Celebrity Chef Cat Cora in Greece - The Best from Greece

Posted on: 22/Dec/2009

Celebrity Chef Cat Cora stresses value of quality education
Famous Greek American chef and entrepreneur Cat Cora, the first and only female winner of the Iron Chef America competition and founder of Chefs for Humanity, was the keynote speaker at a workshop on “Greece as a Culinary Destination,” organized by DEREE – The American College of Greece.

The workshop brought together Cora with some top culinary and tourism professionals to celebrate the new B.S. in International Tourism and Hospitality Management major at DEREE – ACG.

During her presentation, Cora stressed the value of a quality education for all ambitious professionals. “Todayʼs professional has to have not only great skills, but has to have skills in running a business that include understanding finance, managing people, knowledge of the laws surrounding your business and creating a rich culture for your business,” she said. “In other words, you have to be Renaissance men and women; that is your edge in the business world today and that comes through education,” she added, and praised DEREE - ACG for establishing the new major in International Tourism and Hospitality Management.

DEREE professor Dr. Albert Arouh, moderated the discussion. On the panel were Yiannis Boutaris, honorary president of EDOAO – Wines from Greece (“Wine Tourism”); Diana Kochilas, award-winning cookbook author (“Stirring an Appetite for Greece”); Chef Christoforos Peskias (“A New Narrative for Culinary Greece”); and Chef Shanna Horner OʼHea, owner of the Kennebunk Inn and the Academe Brasserie (“High Tech, High Taste: The Case of The Kennebunk Inn, Kennebunk, Maine”).

Yiannis Boutaris spoke eloquently of the need for an upgrade in societyʼs overall aesthetic standards and later, talking to the press, said that the DEREE event marked a new beginning for an exciting tourism sector, gastronomy.

Shanna Horner OʼHea brought to the conference the practical perspective of a successful chef and hotelier, as she explored some of the tools she uses in running the Kennebunk Inn and the Academe Brasserie in the resort town of Kennebunk, Maine.

Accomplished Greek chef Christophoros Peskias and award winning cooking author Diana Kochilas presented their views on the current state of Greek cuisine, and agreed that only the application of the highest standards of quality both in traditional as well as in nouveau Greek cuisine can turn Greece into a prime destination for culinary tourism.

Following the discussion, Cat Cora gave a live cooking demonstration, titled “Modern Twist on Greek Classics.”
Culinary tourism has been exploding globally, as countries and tourism enterprises seek to differentiate themselves in the crowded leisure market by appealing to travelersʼ particular interests.

Greece has one of the most distinct culinary traditions in the world, and its traditional cuisine has acquired mass appeal in recent years because of persistent reports that it is especially beneficial to human health.

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source: http://www.acg.edu/acg/events-trial.php?id=289

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