About Us

HAROLD D PARTAIN CTC CCTP
    
Chairman of the Board & Secretary-Treasurer
    
Harold has served on the Board of Directors of the International Culinary Tourism Association (ICTA) since 2004. He has chaired various committees since then, including Education and also Membership. Harold has dedicated 35 years of his life to the travel industry. His management and training skills have lead several companies to success and recognition. Harold is a senior partner with McCabe Travel Group and owner of Epicopia Culinary Journeys. He lectures on travel styles and trends, destinations, and the history of food for various travel organizations such as ASTA and industry conferences.

GARRY TAYLOR

Vice-Chairman

Garry grew up in the green valleys of South Wales in the United Kingdom. He has been involved in both retail and education capacities working as a team member, developing business relationships and providing seminars within the UK and New Zealand. His interests in the psychology of people led him to his Honours Degree at the University of Wales College of Medicine. Following completion of his degree, Garry provided educational seminars for young adults on health, nutrition and the societal impact of food in general. Garry has been able to travel extensively and has always been a culinary tourist. He finds food and travel topics of common interest to nearly everyone. Garry thinks outside the box. He brings to the Association a rich background from both academic and experiential perspectives. Garry feels that his experience as a consumer provides a more rounded and holistic approach to culinary tourism. Garry is a highly-regarded home chef. His specialty is anything spicy and he has a penchant for Chinese food. Garry believes recipes are merely inspirations and prides himself on never making the same dish exactly the same as before. He is always twisting the recipes, suggestions and ingredients to his diners' delight.

ALIZA GREEN

Content Advisor

Aliza Green, the Philadelphia-based James Beard Award winning cookbook author, journalist and pioneering chef, is the author of 12 highly successful cookbooks including Starting with Ingredients: Baking - Quintessential Recipes for the Way We Really Bake, The Fishmonger’s Apprentice and Making Artisan Pasta.  The Butcher's Apprentice will be published in June 2012.  Before her career as a cookbook author and culinary consultant, Green wrote popular weekly food columns for both the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News. Her writing has also appeared in Fine Cooking, Prevention, IACP Food Forum, Philadelphia Magazine, and Jewish Women International. Green has conducted numerous cooking classes, had many television appearances and radio interviews, and worked as a highly reputed television and print food stylist.  As one of the pioneer chefs who made the city of Philadelphia a national dining destination, Green served as Executive Chef at the renowned Ristorante DiLullo, where her culinary achievements landed the restaurant a prestigious four-star rating. In 1988, The Philadelphia Inquirer inducted Chef Green into its Culinary Hall of Fame, citing her as one of the ten most influential people in the city’s food industry for her uncompromising efforts at Ristorante DiLullo, Apropos, a ground-breaking Mediterranean bistro, and the White Dog Café, where she developed the ever-popular restaurant’s deliciously regional menu by working with local farmers.  Green cites her childhood, which she spent traveling and living abroad, as the inspiration for her culinary pursuits. Her dream is to continue cooking, traveling, and learning while sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm with others through conducting special programs, writing cookbooks and leading culinary tours in the Mediterranean region. Learn more about Aliza here.

HARRY PAGANCOSS

Celebrity Chef & Association Spokesperson

A Puerto Rican native, Harry is the author of Pure Pleasure: Spellbinding Recipes, Chef & Owner of Harry Bakes Co. and an international television personality. Harry began the culinary journey that he envisioned when was only nine years old as he began a small publication while in elementary school as a means to publish articles about food. After years of travel, a Master degree in health and a short incursion into the medical field, Harry began to pursue that which made him most passionate: cooking. To Harry, the concept and creativity of each creation is a pleasure and should always represent that which makes food the perfect constant when creating great memories with others. He conquers us with his chocolate cake infused with lavender aromas or Italian cuisine with fusions of continental and Caribbean Latin flavors. Most recently, he was the chef of Telemundo’s international morning show, During 2010, Harry was the chef and co-host of TV Azteca’s morning Mañaneando, which featured his culinary talents and highlighted his uncanny ability to connect with fans and foodies alike. As a regular chef guest at international culinary festivals, he shares his love and passion for food with international audiences throughout the year.  Currently, Harry is working on two projects for a major television network. He is a regular guest at major culinary events and contributor to MTV’s Tr3s.com and NBC-Universal.  His charity project, Harry 4Children, raises money to provide orphanages and child centers in need around the world with food packs containing nutritious meals for the children. Proceeds go to Foundation 4Life.  Pure Pleasure is Harry's first book. Learn more about Harry here.