2009 ZinFest Cooking School

Saturday, May 16, 2009
12 noon - 6 p.m.
Lodi Lake Park
1101 W. Turner Road
Lodi, CA 95242
Tickets are $35 in advance and $45 at the gate.

Guest Host Edie Lambert - KCRA News 3

1:00 – 1:45    Chef Rolly
Rancho San Miguel
Shrimp Ceviché

2:00 – 2:45    Claudia Pruett & Rima Barkett
La Tavola Together
Scampi e Fagioli

3:00 – 3:45    Chef Toussaint Potter
The Art Institute of California- Sacramento
Mongolian Pork Chops

4:00 – 4:45    Chef Robert Halabicky
Delta College Culinary Arts
Bouchon

About the Chefs:

Chef’s Claudia Pruett & Rima Barkettknow that great meals begin in the kitchen, are enjoyed at the family table and connect the family forever. Cooking and eating together plays a special role in their lives. The magic created at the kitchen table forms a protective shield for all family members. Healthy meals are not a thing of the past, but rather, essential to strong, loving families. Their most recent book, Cooking Dinner- Simple Italian Family Recipes EVERYONE Can Make, has received accolades from such people as Dina Eastwood and Chef Ken Woytisek CHE, CEC of the Culinary Institute of America. The book features: 5 Easy Steps that Protect Family Well-Being, Weekly Menus & Tear-out Shopping Lists, Family Favorite Recipes & Kitchen Secrets for Success, What Can I Cook with What I Have at Home, and “Helping Hands” Suggestions to Include Kids in the Kitchen.

Chef Toussaint Potter, a.k.a. Chef T., a native of the U.S. Virgin Islands, is a man of many culinary talents and has a very interesting culinary background. Toussaint says, "I was brought up in a traditional West Indian household, no matter where I was."

He graduated from Rutgers University, New Jersey in Biological Sciences. There he met his wife Jean, whose parents are from China. Chinese culture and cuisine, thus became part of his life. Toussaint attended Peter Kump's Cooking School, New York to pursue his culinary dream. Toussaint and Jean took off to France to attend l'Ecole de Cuisine, La Varenne in Paris, where he received his Grand diploma in 1986. Traveling through Europe and working in several of the best renowned restaurants and hotels in France, Italy, Spain, Germany and Switzerland, Toussaint became internationally trained.

Toussaint became Executive Chef at Colusa Casino and then moved to the brand new Cache Creek Casino and opened eight restaurants on that site. During this time, he also pursued his master's degree in Instructional Technology from American Intercontinental University and graduated in June of 2005.

He has worked as the head Culinary Instructor at San Joaquin Delta College and is currently working for the Art Institute of California in Sacramento. In addition to working, Chef T is completing his PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from Capella University. He is always excited to utilize his international cooking experience as a teaching or consulting tool to make cooking fun and exciting for everyone.

Chef Robert Halabicky: After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Managerial Economics from Michigan State University in 1988, Chef Halabicky enrolled in the Culinary Arts program at Grand Rapids Community College in Grand Rapids Michigan.

Upon graduation, Chef Halabicky accepted a position at the 5 star, 5 Diamond Boca Raton Resort & Club in Boca Raton Florida. Later promoted to the Assistant Pastry Chef, after 3 years of training under European Culinarians, Chef Halabicky returned to Michigan where he accepted the Assistant Pastry Chef Position with The Ritz Carlton Corporation in Dearborn Michigan.

After 6 years in the field, Chef Halabicky became the Corporate Pastry Chef for the Unique Restaurant Corporation in Detroit Michigan and finally the Executive Pastry Chef at the Townsend Hotel in Birmingham Michigan. For the last 5 years Chef Halabicky has been instructing at the San Joaquin Delta College Culinary Arts Program and serves as the Program Coordinator.

Chef Halabicky also serves on the American Culinary Federation Accreditation Commission as a Program Review Advisor certified as a Certified Executive Pastry Chef.