Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschelli has dipped her spoon into many pots in the culinary world with a variety of cookbooks, TV shows on Food Network and even her own restaurant in NYC: Butter. This weekend you can catch the New York native in Atlantic City as a special guest this year at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa’s Savor Borgata event featuring a colorful variety of food-related events.
Guarnaschelli is just one of the many talented culinary mavens appearing this weekend at the Borgata (along with Michael Schulson, Bobby Flay and Wolfgang Puck just to name a few), and each talented chef and Food Network star will be hosting their own interactive class, tasting or special programming. Guests can catch Guarnaschelli at The Ultimate Food Experience on Saturday (Nov. 9) or at her Holiday Lunch & Learn class that same day. Guarnaschelli gave Metro the scoop on what to expect at the delicious star-studded extravaganza in Atlantic City this weekend.
Alex Guarnaschelli gives the scoop on one of the most delicious weekends of the year: Savor Borgata
Savor Borgata is truly a colorful showcase of all things culinary. What events will you be involved with throughout the weekend?
I am excited to participate in the big Savor Borgata walk-around tasting event that Saturday evening. It’s also a competition as a winning dish will be picked from all the offerings from the chefs, and I am also doing a special class called “Lunch and Learn” Saturday afternoon. I will be cooking up a lot of fun small plates that will hopefully inspire great holiday menus!
What do you think some of the best attributes are that an event like Savor Borgata: The Ultimate Food Experience brings for foodies?
I always think it’s great when people get to interface with their favorite chefs. It’s obviously an opportunity for chefs in the public to get to know each other and have a great conversation about food.
What do you personally like the most about hosting events like your Holiday Lunch and Learn?
I like the intimacy that comes from a classroom type of experience where excited foodies and home cooks get to taste dishes from professional chefs. The lineup of chefs is very impressive this year, and I think it’s nice that there is a lot of fun and festiveness. I like it even better that there are also smaller-scale events where people can do a deep dive into great food and good cooking ideas.
Is there anything special about any event at Savor Borgata that you want guests to know about?
The Lunch and Learn event is what I am especially excited about. I love that we are getting so close to the holiday season and going to be talking about what kinds of new dishes can be brought to the table. I love the Savor Borgata main event too, though, and if I were a guest, I’d go to each table and eat one of each dish.
Would you say the holiday season is one of your favorites for cooking? If so, why? If not, which season is?
Without a doubt, my favorite cooking of the year is done on Thanksgiving. I just love turkey and all the sides, and I love to bake (and eat) pie too. The smell of cranberry sauce bubbling on the stove and pumpkin pie in the oven is like aromatherapy.
You’ve said that you’re passionate about American ingredients, what are some of your go-to essential ingredients or recipes?
Corn grits from the south. Tree nuts from California and Oregon. Lobsters from Maine. Those are some American essentials for me. Essentials for my cooking are Dijon and red wine vinegar. I can pretty much make anything if I have those hanging around my pantry.
Is there anything else you hope to achieve in the future?
I’d love to open another restaurant. I am also coming out with a new cookbook next year, plus shooting the second season of my Food Network show “Supermarket Stakeout”. In the meantime, I’m psyched for Savor Borgata!
For more information on Savor Borgata (Nov. 8-10) visit theborgata.com
