Thierry Blouet Cocina de Autor recently announced that Chef Frederic Castan of the St. Regis Resort, Monarch Beach will be its guest chef during the upcoming 13th Gourmet Festival to take place November 8 – 18, 2007. Castan brings with him over 30 years experience as a chef in both France and the United States. Prior to the St. Regis, he opened the 415-room Sofitel Chicago Water Tower hotel where, as executive chef, he was responsible for all culinary aspects of two restaurants, 24-hour in-room dining and 35,000 square feet of banquet space.

A native of Avignon, France, the “heart” of Provence, Castan developed a passion for cooking at the early age of 14. He believes it was his interest in watching his mother create wonderful dishes at home combined with his fascination with artistic shapes and colors that led him to pursue a career as a chef. Trained in Marseilles, France, Castan has served as the executive chef at some of California’s finest resorts including Bighorn Golf Club in Palm Desert, the Westin South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, and Ritz Carlton Pasadena and Laguna Niguel.

Castan’s role as executive chef at the St. Regis is to ensure the integrity of the each restaurant in the resort including Motif, Club 19, Monarch Bay Club, Crust and the Pool Bar & Grill. He will oversee every aspect of the restaurant’s operations – from the creation and maintenance of all menus and recipes, to preparation, presentation and service. His extensive experience and education makes him the clear choice to lead the award-winning culinary team at the St. Regis Resort, Monarch Beach. With a belief system strongly rooted in providing superior service and creating exceptional cuisine, Castan focuses on details that will impress his guests while maintaining a simple and elegant menu focusing on flavor. Constantly finding ways to improve, he strives to make each dish the best by using new products while still incorporating his favorite ingredients; fresh herbs from Provence, garlic, extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Fluent in French, Spanish and English, Castan has received many awards and accolades, including the 2000 Chef On the Rise in America Award; 1994 Chef of the Year of Southern California Les Toques Blanches and 1994 Celebrity Chef Award in Alaska. In 2005, Chef Castan was selected to become a `Maitres Cuisiniers de France. In addition to his achievements, Castan takes time to participate in the American Culinary Federation, French Culinary Club of California and Les Toques Blanches Los Angeles. Castan currently resides in Laguna Niguel. When he is not in the kitchen, Castan keeps busy with his favorite past times, which include skiing, boating and hiking, but always makes time to paint or to sit down and read a good cook book.