The speakers and guest chefs listed below joined in staging this conference and festival by the talented faculty of The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, including WILLIAM BRIWA, AARON BROWN, ADAM BUSBY, JAMES CORWELL III, JOHN DIFILIPPO, STEPHEN DURFEE, ROBERT JÖRIN, LARS KRONMARK, TONI SAKAGUCHI, AND KEN WOYTISEK.

ELIZABETH ANDOH is an American writer and lecturer specializing in Japan’s food and culture. A longtime resident of Japan, she owns and operates the Tokyo-based culinary arts program A Taste of Culture. Ms. Andoh is Gourmet magazine’s correspondent in Japan, and a frequent contributor to the New York Times travel section; she is the only non-Japanese member of the prestigious JFJ (Japan Food Journalists) association. As a lecturer on historical and cultural aspects of Japanese society and cuisine, she conducts workshops and speaks frequently on both sides of the Pacific. Ms. Andoh received her formal culinary training from the Yanagihara School of Traditional Japanese Cuisine, in Tokyo. (Tokyo, Japan)

MICHAEL BAUER has been the food editor of the San Francisco Chronicle since 1986, its restaurant critic since 1993, and editor of the San Francisco Chronicle Sunday Magazine since 2000. Before joining the Chronicle, Mr. Bauer was the food and wine editor for the Dallas Times Herald (1981-1986) and the Kansas City Star (1975-1981), where he started as a features writer covering mental health before becoming editor of the food section. He is the author and editor of four cookbooks and travel guides, and is a multiple James Beard Award nominee. (San Francisco, CA)

FLOYD CARDOZ is the executive chef at restaurateur Danny Meyer’s Tabla. Chef Cardoz enrolled in culinary school in his native Bombay and apprenticed at the Taj Mahal Intercontinental Hotel. He continued his education in Switzerland at Les Roches, a hotel management/culinary school in Bluche, where he gained experience in Italian, French and Indian cooking. In New York City, Chef Cardoz was hired as a chef de partie at Lespinasse under Gray Kunz. He rose to the position of executive sous-chef during his five years at the four-star restaurant before leaving to open Tabla in 1998. In May 2002 Tabla was named best Indian restaurant in the Sixth Annual Eat Out Awards, conferred by Time Out New York. (New York, NY)

IAN CHALERMKITTICHAI recently launched Kittichai, an authentic Thai restaurant in SoHo. Before coming to New York, Chef Chalermkittichai was the executive chef at the Bangkok Regent’s Grill at the Four Seasons in Thailand; he was the first Thai national executive chef in a major five-star Bangkok hotel restaurant. He oversaw the menus at all of the hotel’s dining rooms, including the legendary Spice Market. The Bangkok Post dubbed Chalermkittichai “the golden boy” in 2001, after he began hosting the weekly cooking show Chef Mue Thong (The Golden-Hand Chef). Chef Chalermkittichai first studied the culinary arts in London and Sydney, and worked with David Thompson at the renowned Thai restaurant Darley Street. (New York, NY)

SAIPIN CHUTIMA is the chef and co-owner, along with her husband Suchay Chutima, of the Las Vegas restaurant Lotus of Siam. Jonathan Gold, restaurant critic for Gourmet magazine, called Lotus of Siam the “single best Thai restaurant in North America.” Chef Chutima is from Chiang Mai, Thailand, and her cooking style is that of Isan, in Northeast Thailand. She apprenticed under her husband’s grandmother, a cook who worked for the country’s royal family. Before opening Lotus of Siam, the Chutimas had a Thai restaurant called Renu Nakorn in Norwalk, CA, which received unqualified raves in The New York Times, Vogue and the Los Angeles Times. (Las Vegas, NV)

BRUCE COST is currently a partner with Lettuce Entertain You and Brinker International in Big Bowl restaurants. Mr. Cost is the author of Bruce Cost’s Asian Ingredients and Ginger East and West, as well as innumerable articles in publications such as The New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Washington Post. He is the creator of the restaurants Monsoon, Ginger Island and Ginger Club, all in the San Francisco Bay Area, and is a frequent guest lecturer and teacher. (Chicago, IL)

GREG DRESCHER is the director of education/international studies at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. Since joining the staff Mr. Drescher has overseen the development of the CIA at Greystone’s continuing and advanced studies in the culinary arts, including the creation of the Worlds of Flavor International Conference series. Previously, Mr. Drescher was the co-founder of Oldways Preservation & Exchange Trust, where he designed critically acclaimed culinary education programs in the United States and the Mediterranean. He is the co-author, along with a group of scientists from the Harvard School of Public Health, of the “Mediterranean Diet Pyramid.” Mr. Drescher was the first national program director of the American Institute of Wine & Food, and later its associate director. (Napa Valley, CA)

NAOMI DUGUID is a traveler, writer, photographer, and cook. She is the co-author, with Jeffrey Alford, of Flatbreads and Flavors; Seductions of Rice; Hot Sour Salty Sweet: A Culinary Journey Through Southeast Asia; and HomeBaking: The Artful Mix of Flour and Tradition Around the World. Each book explores everyday foods in a cultural context, with stories and photographs as well as recipes. The books have been honored by Canada Cuisine, the James Beard Awards, and the World Food Media Awards in Australia. Ms. Duguid is also co-creator of Asia Access, a stock photo library that specializes in images of food, agriculture and traditional cultures. Her next cookbook will explore, in recipes, stories and photographs, the rich culinary traditions of South Asia. (Toronto, Canada)

FUCHSIA DUNLOP is the author of Sichuan Cooking and Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking. She also writes about Chinese food and culture for the Economist. An Englishwoman, Ms. Dunlop spent several years in Sichuan. In between her studies of the Chinese language, she enrolled for private classes in the local cooking school. As she was planning her return to England, she was paid the supreme compliment of being invited to be the first foreigner to enroll as a regular student in a professional training course at the Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine. She has revisited Chengdu many times for research and further study. (England)

MARK ERICKSON, CMC, is the vice president of continuing education for The Culinary Institute of America and managing director of the CIA at Greystone. He oversees the continuing education programs of both campuses and directs the operations of all Greystone departments, including the Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant, special events and administration. Chef Erickson is one of only 53 certified master chefs in America and has been instrumental in the Institute’s programs on nutrition and healthy cooking. Current projects include the Institute’s growing distance learning and Internet programs and the launch of the CIA’s New Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies. (Napa Valley, CA, and Hyde Park, NY)

SUSUR LEE is the chef/owner of Susur restaurant in downtown Toronto. Hong Kong-born Chef Lee has become a regular at guest-chef events around the United States and Canada. His cooking blends Asian and Western ingredients, cooking methods and presentation. From 1987 to 1997 he operated the Canadian restaurant Lotus; after cooking stints in Singapore, Chef Lee returned to Canada to open Susur in 2000. In 1998, he was named one of the top 10 chefs in the world by Food & Wine magazine. (Toronto, Canada)

NEELA PANIZ is the chef/owner of the Los Angeles restaurant Bombay Café. Bombay Café has been voted the “Best Indian Restaurant” in the Los Angeles Zagat Survey for the last seven years. Chef Paniz is also the co-owner of the Bombay Café Catering Company, author of the Bombay Café Cookbook, and plans to launch a line of Indian specialty foods. (Santa Monica, CA)

MAI PHAM is the chef/owner of Lemon Grass restaurant in Sacramento, and author of Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table and The Best of Vietnamese and Thai Cooking. A food columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle and host of the Food Network special "My Country, My Kitchen: Vietnam," Chef Pham is the winner of the 1998 IACP Bert Greene Award for distinguished journalism. She leads culinary tours of Southeast Asia on behalf of The Culinary Institute of America (her first tour to Vietnam for the school was the subject of a two-part CNN Travel Now special), and is a frequent guest instructor at the CIA’s Napa Valley campus. (Sacramento, CA)

CHARLES PHAN is the chef and owner of the Slanted Door, a top Vietnamese restaurant in San Francisco. The Slanted Door combines the stylishness of San Francisco with an authentic Vietnamese kitchen. Chef Phan was named San Francisco Focus magazine’s rising star chef for 1998, and is a frequent visiting instructor at the CIA at Greystone (San Francisco, CA)

RUTH REICHL is editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine. Previously Ms. Reichl was the restaurant critic for the New York Times, and both restaurant critic and food editor of the Los Angeles Times. Her articles have appeared in numerous magazines over the last 30 years, including the New York Times Magazine, Ms., Metropolitan Home, Vanity Fair and Saveur. Her latest memoir is Comfort Me with Apples, a follow-up to her bestselling Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table. Ms. Reichl was elected to Who’s Who of American Cooking in 1984. She received a James Beard Award for journalism in 1995, and James Beard Awards for restaurant criticism in 1996 and 1998. (New York, NY)

JULIE SAHNI is one of America’s leading experts on the food and cooking of India. She is recognized for her work as a chef, teacher and author of numerous books. Her written works include Classic Indian Cooking, Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking and Savoring Spices and Herbs: Recipe Secrets of Flavor, Aroma and Color. Chef Sahni is currently at work on a book about the world of Indian curries, and recently led a culinary tour to India on behalf of The Culinary Institute of America. (New York)

SUVIR SARAN is the co-executive chef, with Hemant Mathur, of DEVI, an Indian restaurant in New York. Chef Saran is also the author of Indian Home Cooking: A Fresh Introduction to Indian Food, and is on the editorial team of Food Arts magazine as a contributing authority for Indian food. (New York, NY)

HIROKO SHIMBO is the author of The Japanese Kitchen, a book designed to demystify Japanese cooking for Western cooks. Her next major book, The Sushi Experience, will be a comprehensive treatment of sushi. Her work has appeared in magazines such as Saveur, Fine Cooking and the National Culinary Review, and she appears frequently on radio and television in the United States. She opened Hiroko’s Kitchen in her native Japan in 1989, offering culinary consulting services, professional training in Asian cuisines, culinary tours, and cooking implements. (New York, NY)

CHAI SIRIYARN is the chef/owner of Marnee Thai restaurant, with two locations in San Francisco. Marnee Thai has been one of the top Thai restaurants in the San Francisco Zagat Survey for the last 12 years. Born and raised in his family’s food business in Bangkok, Chef Siriyarn has 30 years of experience, specializing in the home-style cooking of central Thailand. Chef Siriyarn was the grand prize winner in the Los Angeles Festival Pad Thai contest, and International Chef of the Year at the Awards of the Americas in New York City. In 2003, he won the Thailand Super Chef Award from the Prime Minister of Thailand. (San Francisco, CA)

HIRO SONE is the chef/co-owner of Terra restaurant in St. Helena, CA. Terra has consistently been named as one of the top 10 restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area by Gourmet, the San Francisco Examiner, the San Francisco Chronicle and Zagat Survey. Chef Sone was formerly chef at Spago, Los Angeles, and head chef at Spago, Tokyo. Chef Sone was formally trained in French cooking at the famous Ecole Technique Hoteliere Tsuji, where he studied with such prestigious Michelin three-star chefs as Paul Bocuse, Pierre Troisgros and Joel Rubuchon. Chef Sone grew up in Miyagi, Japan, where his family has grown premium rice for 18 generations. (Napa Valley, CA)

PHAM THI NGOC TINH is the chef and owner of Thuong Chi restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. A native of Hue, Chef Tinh specializes in royal cuisine and the foods of the central region of Vietnam. Prior to opening her restaurant, she was the founding chef of Ngu Binh, a highly acclaimed restaurant specializing in Hue cuisine, and later chef at the New World Hotel’s Vietnamese restaurant. (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)

HÒANG TRANG is in charge of food and beverage for the M&T Company in Ho Chi Minh City, and collaborates on Culture and Art of Food and Beverage magazine. Born in Central Vietnam, she graduated from Hue University with a B.A. in Vietnamese literature. Before her culinary career, she was an announcer on Vietnamese television. Her culinary experience includes cooking at T.I.B Restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City, at the New World Hotel’s Vietnamese restaurant and at the Temple Club Restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City. (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)

TAMIE TRANS-LE is the chef at Bôi Restaurant, Food of Vietnam in New York. Chef Trans-Le grew up in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in a large family whose livelihood was food shops and restaurants. Their home was in the center of that thriving city, and their take-out food shop was a favorite of gourmets in their busy neighborhood. Chef Trans-Le learned how to cook from her mother, a fine chef. Today she relives her memories of Vietnam through her cooking at Bôi Restaurant, Food of Vietnam. (New York, NY)

PRAKAS YENBAMROONG is co-owner of three Thai restaurants in Los Angeles, as well as Talesai Thai in West Hollywood. Talesai has enjoyed a steady stream of customers and critical raves over the years, which Mr. Yenbamroong credits to his executive chef and mother, Veelai Yenbamroong. A former banker, Mr. Yenbamroong drew up a casual variation on Talesai that caters to the home-meal market and has a duplicable system of operations; the first Cafe Talesai opened in Beverly Hills recently. (West Hollywood, CA)

CHRIS YEO is the chef/owner of Straits Café in San Francisco and Palo Alto. Chef Yeo is regarded as the first restaurateur to present genuine Singaporean cuisine—a blend of Thai, Indonesian, Chinese, Malay, Indian and Nonya—to San Francisco. He is the co-author of The Cooking of Singapore. Chef Yeo has served as a guest chef at the Smithsonian Institute and the James Beard House, as well as Singaporean embassies to the United States and the United Nations. (San Francisco, CA)

BILL YOSSES is the pastry chef at Josephs and Bôi Restaurant, Food of Vietnam in New York. Chef Yosses began his career working at La Foux, a traditional French restaurant, while in France studying for his master’s. Upon returning to New York in 1985, Bill teamed up with David Bouley at Montrachet and moved with him to his four-star restaurants, Bouley and Bouley Bakery. He joined owner Joe Gurrera to open Citarella the Restaurant in 2001; Citarella eventually became Josephs. Chef Yosses was nominated for the 2004 James Beard Outstanding Pastry Chef Award. He has appeared on Regis & Kelly, the Today Show, and Martha Stewart Living and been featured in the New York Times Magazine, New York Daily News, The New York Times, and Art Culinaire, among others. (New York, NY)