Cordúa: Foods of the Americas
MICHAEL CORDÚA is owner and executive chef at seven award-winning Houston-area restaurants. He has been recognized as a pioneer of South American cuisine and received national acclaim for his creative ideas and artful presentations. He is the only Texas chef to be inducted into the “Food & Wine Hall of Fame”, is a recipient of the Robert Mondavi Award for Culinary Excellence, a member of the Continental Congress of Chefs & Sommeliers and was semifinalist for the 2011 James Beard Foundation Outstanding Restaurateur award.DAVID CORDÚA  After graduating from the University of Santa Clara with a BS in Finance, he attended Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, receiving Grand Diplômes in both Cuisine and Pastry. In 2007, after working in some of the top kitchens in the California Bay area, David returned to Texas opening the second Américas as contributing chef. In 2009 he was made Cordúa’s Executive Chef of Development, overseeing menus, recipes and quality for its seven restaurants as well as its catering and events company. David was awarded Up-and-Coming Chef of the Year by My Table 2010 Houston Culinary Awards. JOHN DEMERS divides his time among Houston, Austin and Marfa. He is the author of more than fifty published books—many about food, wine and travel, plus the West Texas Noir series that includes the Chef Brett mysteries starting withMarfa Shadows.John is also the host of the “Delicious Mischief” food and wine radio program on 1070 KNTH in Houston, 570 KLIF in Dallas and 1370 KJCE in Austin. He is a regular contributor toHoustonandPrime Livingmagazines, as well as toHouston ArtsWeek. His other works for Bright Sky Press includeLone Star ChefsandFollow the Smoke: 14,783 Miles of Great Texas Barbecue. JULIE SOEFER is a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. The still photographer for the feature filmSupersize Me, she snapped the iconic movie-poster image of director Morgan Spurlock’s mouth full of French fries. After years assisting one of her personal photography heroes, environmental portraitist Arnold Newman, Julie moved back to her hometown of Houston, where she works as an editorial photographer.  Her work has been featured on the covers ofHoustonandModern Luxury Dallasmagazines, and she contributes toThe Financial Times,Texas MonthlyandThe Wall Street Journal. Julie was named a 2011 Finalist in Hearst Corporation’s 8X10 Photography Biennial.  Her work also appears in two other Texas themed cookbooks,Lone Star Chefs(Bright Sky Press) and Green Beans & Guacamole.