U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish showcased at Napa Valley

ST. HELENA, Calif. –– Iron Chef Cat Cora lead demonstrations and tastings featuring U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish at the Mediterranean-themed Worlds of Flavor International Conference and Festival held November 6–8 at the Culinary Institute of America in California's Napa Valley.

"This year's conference theme was centered around Mediterranean cuisine, so it only made sense for us to invite Chef Cora to participate with us," said Roger Barlow, president of The Catfish Institute.  "The dishes prepared were versatile, delicious and real crowd pleasers.  The significance and importance of this event highlights the many benefits U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish can offer to these chefs, restaurateurs and culinary influencers from around the world."

Chefs Cat Cora, Jeffrey Bates and Taylor Ricketts

Cat Cora (LEFT), along with chefs Jeffrey Bates (CENTER) and Taylor Ricketts (RIGHT) of Viking Range Corporation, lead demonstrations and tastings featuring U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish at the Mediterranean-themed Worlds of Flavor International Conference and Festival held November 6–8 at the Culinary Institute of America in California’s Napa Valley.

More than 700 guests were on hand for the event, which is one of the largest of its kind.  In addition to offering tastings, Cora led a teaching demonstration, which featured U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish, and moderated the closing general session, which was a discussion of the future of Mediterranean cuisine.  The Catfish Institute has utilized Chef Cora in its national print advertising campaigns for the past several years.

Chef Cora believes that U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish works perfectly with many traditional Mediterranean seafood dishes.  "What we really try to do, to stay on the cutting edge of culinary techniques, is to reinvent old-world dishes in new ways, using ingredients that are more colorful, flavorful and sustainable," she said.  "U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish is a great fit."

The Catfish Institute booth was also staffed by two talented chefs from Greenwood, Miss., –based Viking Range Corporation: Chef Jeffrey Bates of Giardina's restaurant, and Chef Taylor Ricketts of Delta Bistro.  The recipes demonstrated include Cat Cora's North African Catfish Cousotto and Tunisian Catfish Cakes with Paprika Citrus Aioli, as well as Jeffrey Bates' Smoked Catfish Bruschetta with Spicy Red Pepper and Eggplant Confit.

The Catfish Institute was founded in 1986 by catfish feed mills and their producer members with the goal of raising consumer awareness about the benefits of U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish.