Organizers of the Great Lakes' premiere food and wine event - Epicurean Classic - have announced the 2009 guest list of chefs and culinary artisans for the annual gathering to be held in St. Joseph on the bluff overlooking Lake Michigan, August 28-30. Some of this year's featured artisans include, Curtis Stone, Jean Joho, Gale Gand, Takashi Yagihashi, Tom Valenti, Jennifer McLagan, Giuliano Hazan, Brian Polcyn, and Mary Sue Milliken.

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"We continue to infuse our recipe for assembling a talented roster of chefs and culinary artisans who highlight fresh trends in food and wine. And our new partnership with KitchenAid further bolsters our enviable reputation among the nation's finest food and wine events," notes Mark Dressler, event co-founder. "Our goal is to provide an accessible and motivating experience and to reinforce the KitchenAid brand, whose valuable tools enrich the processes of cooking and baking in kitchens all over the world."

Over the three day event, Epicurean Classic attendees will choose from over 45 cooking demonstrations, 16 cheese/wine/beer tasting seminars, six Guest Chef Dinners - including a Great Lakes Great Wines BBQ, the Grand Reception and the daily Tasting Pavilion.

  Featured 09 Epicurean Classic guest artisans and chefs include:

  Eve Aronoff

Eve Aronoff, chef/owner of Eve the Restaurant in Kerrytown (Ann Arbor), is author of eve: Contemporary Cuisine - Methode Traditionelle. Last year, she was asked by The James Beard Foundation to prepare a five-course summer meal at The James Beard House in Greenwich Village. The invitation is considered a coup in the culinary arts world.

Caleb Barber & Deirdre Heekin

Deirdre Heekin and Caleb Barber are the proprietors and, respectively, wine director and head chef of Osteria Pane e Salute, a boutique restaurant and wine bar in Woodstock, Vermont, recently acclaimed in Bon Appetit, The Boston Globe, Travel and Leisure, and Attache.

Rose Levy Beranbaum

James Beard and IACP award winner, Rose has been called the "Diva of Desserts" and "the most meticulous cook who ever lived." And add this recent accolade -- "If ever there was a cookbook author who could place her hands on top of yours, putting you through the proper motions, helping you arrive at just the right touch, Beranbaum is the one."

Gale Gand

Gand is the executive pastry chef and partner of the renowned four-star Mobil, five-diamond AAA, Relais & Chateaux Relais-Gourmand restaurant Tru, with Rich Melman and culinary partner Rick Tramonto. Gand was recognized in 2001 as Outstanding Pastry Chef by The James Beard Foundation and Pastry Chef of the Year by Bon Appetite magazine, and in 1994 as one of Food & Wine's Top Ten Best New Chefs.

Giuliano Hazan

Giuliano Hazan is the son of famed Italian cookbook writer Marcella Hazan. He runs a cooking school in Verona with his wife and won the IACP award for Cooking Teacher of the Year in 2007. He is a contributor to Cooking Light magazine and author of many cookbooks including GIULIANO HAZAN'S THIRTY MINUTE PASTA, providing Hazan's repertoire--hearty pasta soups, fresh-from-the-greenmarket vegetarian dishes, and meat and seafood sauces that take their cue from the classics of Italian cuisine--will let you bring healthful, hunger-satisfying pasta back to your family's weeknight-supper table.

Jean Joho

One of the world's great culinary talents, Chicago's Chef Joho has been showered with accolades for his accomplishments with Everest, Brasserie JO and Eiffel Tower Restaurant. Joho was named Best American Chef: Midwest and nominated for Best Outstanding Restaurant by the James Beard Foundation and was Bon Appetit's Chef of the Year.

Mary Karlin

Karlin has passed down the knowledge of wood-fired cooking for nine years as an instructor at the Ramekins school in Sonoma, Calif. In WOOD FIRED COOKING, Karlin's enticing recipes explore the diverse flavor characteristics of hardwoods and live-fire cooking methods, from Plank-Roasted Porterhouse or Indian Cilantro-Mint Naan to a hearth-baked Milanese Risotto Tart or Warm Chocolate-Chipotle Cakes.

David Leite

"David Leite takes you right to the heart of the good stuff, scrupulously (and appetizingly) exploring and explaining an egregiously overlooked and unappreciated range of flavors and ingredients. Portugal once ruled the known world and the recipes in his book are-in many ways-the history of the world-on your plate." -- Anthony Bourdain

Jennifer McLagan

Jennifer McLagan, author of the 2009 James Beard Cookbook of the Year; FAT. Jennifer is also the author of the multi-award winning cookbook, BONES. Jennifer will delight Classic attendees with equal parts passion, scholarship, and appetite to win us back to a healthy relationship with animal fats - fundamental to the flavor of our food.

Mary Sue Milliken

Along with Susan Feniger, Mary Sue is the co-owner of both Border Grill and Ciudad in greater Los Angeles. The duo authored five cookbooks and hosted nearly 400 episodes of their wildly popular Too Hot Tamales and Tamales World Tour series on the Food Network.

Andy Pforzheimer

The former Food Editor of Martha Stewart Living magazine, opened the Barcelona Wine and Tapas Bar for fun. Today, his flagship is one of six locations, making Barcelona the largest Spanish tapas group in the U.S. In THE BARCELONA COOKBOOK, Pforzheimer introduces you to a style of eating and cooking that might not be familiar but that will invigorate your palate with bold, exciting, and satisfying flavors and textures.

Brian Polcyn

The author of Charcuterie and Chef/Proprietor of the acclaimed Five Lakes Grill, Polcyn has been featured in local and national publications, including The New York Times, The Detroit News, Atlantic Monthly, Gourmet, Bon Appetite, Playboy, Detroit Hour Magazine, The Detroit Free Press and Wine Spectator.

Andy Schloss

Andy Schloss and Dave Joachim have created the new standard textbook of grilling with their MASTERING THE GRILL: THE OWNER'S MANUAL FOR OUTDOOR COOKING, which was named to the New York Times bestseller list. As a well-known teacher, writer and food industry consultant, Andy has authored 10 cookbooks and countless articles. He is also past president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals.

Brian Smith

After several sojourns working and living in France, he followed his increasing fascination with wine by joining the London wine trade, working in the retail and importing sectors. In 1979 he moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, and again worked importing European wines to that province. In 1985, he taught in the Finger Lakes region of New York, and then took up teaching wine at the Culinary Institute of America in the Hudson River region of New York. With his colleagues he co-authored the 2009 James Beard Award winning title WineWise.

Karen Solomon

The DIY movement has been taking over the country one hand-knitted scarf at a time. It was inevitable that a compendium of recipes for enterprising home cooks would follow. Enter Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It... Tasting Table

Curtis Stone

Aussie Curtis Stone, host of TLC's Take Home Chef, is best known for his laid-back approach to cooking. Though he's worked as head chef in several Michelin-starred London restaurants, some of his most memorable meals are the ones he's shared with friends at home. Now, in his new cookbook, RELAXED COOKING WITH CURTIS STONE, Curtis shows you how to have as much fun in the kitchen as your guests are sure to have over a comfortable, unforgettable meal.

Anna Thomas

LOVE SOUP provides delicious recipes for vegetarian soups from the author of "the most influential cookbooks in the history of modern vegetarian cuisine" (Chicago Sun-Times). Anna Thomas's Vegetarian Epicure cookbooks have sold millions of copies and inspired generations. Now she describes her love affair with the ultimate comfort food. "From my kitchen to yours," Thomas says, "here are the best soups I've ever made."

Scott Uehlein

For nearly three decades, Canyon Ranch has been the world's premier health and wellness destination, celebrated for its integrative treatments, incredible facilities, and signature gourmet food. For the past decade, executive chef Scott Uehlein, has directed the spa's highly-praised culinary philosophy. Uehlein's CANYON RANCH: NOURISH includes the spa's mouthwatering dishes for the at-home chef, sure to entice the most sophisticated palate.

Tom Valenti

Tom Valenti is the chef-owner of New York's acclaimed restaurant, Ouest - long considered a beacon for fine dining on New York City's Upper West Side. Quest is listed as one of New York's top restaurants by New York Magazine and Zagats. The "Flavor King of New York" was diagnosed with diabetes over ten years ago, and after undergoing various stages of denial, anger, and resignation, created a diabetic cuisine that doesn't skimp on flavor. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A DIABETIC TO LOVE THIS COOKBOOK, is the book food lovers with diabetes have been waiting for: Real flavors, real food, and finally, real pleasure, for America's 23.6 million diabetics.

Bruce Weinstein & Mark Scarbrough

Long known as masters of technique, Weinstein and Scarbrough take it up a few notches in their latest effort, COOKING KNOW-HOW - one of NPR's 10 Best Summer Cookbooks of 2009.

Takashi Yagihashi

Yagihashi gained his following at Ambria and Tribute (in Farmington Hills, Michigan), and was a James Beard and Food & Wine Best New Chef recipient. A member of Macy's Culinary Council, Yagihashi is now dazzling Windy City diners at Takashi and Noodles.

Day Passes for the Epicurean Classic are $119 (Friday or Saturday) and $89 on (Sunday). Tickets for the Grand Reception as well as the wine/beer/cheese Tasting & Pairing Seminars are sold separately. Advanced registration is suggested. Complete event and program details as well as online registration are found at www.epicureanclassic.com

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SOURCE: KitchenAid