Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Sullivan University honors chef Daniel Orr

Sullivan University’s National Center for Hospitality Studies (NCHS) has announced that chef Daniel Orr of FARMbloomington in Bloomington, Ind., will be honored with the prestigious Distinguished Visiting Chef award on Thursday, August 27. Orr, who was awarded three stars by the New York Times as executive chef at La Grenouille, will perform a series of cooking demonstrations and participate in question-and-answer sessions on campus exclusively for Sullivan University students before the award presentation. He also will be signing copies of his new book Farm Food: Green Living with Chef Daniel Orr (2009, Indiana University Press) for students and faculty.

The Distinguished Visiting Chef series began in 1988 and is an inventive culinary-inspired education program designed to connect students with today’s top chefs. Orr is the 37th recipient of the Distinguished Visiting Chef honor. Other chefs to receive this award include Bob Kinkead, Emeril Lagasse, Louis Osteen, Deborah Madison, Rick Tramonto and Marcel Desaulniers.

“Being in the culinary industry requires a reverence for place and for the environment,” NCHS director Tom Hickey said in a recent press release. “Chef Orr’s story is inspiring because he has worked globally in some of the best kitchens in the world, but he followed his dream back to his roots and makes a point to support local farmers and producers that make Indiana unique.”