Lineup for Celebrity Book Signings and NRA Show Bookstore announced
(Chicago, Ill.) The National Restaurant Association today announced the addition of nine celebrity chefs to the already star-studded roster at its 2007 Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, to be held May 19-22, at McCormick Place in Chicago. The Celebrity Book Signings and NRA Show Bookstore (located on the Grand Concourse and Mezzanine levels) will provide opportunities for the Show’s 73,000 attendees to browse the store and interact with some of the industry’s top trendsetters.
“The nation’s 935,000 restaurants have long been the breeding ground for many of the world’s best culinary artists in the world, and America’s fascination with all things food related has opened new doors for these individuals to share their creativity and inspire chefs and home cooks everywhere,” said William C. Anton, FMP, convention chairman for the 2007 Show, and chairman and founder of Anton Airfood, Inc. “Our Show will offer unparalleled opportunities to meet some of the leading chefs and restaurateurs in the industry today, all in one place. Their books provide insight and inspiration on a number of topics, from favorite recipes and cooking techniques, to management philosophy and personal experiences.”
Well-known culinary artists Cat Cora, Juan-Carlos Cruz, John Doherty, Sally James, Paul Prudhomme, Marcus Samuelsson, Harry Shapiro, Ming Tsai and Peyton Young have now joined the Celebrity Book Signings lineup.
The schedule to date of celebrity chefs and restaurateurs to appear in the Celebrity Book Signings and NRA Show Bookstore is as follows:
· Steve Raichlen, Saturday, 5/19, 10:00 a.m. – host of PBS’s “Barbecue University” and author of Barbecue! Bible series – signing Raichlen on Ribs.
· Thomas Keller, Saturday, 5/19, 12:30 p.m. – chef and owner of famed restaurant The French Laundry, and regarded as the top chef in the U.S. – signing The French Laundry Cookbook and Bouchon.
· Danny Meyer, Saturday, 5/19, 2:00 p.m. – president of Union Square Hospitality Group (operating New York City’s Union Square Café, Gramercy Tavern and others) – signing Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business.
· Rick Bayless, Saturday, 5/19, 3:00 p.m. – chef, television personality, and operator of Chicago’s Frontera Grill and Tobolobampo – signing Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico, the Twentieth Anniversary edition.
· Sally James, Sunday, 5/20, 10 a.m. – author of 12 cookbooks, guest presenter on the Food Network and UPN Networks, host of PBS show in production – signing Escape to Yountville: Recipes for Health and Relaxation From the Napa Valley.
· Tom Douglas, Sunday, 5/20, 11:00 a.m. – chef and owner of five Seattle restaurants and master of Northwest regional cuisine – signing Love Crab Cakes!: 50 Recipes for an American Classic.
· Paul Prudhomme, Sunday, 5/20, 12:30 p.m. – Louisiana cuisine expert, chef and owner of K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen® in New Orleans with his own line of seasonings (Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Seasoning Blends®) – signing Always Cooking.
· Rick Tramonto, Sunday, 5/20, 2:30 p.m. – executive chef and partner of Chicago’s Osteria di Tramonto and Tru (among others), television personality – signing Amuse-Bouche: Little Bites of Delight Before the Meal Begins and Tru: A Cookbook from the Legendary Chicago Restaurant.
· Ming Tsai, Monday, 5/21, 10:00 a.m. – chef and owner of Boston’s Blue Ginger, Emmy-winning television host, national spokesperson for the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network and a founding member of Chefs For Humanity – signing Simply Ming.
· Art Smith, Monday, 5/21, 11:30 a.m. – contributing editor to O, the Oprah Magazine and Oprah.com, and tasting judge on Food Network’s Iron Chef – signing Back to the Family: Food Tastes Better Shared with the Ones You Love.
· Gale Gand, Monday, 5/21, 1:00 p.m. – executive chef and partner of Chicago’s Tru, host of Food Network’s “Sweet Dreams” – signing Chocolate & Vanilla.
· Marcus Samuelsson, Monday, 5/21, 2:30 p.m. – co-founder and chief creative director of Townhouse Restaurant Group (operating New York City’s Aquavit and others) and host of Discovery Home Channel’s “Inner Chef with Marcus Samuelsson) – signing The Soul of a New Cuisine: A Discovery of the Foods and Flavors of Africa and Aquavit.
· John Doherty, Tuesday, 5/22, 10:00 a.m. – executive chef at the Waldorf-Astoria – signing The Waldorf-Astoria Cookbook.
· Juan-Carlos Cruz, Tuesday, 5/22 11:30 a.m. – host of Food Network’s “Calorie Commando” and “Weighing In,” and advisor on Discover Health Network’s “Body Challenge” – signing The Juan-Carlos Cruz Calorie Countdown Cookbook.
· Cat Cora, Tuesday, 5/22, 1:00 p.m. – American’s first female Iron Chef, president and co-founder of Chefs For Humanity, and UNIFEC nutrition spokesperson – signing Cat Cora’s Kitchen.
· Harry Shapiro and Peyton Young, Tuesday 5/22, 3:00 p.m. – chefs and owners of Harry’s Roadhouse in Santa Fe, N.M. – signing Roadhouse Cookbook.
To produce the NRA Show Bookstore, the Association partnered with Chicago-based Barbara’s Bookstore, whose original store opened in 1963 and who now operates in the Chicago metropolitan area, Boston, Philadelphia, New York and Minneapolis. One of Chicago’s most successful bookstores, Barbara’s focuses on hand-picked book selection, knowledgeable service, and author events. For more information, visit http://www.barbarasbookstore.com.
More information on the celebrity chefs/restaurateurs and their books can be found on the Show Web site, www.restaurant.org/show/events/bookstore.cfm.
Now in its 88th year, the annual National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show is the largest single gathering of restaurant, foodservice and lodging professionals the Western Hemisphere. The 2007 Show will be held May 19-22, at McCormick Place in Chicago, Ill. The Show attracts 2,000+ exhibiting companies and 73,000 attendees and visitors from all 50 states and 110 countries. Free, online media registration and more information can be found on the Show Web site at www.restaurant.org/show/media.
