New York, New York -  May 30, 2011- Miltos Karoumpas, President of the Chef’s Club of Greece, announced that Chef Maria Loi, one of Greece’s top culinary talents, has been appointed as the  International Ambassador of Gastronomy to the Club’s North American Chapter.

 As International Ambassador, Chef Maria Loi will embody the spirit of the organization and carry forth the message of building the professional conscience of the graduates who will take their place among the world’s notable chefs and elevate Greece’s gastronomic standards.  She will represent the North American Chapter in key culinary events in Greece and internationally aimed at supporting the strategic alliance with the Greek National Tourist Organization. She will promote Greek specialty food products through recipe writing and, in cooperation with the Greek based food purveyors, develop modern versions of ancient recipes that extol the virtues of the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle.

Through her outreach in advancing the discussion about the Mediterranean diet, Greek products and the classic culinary traditions, the qualifications of all Greek chefs will be recognized and they will take their rightful place in the pantheon of world chefs.

Chef Maria Loi had her own popular cooking show for years on Greece’s most successful morning program and on the country’s leading TV network, Mega Channel.  An acclaimed author of several cookbooks dedicated to the art of Greek cooking, Chef Maria Loi’s book ‘Ancient Dining” was selected as the official book for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.  Today, she spends her time cooking, writing and educating the world about the timeless traditions of Greek cuisine and the benefits of a healthy Mediterranean diet. She has recently developed and co-produced a new TV show “It’s All Greek” which will air internationally this fall.  Her show will demonstrate that Greek cuisine can be simply prepared, and mastered by anyone who has a desire to learn.

The Chef’s Club of Greece trains and certifies our members on new culinary trends and techniques. We have created the Greek National Centre of Gastronomy with modern facilities, which can accommodate, in super luxury, more than 180 people for meetings, seminars and presentations. The centre includes a fully equipped kitchen, certified by ISO 22000 and HACCP, where the National Olympic team is preparing for competitions abroad.

Bettina Klinger President, Chief Strategic Officer, KlingerVision, Inc. is a retail pioneer and marketing expert. Currently her expertise spans focusing on strategic thinking, long range image and brand planning, flexible profit formulation in marketing business-to-business and business-to- consumer products and concepts through multiple distribution channels.  She developed KlingerVision with an aim to service emerging brands and brands in need of repositioning, to help successfully define, understand and reach their target clients or customers. 

For additional information on Chef Maria Loi or to schedule interviews, speaking engagements or public appearances, please contact Bettina L. Klinger, President, KlingerVision, Inc., (212) 592-1385 or email bklinger@klingervision.com.

Chef Maria Loi's new website will include popular recipes and menus, the essential Greek pantry, cooking tips and episodes of her new show, www.cookingwithmarialoi.com.