Famous Greek American Chef and entrepreneur Cat Cora, the first and only female winner of the Iron Chef America competition, as well as the founder of Chefs for Humanity, will be the keynote speaker during a workshop on “Greece as a Culinary Destination,” organized by DEREE – The American College of Greece. The workshop will bring together Cora with some top culinary and tourism professionals and is designed to celebrate the new B.S. in International Tourism and Hospitality Management major at Deree – The American College of Greece (DEREE – ACG)

The three- hour workshop will take place at the John S. Bailey Library at DEREE on Monday, December 14, 2009, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. DEREE professor Dr. Albert Arouh, will moderate the discussion. Panelists are 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 O’Shea, owner of the Kennebunk Inn and the Acedeme Brasserie (“High Tech, High Taste: The Case of The Kennebunk Inn, Kennebunk, Maine”). Following the discussion, Cat Cora will offer a live cooking demonstration, titled “Modern Twist on Greek Classics.”
Simultaneous Greek translation will be provided at the workshop. Culinary tourism has been exploding globally, as countries and tourism enterprises seek to differentiate themselves in the crowded leisure market by appealing to travelers’ 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.