FOURTH ANNUAL COCHON 555 RETURNS TO WASHINGTON DC

4th Annual Touring Culinary Competition and Tasting Event Celebrates Heritage Breed Pigs at The Liaison Capitol Hill - Official Hotel Partner

COCHON 555 – five chefs, five pigs, five winemakers – is a one-of-a-kind traveling culinary competition and tasting event to promote sustainable farming of heritage breed pigs. The event challenges five local chefs to prepare a menu created from heritage breed pigs, nose-to-tail, for an audience of pork-loving epicureans.

2012 Washington, DC competing chefs include Scott Drewno of The Source by Wolfgang Puck, Mike Isabella of Graffiato, WesMorton of Art and Soul, Nicholas Stefanelli of Bibiana, and Ed Witt of 701 Restaurant.

Guests will be treated to a epic pork feast of five whole heritage pigs prepared by five chefs and wines from five family wineries, including Adelshiem Vineyards, Elk Cove Vineyards, Buty Winery, Matthiasson Wine, and Sokol Blosser. The evening will also include wines from SALDO, a butcher demonstration from Wagshal’s Pamela Ginsberg, and your chance to win cookware through an interactive tasting contest with 2010 King of Porc and Grand Cochon winner David Varley. A special engagement with Domaine Serene of Oregon paired with Iberico De Bellota by Fermin imported by Wagshal's. Libations include Anchor Brew, tastings of Chinaco Tequila and the "Perfect Manhattan" Cochon 555 bar with Daniel Hyatt of Alembic SF featuring Hirsch, Angel's Envy, Eagle Rare, Buffalo Trace, Hudson Whiskey's Baby Bourbon and Luxardo. In preview of our new Labor Day event called Heritage BBQ, Bourbon Steak's Adam Sobel will serve a Heritage BBQ whole hog family meal. Attendees don't forget that everyone votes for the "Best Bite of the Day" before we combine the consumer votes (51%) with the technical score from the local judges (49%) and announce one chef as the Prince or Princess of Porc. The winner will go on to compete against other regional winners at the finale Grand Cochon event at the FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen, June 17, 2012.

To start the awards ceremony, we host a 25th anniversary champagne toast to the James Beard Foundation, sponsored by Laurent-Perrier Champagne, now celebrating its 200th year. To close the evening, we offer an exclusive chocolate experience from Xocolatl de David and cold-brew from Safari Cup Coffee. Farrarelle is the official water of the 2012 US Tour.

WHEN Sunday, April 22nd 4 pm VIP opening; 5 pm general admission

WHERE The Liaison Capitol Hill, An Affinia Hotel Official Hotel Partner 415 New Jersey Avenue, NW
 Washington DC


TICKETS $125 per person for general admission; $200 for VIP, which includes one hour early access to sample dishes from three of the competing chef stations, welcome cocktails from The King's Ginger, artisan cheeses from Belmont Butchery and Rappahannock Oyster Company serving Stingrays, Olde Salts and Rappahannock River and chance to win a year supply of meat and cheese from Cochon 555 and Murray's Cheese. Available at www.cochon555.com.

AFTER Art and Soul in the Liaison Hotel will host the official after party on their patio immediately following the event. The ode to porc will continue with a special menu of $5.55 beverages and snacks.

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ABOUT COCHON 555 Created by Taste Network’s Brady Lowe in 2009 in response to the lack of consumer education around heritage breeds, COCHON is a national event series that takes place in 14 major markets. Every January, COCHON 555 embarks on a 10-city culinary competition and tasting tour where 50 chefs are selected to prepare a ‘snout -to-tail’ menu created from heritage breed pigs. The 10 winners of each regional event are flown to Aspen for the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen for the final competition, Grand Cochon. Cochon All-Star, Cochon Heritage Fire and a BBQ competition will be hosted as well in 2012. For more details about the events, visit www.cochon555.com or follow @cochon555 on twitter.