The NRA Show 2017 got cooking right away.
In partnership with Vitamix, this year’s World Culinary Showcase, held in Lakeside Center at Booth #10357, lets celebrity chefs and foodservice thought leaders take center stage to inspire and educate attendees on the latest menu trends, culinary skills, cooking techniques and behind-the-scenes know-how.
Saturday’s session began with multiple James Beard Award winner Chef Rick Bayless, who showcased the ins and outs of Mexican cooking. He also answered attendees’ questions, ranging from where he gets his kitchen knives and sourcing authentic ingredients to his go-to foods and industry advice for new chefs.
“Being a chef is not being a Food Network star,” he says. “You need to love what you’re doing for the love of doing it—that being cooking good food. You need to have a love to share with others, have a dialogue with people and develop your craft. You can’t develop a craft overnight—it takes years of hard work to be a good cook.”
Fourteen more chefs and foodservice leaders will take the stage over the next four days, sharing not only their culinary prowess, but also their industry insights. Attendees will learn latest menu trends from experts such as Nancy Kruse, Stephanie Izard, Aarti Sequeria, Barton Seaver, Pat Neely, Jeffrey Mauro, Fabio Viviani, Duff Goldman, Anne Burrell, Matthew Kenney, Ming Tsai, Robert Irvine and Rocco DiSpirito.
But the insights don’t stop there. This year’s Foodamental Studio demos, located in South Hall at Booth #2389, began with Chef Carlo Lamanga, executive chef at Clyde Common and Twisted Filipino Dinner Series, who explored how to give breakfast a global spin.
Attendees can choose from four Foodamental Studio sessions each day of the NRA Show, starting at 10 a.m. Space is limited to 50 seated attendees and sessions are first-come, first-served.
The demos are all about education and for everyone—no matter the skill level and no matter how long one has been cooking. Eighteen culinary instructors, a food photographer and a farm chef will lead attendees in hands-on culinary-themed classes at workstations highlighting the latest trends.
Attendees will learn and work with chocolate, soups, seafood, condiments, spices, pasta and more, including using proper knife skills, taking perfect pictures and reducing food waste.
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