A Flowery Show of International  Wine, Cuisine and Shops

Philadelphia (January 2010) –  Amid great gardens of the world, the 2010 Philadelphia International Flower Show, “Passport to the World,” will showcase an international array of food, wine and wares, from authentic Irish to farm-fresh organic.
 The International Wine & Spirits Garden, presented by the PA Wine & Spirits Store, will offer an expansive selection from the world’s great vineyards and distilleries. Free tastings will be held from noon until 7 p.m. in the Grand Hall.

DiBruno Bros. will hold court on the Bridge and in the Grand Hall, offering gourmet Italian specialties and other dishes. Visitors can take an indulgent break at the luscious new Dessert Bar on the Show Bridge, presented by Sweet Street Desserts of Reading, Pa.

 Recipes from the region’s best chefs will be demonstrated live for Flower Show foodies. Hosted by Chef Joseph Shilling with assistance from Philadelphia’s JNA Institute of Culinary Arts, the presentations will be held three times each day in Room 204C.

Madame Saito - owner and chef of Society Hill’s Le Champignon de Tokio and an ambassador of Japanese culture and fusion cuisine in the Philadelphia community for the last 25 years - will present an Edible Sushi Garden sponsored by Subaru. A special “Taste of Ireland” demonstration, featuring famed Irish chef Noel McMeel, will be held Monday, March 1. McMeel, executive head chef at the five-star Lough Erne Golf Resort in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, and a star of the BBC’s “Great British Menu,” has cooked for Presidents Bush and Clinton and the Queen of England.

Working dairy farmer and green hotelier Beth Kennett, of Cabot Creamery, will share recipes from her Liberty Hill Farm in Rochester, Vt., which has been recognized as Vermont’s “first green agritourism enterprise.”

Main Line Chef Carlo deMarco of Downingtown’s Firecreek Restaurant, who was singled out in Esquire as one of 12 national “Chefs to Watch,” will also be presenting, along with renowned French Chef Georges Perrier from Le Bec-Fin and Christina Pirello, host of the national public television series “Christina Cooks.”

For a full schedule of culinary presenters, please visit www.theflowershow.com or pick up a free Schedule of Events at the Show. Look for recipes on the Flower Show blog.
The Show concourses are bustling this year with a World Bazaar of shops, featuring products and crafts including imported Indian tapestries, curtains, pillows, lamp shades and home accessories, handmade Mexican pine needle baskets, trays and vases, imported Italian vinegars and oils, Italian shoes and linens, handcrafted Nicaraguan pottery, and hand-carved, natural jade jewelry from Burma.

The Official Flower Show Shoppe will offer great gifts, plants and souvenirs. This year’s Shoppe will feature the official Flower Show silk scarf, an international collection of new and vintage jewelry, eco-friendly apparel for children and adults, wood carvings from India, and jade jewelry from New Zealand.

Those who have never been to Abington Township’s Meadowbrook Farm, a shopper’s paradise for all things garden-related, will have a special opportunity at the Flower Show to shop for ever-blooming Brazilian candles, easy-to-grow succulents, and fresh potted herbs, along with Meadowbrook’s signature, high-quality plants, garden supplies and gifts, such as watering cans and renewable source Eco-pots.

More than 150 vendors will fill the Marketplace, including Terrain, a gardener’s oasis, and Australia-based Willie Wildlife Sculpture. New York City-based H.B. Company and Oriental House will celebrate more than 50 years exhibiting in the Show. Don’t miss great gardening tools from Mantis, striking sculpture from Igneous Rock Gallery, and newcomer Jan Kirsch’s beautiful and intriguing giant vegetable sculptures.

Visitors can take advantage of discounts to fabulous restaurants, attractions, and retail stores during the week of the Flower Show through the Bloomin’ Fun Pass and online coupons. This year’s pass includes discounts to the Moshulu, Franklin Institute and Bartram’s Garden, among many other locations. The Pass, which lists participating vendors and discounts, will be available at SEPTA stations, the Philadelphia International Airport, area malls, and online at the www.theflowershow.com.      
      
The Philadelphia International Flower Show, the oldest and largest indoor Show of its kind, is produced by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) and presented by PNC Bank. PHS, considered the nation’s foremost authority on urban renewal through greening, has more than 16,000 members throughout the country and offers hundreds of gardening programs year-round.

For more information Contact:
Alan Jaffe at 215-988-8833
Laura Hoover at 215-988-8836