STELLAR LINE-UP OF CHEFS DEMONSTRATING DAILY AT

 RIVERSIDE COUNTY FAIR & NATIONAL DATE FESTIVAL

Demonstrations February 16-25 1:30 & 3 p.m. in Taj Mahal Building

 

 

INDIO, CA – (February 15, 2007) This year, a stellar line-up of professional chefs from top restaurants, hotels and catering companies will give cooking demonstrations at the Riverside Country Fair and National Date Festival each day in the Taj Mahal building at 1:30 and 3 p.m. 

            Chefs will demonstrate a variety of dishes using California grown dates, show how to assemble the dishes, and will have their recipes available as well as bite-sized sampling of their dish.

            This year’s cooking demonstrations are sponsored by Dole who is providing the dates for cooking and samples for guests attending the demonstrations.  Cookware is provided by Kitchen Craft.

            Chefs include Steve Castillo of Victorville, a Cordon Bleu trained chef specializing in French and Mediterranean style cuisine, who will demonstrate on Friday, February 16.

            Gail Nottberg, chef de cuisine for Jordan’s Creative Catering, received her Associate of Science degree in Culinary Arts from Mesa College, San Diego with continuing education at the Culinary Institute of America and classes through the American Culinary Federation.  Nottberg will be a judge for the amateur date recipe contest on Saturday, February 17 at 1:30 p.m. and will demonstrate at 3 p.m.

            Swiss trained chef Roland Bieri who owns Events! , a custom catering firm in the Coachella Valley since 1981, will demonstrate some of his gourmet specialties using dates on Sunday, February 18.

            Chef Greg Wiener, chef de cuisine for Tuscany Italian Ristorante at Desert Springs JW Marriott Resort and Spa in Palm Desert, brings a touch of Italy on Monday, February 19.  Wiener won First Place Appetizer at last year’s California Date Chef Competition.

            Longtime desert caterer Sherry Pena, owner of Desert Cities Catering, will demonstrate a variety of dishes using a list of ingredients usually found in one’s kitchen on Tuesday, Feb. 20.  Pena was a chef demonstrator at the Date Festival for several years, and enjoys playing the crowd with food quizzes and prizes.

            Tony Marks, executive chef of Smoke Tree Ranch, bring his party-planning talents to his demonstrations on Wednesday, Feb. 21.  Chef Marks will show his Carrot Date Cake, a Cherry Date Sauce with Turkey Cutlets, baked Brie en Croute topped with dates, walnuts and chutney, and his version of a “Friday Night Date” appetizer.

            Talented young Bryant Gibson, formerly chef at the trendy South Beach Night Club, and currently chef de cuisine Peaks the Restaurant and Pines the Café at the Palm Springs Aerial Tram for Aramark, will demonstrate his specialties on Thursday, February 22.

            Fantasy Springs Resort Casino Executive Chef Perry Mascitti and his team of Executive Sous Chef Jamie Nicholas, Banquet Chef Jose Bravo, Global Chef Mike Tyler, Room Chef Enrique Leon, and Chef John Gargone will demonstrate everything from appetizers to desserts on Friday Feb. 23 and Saturday, Feb. 24.

            Elise Arouh is currently the General Manager of Sammy's Wood-fired Pizza in Palm Desert and is also a personal chef trained at the Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Pasadena.  She brings her own style of cooking on Sunday, Feb. 25.

            The Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival is held on the Riverside County Fairgrounds, 46-350 Arabia Street, Indio.

            The event is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and the carnival is open until midnight on weekends.  Admission is $8 for adults (13-54), senior $7 (55+) and young $6 (5-12).  Children under 5 are free. Parking is $7.

         Admission to the cooking demonstrations is included in the fair admission.