KITCHENAID® THE BOOK AND THE COOK ®
CELEBRATES 20 YEARS OF UNFORGETTABLE DINING
AND REMARKABLE CULINARY COLLABORATIONS!

PHILADELPHIA, February, 2004 – To mark its twentieth-anniversary presentation, Philadelphia’s grand culinary festival - KitchenAid® The Book and The Cook® - will be welcoming 72 cookbook authors and food and wine authorities to the Philadelphia region.  Set for Friday, March 12 through Sunday, March 21, 2004, these culinarians will team with chefs and restaurateurs at 65 of the region’s finest restaurants and caterers for a total of 78 dining events.  “Philadelphia’s “collaborative culinary adventure” continues to provide the world with the largest collection of culinary talent imaginable,” added Judy Faye, Executive Producer when she announced the line up for Philadelphia’s nationally-acclaimed restaurant festival today.

In addition Ms. Faye and her team have assembled a series titled “20 Events to Celebrate 20 Years” that highlight the many facets of this uniquely successful festival.  Special programs include Alouette Cheese Pommes Frittes Day at the National Constitution Center, the creation of a signature Ciroc Vodka cocktail, the launch of the Commodore Biddle line of spices and condiments, a salute to the region’s culinary schools, a “cheer” to the region’s hospitality industry from the Temple University School of Tourism and Hospitality Management and a recreation of menus from The Book and The Cook’s first year. 

Anchoring The Book and The Cook is the The Restaurant Series where the featured cookbook authors/food personalities team with a host restaurant to prepare special meals, meet and greet patrons, and sign their books.  Reservations for these one-of-a-kind brunches, luncheons, and dinners can be made directly with the participating restaurants. 

“It’s a thrill to welcome 27 chefs and authors who have never before participated in THE BOOK AND THE COOK,” Ms. Faye noted.  “Such talented individuals as Marcus Samuelsson, Michel Nischan, Israel Aharoni, Rosemary Black, Hi Soo Shin Hepinstall, and Kevin Garvin will make their first appearance in 2004.”  But of course there are many old favorites returning for the 20^th edition.  “We are truly delighted to welcome back many, many authors who have been a large part of our history including such culinary stars as Ming Tsai, Guiliano Bugialli, Patricia Wells, John Mariani, Michael Romano, Anne Willan, Mary Ann Esposito, Jim Coleman, Zarela Marinez, Michael Jackson, David Rosengarten, Peter Reinhart, and Paula Wolfert.”

The final weekend of the 2004 culinary festival will spotlight The Culinary Market & Showcase (formerly known as “The Book and The Cook Fair“) on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, March 19, 20, and 21 in the Fort Washington Expo Center, 1100 Virginia Drive in Fort Washington, Pa., with show times on Friday, March 19 from noon – 7:00 PM, Saturday, March 20, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, March 21, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.   In addition to cooking demonstrations from Ming Tsai, David Rosengarten, Lidia Bastianich and many others patrons can savor the offerings from over 125 exhibition booths that include specialty items, foods from Pennsylvania farms, wines and marvelous appliances.

Ms Faye added that “as we put together the menu for our twentieth presentation of THE BOOK AND THE COOK under the aegis of our title sponsor KitchenAid, we continued to feel a sense of energy for showcasing Philadelphia as a fine dining destination. We are proud of our participating restaurants for having the commitment to rally and continue their participation in this event which has done so much to showcase them to lovers of fine dining here and around the country.”

“KitchenAid is committed to supporting initiatives that nurture and recognize culinary talent, both among consumers and culinary professionals,” noted Brian Maynard, Director of Integrated Marketing for KitchenAid.  “By providing the nation’s most accomplished cookbook authors and chefs with a showcase for sharing their recipes and techniques with non-professionals, The Book and The Cook has consistently achieved these objectives with great success, making this a perfect fit for KitchenAid. “As an exceptional city for fine dining, Philadelphia is an ideal location for this event,” he added, “and one that we are delighted to continue to support.”

The 15^th presentation of KITCHENAID THE BOOK AND THE COOK Culinary Showcase & Market has become the country’s largest consumer culinary fair since its inception in 1990.  Cooking demonstrations this year by such prestigious chefs as Lidia Bastianich, Tanya Holland, Ming Tsai, and David Rosengarten among others, will take place on the KitchenAid Demonstration Stage.

Over 125 exhibit booths will present carefully-selected food and wine exhibitors; an extensive collection of cookbooks will be for sale in the Borders Books & Music Cookbook Pavilion; and dozens of authors will be on hand for book signings. Culinary Showcase visitors can also get a bite to eat in the Showcase Café featuring a baked potato bar with special Alouette cheese toppings, sandwiches, salads and desserts plus a full array of soft drinks, coffee, wines & beers. 

Wegmans Markets’ chefs return with an even better presentation that will feature not only great food from their team of chefs but will also invite patrons to purchase the ingredients to make these great dishes at home.  B-101 offers many great family diversions including games, videos and special craft projects.  The Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association invites patrons to make their own hot milk steamers.  Special cooking demonstrations will highlight the products from Pennsylvania farmers.  And don’t miss the presentations that will help you best prepare dishes using Alouette’s great line of cheeses.

Advance tickets to the Culinary Market & Showcase are available starting on February 10^th at Borders Books and Music stores and Wegmans Markets throughout the region.  Daily adult General Admission tickets are available through these locations for only $17.00, a $3.00 savings from the “day-of-show” price of  $20.00.  Tickets for seniors are also available in advance at the $15.00 price and tickets for children between 6 and 12 are available at Borders and Wegmans for the $10.00 price. Children under 6 admitted free.  THERE IS NO SERVICE CHARGE FOR TICKETS PURCHASED IN ADVANCE.  Tickets purchased at the Fort Washington Expo Center the day of show are $20 for adults, $15.00 for seniors and $10 for children between 6 and 12.  Group rates are available by calling (215) 732-1355.  All tickets are general admission and are good for one day only. There is no additional charge for any the cooking demonstration and culinary programs.

 The FORT WASHINGTON EXPO CENTER, the site of the Culinary Market & Showcase, is located outside of Philadelphia, off the Pennsylvania Turnpike, Exit 339 (Fort Washington). It is approximately 25 minutes by car from downtown Philadelphia.  There are thousands of free parking spaces available on-site. There are also approximately 50 priority handicapped parking spaces located directly in front of the building.

Full information on 2004’s KITCHENAID® THE BOOK AND THE COOK®, including all of the cookbook authors and their collaborating restaurants, as well as cooking classes, special events, and gourmet tours can be found on the Internet at www.thebookandthecook.com To obtain a copy of the printed Official Event Guide, the public can call 215-545-4543 or 888-742-1336

KITCHENAID® THE BOOK AND THE COOK® is a program of the Center City Proprietors Foundation to advance the economic growth of the Philadelphia region. 

Event Sponsors

KITCHENAID is the Title Sponsor of THE BOOK AND THE COOK: The Restaurant Series and The Culinary Market & Showcase.

Associate sponsors are Alouette – Specialty Cheese, the Center City Proprietors Association, the City of Philadelphia, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, and Wegmans Food Markets.

Event sponsors include Art Institute of Philadelphia School of Culinary Arts, Cîroc Vodka, Commerce Bank, Max & Me Catering, Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association, Temple University School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Valley Forge Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Williams-Sonoma.  Exhibiting sponsors include the Culinary Arts at the Art Institute of Philadelphia, Borders Books & Music, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Sur La Table, and Stella Artois Fine Belgian Beers.

Media sponsors include 15 Minutes, Inc., Art270, B101, M3 Public Relations and Events, Metro and Philadelphia City Paper.  The Official Transportation Sponsor is AMTRAK Acela; the Official Automobile is Buick, the Official Host Hotel is Loews Philadelphia Hotel.

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC), Philadelphia's official regional tourism marketing agency, is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to building the region's economy and positive image through tourism and destination marketing. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, call the new Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676, or visit www.gophila.com. For information about arts and cultural attractions in the region, click on the CultureFiles link.

Note to Editors: For photos of Greater Philadelphia, visit the photo gallery of www.gophila.com/pressroom

February 2004

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