Bravo's Top Chef winner Izard embarks on nationwide “Goat Tour”

By Derrek J. Hull, Blogger-in-Chief

Known for rustic new American cuisine with Mediterranean and Asian influences, Girl & the Goat Executive Chef & Partner Stephanie Izard has accomplished a great deal since being the first and only woman to win Bravo’s Top Chef. Now, to the delight of her legions of fans, she has written her first cookbook: Girl in the Kitchen, released on October 5th.

As the only winner of the original version of the show to take “Fan Favorite," Izard wowed America with her approachable personality, bold flavor profile and need to “make your whole mouth happy.” Her growing list of accomplishments include:

Being named one of Food & Wine Magazine's Best New Chefs of 2011
Her James Beard Award-nominated Chicago restaurant Girl & the Goat (a must-have reservation)
And having the honor of appearing on the cover of Saveur as America’s Best New Restaurant

While Izard presides over one of today’s hottest restaurants, Girl in the Kitchen is tailored to the home cook – in fact, she tested each of the starters, soups, salads, pastas, main dishes and sides in her tiny home kitchen with the company of friends to better learn what would help everyday home cooks.

More than a collection of recipes, Girl in the Kitchen, photographs by Dan Goldberg, strives to help improve culinary skills instead of just following directions and includes plenty of helpful tips & tricks. Friend and Co-Author Heather Shouse, accomplished writer for Time Out Chicago, Food & Wine Magazine, and her latest book, Food Trucks, was along for most of the cooking, cleaning & drinking which led the general tone of the book, which is to “just have fun.”

To celebrate the release of Girl in the Kitchen, Stephanie is hitting the road conducting pop-up collaborative dinners in cities nationwide (check out her blog to find out what she's up to on the road). As Stephanie teams up with fellow James Beard nominees, Food & Wine's Best New Chefs, and celebrity chef friends across the country, guests will have the opportunity to sit down and enjoy a multi-course dinner featuring Girl in the Kitchen recipes as well as dishes inspired by the cities she visits. Proceeds from every ticket sold will benefit Share Our Strength - a national non-profit aimed at ending childhood hunger in America by 2015 (the National Restaurant Association is an official sponsor of Share Our Strength’s Dine Out for No Kid Hungry campaign).

In addition to participating in chef-focused World Culinary Showcase culinary demonstrations at the National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show (to be held on its news dates May 5-8, 2012 at Chicago’s McCormick Place), Izard has been involved with Share Our Strength for many years and now looks forward to working more closely with the charity and children affected by hunger in America.

In Girl in the Kitchen, you’ll discover not just Izard’s recipes (and what recipes they are – just try to resist dishes like Truffled White Asparagus Soup; Pan-Roasted New York Steaks with Sauteed Cucumbers and Salted Goat’s Milk Caramel; Shrimp, Corn and Green Tomato Salad; Manila Clam and Sausage Linguine with Horseradish Crème Fraîche; or Roasted Radishes with Blue Cheese, Peanuts, and Cilantro) but her driving creative force: how she develops her ideas into plated dishes, makes the most of seasonal produce and local ingredients, and matches food to beer and wine.

GOAT TOUR

WALLA WALLA, WA – SAVIAH CELLARS
DINNER WITH WINEMAKER RICH FUNK
MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2011

SEATTLE, WA – CANLIS
DINNER WITH CHEF JASON FRANEY
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

BOSTON, MA – MIKE’S CITY DINER
DINNER WITH CHEF JAMIE BISSONNETTE
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2011
WASHINGTON, D.C.
DINNER WITH CHEF SPIKE MENDELSOHN
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2011

NEW YORK, NY – A VOCE
DINNER WITH CHEF MISSY ROBBINS
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2011

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – SCALA’S BISTRO
DINNER WITH CHEF JEN BIESTY
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2011

ATLANTA, GA – TBD
DECEMBER 2011

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – TBD
DECEMBER 2011

CHICAGO – GIRL & THE GOAT
DINNER WITH KEVIN WILLMANN AND JOSE ANDRÉS
JANUARY 23, 2012

PHILADELPHIA, PA – JG DOMESTIC
DINNER WITH CHEF JOSE GARCES
FEBRUARY 1, 2012

MIAMI, FL – TBD
FEBRUARY 2012

Tickets to the dinners will be available to the general public by visiting http://www.goat-tour.com - each attendee will leave with a copy of the book.