Cat’s in the kitchen
Dry ice wisps rise from the center of the stage as “the Chairman” approaches to raise a large cover, dramatically intoning, “and the secret ingredient isŠ” Two chefs await with anticipation: an Iron Chef and a challenger, ready to prepare five dishes in one hour, to be judged by a panel of experts. It’s the opening scene of Food Network’s “Iron Chef America,” a TV program that’s attained near-cult status among foodies and chefs across the nation.
Trading the heat of battle for Napa Valley’s scorching temperatures, Cat Cora, the only female Iron Chef among a group that includes culinary luminaries Mario Battali, Bobby Flay and Masaharu Morimoto, visited last week to participate in the Festival del Sole culinary lineup at Copia, Beringer and the Culinary Institute of America, Greystone. more…
