AMERICAS FINEST CHEFS TO GATHER IN NEW ORLEANS

A Focus on Culinary Creativity, Sustainable Fisheries and Domestic Seafood

For the first time, the Great American Seafood Cook Off will be open to the public and consist of two days of cooking. On Saturday, August 4, all participating chefs will be invited to create elaborate dishes using domestic seafood. In many cases, the chefs will prepare dishes that feature seafood native to their state.

Saturday the chefs will produce dishes that best display their incredible talents and creativity, said Ewell Smith, executive producer of the Cook Off and executive director of the Lousiana Seafood Board. On Sunday, August 5, the top finishers will be tasked with creating dishes that home chefs can easily replicate. Theyll be judged on taste and creativity and also on ease of preparation.

Saturdays top scoring chefs are determined by a team of notables from the culinary world who will judge the competition, which will occur at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans during the Louisiana Foodservice Expo. On Sunday, the closing ceremonies include the glorious crowning of King or Queen of American Seafood according to the scores from the judging panel.

Tickets for the Cook Off will be sold at the door and proceeds will be split evenly between the Back to the Dock program, which aids fishermen as they rebuild after the hurricanes of 2005, and to the Louisiana Restaurant Associations Education Foundation that provides scholarships to up and coming culinary students.

ENJOY SEAFOOD BLISS

SATURDAY, AUGUST 4, 2007

All participating chefs will create elaborate dishes using domestic seafood. In many cases, the chefs will prepare dishes that feature seafood native to their state.

The top scoring chefs as determined by the judges team of notables from the culinary world will be announced on Day 2.

Doors open at 11 a.m. opening ceremonies at 11 45 a.m. contest closing at 3 30 p.m.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2007

The finalists will be tasked with creating dishes that home chefs can easily replicate quick, easy, and delicious. Closing ceremonies will include the glorious crowning of King or Queen of American Seafood.

Doors open at 11 a.m. opening ceremonies at 11 45 a.m. closing ceremonies at 3 30 p.m.