled Chicken with two 'no-cook' sauces2 p.m. Fiery Asian Grilled Pork Chops with Grilled Pineapple Spears4 p.m. Cajun Flank Steak with Grilled Asparagus - one of the best steaks6:30 p.m. Grilled Meat Jambalaya - The best 'one pot meal' you'll ever have!

- Sunday, May 6 Noon: Grilled Meat Jambalaya - The best 'one pot meal' you'll ever have! ever2 p.m. Get the kids helping out! Grilled Chicken with two 'no-cook' sauces