December 20, 2000

Feast Includes Cuisine from the Republic of Georgia plus Academy Award-Nominated Film

(North Adams, MA) On Saturday, January 20, at 7 pm MASS MoCA and award-winning cookbook author Darra Goldstein will host a multi-course dinner of savory Georgian specialties accompanied by a screening of the seductive, hilarious, and moving Academy Award-nominated film A Chef in Love. The evening will be an all-sensory exploration of the culture and traditions of the Republic of Georgia.

According to Georgian legend, when God took a supper break while creating the world, he became so involved in his meal that he inadvertently tripped over the high peaks of the Caucasus, spilling his food onto the land below. The land blessed by Heaven's table scraps was Georgia.

A Williams College Professor of Russian, Darra Goldstein, will demonstrate Georgian cooking and captivate audience members with stories of the turbulent history of this rich land. Goldstein is the author of a number of books including the award-winning The Georgian Feast (1993 Book of the Year, Julia Child Cookbook Awards, International Association of Culinary Professionals), Taste of Russia: A Cookbook of Russian Hospitality, and The Vegetarian Hearth: Recipes and Reflections for the Cold Season and editor of Gastronomica, a new magazine of food and culture.

As a gateway between East and West, the Republic of Georgia was a host to some of the most famous explorers including Sir John Chardin, Marco Polo and Friar William of Rubruck. The beautiful combination of sub-tropical and alpine terrain inspired eloquent descriptions of the landscape in the journals of these famous travelers. The bountiful land was also home to tales of Amazon queens, the Biblical site of the landing of Noah's Arc, and Homer's Golden Fleece.

Georgian foods are famous for their transcendent flavors as well as the passion with which they are both prepared and savored. According to Russian poet Alexander Pushkin "Every Georgian dish is a poem." Georgian hospitality is equally legendary and Georgians have a love of long, sumptuous dinners.

The evening will glide from food to film with the charming Academy Award-nominated film A Chef in Love. French traveler, bon vivant, and chef Pascal Ichac (Pierre Richard) falls in love with Georgia and Georgian princess Cecilia Abachidze (Nino Kirtadze). The film follows the enchanted couple's travels through the fantastic lands of Georgia, their amazing meeting with the country's president, and the grand opening of Pascal's restaurant. But their dreams are shattered as the Russian Red Army marches into Georgia and Cecilia is forced to marry young officer Zigmund Gogoladze to save Pascal.

Tickets to The Rich Flavors of the Republic of Georgia, which includes dinner, are $28 and are available through the MASS MoCA Box Office at 87 Marshall St. in North Adams from 11 am until 5 pm every day but Tuesdays. Tickets can also be charged by phone by calling 413.662.2111 during Box Office hours or on-line at www.massmoca.org. Seating is limited and advance reservations are required.

MASS MoCA, the largest center for contemporary visual and performing arts in the United States, is located on Marshall Street in North Adams on a 13-acre campus of renovated 19th-century factory buildings.

For Immediate Release
Contact: Katherine Myers
(413) 664-4481 x8113
katherine@massmoca.org