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Guests, Kids and Up, Are Invited to the Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta for a Creative, Culinary, and Cultural Experience on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2–4 p.m.

Atlanta, Ga., September 22, 2009 – Erstwhile bad-boy chef Paul Luna kicks off the official Atlanta release of his bilingual kids’ book, Luna Needs a Miracle! ¡Luna Necesíta un Milagro!, in a one-time-only collaboration with the Four Seasons Atlanta and its executive chef, Robert Gerstenecker.

On Saturday, October 3, from 2 – 4 p.m., kids and kids-at-heart are invited to the Four Seasons Atlanta (75 Fourteenth St.), to cook up something different with chefs Luna and Gerstenecker. The two will lend their culinary expertise, share their creative genius and unveil the secret recipes for eating well and living well!

• Chefs Luna and Gerstenecker will jointly lead a hands-on cooking demonstration safe enough for kids—but fun for parents, too.
• Chef Luna will make available his recently-published and released dual-language children’s book for review, purchase and signing.
• Chef Luna will also discuss his experiences cycling across the country back to Atlanta. (Visit www.CrossCountryChef.blogspot.com for updates of his progress.)

The event is chef Luna’s Atlanta debut after a decade-long absence from the Peach. The enfant terrible of culinary shifted his attentions from the kitchen to develop the story of a Spanish-speaking boy who worries about not speaking English on his first day in school. Chef Luna left his California residence by bicycle on September 10, to promote the book with a 2,500-mile cross-country bicycle quest for a miracle. His scheduled Atlanta arrival is Friday, Oct. 2.

Executive Chef Robert Gerstenecker, known for his flair in creating southern contemporary dishes, maintains a precise touch and uses the finest seasonal ingredients available. He has led the Park 75 kitchen at Four Seasons since 2004.

The Four Seasons Atlanta and chef Gerstenecker will be chef Luna’s first formal hosts to Georgia’s capital. For more information, or to confirm attendance, please call Park 75 at (404) 253-3840 or email park75host.atl@fourseasons.com.

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About Paul Luna
Paul Luna’s impressive 25-year career in culinary includes work with some of the world’s finest chefs in some of the world’s most reputed establishments, from Michele Attali at Petrossian in Paris, Terrance Brennan at New York City’s Picholine, to Gianni Scappin of Bice Ristorante, Milan. He has also opened and run a number of successful establishments in Washington, Atlanta, Italy and Canada, and, in the process, has had his creativity formally recognized in numerous media outlets.

Known for recreating himself, he has surprised his clients, friends and customers with his transition to author. Chef Luna wrote, published and released a bilingual children’s book, Luna Needs a Miracle! ¡Luna Necesíta un Milagro!, in August 2009. Currently, his efforts are focused on marketing and promoting his new endeavor while communicating a love for living in fearlessness and courage.

About Robert Gerstenecker
A 16-year veteran of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Gerstenecker joined Park 75 Restaurant as executive chef in September 2004, a promotion he considers a culinary dream come true. A former executive sous chef at Four Seasons Atlanta from 1998-2002, he helped open Park 75 and played an instrumental role in developing the restaurant’s menu.

Gerstenecker, who best describes his food as “a use of the best ingredients cooked to perfection,” also says that any great dish must include the three T’s—taste, texture and technique—and consist of flavors he describes as the three S’s—sweet, salty and sour. “My menu is always creative, vibrant and a reflection of the best and freshest ingredients cooked and prepared with passion.”

Park 75—one of only two Mobil Four-Star restaurants in Georgia for the eighth year in a row—is a 68-seat restaurant focused on southern food—redefined.

About Four Seasons Atlanta
Located in the heart of Midtown’s cultural district, Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta, a 244-room luxury hotel, is the city’s premier address for visitors. Where warmth and graciousness prevail, Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta offers hospitality, convenience, personalized service and elegance to each guest. It is the only Mobil Five-Star, AAA Five-Diamond hotel in Atlanta for eight years in a row and in was voted “Best Hotel in Atlanta” by Zagat Survey.

Yesterday I enjoyed the opportunity to share Luna Needs a Miracle! with students from Del Roble Elementary. What an amazing experience!

I was particularly impressed with their questions. They learned that I was going on a bicycle trip and they wanted to hear more about it. (If you’re curious, you can visit my blog: www.crosscountrychef.blogspot.com)

The photos do a great job of showing how excited they were. They didn’t believe I was nervous, but I was because, as one of the students said, “there’s eighty of us, there’s one of you.” They were pretty smart.

PARTY!! Launch of Kids’ Book, Luna Needs a Miracle!, Combines Family, Food & Fiesta!
Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009, 12:30 – 2 pm!

San Jose, Calif., July 10, 2009 – Just in time for “Back to School,” local talents announce the release of bilingual children’s book, “Luna Needs a Miracle!” with a book launch party at the Ste. Claire Hotel in downtown San Jose, Calif., on Sunday, August 16, 2009 from 12:30 – 2:30 pm. The book was written by starred chef of more than 20 years, Paul Luna, and illustrated by college student, Gabrielle Gramegna—both South Bay residents. While the event is free, attendees must RSVP, as space is limited and the chef will execute a variety of treats. (Call (408) 271-3358, (808) 344-0958 or email info@chefluna.com to RSVP.)

Aged more than 20 years apart, the unlikely pair combined their talents to bring to life the story of a young Spanish-speaking boy, also named Luna, who experiences the fear of not speaking English on his first day at school and learns the magic of the unspoken. (more…)

I was mentioned in Atlanta’s Creative Loafing and so was “Luna Needs a Miracle!” (Make sure to order one for $20 + S&H through this website, www.ChefLuna.com–while limited supplies last, of course.)

(… Didn’t realized I’d been missed!) Nevertheless, it’s always nice to take a trip down memory lane. Creative Loafing in Atlanta had this little blurb about me, announcing my new book, Luna Needs a Miracle! and reminding me about my colorful and eventful past.

This little article is well-timed, given that the Marketing department with the self-publishing company I contracted insisted on pushing the religious angle on the book, when truly the intent of the book was not religious in scope–even if it did have a hint of religion in it, I still have a reputation to uphold. (More on that another time!)

Anyway, I was tickled to be in the Gossip column of this weekly newspaper–and it’s fun to surprise old friends after so many years. I even shared space with culinary peer, Chef Joel Antunes (who has also done the disappearing act. (Joel — We need to get together. LOL))!

… And It’s Not About Food!

Check it out!

San Jose, Calif., June 22, 2009 – Surprising many of his family members, close friends and loyal customers, Chef Paul Luna announced last week the publication of a bilingual children’s book called, Luna Needs a Miracle!, a short story treating such issues as love and fear, family and friendship—not food or the food industry.

The author has pre-ordered the book at mass quantities to be able to offer it at a price significantly lower than the expected $31.99 retail price. Those who request the book directly from him by sending him an email at info@chefluna.com, or filling out the email form on his website, www.chefluna.com, will be offered the reduced rate while supplies last.

“Experiencing something radically different from what you know can be frightening, but it can also create a window of opportunity upon which you can take action with clarity and confidence,” said Luna, explaining the experience of the book’s character of the same name, who fears his first day at school because he does not speak or understand English. (more…)

Bilingual Luna Needs a Miracle! Recently Released. (Available for purchase online today!)

Buy it now!

San Jose, Calif., June 15, 2009 – Expressions of love and fear, family and friendship share common ground in their simplicity and universality. In Luna Needs a Miracle!, author Paul Luna explores some of the challenges and fears people encounter when learning something new and unknown. Written for adults to read to the children in their lives, the bilingual story, written in English and Spanish, provides a gateway for conversation—a safe space for expression.

“The fear associated with speaking different languages is really based on a lack of understanding. I hope this book helps forge understanding between parents and their children—children and the world,” says the author who chronicles the experience of a young boy, also named Luna, who speaks only Spanish and feels alone and fearful on his first day at a new school in a new country. (more…)

Thanks so much for visiting my website. This is my second, and I’m really excited about all the fun things that I’ll be able to post here. First of all, I love the fact that it’s a blog. I am learning that this is a new word, short for “web log”. Basically, my website can easily keep track of the things I want to put on it, and you can keep track of what I have to say. Not bad!

My lovely one is helping me put all this together, of course. She helps me with many things that I do when I’m not having fun in the kitchen. One of our most exciting projects is something I have never done before: publish a book.

What’s really fun about this, is that we are publishing a children’s book that draws slightly from my own experience as a child, as well as my numerous experiences as an uncle—dozens of times over. (Even though I don’t have kids of my own, I have learned from some of the world’s youngest sages while showing them a trick or two at the cutting board or over the grill!)

After almost 20 years of cooking, I thought I’d do something new, and so I wrote three short stories. One of them is about to “hit the stands”. It’s called “Luna Needs a Miracle!” and I’ll fill you in on the details as we get closer to the release date. Stay Tuned!