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2008 Event Details
During this wonderful two-day event at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, great chefs from the United States and around the world shared their passion for fine dining and environmentally sustainable living in a two-day celebration.
Celebrity chefs—selected and recognized by the Aquarium for their leadership in promoting cuisine that protects the health of the ocean and the soil—created gourmet dishes, hosted food and wine adventures, and presented cooking demonstrations that featured sustainable seafood and organic ingredients. Details from the weekend’s events are featured below.
Friday, May 16
Cooking for Solutions Gala
A grand celebration with gourmet dishes prepared by our celebrity chefs and 55 outstanding local restaurants. Guests sampled organic and sustainable wines from 48 premium West Coast wineries and attended book-signings.
Silent Auction
Guests bid on a range of fabulous items including culinary travel adventures, works of art, and items for the kitchen. All proceeds benefited our Seafood Watch program.
Reception with Darina Allen & Alton Brown
The Aquarium auditorium and Portola Restaurant held an exclusive private reception with Honored Chef Darina Allen, plus special guest chef Alton Brown. Guests enjoyed wine and hors d'oeuvres, a lively talk and a cooking demonstration featuring Darina and Alton.
Saturday, May 17
Celebrity Chef Cooking Demonstrations
A variety of sustainable cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs John Ash, Stuart Brioza and Raghavan Iyer, and celebrity chef emcee Jim Dodge. Guests enjoyed a continental breakfast, and received take-home recipes by all the chefs.
Food & Wine Adventures
Six group events, all led by our celebrity chefs—explored aspects of sustainable foods on the farm and in the kitchen. Depending on the adventure, guests joined Darina Allen, Sam Choy, Michelle Bernstein, Doug Katz, Andrew Brown or Michel Nischan for a fascinating culinary exploration. Food and wine presentations and a gourmet picnic lunch were included.
A daylong celebration of sustainable dining. Guests sampled wild-caught Alaska salmon and organic treats and watched cooking demonstrations by noted chefs—including Joël Chenet, once the chef for the president of France and KGO's Gene Burns gave a live "Dining Around" radio broadcast. The Food Network's Alton Brown was the diver a special Kelp Forest show, and signed books afterward. Craft activities, kid-friendly cooking demonstrations, and lots of great information about the connection between food and the health of the planet rounded out the day.
Sustainable Seafood Challenge & Reception with Sam Choy, Darina Allen and Alton Brown
Five of our celebrated chefs raced the clock to create tasty (and sustainable) seafood dishes while Sam Choy offered lively commentary. This year's challenge featured Barton Seaver, Clark Frasier and Mark Gaier, Joël Chenet and Thom Fox. Sam Choy, Darina Allen and Alton Brown were the judges as the chefs competed for honors in one of four fun categories. Guests enjoyed wine and abundant hors d'oeuvres, and took home an autographed copy of one of Alton's cookbooks.
Watch a video of past gala and cooking demos to see why this is an event not to be missed.
Seafood Choices
All Cooking for Solutions events support the Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program, which works to change the seafood market in ways that preserve healthy ecosystems that sustain ocean wildlife.
Watch a
of past gala and cooking demos to see why this is an event not to be missed.
