Eric Ripert To Host Cayman Cookout January 13-16, 2011
Anthony Bourdain, Jose Andres, Michael Schwartz, Gail Simmons on Seven Mile Beach for good food and wine
World-renowned and award-winning chefs and wine experts roll up their sleeves for the Cayman Cookout at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman on Seven Mile Beach. Wine tastings, culinary demonstrations, friendly chats and other informative, inspirational and invaluable events open up the world of delectable cuisine found in the finest restaurants across the globe. Events range from a relaxed kids' brunch and an artisan market to gala dinners and champagne brunches hosted by the Ritz-Carlton perched on some of Caymans finest real estate, Seven Mile beach.
The event is hosted by none other than Eric Ripert, acclaimed as one of the world's greatest seafood chefs and star of the recent PBS series "Avec Eric." Guests will join Ripert along with several other famed celebrity chefs and food critics for a four-day culinary tour across the Cayman Islands. The intimately-styled events include a starlit dinner on the Seven Mile Beach, a picnic on Starfish Point, and the seven-course Gala Dinner In Blue...
Some of the special culinary guests featured at this year's event include culinary travel expert Anthony Bourdain, JBF award-winning Spanish chef Jose Andres, Irish celebrity chef Rachel Allen, fusion cuisine expert Susur Lee, Miami chef Michael Schwartz, award-winning restaurateur Charlie Trotter, and Food & Wine Magazine writer Gail Simmons. Napa Valley wine experts Dennis Cakebread and Bo Barrett will be present as well, sharing their expertise from the region along with renowned critics Ray Isle and Anthony Giglio.
Director of Tourism Shomari Scott says that the annual Cookout is just one way that the island community celebrates its rich culinary culture. "Each year, we witness the four-day weekend grow with the addition of new events tantalizing the taste buds of even the most discerning of diners, and Cayman Cookout 2011 is sure to attract those truly passionate about great food."
The Cayman Cookout 2011 will be held January 13-16. Tickets and more information can be found on www.caymanislands.ky/cayman_cookout
Chef Eric Ripert
Born in Antibes, France, Chef Eric Ripert began his relationship with food in the most formative of all kitchens, his grandmother's. Watching, tasting and learning at her elbow, Ripert developed the Mediterranean palate that influences his cooking today. When the young chef's family moved to Andorra, just over the Spanish border, he expanded his repertoire to include Spanish flavors and ingredients.
Ripert attended culinary school in Perpignan, and in 1982 moved to Paris to work at La Tour D'Argent, the renowned Parisian establishment that dates back more than 400 years. After two years as a cook, Ripert moved to the Michelin three-star, Jamin, where he soon was promoted to Assistant Chef de Partie. He left to fulfill his military service in 1985, then returned at the request of Jamin chef/owner Joel Robuchon, as Chef Poissonier.
Ripert came to the United States in 1989 to work as sous chef at Jean Louis in the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C. In 1991, he moved to New York, where he worked briefly as sous-chef under David Bouley until he was offered to work for Maguy and Gilbert Le Coze as a chef for Le Bernardin.
In 1995, Ripert earned a four star rating from the New York Times and Le Bernardin continues to receive critical acclaim for its food and service, including being recognized by the Zagat Guide as the "Best Food" in New York City for the past four consecutive years. In 1998, the James Beard Foundation named Le Bernardin Outstanding Restaurant of the Year and Eric Ripert Top Chef in New York City, and in 1999 they received the Outstanding Service Award. In 2003 the James Beard Foundation named Ripert Outstanding Chef in the United States.
Chef Rachel Allen
Rachel Allen was brought up in Dublin and left home at eighteen to study at the world-famous Ballymaloe Cookery School. Rachel is now a busy TV chef, author, journalist and mother, and still teaches at Ballymaloe.
Rachel is the author of four bestselling cookery books, which include Rachel's Favourite Food at Home and Rachel's Food for Living. Her extremely popular television series for RTE and the BBC have been broadcast internationally and she frequently appears on BBC's Saturday Kitchen. Her charming manner and effortless style make her a delight to watch. Rachel is columnist and contributor to a number of Irish publications, including the The Sunday Tribune magazine, and is often featured in articles and interviews in the media.
Chef Anthony Bourdain
Dubbed "the bad boy of cuisine" for his rock-star look and blunt observations about the world of restaurants, chefs and cooking, Anthony Bourdain is not your typical celebrity chef. A 28-year veteran of professional kitchens, Bourdain is currently the executive chef at New York's famed bistro, Les Halles.
Bourdain entertains and educates with his exotic tales of travel and lessons learned from the kitchen trenches. He shares his passion on topics ranging from "Great Cuisines: The Common Thread" to the celebrity chef phenomenon and the culture of cooking. He also imparts his drill-sergeant approach to running a kitchen, which he shared with the Harvard Business Review, in "Management by Fire: A Conversation With Chef Anthony Bourdain." "The fantastic mix of order and chaos," he says, "demands a rigid hierarchy and a sacrosanct code of conduct, where punctuality, loyalty, teamwork and discipline are key to producing consistently good food."