DIMANCHE

Keith Frentz

by Mary-Devon Dupuy

Louisiana natives take a lot of pride in their seafood, but tomorrow afternoon at The Great American Seafood Cookoff, culinary artists from all over the country will put the Gulf to the test. Sixteen chefs hailing from Alaska to Kentucky will compete for number one, and the name of the game is sustainability. Captain Sig Hansen of the Northwestern Deadliest Catch will the event’s emcee, so foodies and reality show addicts alike can enjoy the show.

Event producer Ewell Smith of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board said that there is “no limit to what the chefs can bring, as long as it’s from the state and sustainable.” Sixteen chefs are signed up to compete, and Smith said that samples will be provided for audience members, although guests are not allowed to enter the adjoining trade show inside the Louisiana Food Service Expo.

Smith said the event is significant because it “showcases how important domestic seafood is to the United States.” Smith included that the U.S. is a nation built on fishing, as the people that settled the country were fisherman along the coast. “In Louisiana, we go back seven or eight generations, and we want to do everything we can to protect that culture,” Smith said. Representing Louisiana are Keith and Nealy Frentz, chefs at the restaurant Lola in Covington, Louisiana.

On Sunday, GASCO is giving some junior chefs a chance to shine. 4-H, the youth development program for kids in grades 9-12, partnered with GASCO last year for a regional cooking competition. Now, the winners from different parts of the country are competing against each other, and Smith said that he thinks the rookie chefs aren’t too far behind the well-seasoned veterans.

“These kids are going to be on the same stage, the same production as the professional. Last year at the regionals, some of these kids could have given the professionals a run for their money,” Smith said.

Smith said Saturday’s Cook Off is a must-see for foodies.

“It’s the most prestigious seafood competition in the United States, and it’s right in our backyard,” Smith said.

The event will begin at 11:30 tomorrow morning in Hall J of the Ernest Morial Convention Center. Tickets are $10 in cash at the door, but audience members can cut the price in half by purchasing ahead of time at any Whole Foods location in New Orleans or Baton Rouge.