Chef George Stella To Represent Fl In 2007 Great American Seafood Cook-off

George Stella, known as "The Low Carb Chef," will represent Florida at the fourth-annual Great American Seafood Cook-Off in New Orleans. Stella is among 19 chefs from across the nation who will vie for the title of King or Queen of American Seafood at the competition at the Louisiana Foodservice Expo in New Orleans.

For the first time, a portion of the competition will be open to the public and the full competition will consist of two days of cooking. On Saturday, August 4, all participating chefs will be invited to create elaborate dishes using domestic seafood. The public is invited to the second day of cooking on Sunday, August 5 which will result in the crowning of the winner of this year's competition. Most chefs will prepare dishes that feature seafood native to their state. A panel of judges will name the top finishers from Saturday who will go on to compete on Sunday.

"The Great American Seafood Cook-Off has grown in popularity each year and we're thrilled to be a part of this meaningful event," said Bill Hogarth of NOAA. "Through their participation, each of these chefs will help raise awareness of the importance of cooking with domestic seafood and they will also encourage the use of products from sustainable fisheries."

Chef Stella has been involved in the food service industry since he took a job as a dishwasher at 13 years of age. At the age of 40, Chef Stella found his health in danger, which led him to change both his cooking and eating habits and emerged as a leader in the low-carb movement, choosing fresh fruits and vegetables in place of processed fats and sugars. This adjustment helped him to lose 225 lbs. and he went on to have his own Food Network series called "Low Carb and Loving It."

Currently, Chef Stella makes appearances as a motivational chef and is actively involved in programs to bring about awareness of healthy eating habits in both children and adults.

"Forever coy, Chef Stella won't tell us what he plans to prepare," said Ewell Smith, executive producer of the Cook-Off and executive director of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board. "He has told us that he will be cooking with some of his state's signature seafood including wild caught Florida grouper, pink shrimp and blue crab."


A team of notables from the culinary world will judge the Great American Seafood Cook-Off, which will occur at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans during the Louisiana Foodservice Expo.

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 Association's Education Foundation that provides scholarships to up and coming culinary students.

Current sponsors include NOAA, Shell Oil, Tabasco, Southwest Cargo, Whole Foods Market, Old Bay, Wild American Shrimp, National Fisheries Institute, Gulf & South Atlantic Fisheries Foundation, Texas Shrimp, Maryland Seafood, Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation, New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau, Sheraton New Orleans Hotel, Coastal Living Magazine, Seafood Business Magazine, Wild Catch Magazine, Louisiana Cookin' Magazine, Culinary Concierge Magazine, Loubat Food Service Equipment, Savvy Gourmet, Louisiana Restaurant Association and Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board.

For more information, visit online at www.GreatAmericanSeafoodCookoff.com.