Five famous Native chefs

Chefs to prepare 'Taste of Native Cuisine' at Ventana RoomFive nationally-renowned chefs—all Native Americans—will join Marc Ehrler, Ventana Room executive chef, in preparing a special dinner celebrating native foods at 6 p.m. Monday at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort.

The dinner, "Taste of Native Cuisine," is a fundraiser for Tohono O'odham Community Action. Seating is limited to 60 people, and tickets are $125 each.

The chefs will prepare multi-course gourmet dinners featuring Native American ingredients and served with wine pairings.

Besides Ehrler, the other chefs are:

• Jack Strong, Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, chef de cuisine at Kai, Sheraton Wild Horse Pass in Chandler.

• Lois Ellen Frank, Kiowa, chef/owner of Red Mesa Cuisine in Santa Fe, N.M., and author of the James Beard Award-winning cookbook "Foods of the Southwest Indian Nations."

• Walter Whitewater, Diné, Red Mesa Cuisine and 2008 recipient of the James Lewis Award for Best Native American Chef.

• Bertina Cadman, Diné, chef instructor at the Native American Culinary Program, Classic Cooking Academy in Scottsdale.

• Loretta Barrett Oden, Potawatomi, chef and host of the PBS cooking show "Seasoned With Spirit."Comment:  For more on the subject, see The Native Culinary Tradition and Native Food = Restaurant Trend.