Chef Michael Schlow To Represent Ma In Great American Seafoof Cook-off

CHEF MICHAEL SCHLOW TO REPRESENT MASASCHUSETTS
IN 2007 GREAT AMERICAN SEAFOOD COOK-OFF

Michael Schlow, executive chef and co-owner of four Boston culinary destinations, will represent Massachusetts at the fourth-annual Great American Seafood Cook-Off in New Orleans. Schlow 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, when the winner of this year's competition will be crowned. 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 Schlow is recognized as one of the leading chefs in the United States. A native of Brooklyn, his early career was spent in the New York metro area. In 1995, Schlow made his move to Boston where he helped shape the city's restaurant landscape. Along with business partner Christopher Myers, he opened Radius in January 1999, Via Matta in 2002, Great Bay in 2003 and most recently, Alta Strada in Boston's Wellesley suburb.

Chef Schlow participates in numerous benefits and charities and recently won a humanitarian award for his creation of A Dinner of Hope, a black-tie affair benefiting children with AIDS.

"I'm excited to welcome Chef Schlow to the Cook Off," said Ewell Smith, executive producer of the Cook-Off and executive director of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board. "He's a notable seafood chef, but has refused to hint at his recipe leaving us only anticipation for the big day."

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.

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