The Gilroy Garlic Festival gives visitors the opportunity to not only taste some garlicky goodness, but learn how to make it too.
This year’s festival will feature the return of celebrity chef Carla Hall—co-host of “The Chew” and two-time finalist on “Top Chef”—and a visit from Chef Akemi Inamura from Gilroy’s Sister City of Takko-Machi, Japan.
Hall will return to emcee the Garlic Showdown, the festival’s version of “Iron Chef” which pits four professional chefs against one another using a secret ingredient for a chance to win $5,000. The competition kicks off at noon July 27 and the winner will be announced at 2:15 p.m. The celebrity chef will also demonstrate two dishes on the cook-off stage immediately following the Garlic Showdown.
Barbara Mauro, 2014 Gilroy Garlic Festival Recipe Contest Co-Chair, said Hall’s presence was a crowd favorite last year and the Gilroy Garlic Festival Association is excited to have her return.
“She sparked a lot of interest,” Mauro said. “I can honestly tell you the afternoon that she was emceeing the (Garlic) Showdown and then (demonstrating) on the stage our stands were full—which was great. …She was wonderful with the crowds. She signed autographs, took photos; she was great.”
Inamura’s visit is new to the Garlic Festival this year, though Mauro couldn’t confirm that a Sister City chef hasn’t visited the event before. She will take the stage and demonstrate an eggplant dish with help of a translator at 11:30 a.m. July 25.
Other Garlic Festival cooking show highlights include the Garlic Bowl—where executive chefs from UC Berkley, San Jose State, Fresno State and Santa Clara University compete for a $5,000 scholarship—at 2 p.m. July 25 and the Great Garlic Cook-off which features amateur chefs cooking up their best garlic recipes for a chance to win $5,000. The Great Garlic Cook-off starts at 10 a.m. July 26 with winners announced at 12:15 p.m.
For a full list of cooking events, visit gilroygarlicfestival.com/cooking-events.
