SEPTEMBER 29 -OCTOBER 6
PALM SPRINGS
WOMEN'S WEEK
A WEEK OF LESBIAN CULTURE
TUESDAY, October 1st
FOOD AND WINE PARTY
Day 3. Food and Wine Tasting – Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019, 5pm - 8pm
This is a food and wine pairing featuring local female chefs, caterers and a wine specialist. Celebrity chef, LaTasha McCutchen will headline the evening. She is the winner of Hell’s Kitchen 13th season produced by Michelin –star chef Gordon Ramsey. She has worked as Executive Chef at the Gordon Ramsey restaurant in Atlantic City.
This event will be hosted by chefs Betty Berrysmith and Phyllis Porter and will feature female chefs and caterers.
LOCATION: Palm Springs Women’s Club, 314 S. Cahuilla, PS
TICKETS: $30
La Tasha McCutchen
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Celebrity Chef
Meet celebrity chef La Tasha McCuthen - winner of Hell’s Kitchen Season 13.
She is the former chef of Gordon Ramsey’s Pub and Grill in Atlantic City and is currently works as a private chef in her own catering business.
The Food and Wine Tasting Party will feature some of Palm Springs’ leading female chefs and caterers. The food will be paired with wine from the top female owned vineyards in California.
An evening filled with marvelous food, wonderful wines, live music and great company.
Nena Balestier
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Celebrity Chef
Chef Nena Balestier was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. After serving in the USMC, Chef Nena went to Europe’s leading culinary institute, “FERRANDI Paris”. Chef Nena has been a Celebrity Chef for 15 years. Chef competed in the TV show “Chopped” where she won season 11.
Chef Nena started the “Meals on Wheels” program in Downtown Los Angeles, that was designed to feed the homeless and the elderly.
Chef is the author of a cookbook called “Da Flavors of Puerto Rico” Along with creating amazing drawings and artwork, Chef is currently the CEO, Chef, and Caterer of “Da Flavors of Puerto Rico” company. She guarantees to dazzle your world with her dishes.
Ann Arnold
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Wine Specialist
Ann Rabin Arnold is a 3rd generation wine aficionado and Organic Wine Retail Pioneer, that grew up in the retail wine business, that began with her grandfather in 1938. As Ann reentered into the wine scene, she noticed a niche that was not clearly defined or well represented. This lead her on a path to bring together two of her passions: wine and organic products. The dream of representing organic vineyards and wines from around the world is now a reality with her online company OrganicWineExchange.com.
On any given day you can find Ann visiting wineries producing a documentary called “Off the Vine - a Journey Back to Traditional Winegrowing”, finding new recipes to enjoy with her family or simply having fun with her 10 year old daughter who may soon be the 4th generation wine enthusiast.
Betty Berrysmith
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Event Coordinator
Betty Berrysmith’s culinary passion includes organic gardening, food styling, reading and writing about food and wine. Her experience pairing food and wine has been cultivated by working as a Chef, Caterer and Wine Specialist.
Betty graduated from Los Angeles Trade Technical College with an Associated Degree in Culinary Arts and has also studied at the Culinary Institute of America, Le Cordon Bleu and UCLA extension.
Her favorite quotes are:
“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well” ~Virginia Woolf
“Wine is bottled poetry” ~Robert Louis Stevenson
Phyllis Porter
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Event Coordinator
Chef Phyllis is founder and owner of “Kuties in the Kitchen Catering Company” specializing in comfort food. She is a caterer and a private Chef. With the knowledge of today’s healthy cooking, she has incorporated that along with what she learned from her mom and grandmother to make her cooking healthy, still sticking to your ribs and tasting good. She is known for her peach cobbler, 4-layer coconut cake and BBQ ribs.
Chef Phyllis graduated from the “Arts Institute Inland Empire” (AI) majoring in Culinary Arts. She is passionate about what she does and takes her craft very serious.
She always finishes with “A taste of finesse” and concludes always by saying “It’s the little things that mean so much”.
Tanya Petrovna
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Chef
Chef Tanya is a trailblazer and foremost authority on making seitan and fresh cultured tempeh.
She opened the first all vegetarian restaurant in the Coachella Valley called MT Plate in 1990 and Native Foods, her new concept in 1994. With additional locations in Palm Desert, Westwood, Costa Mesa and Aliso Viejo, So Cal, Portland and Chicago - Native Foods became the first national plant-based chain.
In 2017 she opened Chef Tanya’s Kitchen in Palm Springs which serves Gourmet Vegan cuisine. Starting as a manufacturing facility for tempeh and seitan, it expanded into a deli style quick service eatery where Chef Tanya has made sandwich history with her Cubano and Chupacabra and birth of the CTK Tempeh Power Burger.
“A kitchen inspired by my love for good food, nature and the entire animal kingdom. Dedicated to making food tasty, fun, healthy and easy” – Chef Tanya
Mei Ling
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Chef
Mei Ling Tom has spent a lifetime "treating" her family, friends and community to her savory and sweet culinary delights. A major foodie, she loves exploring the regional fares and cultures throughout her travels.
Mei Ling resides in Palm Springs and is a devoted volunteer with the L-Fund where she has been honored to lend her cooking and baking talents from time to time. She often hears, "You should open a bakery!" Yet, Mei Ling feels the love and skill she has for the culinary arts are best channelled through her passion for giving back, serving, and honoring her community.
Sierra Kozminski
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Chef
Chef Sierra Kozminski attended the Art Institute of the Inland Empire and graduated with her Art of Food diploma in 2014. She has worked for many restaurants in lead positions, and is currently chef at Nikki's Kitchen in Yorba Linda, California. She owns her own meal preparation service called SR Mountain Meal Delivery.
Leanne Kamekona
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Chef
Chef Leanne Kamekona is the Regional Food & Beverage Director - Western Regional for ClubCorp.