Celebrity Chefs and New Menu Ideas From Around the Globe Take Center Stage in World Culinary Showcase at NRA Show 2010

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May 05, 2010, 06:04 ET

2010 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show® attendees will also have a chance to win tickets to Hollywood premiere of Eat, Pray, Love

CHICAGO, May 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Some of the most celebrated chefs and culinary innovators from around the globe will show off their skills at the world's largest restaurant industry trade show this spring. This year's NRA Show® will feature the brand-new World Culinary Showcase, where attendees experience high-energy, interactive cooking demonstrations and find the information and inspiration to create fun, flavorful and nutritious menu ideas. NRA Show 2010 will be held May 22-25 at Chicago's McCormick Place.

"The World Culinary Showcase, running throughout NRA Show 2010 will feature world-class chefs and culinary experts, demonstrating great recipes and techniques to help increase profits and customer satisfaction," said Ira Cohn, Convention Chair for NRA Show 2010 and President of ARAMARK Business and Industry Group. "It is sure to be an exciting event that will provide a host of ideas and inspiration."

NRA Show 2010 attendees will also have the opportunity to win two tickets and an all-expense paid trip to the Hollywood premiere of the new movie Eat, Pray, Love, which stars Julia Roberts and Javier Bardem and opens in theaters on August 13. Additionally, Sony Pictures will provide chances to win passes to advance screenings of Eat, Pray, Love around the country. The winners must be registered for NRA Show 2010 and will be announced each day in the World Culinary Showcase, with the grand-prize winner announcement on the last day of the event.

Also taking place in the World Culinary Showcase will be the announcement of Dawn Professional's "Make Your Restaurant Shine" contest with Bravo's "Top Chef: Season 4" contender and Washington, D.C., restaurateur Spike Mendelsohn. In addition, the Showcase will host the winner of NRA Show Hot Chef Challenge 2010 cooking alongside celebrity chef/restaurateur Marcus Samuelsson.

The World Culinary Showcase will feature:

Saturday May 22

10 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.: Cooking demonstration featuring innovative, yet workable ethnic cooking by Michael Leitner, Senior Executive Chef at ConAgra Foods® and Lamb Weston®
11:15 a.m. to 12 noon: Cooking demonstration by Kristina Vanni, NRA Show Hot Chef Grilling Challenge 2009 winner
12:30 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.: The 2010 Hot Chef Challenge winner Jeremy Hanlon cooking alongside celebrity chef/restaurateur Marcus Samuelsson of Aquavit and Riingo in New York and C-House in Chicago, and "Top Chef Masters" contender
2 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.: Julio Lazzarini, owner/executive chef of Orillas Tapas Bar in Wilmington, DE, uncovers the flavors of his signature Latin-Mediterranean cuisine
3:15 to 4 p.m.: Graham Brown, executive chef of Cervena in New Zealand, highlights venison and other premium New Zealand products

Sunday, May 23

10 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.: Spike Mendolsohn, chef/owner of Good Stuff Eatery in Washington, D.C., conducts a culinary demonstration and awards the grand prize winner of Procter & Gamble's Dawn Professional – Make Your Restaurant Shine Contest
10:15 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.: Vice President of Culinary Affairs Nils Noren and Director of Culinary Technology Dave Arnold of The French Culinary Institute conduct a user-friendly technology approach to "Your Daily Dose of Fruits and Veggie Tech"
11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Snout-to-tail butchery demonstration by Chef/Restaurateur Rob Levitt of Mado in Chicago
1 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.: Children's menu ideas presented by Aramark's Director of Nutrition and Menu Development for the company's K-12 division along with Aramark Chefs Tia McDonald and Jack Aspinall
2:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.: Hande Bozdogan, founding director of the Istanbul Culinary Institute in Turkey, presents Turkish cuisine with a contemporary twist
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.: Cooking demonstration by Chef Tory McPhail of Commander's Palace in New Orleans as he prepares garlic grilled shrimp over browned butter grits with charred red pepper paint

Monday, May 24

10 a.m. to 11 a.m.: Cooking demonstration by Chef Ludo Lefebvre of LudoBites Food Truck and "Top Chef Masters" contender will offer cutting-edge food truck cuisine
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Cooking demonstration by Chef Rick Bayless of Frontera Grill, Tobolobampo and Xoco, Chicago and "Top Chef Masters 1" winner
12:45 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.: Chef Federico Lopez of Gourmand & Gourmets and Taller Gourmet in Mexico explores axiote and other Mayan flavors
2 p.m. – 3 p.m.: The Produce Marketing Association presents Chef Cliff Pleau, director of culinary development for Seasons 52, as he showcases new menu ideas in today's expanding produce market
3:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.: Sodexo USA's Director of Culinary Services Jeffrey A. McClure demonstrates how to incorporate more produce into kid-friendly recipes

Tuesday, May 25

10 a.m. – 11 a.m.: Cooking demonstration by Chef Stephanie Izard, chef/owner of the soon-to-open Girl & the Goat restaurant in Chicago and Bravo's "Top Chef: Season Four" winner
12 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.: The Seafood Alliance presents Washington, D.C.-based chef, writer and sustainable seafood advocate Barton Seaver showcasing new culinary ideas for sustainable seafood
1 p.m. – 2 p.m.: The Canadian Beef Information Centre's Director of U.S. Market Development Mary Carpenter and Director of U.S. Marketing Jeff Trafford present "Cutting Edge Culinary Ideas from Canada – Discovering Beef's Hidden Gems"

The annual National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show is the largest single gathering of restaurant, foodservice and lodging professionals. NRA Show 2010 will be held May 22-25 at McCormick Place in Chicago. The event attracts tens of thousands of attendees and visitors from all 50 states and 100+ countries, and showcases more products, services, innovative ideas and other growth opportunities than any other industry event. For more information, visit the Show Web site at www.restaurant.org/show.

Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which comprises 945,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a work force of nearly 13 million employees. Together with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation and National Restaurant Association Solutions, its products and services group, the Association works to lead America's restaurant industry into a new era of prosperity, prominence, and participation, enhancing the quality of life for all we serve. For more information, visit our Web site at www.restaurant.org.

SOURCE National Restaurant Association