Tepoztlan, Mexico – (WiredPRNews.com) — March 31, 2009 — Chef Ana Garcia, the owner and operator of La Villa Bonita Cooking School and Culinary Hotel in Tepoztlan, Mexico, has just signed a development deal with television reality show giant Mark Wolper and The Wolper Organization of Burbank, California, a subsidiary of Warner Brothers, to develop and produce a documentary/reality audio-visual cooking series. The program, which would feature Mexican-born Chef Ana Garcia demonstrating authentic Mexican cooking, would be a first for American television.“I am so enthusiastic about the opportunity to share my knowledge of real Mexican cooking with the American public,” said Ms. Garcia. “Although people in the U.S. think they are eating Mexican food, I’m about to show them that real Mexican cuisine is going to blow them away.”
With Mexican food being the fastest growing ethnic food segment in the United States with annual sales of more than $4.3 billion a year, the Emmy Award-winning Mark Wolper is convinced that the timing is just right for a new Mexican cooking show starring Garcia.
“Ana has all the makings of an amazing television chef and personality, and it all comes through the moment you meet her.” He continued, “she has the warmth and sunny disposition of Mexico, great hands for cooking, and brings a Mom’s sensibility and sense of confidence to everything she does. Her food is also amazing. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was dubbed the Mexican Rachel Ray.”
The Wolper Organization will write and produce a pilot video for a 13 to 26 installment series that will be optioned to established major television networks. The content of the series will focus on Chef Ana and her guests and students, and will highlight her teaching and cooking skills, the progress of her students, and the fun and drama of cooking together. Production of the multi-part series is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2009, with a projected on-air debut in 2010.
In addition to Mark Wolper’s title as executive producer, additional executive producers include Robb Anderson, Ana’s husband and co-owner of La Villa Bonita, and Paul Taublieb, CEO of Media X International, Inc.
About La Villa Bonita Mexican Culinary Vacation®
Founded in 2000, La Villa Bonita (www.lavillabonita.com) offers 4-night and 7-night cooking immersion packages. Located one hour south of Mexico City in Tepoztlan, Morelos, Mexico, the resort is on a 33,000 square foot organic citrus orchard, and features luxurious guest rooms, a heated pool and a specially-designed open air kitchen with an incredible view of the surrounding Tepozteco Mountains and the Tepoztlan Convent. Guided by Chef Ana’s magnetic personality and passion for sharing Mexican cuisine and culture with guests from around the world, La Villa Bonita was named “One of the 5 Best Culinary Vacations Worldwide” by The Food Network as well as one of “The 100 Best Vacations to Enrich Your Life” by National Geographic Books and author Pam Grout. The school and hotel have been featured on shows such as “Trivia Unwrapped,” “Food Wine and Friends with Karen MacNeil” on PBS, and “Live with Regis and Kelly.” LVB has also been featured in Cooking Light, Bon Appetit, the Boston Globe and Newsweek. Also visit Mexican Food Blog or follow Chef Ana Garcia on her Twitter Page
About The Wolper Organization:
THE WOLPER ORGANIZATION, under the leadership of David Wolper and Mark Wolper, has been responsible for over 500 films, which have won more than 150 awards, including two Oscars, 50 Emmies, seven Golden Globes, five Peabody Awards, and recognition and retrospectives from Cannes and other respected international film festivals. The company has recently expanded again into documentary and reality television already garnering nominations in this new category.
Sperling Greene Partners
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