Chefs Roundtable Sunday To Focus on Local Sourcing

By Jesse Hughey Fri., Apr. 17 2009 at 10:28 AM

Categories: Hash Over

As mentioned below, The Second Annual Chefs Roundtable, 4 p.m. Sunday at the Dallas Farmers Market Resource Center (1010 S. Pearl Expressway), will focus on the concept of buying local food. In case you hadn't been paying attention to restaurant trends, the importance of using fresh, locally produced ingredients has captured the attention of urban restaurateurs and gourmands alike.

Now if only they'd come up with a self-descriptive word that wasn't as smug as "locavores." Then again, smug self-definition is always in fashion. Local and sustainable, on the other hand...

Friends of The Farmers Market will present the discussion, with chefs Graham Dodd (Bolsa), Jeffery Hobbs (Suze), David Uygur (Lola), Scott Gottlich (Bijoux) and Liz Baron (Blue Mesa). Represented producers include several regional farms and Fort Worth cheese maker Deborah Rogers.

Topics will include facilitating the farm-to-table connection, how to identify locally produced ingredients, growers accountability and the Food Safety Act of 2009 and such. After an hour of discussion, the panel will open to audience questions. Best of all, it will conclude with a mixer featuring Texas wine and hors d'ouevres prepared by Dallas County Youth Village members under the supervision of Parigi chef Chad Houser.

Check with the friends organization for cost and other details.