Oregon Truffle Festival MarketPlace Features Wine &
Truffle Tastings, Cooking Demos, Truffle Dogs and More

When: Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009; 11a.m. to 4 p.m.

Where: Valley River Inn, 1000 Valley River Way, Eugene, Ore.

The 2009 Oregon Truffle Festival is pleased to announce its guest chef and lecturers for the upcoming OTF MarketPlace in the beautiful Willamette and McKenzie ballrooms of the Valley River Inn.

The event features nine of Oregon's finest wineries, plus more than a dozen artisan and organic providers of craft cheeses, meats, breads and other provisions. There will be a fresh truffle market, and a line-up of guest lecturers that includes:

• Kevin West, senior staff writer for Los Angeles' premiere style publication, W magazine, will discuss his latest research in sustainable truffle farming around the globe;

• Dr. Jim Trappe, acclaimed world expert on truffle taxonomy, will discuss little-known desert truffles;

• Gordon Brown, co-author of "Taming the Truffle," the leading book on truffles;

• Ron Paul, consulting director of Portland's James Beard Public Market;

• Pierre Rivard, Bergin University of Canine Studies, with his truffle dog.

The MarketPlace will also offer the following cooking demonstrations:

• Caprial and John Pence of Caprial's Bistro in Portland, and the nationally broadcast public television show "Caprial and John's Kitchen: Cooking for Family and Friends."

• Caprial earned the James Beard Award for Best Chef, Pacific Northwest 1990, the first year this distinguished accolade was given. They will be presenting Roasted Carrot Salad with Sherry Dressing and Oregon White Truffled Goat Cheese. A tasting and recipe will be included.

• John Newman of Newman's at 988 in Cannon Beach, Ore., will be presenting Pasta with an Oregon White Truffle Marsala Cream Sauce. A tasting and recipe will be included.

• Adam Bernstein from Adam's Sustainable Table in Eugene will be preparing a a sweet treat using Oregon black truffles. A tasting and recipe will be included.

• There will be an additional truffle dog demonstration with Jim Sanford from the Blackberry Farm in Tennessee, who will be accompanied by and Tom, his Italian Lagotto truffle dog.