Pensacola Chefs Honor Florida's 500 Year History at James Beard House

Jan. 4, 2012 - Pensacola, Fla., - Five of Florida's finest chefs on March 27 will prepare a historic dinner at New York's acclaimed James Beard House as part of Viva Florida 500, the celebration of 500 years of Florida history.

The culinary event, hosted by Visit Pensacola and the Pensacola Celebrity Chefs, will bring together modern cuisine created from the Gulf Coast's local bounty and informed by 500 years of gustatory history. Pensacola Celebrity Chefs Dan Dunn of H2O at the Hilton Pensacola Beach Gulf Front, Irv Miller of Jackson's Steakhouse, Jim Shirley of the Fish House, Gus Silivos of Skopelos/Nancy's Haute Affairs and Frank Taylor of Global Grill will take historical recipes that have been used in Florida for hundreds of years modernized with their own artistic touch.

"We are honored to be going back to the James Beard House this year to represent both Pensacola's and Florida's rich history and culture," said Chef Jim Shirley, who is also president of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. "In each dish, guests will taste a hint of our area's heritage, from locally ground grits, freshly caught fish and locally grown produce to amazing palate pleasers seasoned with a little Southern and a little Spanish."

The James Beard Foundation was established in 1986 in honor of James Beard, a cookbook author, teacher and father of American gastronomy. Beard's Greenwich Village townhouse showcases America's finest chefs at nightly dining events.
During the reception, the chefs will prepare cracked conch and green tomato fritters with key lime mustard sauce; turtle soup from local, farm-raised turtles with mirliton and bay shrimp relish; Pensacola Bay shrimp, rosemary and Worcestershire barbecue sauce and quick-fried artichoke bottoms; tuna tacos featuring rare Gulf tuna with salsa verde, montego cheese and pickled jalapenos; and caramelized calico scallop skewers and crispy slab bacon with sweet peppers and spicy piccalilli jus. A 2007 Spanish Marques de Gelida Cava will be served.

The tasting menu will feature fresh Gulf red snapper with stewed collard greens and a roasted corn and red pepper beurre blanc; pecan and country ham-crusted softshell crab stuffed with housemade seafood boudin blanc; grilled cobia, sautéed mustard greens and field peas with preserved Florida lemons with spoonbread and smoked ham-hock sauce; Gulf grouper sautéed over Cantonment stone ground grit cake topped with Cedar Key clams and house-made chorizo in a chicken broth with tomatoes, jalapeno and black-eyed peas; and carpetbag steak with fried Apalachicola oysters inside seared slices of Snake River Farms flat iron steak atop baby greens with Maytag blue cheese cream and caramelized Vidalia onion and green chile pepper relish.

Wines presented throughout the courses will be a 2009 Napa Valley Ferrari Carrano Reserve Chardonnay; a 2010 Napa Valley Cliff Lede Sauvignon Blanc; a 2009 E. Guigal Cotes de Rhone Rose; a 2009 Santa Rita Hills Stanford Pinot Noir; and a 2007 Napa Valley Whitehall Lane Cabernet Sauvignon.

Finally, for dessert will be a warm white chocolate bread pudding with candied pecans and a fig bourbon sauce served with a 1927 Spanish Alvear Pedro Ximenez.

Tickets will be on sale in February online at www.jamesbeard.org and on opentable.com

About the Pensacola Celebrity Chefs
Visit Pensacola joined forces with the five chefs in 2008, creating the Pensacola Celebrity Chefs program to highlight the Pensacola area's unique culinary offerings. In 2009, during the city's 450th anniversary, the chefs cooked for King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain at a banquet of 500. They previously hosted six, sold-out events including a James Beard House dinner in June 2011 which was featured on MSNBC's Morning Joe. For more information, visit www. PensacolaCelebrityChefs.com.

About Viva Florida
In 2013, Florida will reach a significant milestone, the 500th anniversary of European contact on the continental United States. While Florida's history dates back more than 12,000 years with the American Indians, Spain's claim in 1513 began a new, modern era. Viva Florida 500 commemorates the story of how many nationalities and diverse cultures thrived together in Florida and how their legacy continues to shape America. The Florida Department of State and its many partners are planning enriching events and experiences across the state. Learn more by visiting www.fla500.com and www.vivaflorida.org.

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