Women Chefs Lead James Beard Luncheon at Palm Desert Food & Wine

Cooking demonstrations are a staple of the James Beard Gourmet Luncheon. As each course and wine pairing are served, the chef behind the dish takes the stage to share cooking tips and personal stories while demonstrating how to prepare the dish.

The afternoon started with freshly seared scallops served with pine nut purée, English peas, preserved lemon, and morels. Lofaso’s light and lemony seafood dish paired perfectly with a crisp chardonnay from Bouchaine.

During her demonstration, Lofaso gave the audience a quick primer on searing scallops, starting with how to source them.

“Unless you’re really working with a true fishmonger, the question that you can always ask is if the scallops are dry-caught,” she said. “We want to keep the scallop as dry as possible so that the searing of it is something that works well.”

Sequeira, who also serves as a California Date Commission ambassador, introduced the audience to Indian-style salads with a chaat salad made of low-country conch peas, marinated beets, and pickled dates. Kajani paired the flavorful salad with Bouchaine’s 2023 Alsatian Blend.