Ft. McDowell Adventures La Puesta Del Sol Site of Signature Event
The event will take place from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. on November 6 at the unique indoor/outdoor dining venue La Puesta del Sol at Ft. McDowell Adventures on the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation.
Competing again is 2013 Chefs Challenge winner Ron Dimas, Chef du Cuisine Orange Sky at Talking Stick Resort, and Chef Enrique Alcantar, Executive Sous Chef Casino del Sol, who took home the People’s Choice Award in 2013. Talking Stick is owned by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community; Casino del Sol is owned by the Pascua Yaqui Tribe.
Other accomplished chef contestants include Chef Anthony Chavez, Executive Sous Chef at the Blue Water Resort and Casino on the Colorado River Indian Tribes Reservation; Mat Ferrin, Executive Chef Apache Gold Casino Resort owned by the San Carlos Apache Tribe; Christian Movassaghi, Restaurant Chef at Casino Arizona owned by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community; Pascual Rodriguez, Executive Chef at Desert Diamond Hotel Casino owned by the Tohono O’odham Nation; Hector Vazquez, Executive Chef Twin Arrows Casino Resort owned by the Navajo Nation; and Juan Vasquez-Santos, Chef at We-Ko-Pa Resort and Conference Center owned by the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation.
Pit Master and Emcee is Tommy Duncan of Whiskey Ranch Barbecue Company. He and his wife, Jennifer, have competed on the Food Network show, Chopped, and are the first husband and wife team to vie against each other. Both Tommy and Jennifer are members of the Kansas City Barbecue Association, the National BBQ Association, and the International BBQ Cookers Association. They live in Gilbert, Arizona.
Two of Arizona’s well-known foodies are returning to judge the event. Nora Burba Trulsson, freelance writer and editor specializing in travel, food and design, has written for Sunset, U.S. Airways Magazine, Arizona Highways, and Phoenix Magazine, among many publications. Donna Nordin is a chef and author and former owner of Terra Cotta in Tucson. She was inducted to Arizona’s Culinary Hall of Fame and was a 1993 James Beard nominee for Best Chef Southwest. New this year is Jennifer Duncan, co-owner of Whiskey Ranch Barbecue Company, a 100 percent mobile catering company. Jennifer is a “Pit Master” behind the scenes and on the competition trail.
Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Twisted Cedar Native American Wine are sponsoring the AIGA EXPO 2014 Chefs Challenge.
The Arizona Indian Gaming Association is producing AIGA EXPO with Red Note, Inc. AIGA has a membership of 18 tribes representing more than 90% of the Indian people living on reservations in Arizona. AIGA was established November 21, 1994 by Arizona tribal leaders. The Association is committed to advancing the lives of Indian peoples – economically, socially and politically – so that Indian tribes in Arizona can achieve their goal of self-reliance. Current membership includes: Ak-Chin Indian Community, Cocopah Tribe, Colorado River Indian Tribes, Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, Fort Mojave Indian Tribe, Fort Yuma-Quechan Tribe, Gila River Indian Community, Havasupai Tribe, Hualapai Tribe, Kaibab-Paiute Tribe, Navajo Nation, Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Pueblo of Zuni, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, San Carlos Apache Tribe, Tohono O’odham Nation, White Mountain Apache Tribe, and Yavapai Apache Nation.
For information about AIGA, AIGA EXPO 2014, and the Chefs Challenge, visit www.azindiangaming.org/aiga-expo/2014.
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For Immediate Release
Contact: Strateg!es, Pam Hait or Martha Hunter
602-952-0040
