Bravo's Top Chef Season 3 Contestant Offers Exclusive Culinary Experience in Evanston

Evanston, IL (September, 2007)- Evanston's Now We're Cookin' culinary service center (1601 Payne St.) is pleased to announce an exclusive opportunity with Bravo's Top Chef Season 3 contestant, Sara Mair 6:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. Friday, October 5. This unique opportunity offers first-hand cooking tips, candid answers about Mair's time on Top Chef and a private tasting of some of her Top Chef dishes. This event will present aspiring chefs, food enthusiasts and Top Chef fans alike an exclusive opportunity to get a glance into the life of a reality television contestant.

The evening will begin with appetizers and beverages. Promptly at 7 p.m., a question and answer session will begin, in which audience members will gain insight about Mair's experience on Top Chef Season 3, as well as her personal cooking philosophy. Following the discussion, Mair, assisted by Mary McMahon, Now We're Cookin' executive chef, will prepare two of her favorite recipes from the show. Guests will then have the chance to sample Mair's dishes. The session will close with Mair discussing her post Top Chef ambitions and plans.

Mair, a native of Kingston, Jamaica, received her culinary training at Johnson & Wales University and worked with several talented chefs while living in Miami, FL before joining the Top Chef Season 3 cast along with 14 other hopefuls. During her time on the show, Mair won both an elimination challenge and quick fire challenge, and was able to secure a spot among the final five contestants. Following her time on Top Chef, Mair returned to Jamaica to focus on her true culinary passion: cheese making.

Tickets to the October 5 event are $50 for general admission, $25 for students. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Greater Chicago Food Depository's Chicago's Community Kitchens program, a free culinary training program for unemployed and underemployed adults in Cook County that prepares students for a productive career in foodservice. Chicago's Community Kitchens students create nearly 2,000 meals a day that are delivered to the Food Depository's more than 40 Kids Cafe.

This event is open to the public, however seating is limited. Reservations are required, and can be made by calling (847) 570-4140 or by visiting www.nwcookin.com.

About Now We're Cookin'
Now We're Cookin' is located at 1601 Payne Street in Evanston, IL; telephone (847) 570-4140. Now We're Cookin' offers flexible, rentable commercial kitchen space along side a state-of-the-art demonstration/event studio, creating an energizing environment for cooking, learning and celebrating the culinary arts. Now We're Cookin' also offers a number of cooking classes from its talented culinary staff. For more information about the commercial kitchen and demonstration studio, or to view the culinary class schedule, visit www.nwcookin.com.

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