newjerseynewsroom.com

BY MARGARET MORGAN

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

Neither Super Bowl playoff games nor winter's frigid cold kept throngs of guests from attending Sunday's culinary event when renowned Chef David Burke hosted the launch of Teresa Politano's book Celebrity Chefs of New Jersey: Their Stories, Recipes and Secrets at David Burke Fromagerie in Rumson. Author Teresa Politano was joined in the book signing by Chef Burke and Jim Filip, both of whom were profiled in her book. Filip is the noted restaurateur of Doris & Ed's in Highlands. The event, including an autographed book followed by a three-course Sunday supper, was a benefit for the Culinary Education Center in Asbury Park.

The Culinary Education Center is a collaborative culinary program of Brookdale Community College and the Monmouth County Vocational School District, which offers an Associate in Applied Science degree and other innovative, comprehensive food preparation and management programs. Chef Burke noted, "With a culinary school on the Jersey Shore, we are cultivating the next generation of successful chefs to continue what we started." Culinary students assisted Executive Chef Larry Baldwin in the preparation of the three-course meal.

Politano, a food writer and restaurant reviewer for The Star-Ledger and Inside New Jersey, as well as an Adjunct Professor at Rutgers University, profiles Chef Burke and 21 fellow New Jersey star chefs from "The Legends" (Burke and Filip) and "The Stars," James Laird (Restaurant Serenade in Chatham) and David Fenton (Ninety Acres in Gladstone-Peapack) to "Chefs to Watch," Ariane Duarte, Culinariane in Montclair. In addition to sharing their stories and recipes, each chef reveals his/her secret recipe for success. The book was published by Rutgers University Press.

For other stories covering food news, cooking and recipes, please visit my Shore Region Food Examiner page or on my website, TastefuLiving.net.