Eight’s Centennial Cooking Celebration

Viewers Can Chop, Mix and Cook Signature Recipes Along with Culinary Masters
During 2-Hour Special Devoted to Arizona’s Rich Culinary History

PHOENIX…November 7, 2012…Love to cook? Imagine sharing your passion for food with eight of the Southwest’s most recognized and talented chefs! Host Barbara Fenzl does just that in Eight’s Centennial Cooking Celebration airing on Tuesday, November 27 at 7 p.m. on Eight, Arizona PBS. During this two-hour special, viewers join Fenzl, noted cookbook author and culinary teacher, as she invites each chef on stage before a live studio audience to prepare a scrumptious, signature dish.

The culinary cast, a who’s-who of chefs known throughout Arizona, includes the following masters sharing one of their best-loved recipes:

• Chris Bianco, Pizzeria Bianco (Phoenix) – Roasted Eggplant Parmigiana
• Kevin Binkley, Binkley’s (Carefree) – Halibut en Papillote
• Silvana Esparza, Barrio Café (Phoenix) – Chiles en Nogada
• Nobuo Fukuda, Nobuo at Teeter House (Phoenix) – Cured Salmon with Basil Oil and Soy-Glazed Almonds
• Joe Johnston, Joe’s Real BBQ (Gilbert) – Joe’s Real St. Louis Cut Spare Ribs
• Matt McTigue, El Tovar (Grand Canyon) – Pan Seared Salmon Tostada
• Amanda Stine, Garland’s Oak Creek Lodge (Sedona) – Rack of Lamb with Coriander Crust
• Mark Tarbell, Tarbell’s (Phoenix) – Tar’s Scotch Beef with Red Wine Gravy

Drawing inspiration from the Arizona Centennial-themed cookbook 100 Years, 100 Recipes, 100 Chefs, the new locally produced Eight program pays tribute to the rich history of cuisine in Arizona. Viewers will come away with a better understanding of how people have perceived and prepared food in the Southwest over the past century by watching and listening to chefs featured on the show.

Barbara Fenzl is a major figure on the American culinary stage. Her first love is teaching, but she is also a cookbook author, magazine writer, and television personality. In 1983, Fenzl founded Les Gourmettes Cooking School in Phoenix. She also teaches at schools throughout the U.S. and Mexico and has taught for 10 years in southwestern France. In 1999, Fenzl hosted a 13-week PBS television series, Savor the Southwest, produced by Eight and distributed nationally by APT.

Media Contact:  Colleen O’Donnell Pierce
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