Valley’s top chefs to heat things up at Phoenix Cooks!
August 28th, 2008, 3:17 pm · Post a Comment · posted by Jess Harter
More than 30 of the Valley’s top chefs will showcase their considerable skills Saturday at the fourth annual Phoenix Cooks! at the Arizona Biltmore resort and Spa.
The five-hour culinary event, spread across three ballrooms, will feature food and wine tastings, chef showdowns, cooking classes and a marketplace.
General admission tickets, $80 in advance and $95 at the door, include all food and wine tastings, as well as access to the marketplace, where visitors can check out gourmet kitchens and purchase cooking tools.
“Iron Chef”-style competitions on stage will pit chefs (Todd Berry of the Westin Kierland Resort pictured above at last year’s event) against one another with baskets of mystery ingredients, kicking off with a 10:30 a.m. battle between Lee Hillson (T. Cook’s at the Royal Palms) and Donald Lemperle (Asia de Cuba).
Thirty 30-minute food classes, costing an additional $8 in advance or $10 at the door per class, will range from “Fun with Duck” with chef Christopher Gross (Christopher’s Restaurant) to “Belly, Bacon and Pancetta” with James Porter (Tapino Kitchen) to “Modern Mexican Cuisine” with Mel Mecinas (Four Seasons).
Other East Valley chefs participating in this year’s event include Eddie Matney (Eddie’s House), Matt Carter (Zinc Bistro), Chuck Wiley (Café ZuZu), Michael de Maria (Trattoria M), Ron Dimas (Estate House), Justin Beckett (Canal), Michael Stebner (Greene House), Pierino Jermonti (T. Cooks, pictured at left with radio personalities Beth McDonald and Bill Austin) and Jon Paul Hutchins (Scottsdale Culinary Institute).
Sommelier Mark Davidson of Wine Australia will lead 30-minute wine classes on vintages from Down Under. Wine classes are $15 in advance or $20 at the door.
Food and wine classes will be limited to 30 and 40 people, respectively. All classes sold out at last year’s event, so early registration is recommended.
Ice sculptor Peter Slavin will demonstrate his techniques on the patio, where visitors can sample beers and Arizona ground beef while listening to island music.
Phoenix Cooks!
Where: Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa, 2400 E. Missouri Ave., Phoenix
When: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday
How much: General admission is $80 in advance/$95 at the door. Food Forums are $8/$10 per class. Wine Experience tickets are $15/$20 per class.
Info: (602) 381-7632 or phoenixcooks.com
