Great Kentucky Seafood Cook Off seeks chef entries

[Robin Garr]

Note the deadline is June 1, so interested chefs should sign up promptly!

The Great Kentucky Seafood Cook Off
June 7th, 2010

The Fifth Annual Great Kentucky Seafood Cook Off preparation is heating up for the competition on Monday June 7, 2010. This event will take place at Jefferson Community and Technical College in Louisville and chefs from all around Kentucky will participate in this event. The winner will represent Kentucky at the Great American Seafood Cook Off in New Orleans in August of this year.

Chefs are required to submit two of their best recipes using Kentucky farm-raised seafood ingredients. One pound of product will be supplied to the chef for their chosen recipe for the competition. Each registered chef will prepare one of their recipes for an independent panel of respected culinary judges at Jefferson Community and Technical College and if their dish wins, they will be off to the Big Easy. The winner will be sent to New Orleans to compete in The Great American Seafood Cook Off on August 7, 2010. This will be covered by the Food Network, National Marine Fisheries, Coastal Living and Southern Living Magazines and several other media outlets.

This is a great opportunity for chefs to show off their talents in preparing Kentucky Seafood products and to promote their restaurant. Come on Chefs and think of a creative way to entice the judges and win a trip to New Orleans. You can show them how to cook Seafood “Kentucky Style”.

For further information contact Angela Caporelli, Kentucky Department of Agriculture, at 502-564-4983 or 502-330-5808. Don’t forget the deadline is June 1st!

Hopefully no one submits a recipe using "Kentucky Tuna" (a.k.a...Silver Carp).

Kentucky farm-raised seafood ingredients.

[Robin Garr]

Kentucky farm-raised seafood ingredients.

Yeah, I know, but think about Shuckman's paddlefish caviar. There is also a freshwater-shrimp facility somewhere down near Frankfort that's growing surprisingly tasty shellfish. I think part of their goal here is probably to raise consciousness. We're not talking Atlantic farmed salmon, which does rate a in my book.

Chef John Varanese is participating, I believe.

We're not talking Atlantic farmed salmon, which does rate a in my book.

I have been on the fence with this issue. I have read alot of conflicting info on the dangers of pen raised seafood. I can google and find an argument to back up either side of the debate. I cant help but think its probably not the best thing to have an incredibly unnatural density of animals packed into one area. We know that disease runs rampant in factory chicken production as well as cattle feedlots. I tend to believe the arguments that fish farming is creating similar problems.
This is just a random link from a quick google search. Not saying it the best info I have found, but it gives you an idea as to some of the problems.

http://www.cornucopia.org/2009/09/how-f ... -feedlots/

I know most of these sites are run by super granola free spirit "lets not eat any animals" types, but other less granola sources will back up many of these claims.

Any thoughts?

[Robin Garr]

I have been on the fence with this issue. I have read alot of conflicting info on the dangers of pen raised seafood.

Irrespective of that debate, farmed Atlantic salmon tastes like crap.

http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvis ... 0605.phtml

OK, you had me confused. I agree,nasty stuff. The smilies you put in your post made me think you were on board with that stuff...surprised me a bit.

[Robin Garr]

OK, you had me confused. I agree,nasty stuff. The smilies you put in your post made me think you were on board with that stuff...surprised me a bit.

Note: Happy smiley ... Laughing smiley ... And the barfing smiley I used ...

Ok got it...barfing smiley...now I just need to figure out what the green one means.

[Robin Garr]

:P Ok got it...barfing smiley...now I just need to figure out what the green one means.

I've never understood that one either. I use it as an alternative for the one with the sunglasses, which I reserve to make fun of myself when I think I'm a little too proud about saying something really cool.

I know most of these sites are run by super granola free spirit "lets not eat any animals" types, but other less granola sources will back up many of these claims.

Any thoughts?

One of the Good Eats episodes dealing with salmon presented a solid look at the benefits of wild-caught salmon vs. farmed salmon, and I wouldn't call Alton Brown granola. Also, he's not totally against all fish farming, presenting in a recent episode why farmed catfish is better than wild caught, which increases the credibility of his salmon argument with me.

Salmon episdoe: http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/gefp/index.htm (click the Youtube links at the bottom)

I can't find the catfish episode available online, probably because it's very recent.

[
One of the Good Eats episodes dealing with salmon presented a solid look at the benefits of wild-caught salmon vs. farmed salmon, and I wouldn't call Alton Brown granola. Also, he's not totally against all fish farming, presenting in a recent episode why farmed catfish is better than wild caught, which increases the credibility of his salmon argument with me.

Salmon episdoe: http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/gefp/index.htm (click the Youtube links at the bottom)

I can't find the catfish episode available online, probably because it's very recent.

AB only speaks the truth. He is the man!