Martin Yan
Host PBS' Martin Yan's China, Certified Master Chef, Restaurateur
Demonstrations: Saturday, 2:45 p.m. and Sunday, 3:45 p.m., Stage #4 Main Tent
The celebrated host of over 3,000 cooking shows, broadcast worldwide, Martin Yan enjoys distinction as a certified Master Chef, a highly respected food consultant, a cooking instructor and a prolific author. His diverse talents have found expression in 30 cookbooks, including the award-winning Martin Yan's Feast, Martin Yan's Asian Favorites, Chinese Cooking for Dummies, Martin Yan's Chinatown Cooking (intro by Julia Child), Martin Yan's Quick & Easy, and his latest, Martin Yan's China (a cookbook that documents his travels throughout the far reaches of China, and his culinary discoveries).
Born in Guangzhou, China, to a restaurateur father and a mother who operated a grocery store, Chef Yan possessed a passion for cooking at an early age. His formal induction into the culinary world began at age thirteen, with an apprenticeship at a popular Hong Kong restaurant. He refined his natural talent at the Overseas Institute of Cookery in Hong Kong, and then pursued an MS in Food Science at The University of California - Davis in the US. He discovered a flair for teaching when he became an instructor in the university's extension program. In 1978, he pioneered a daily TV Chinese cooking show: the now classic "Yan Can Cook." Infusing lessons with his characteristic warmth, humor and vitality, he quickly won a devoted following. He developed the show's format into a culinary travelogue, featuring culinary hot spots throughout Asia.
A valued instructor at top culinary institutions, Chef Yan has taught at The Culinary Institute of America, Johnson & Wales University, The California Culinary Academy and The Chinese Cuisine Institute in Hong Kong. In 1985, he founded the Yan Can Cooking School in California and in 2007 founded The Martin Yan Culinary Arts Center, a unique international culinary academy for professional chefs in Shenzhen, China. Also a restaurateur, his Yan Can and SensAsian Restaurants offer inventive pan-Asian menus. Opening Summer 2012, Chef Yan will bring Chinese culinary tradition and culture to light via an authentic, modern dining experience with his new restaurant M.Y. China in San Francisco.
Visit the Martin Yan website »»
Sara Moulton
Host PBS' Sara’s Weeknight Meals, Food Editor, ABC-TV’s Good Morning America
Gourmet Luncheon: Friday, 11:30 a.m.
Demonstration: Saturday, 12:45 p.m., Stage #1 Plummers Lounge
One of the most trusted names in the food biz, Sara Moulton’s credibility rests on her expertise and experience. She graduated with highest honors from the Culinary Institute of America in 1977 (and was named the CIA’s Chef of the Year in 2001), spent seven years working in restaurants in New York and Boston, and taught at Peter Kump’s New York Cooking School (now known as The Institute of Culinary Education).
The Food Editor of ABC-TV’s Good Morning America since 1997, Sara was a founding personality at the Food Network as host of Cooking Live, Cooking Live Primetime, and Sara’s Secrets between 1996 and 2005, producing over 1500 shows. In 2008, she created Sara’s Weeknight Meals for public television. (The series’ second season has just started airing in October of this year.)
On the print side, Sara was Gourmet magazine’s executive chef from 1987 until the magazine folded in October of 2009. She is also the author of Sara's Secrets for Weeknight Meals, Sara Moulton Cooks at Home and Sara Moulton’s Everyday Family Dinners (which won a 2011 IACP Cookbook Award in the category of Children, Youth and Family).
In 1982 Sara co-founded the New York Women’s Culinary Alliance, an “old girls network” for women in the culinary industry.
Visit the Sara Moulton web site »»
Luciano Pellegrini
James Beard Award Winner and Executive Chef at Piero Selvaggio VALENTINO
Gourmet Luncheon: Friday, 11:30 a.m.
Demonstration: Saturday, 1:45 p.m., Stage #1 Plummers Lounge
Luciano has brought the fresh flavors and elegant Italian cuisine of Valentino to the fast paced, outrageous landscape of Las Vegas. Under Luciano's sure hand, Piero Selvaggio VALENTINO Las Vegas is the showcase restaurant of the Venetian Hotel, and has won two Epicurean Awards from Las Vegas Live Magazine, in 2001 and 2003 Luciano was nominated for 2003 Best Chef: Southwest by the James Beard Foundation, the only chef in Las Vegas to receive a nomination. James Beard Award Recipient - "Piero Selvaggio Valentino Las Vegas - Luciano Pellegrini" James Beard Foundation
Bradley Ogden
James Beard Award Winner, Author, Restaurateur
Gourmet Luncheon: Friday, 11:30 a.m.
Chef Bradley Ogden came to national attention in his first position at Kansas City’s The American Restaurant after graduating most likely to succeed from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America. He continued to garner acclaim as executive chef at San Francisco’s Campton Place Hotel before opening his first restaurant, The Lark Creek Inn, in 1989. His signature farm-to-table cuisine has continued to enjoy success in a continually expanding restaurant empire, with openings throughout the Bay Area, and including his namesake property in Las Vegas’ Caesars Palace, for which he was awarded Restaurateur of the Year in 2010 by the Nevada Restaurant Association. He launched his first cookbook, Bradley Ogden's Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, in 1991 and just released his new cookbook Holiday Dinners by Bradley Ogden with Running Press Book Publishers.
Chef Bradley’s awards include: "Restaurateur of the Year," by the Nevada Restaurant Association, October 2010, "Best Chef of California," by the prestigious James Beard Foundation, "Who's Who of American Cooking" by Cooks magazine, “Great American Chefs” by the International Wine and Food Society, The "Golden Plate" by the American Academy of Achievement, “Chef of The Year Award” in 2000 by the Culinary Institute of America, “Restaurant of The Year” by the James Beard Foundation’s in 2004 for Bradley Ogden at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, “Star Chef of the Year” for 2004 by the California Culinary Academy, "Best New Restaurant of 2003" by Zagat for Bradley Ogden, Epicure’s "Best New Restaurant of 2003," Epicure’s "Best Chef – Bradley Ogden.”
Visit the Chef Bradley web site »»
Tanya Holland
Author and Executive Chef/Owner: Brown Sugar Kitchen and B-Side BBQ, Winner, "Best Chef in California," CA Travel Industry Association
Demonstration: Sunday, 1:15 p.m., Stage #1 Plummers Lounge
Tanya Holland is the Executive Chef and Owner of Brown Sugar Kitchen and B-Side BBQ in Oakland, CA, both featuring her inventive takes on modern soul food, Southern and barbecue. The author of New Soul Cooking: Updating a Cuisine Rich in Flavor and Tradition (Stewart,Tabori, and Chang), Chef Holland is known for her role as a host and expert on soul food for the Melting Pot series on The Food Network & The Cooking Channel. She has made guest appearances on Sarah Moulton’s Cooking Live, Ready, Set, Cook!, The Wayne Brady Show, G. Garvin’s Road Tour, and VH1’s Soul Cities, and is regularly featured on The Today Show on NBC. Chef Holland is currently a featured judge on TV One’s My Momma Throws Down.
Chef Holland received her formal French training from La Varenne Ecole de Cuisine in Burgundy, France, receiving a Grande Diplôme. Chef Holland has contributed to The Huffington Post, Food & Wine, Signature Bride, and Wine Enthusiast magazines, and has been featured in articles in O Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Savoy, Travel & Leisure, Sunset, and numerous other publications. Chef Holland is a regular instructor at Rancho La Puerta Spa in Tecate, Mexico (Rated #1 spa in the world by Travel & Leisure). Chef Holland is Vice President of the San Francisco chapter of the prestigious Les Dames d’Escoffier. The City of Oakland recently declared June 5th, 2012 as Tanya Holland Day for her “Significant Role in Creating Community and Establishing Oakland as a Culinary Center”. Her next cookbook, The Brown Sugar Kitchen Cookbook, will be published by Chronicle Books in 2014.
Visit the Tanya Holland website »»
Daniel Joly
Master Chef, Owner/Executive Chef Mirabelle at Beaver Creek
Demonstration: Sunday, 1:45 p.m., Stage #4 Main Tent
Belgian-born Master Chef Daniel Joly graduated from the Culinary Institute of Brussels in 1986. He trained at Michelin Guide Three-Star Belgian restaurants Comme Chez Soi and Barbizon and, at age 20, was named “Best Chef in Belgium,” the youngest person in history to receive this honor.
Joly came to the United States in 1988, becoming executive chef of Restaurant Million in Charleston, South Carolina. He moved to Beaver Creek, Colorado in 1992 to become chef-manager for Mirabelle Restaurant. Joly and his wife, Nathalie, purchased Mirabelle in 1999.
Joly’s cooking style – which includes expertise in cooking with and pairing dishes with Belgian beers – has been acclaimed by numerous publications and institutions. In January 2008, Joly and Mirabelle received four-star ratings from the Mobil Travel Guide and AAA. Joly has also received an Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator magazine for 15 years running.
When he’s not dazzling guests with his light, contemporary menu and fresh, local ingredients, Joly hosts the popular “Something’s Cooking with Daniel” on TV8 in Vail, Colorado.
Visit the Mirabelle Restaurant website »»
Jamie Gwen
Celebrity Chef, Certified Sommelier, Lifestyle Expert, Author
Demonstration: Sunday, 3:15 p.m., Stage #1 Plummers Lounge
Chef Jamie Gwen can be seen stirring up something delicious on television shows, on the radio and in print nationwide. She brings the best to radio with her weekly show filled with delicious conversation, heard every Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on KFWB News Talk 980 and heard worldwide on iTunes. Chef Jamie can be seen stirring up something delectable on Fox 11 L.A., KTLA Channel 5 and on Shop NBC.
Jamie’s most recent cookbook entitled Good Food For Good Times 2 is now available as an eBook and has been featured on Emeril Live, Martha Stewart and various national TV shows. She is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America and her website, www.chefjamie.com, is a scrumptious resource for food lovers everywhere.
Visit the Jamie Gwen website »»
Sharone Hakman
International Chef and Television Host
Demonstration: Sunday, 2:15 p.m., Stage #1 Plummers Lounge
Formerly a financial planner, Sharone left the corporate world to follow his true love for food by pursuing a career as a chef. His standout performance on Fox’s hit show MasterChef ignited a new vision for Sharone’s aspirations in the culinary world. Now, a highly acclaimed chef, owner of a barbecue sauce company, dedicated family man and active lifestyle enthusiast, Sharone puts as much love into his food as he does into his zest for life. His celebrity clientele and international television success has not steered Sharone away from who he is: a man who creates love and passion through his food.
Visit the Sharone Hakman website »»
Sean Kanan
Author and Lead Character on ABC's General Hospital
Demonstration: Saturday, 1:15 p.m., Stage #3 Garden West
Sean Kanan is an internationally renowned actor best known for is iconic role as Deacon Sharpe in the daytime drama The Bold and the Beautiful. In between episodes, Sean decided to start a movement to repurpose men by writing a how-to/cookbook. Check out Sean's first book The Modern Gentlemen; Cooking and Entertaining with Sean Kanan. Available on Amazon.com or personalized on his website.
Visit the Sean Kanan website »»
Alejandra Schrader
Owner Cucina Cocina, Finalist Master Chef
Demonstration: Saturday, 1:45 p.m., Stage #4 Main Tent
Alejandra Schrader, a resident of Playa del Rey, CA, is a top finalist from the latest season of FOX's popular show MasterChef with Gordon Ramsay. A trained architect and urban planner, she left her career in real estate development and land planning to pursue her love of food and passion for cooking. Since the show, she started Cucina Cocina, a private chef business, with a fellow MasterChef alum and continues to do public appearances and cooking demonstrations on shows like Access Hollywood Live and Cafe CNN as well as interviews and featured recipes in InTouch Weekly and Taste of Home magazines. A strong advocate of health-conscious cooking, Alejandra shares bold and eclectic recipes on her blog Cook Global. Eat at Home; this is also the title of her book-in-progress, where she encourages readers to cook more at home by sharing easy-to-make, fresh and flavorful, yet light dishes.
Visit the Alejandra Schrader website »»
Andre Carthen
kathy ireland Worldwide Design Ambassador
Demonstration: Sunday, 2:45 p.m., Stage #4 Main Tent
Chef Andre Carthen is featured in Kathy Ireland’s book Real Solutions for Busy Moms: Your Guide to Success and Sanity, and Janet Jackson’s first book, NY Times #1 Best Seller True You where he contributed over 30 recipes for a healthy meal plan. True You takes Celebrity Chef Andre’s exquisite recipes and transforms them into something anyone can do if they have a desire to stay healthy and lean while eating the foods they love. Chef Andre is also the newest member of Nutrisystem Success Chef’s Council.
He is often asked to bring his culinary awareness to the media and has appeared on popular radio & television programs like Today Show, Access Hollywood, Anderson Cooper, Soap Talk, EXTRA, Inside Hollywood, Sunday Dinner, Brave Heart Women, Healthy Women Healthy World, Get Real Live, Breakfast Television / City TV, New Day Northwest, Walking on Eggs, On the Red Carpet.
Along with his long standing partnership with Kathy Ireland, having appeared in all seven of Kathy’s platinum fitness videos (which launched his passion for fitness), Andre has had the privilege of working with Janet Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor, Halle Berry, Vanessa Williams, Marilyn Mc Coo and others. Besides his passion for food and fitness, chef Andre devotes his time to several non-profits like the Dream Foundation, Feeding America, and the Stroke Recovery Center.
Carthen's Media Appearances:
Anderson Cooper »»
Today Show »»
Access Hollywood »»
Deborah Scott
Executive Chef/Partner Cohn Restaurant Group
Demonstration: Saturday, 11:45 a.m., Stage #1 Plummers Lounge
As one of San Diego’s most renowned celebrity chefs, Deborah Scott is known for her diverse tastes and ability to create innovative dishes with an emphasis on presentation. Chef Scott first caught the eye of restaurateurs David and Lesley Cohn in 1995 when her affinity for fusion landed her as the head of Kemo Sabe, the Pacific Rim infused concept formerly housed in Hillcrest. In May 2012, Deborah Scott once again wowed patrons with California Modern Cuisine at approachable price points when she launches her latest endeavor with the Cohn Restaurant Group, Vintana, in Escondido.
Chef Deborah Scott was named “Chef of the Year” 2012 by U-T San Diego and has been awarded with multiple accolades for Best Chef in San Diego by San Diego Magazine, 944 Magazine, San Diego Home & Garden Magazine and the California Restaurant Association. Chef Scott has appeared in Condé Nast Traveler, Sunset Magazine, Food & Wine Magazine and Nation’s Restaurant News.
Visit the Island Prime website »»
Adam Gertler
The Cooking Channel's YouTube show Food Bites and Food Network's Will Work for Food and The Best Thing I Ever Ate
Demonstration: Saturday, 12:45 p.m., Stage #4 Main Tent
Adam Gertler is a cook, entertainer, and full time food enthusiast who first gained national attention as a finalist on Food Network’s hit series, The Next Food Network Star. Adam developed a true passion for barbecue while in college and began experimenting with unique ideas and recipes while catering for friends and family. He soon helped bring barbecue to Philadelphia as the executive chef of The Smoked Joint. Adam has recently turned his passion for sausage-making into “Gertler’s Wurst," a collection of uniquely flavored hand-crafted sausages. Adam has hosted two primetime series for the Food Network, Will Work For Food and Kid in a Candy Store, is a regular contributor to The Best Thing I Ever Ate, and is currently the host of Food Bites, a show appearing on The Cooking Channel’s YouTube station.
Visit the Adam Gertler website »»
Maria Sinskey
Culinary Director, Robert Sinskey Vineyards, Candidate for Master of Wine
Demonstration: Saturday, 3:15 p.m., Stage #3 Garden West
Maria Sinskey attended pastry school in Denmark to hone her sweet tooth and then returned to San Francisco to work as Chef at several noteworthy restaurants: Boz Scagg’s Blue Light Café, the venerable Sherman House – a Relais & Chateaux Hotel, and Plumpjack Café, which she left in 1999 to pursue a life combining family, food and wine in the Napa Valley.
Along the way Maria worked in France at several Michelin starred restaurants, toured Italy and realized that life was good, very good. After returning stateside, Maria garnered many accolades: 1996 Food & Wine Magazine Best New Chef, SF Magazine Rising Star Chef, SF Chronicle Rising Star chef and appeared on many PBS and Food Network Shows.
Nowadays, you will find her cooking at her husband’s winery, Robert Sinskey Vineyards, laying out plots for her organic gardens, teaching, writing and raising two children.
Her first cookbook, The Vineyard Kitchen: Menus Inspired by the Season, published by HarperCollins was released in September 2003. Family Meals: Creating Traditions in the Kitchen, published by Oxmoor House, followed in November 2008. Her mantra is, “Eat seasonally, drink good wine and live a long and prosperous life.”
Visit the Maria Sinskey website »»
Mark Peel
James Beard Award Winner & Executive Chef Owner, Campanile LAX
Demonstration: Saturday, 2:45 p.m., Stage #2 Garden East
Mark Peel is about to open his latest concept, Campanile LAX in Terminal 4 which will be the first fine dining experience at LAX International. Mark has been the Executive Chef and owner of the award-winning Campanile restaurant in Los Angeles for the last 20 years. The 20th anniversary milestone was reached in 2009, the same year his book New Classic Family Dinners was published. The book was selected as one of the top 10 cookbooks of 2009 by Amazon and one of the top 25 cookbooks of 2009 by Food & Wine magazine. Mark also recently opened two new establishments – The Point, a casual cafe in Culver City and The Tar Pit. The Tar Pit combines Chef Peel‘s passion for market fresh food with the excitement of artisan cocktails. For The Tar Pit he has partnered with Audrey Sanders, of the Pegu club in NYC. Mark also is co-founder of La Brea Bakery.
Chef Peel and Campanile’s numerous awards, include: the James Beard Foundation's "Outstanding Restaurant Award - 2001," the "Los Angeles Culinary Master of the Year," and Food & Wine's "Best New Chefs." We have also been nominated for the James Beard Foundation's "Outstanding Wine Service Award," its "Best California Chef Award" and, most recently, their "Outstanding Restaurant Award - 2008."
Scott Robertson
Executive Chef/Owner, New Leaf Catering
Gourmet Luncheon: Friday, 11:30 a.m.
In the early 1990’s Scott Robertson cooked for President’s Carter, Reagan and Ford at the Mission Inn in Riverside. His experience as executive chef at Eisenhower Medical Center and Heart Hospital of the Desert led him to open New Leaf Catering ten years ago. His catering operation is located in Cathedral City along with his restaurant Just Soup. Some of his clients include Screen Actors Guild, Integrated Wealth Management, MSN, Guthy Renker, Eisenhower Medical Center and Palm Springs Travelodge and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians’ “Dinner in the Canyons.”
New Leaf Catering has earned numerous awards including a Gold and Silver Medal for Hot and Cold Presentations from the American Culinary Federation and Best of the Show at Taste of Palm Springs. Scott has been recognized by the American Culinary Federation with the designation of Certified Executive Chef. He is married to Monique who is a Certified Care Registered Nurse and they have three children ages 14 to 24. Scott enjoys traveling, cooking, extreme sports and actively supporting many local charities.
Scott looks forward to his internationally trained staff operating O’Donnell Golf Club’s food service this coming season. Scott invites you to experience the art of world class cuisine – so be seated and enjoy the best the desert has to offer.
Visit the New Leaf Catering website »»
Jeff Hocker
Executive Producer, Butcher and Trained Chef
Demonstration: Sunday, 3:30 p.m., Stage #3 Garden West
A life long passion of food and wine began at the age of 15, when Jeff became a fish and poultry butcher. Working in a small gourmet shop named Fins n’ Feathers, he honed his culinary skills for 6 years. Age the age of 20, he bought a ranch in the Napa Valley and began promoting wineries. He later took culinary courses at the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone Campus and graduated shortly thereafter from San Francisco State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Radio and Television Broadcasting with a minor in the Culinary Arts.
As the president and owner of J. Hocker & Associates, his company has been the Executive Producer for some of the largest events in Southern California including: Food and Wine Festival Palm Desert, Oktoberfest Palm Springs, Jensen’s Finest Foods - Lobsterfest, Pentathlon USA World Cup, Palm Springs Opera Guild’s Opera in the Park, City of Palm Springs’ Mayor’s Race and Wellness Festival, Idyllwild Jazz in the Pines and the winning campaign for Paul Lewin for Palm Springs City Council. His team has also been the Associate Producer for the Greater Palm Springs Pride Celebration since 2010.
Visit the J. Hocker & Associates website »»
Andrew Copley
Executive Chef/Owner Copley's on Palm Canyon
Demonstration: Sunday, 12:15 p.m., Stage #1 Plummers Lounge
Andrew Manion Copley has 20 years of culinary experience in five star establishments. He received his culinary degree from the Westminster Culinary College in London. He honed his culinary skills and obtained valuable operational experience while working at the esteemed Savoy and Park Lane Hotels in London. Chef Andrew’s culinary skills in fine dining were a valuable asset as chef in the formal dining room on the luxurious ocean liner, the Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2).
In 1994, Chef Copley was recruited to the Grand Hyatt on the Sunshine Coast in Australia. With Chef Andrew on board, the hotel received the Petrees Award for #1 restaurant in the State, an award they would win for three consecutive years.
Andrew moved to Hawaii in 1997, where he joined the Ritz Carlton Maui. World-renown chef Jean Pierre Dubray would later invite Copley to the prestigious Ritz Carlton San Francisco. In 1998, the Ritz Carlton San Francisco was awarded #1 hotel in the city, #4 in the U.S.
Copley’s innovative style in creative contemporary American cuisine was just what was needed to take on the responsibility in 1999 as the Executive Chef at the Lodge at Koele, on the island of Lanai, Hawaii. Andrew quickly received awards for the #1 restaurant in Hawaii for 3 consecutive years and #3 resort restaurant in the world.
Andrew relocated to the Coachella Valley in December 2003 to open his own restaurant with his wife and Business Manager, Juliana Manion-Copley and Restaurant Manager, Greg Butterfield. After several months of searching, they found the perfect Palm Springs location, in a rustic-chic cottage, once the home of Cary Grant. Set inside a torch-lined garden, Copley’s on Palm Canyon is a lively restaurant yet, with a casually romantic atmosphere and décor. According to the New York Times and Los Angeles Times, Copley’s On Palm Canyon is the hottest restaurant in town.
Visit the Copley's website »»
Drew Davis
Executive Chef/Owner Catalan
Demonstration: Sunday, 12:45 p.m., Stage #2 Garden East
Born in Los Angeles, Drew Davis knew at a young age that he had a true passion for food. After spending a few summers making short order bar food, Drew recognized the need to refine his craft at more prominent establishments, believing that he had found his life’s passion. He took a position in the catering department at Dean & Deluca in Kansas City and then moved on to New World Bistro, which was awarded Kansas City’s Best New Restaurant of 1999 after his arrival in the kitchen. Not satisfied with this early achievement Drew worked tirelessly on learning every possible aspect of the restaurant business attending the Culinary Institue of America and working in Florida and the Mid-West. When the opportunity to be part of James Beard award winning Chefs Michael Smith and Debbie Golds’ new Kansas City venture 40 Sardines, Drew climbed on board and helped them open in 2001 to instant success. Moving to Miami in 2004, Drew further worked under Top chefs Jonathan Eisman of Pacific Time and Chef Mark Militello of Mark South Beach, James Beard Award winners in their own right. During this time in Florida, he also apprenticed at Nobu at the Shore Club. For the past 8 years Drew worked his way to become the Executive Sous-Chef at the prominent East Hampton New York powerhouse restaurant Nick and Toni’s for Celebrity Chef Joseph Realmuto. While in the Hamptons he annually participated in the Great Chef’s Dinner, a Foundation for Jeff’s Kitchen working alongside Jonathan Waxman, Eric Ripert and Alfred Portale. He has also worked as a private Chef for several prominent celebrities in the entertainment industry.
Visit the Catalan website »»
Mark Van Laanen
Executive Chef/Owner: Trio Restaurant
Demonstration: Sunday, 2:15 p.m., Stage #3 Garden West
Mark has enjoyed a successful career for over 25 years in the restaurant industry. Mark has owned a number of different restaurants in Door County Wisconsin such as the Village café, a local hot spot for breakfast and lunch, and would feature nightly traditional Door county fish boils.
Bayou on 3rd was Door county’s first Louisiana/Cajun restaurant. With Mark's love of New Orleans, he captured dishes such as crawfish pie, Alligator fritters, and homemade jambalaya.
Trio Restaurant (Door County), a wonderful country French and Italian restaurant, was a collaboration with Mark and his two friends Jerry and Ron. When Mark moved to Palm Springs, Jerry and Ron bought him out and Trio Door County is still going strong.
Trio Restaurant in Palm Springs is an energetic, desert-casual restaurant with great American modern food at reasonable prices. It is a place where anyone can come in, sit down and feel at home. Trio is where the locals hangout, eat, drink and have fun.
Visit the Trio website »»
Jan Boydstun
Jan Boydstun, Owner Kitchen Kitchen, Radio & TV Personality
Demonstration: Saturday,12:15 p.m., Stage #2 Garden East
Jan Boydstun is the owner of Kitchen Kitchen, a gourmet kitchen store and cooking school in Indian Wells established in 1979. Also known as The Gadget Gal, she travels worldwide delighting her guests with the latest and greatest gadgets and trends in the culinary world. You can catch her every Friday night at 7:30pm on KRET-TV channel 14 in one of her info-tainment spots or tune in every Saturday morning from 8-10am on KNEWS Radio 94.3FM as she hosts a weekly radio show with Chef Jackie Olden. It is a fun and informative program full of recipes, new products and lots of laughter! "If they don't have it, you don't need it!"
Visit the Jan Boystun website »»
Chris Mitchum
Executive Chef Hyatt Regency Indian Wells
Demonstration: Saturday, 2:15 p.m., Stage #3 Garden West
As a child in the show-me state of Missouri, Chris Mitchum's young palate savored the unmistakable flavors of fresh produce harvested from his grandfather's farm. Memories of handpicked raspberries, tomatoes and corn fueled a culinary passion that led him to Hyde Park's Culinary Institute of America.
After graduation, Chef Mitchum left his imprint over a career with Hyatt hotels and resorts from the urban chic cuisine of Cambridge to Monterey's coastal California classics and across the Pacific to the windswept native flavors of Maui. Across the country and in his travels around the world, Mitchum's creative spins on home-style as well as exotic cuisines left patrons and guests with the gift all travelers treasure from that special dining experience – unforgettable memories of flavors and ingredients combined with a sense of place.
Today, as Executive Chef at the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells, Chef Mitchum indulges spa guests in savory healthful fare while elevating the dining adventures of the resort's private villa VIPs and restaurant patrons with an ever-changing assemblage of gourmet feasts.
Visit the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells website »»
Jesse Souza
Executive Chef, Circa 59 at the Riviera Palm Springs
Demonstration: Sunday, 3:15 p.m., Stage #3 Garden West
As Executive Chef of award-winning Circa 59 restaurant at the iconic Riviera Palm Springs, Chef Jesse Souza creates epicurean masterpieces with a modern twist to match the legendary resort’s mid-century modern décor. With more than 17 years of culinary experience and extensive time spent cooking in Noble House kitchens across the country, Chef Souza brings a wealth of excitement and expertise in fine dining to the kitchen and table.
Chef Souza joins the resort most recently from his role as executive chef at Portofino Hotel & Marina in Redondo Beach, Calif. He joined Noble House Hotels & Resorts in 2002, working at the exclusive Little Palm Island Resort & Spa in the Florida Keys. In 2007, Souza took the lead at BALEENmiami at The Grove Isle Hotel & Spa, soon moving to BALEENnaples at LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort in 2008.
Along the way, Souza had many successful stints launching Chispa restaurant in Miami, where his team developed the Nouveau Latin Cuisine for which the brand successfully became known. In 2005, Souza returned to his native New England to work closely with the farmers, fisherman and artisans of the region while at Havana Restaurant and Natasha’s, two prominent Maine restaurants.
Visit the Circa 59 website »»
Warren Cordoba
Executive Chef, Citron at Viceroy Palm Springs
Demonstration: Sunday, 1:15 p.m., Stage #3 Garden West
Chef Cordoba spent much of his childhood growing up on his grandfather’s farm in the heart of coffee country, San Luis St. Domingo Heredia, Costa Rica. His cross cultural heritage gave him the taste for simple farm fresh ingredients mixed with new world preparations. Today, he defines his cuisine as “classical elegance:” contemporary cooking techniques blended with the traditional kitchen; bringing out the best in each dish by using fresh ingredients in visually stunning arrangements.
Visit the Citron website »»
Julie Pech
The Chocolate Therapist
Demonstration: Sunday, 2:45 p.m., Stage #2 Garden East
Julie’s company, The Chocolate Therapist, Inc., handcrafts all-natural chocolates in Historic Littleton, Colorado. Chocolate creations are made with natural chocolate, nuts, berries, spices and organic flavoring oils custom-designed to promote optimal health. She studied and received a Nutrition Educator’s Certificate from Bauman College of Holistic Nutrition and Culinary Arts. Julie has written The Chocolate Therapist: A User’s Guide to the Extraordinary Health Benefits of Chocolate, and the e-book Chocolate Soiree: How to Throw the Ultimate Chocolate Party.
Maria Schmidt
Executive Chef, Tinto at The Saguaro Palm Springs
Demonstration: Sunday, 1:45 p.m. Stage #2 Garden East
Maria Schmidt’s career in the kitchens of James Beard Award-winning Iron Chef Jose Garces has taken her from Philadelphia to Palm Springs while honing her skills- and palate- with Garces’ Latin-themed menus. She has been chef de cuisine at his modern Mexican restaurant and bar, Distrito, in Philadelphia and at Distrito Cantina in the Revel resort and casino in Atlantic City, and she opened Distrito at The Saguaro in Scottsdale last year. Chef Maria arrived at The Saguaro in Palm Springs in January and is the executive chef of Tinto, Jose Garces’ Spanish tapas restaurant and wine bar and El Jefe, the tequila bar serving tacos and street food inspired by Mexico City. Chef Maria is a graduate of The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College in Philadelphia.
Visit the Tinto web site »»
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