2006 South Beach Wine & Food Festival Presented by Food & Wine Magazine

2006 South Beach Wine & Food Festival Presented by Food & Wine Magazine

'Kidz Kitchen' Hosted by Emeril Lagasse, Rachael Ray, Alton Brown and Giada De Laurentiis

MIAMI BEACH, Fla., Nov. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- It's never too early to learn the art and science of cooking. And leave it to Food Network's Emeril Lagasse, Rachael Ray, Alton Brown and Giada De Laurentiis to make the experience a fun one for kids. The exuberant celebrity chefs and culinary personalities all credit Mom for piquing their culinary interests -- and now they aim to do the same for your child.

The South Beach Wine & Food Festival in 2006 debuts this new series of Kidz Cooking demonstrations. The idea is to give youngsters an opportunity to take part in the Festival in a fun and educational way. The chance to learn some basic recipes from some big-name cooks could even pay huge dividends later on.

"Kidz Kitchen might well be an early launching pad for youngsters who eventually wish to parlay their love of cooking into their own restaurant or catering businesses," says Joseph J. West, dean of the Florida International University School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. "We'll be waiting for these budding young chefs at FIU, where we'll give them the management training and hone their business skills to enter any of a variety of hospitality and tourism jobs. No parent should ever underestimate the power of early cooking experiences to inspire greatness down the road."

The Kidz Kitchen series offers four individual demonstration sessions, all of which will take place at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival Grand Tasting Village.

"We are so excited about the launch of our Kidz Kitchen seminars," says Lee Brian Schrager, founder and director of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. "After receiving countless requests from parents to bring their children to see their favorite Food Network hosts in action, we are delighted to now offer them the opportunity at Kidz Kitchen. This could very well be the breaking ground for the next Emeril Lagasse or Rachael Ray."

Another potential pay-off of encouraging children to cook: Parents just might wind up with some extra help in the kitchen.

Saturday February, 25, 2006
11:00 AM, Cooking with Emeril Lagasse (followed by book signing at
11:45 AM)
1:30 PM, Cooking with Rachael Ray (followed by book signing at 2:15 PM)

Sunday February, 26, 2006
11:00 AM, Cooking with Alton Brown (followed by book signing at 11:45 AM)
1:30 PM, Cooking with Giada De Laurentiis (followed by book signing at
2:15 PM)

"Kidz Kitchen" will take place at the Grand Tasting Village, Ocean Drive and 13th St., Miami Beach, and is targeted to children between the ages of 5- 16 (children must be accompanied by an adult and adults must be accompanied by a child). The South Beach Wine & Food Festival is set to take place February 24-26, 2006. Hosted by Southern Wine & Spirits of Florida and Florida International University (FIU), the festival benefits the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Teaching Restaurant and the Southern Wine & Spirits Beverage Management Center both located at FIU. For a complete listing of events, additional information, and to purchase tickets, please visit the festival website http://www.sobewineandfoodfest.com/ or call (877) 762-3933.

Source: South Beach Wine & Food Festival

CONTACT: Sheila Shapiro, +1-305-662-1220, or SZPR@aol.com, or Terry
Zarikian, +1-305-573-0666, or terryzar@aol.com, both of Shapiro & Zarikian,
Inc.; or Lisa Palley, Palley Promotes, +1-305-642-3132, or Lpalley@aol.com,
all for South Beach Wine & Food Festival; or Mark Riordan, Florida
International University, +1-305-348-6999, or riordanm@fiu.edu

Web site: http://www.sobewineandfoodfest.com/

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