Chef Demonstration Stage

11:00 – 12:00 pm 

The Great Spicy Northwest

Chef Chris Plemmons, Two Snooty Chefs, Port Orchard, WA

Come and watch one of the Two Snooty Chefs as Chef Chris Plemmons demonstrates the many uses of spices that can be incorporated with the ingredients of the Pacific Northwest.

About the Chef:

Chris Plemmons, CEC, is known for his extraordinary talent not only in creating the most sumptuous and memorable meals, but for sharing this talent with others. A founding partner of the Two Snooty Chefs gourmet seasoning company, Chef Plemmons is also the former owner of Christopher’s at the Inn at the Manor Farm Inn in Poulsbo, Washington. He is a 1988 graduate of the Western Culinary Institute.

12:00 – 1:00 pm 

Back to the Future Comfort Foods: Past Favorites Revisited

Chef Amadeus, from The Food Network’s Extreme Chef

Food Network devotees will instantly recognize Seattle’s own Chef Amadeus. In this segment, Chef Amadeus will reconstruct old favorites and menu pleasers from the past with the contemporary spin of using ingredients that are local and easy to acquire.

About the Chef:

Chef Amadeus, winner of the Food Network’s Extreme Chef “Mexican Showdown” is well known on both the east and west coasts for his brand of World Fusion. Originally from Philadelphia and having worked in Jacksonville, Florida, Chef Amadeus has since moved out west and made a name for himself in the Seattle area. He has also created his own blend of salt-free spices called Southern Passion.

1:00 – 2:00 pm 

Simple Ingredients, Northwest Inspired

Chef Tamara Leibfarth, Simply Thyme Catering, Vancouver, WA

Salmon is one of the most popular and sustainable varieties of fish abundant to the Pacific Northwest. Watch how Chef Tamara Leibfarth transforms this ingredient into a succulent splendor for the plate and palette.

About the Chef:

Chef Tamara Leibfarth, CEC, is co-owner of Simply Thyme Catering, which provides social and corporate catering services in the Portland-Vancouver metro area, as well as aviation catering to private jets flying from Portland International Airport. She currently sits on the board for the Clark County Skill Center Culinary Program, and is a past Oregon Chefs de Cuisine Society of Portland Vice President.

2:00 – 3:00 pm 

Arctic Char with Dill Sauce

Chef Laurel Khan, Mackinaws, Chehalis, WA

This dish is a filleted and pine boned Arctic Char (a fish sourced locally from a responsible farmer) topped with a lemon dill sauce, and served with Gratin potatoes (fresh thyme and BelGioioso parmesan cheese) and a local seasonal vegetable.

About the Chef:

After graduation from Western Culinary, Chef Khan went to work at TRU in Chicago. She then had a stint with Stu Stein in Portland. Having family in Chehalis Washington, called her back. She now owns and runs her restaurant, Mackinaw's, while raising three teenage boys and has been successful for over 5 years. Her hard work has paid off and Mackinaw's is well known for sourcing form local farmers and being a favorite dining stop along the I-5 corridor.

3:00 – 4:00 pm 

Sustainable Mediterranean

Chef Darin Harris, Boccata Restaurant, Centralia, WA

The warmth and flavors of the Mediterranean region are world renowned. In this segment, Chef Harris will demonstrate a variety of Mediterranean inspired cuisines using local and sustainable foods from the Pacific Northwest.

About the Chef:

Darin Harris is executive chef and owner of Boccata, a quaint Mediterranean restaurant in historic Downtown Centralia. He began his professional career 25 years ago training in classical Italian procedures in fine dining restaurants including Ristorante Toscana, Ristorante Mama Melina, and Serafina.

He continued his mastery of Mediterranean cuisine as a prep cook, sauté and pastry chef, and kitchen and restaurant manager throughout Seattle. In 2004, he realized his lifelong dream by opening Boccata where he now creates an authentic, healthful menu using hand-selected ingredients.

11:00 – 12:00 pm 

A Blast From the Past

Chef Dan Thiessen, Walla Walla Culinary Institute, Walla Walla, WA

Come watch Chef Thiessen transform freshwater seafood from the northwest into succulent treats for the palate and plate. Included will be plates such as Idaho Trout, Sturgeon and Catfish, and methods utilized will including smoking, searing and grilling.

About the Chef:

A native of Washington State, “Chef Dan” as he is known has worked in some of the highest profile restaurants in Seattle and around the world. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, his culinary travels have included stops in Switzerland, and here in the States, in both Aspen and Coeur d’ Alene prior to landing in Seattle. His highly publicized Seattle career has included teaching at the Art Institute of Seattle, Executive Chef for the Space Needle, The Golf Club at Newcastle, Chandler’s Crabhouse, Salty’s Restaurant Group and Chef & Owner of The 0/8 Seafood Grill & Twisted Cork Wine Bar. He is presently the Director of Culinary Arts at Walla Walla Community College.

12:00 – 1:00 pm 

Rabbit: Nutritious, Delicious and Versatile

Chef Erick Swenson, Pacific Lutheran University

Rabbit is one of the most nutritious and sustainable meats available. Learn why this is, how to break down a rabbit and several ways to cook it.

About the Chef:

Chef Erick Swenson has enjoyed cooking since his first job in a small North Seattle Italian Restaurant. After graduating from Pacific Lutheran University with a music degree Erick returned to food service getting his Culinary Arts certificate from Bates Technical College in Tacoma, WA. Erick worked in restaurants and hotels until 2006 when he returned to Pacific Lutheran University. He currently holds the title of Sous Chef for Dining and Culinary Services and enjoys creating menus, recipes and sharing his rich culinary background with staff and students alike.

1:00 – 2:00 pm 

Greens and Beans

Chef Gordon Stewart, Gordon’s on Blueberry Hill, Whidbey Island, WA

With a style that is sometimes hearty and always creative, this segment features Chef Gordon Stewart teaming up with local farmer Georgie of Willowood Farms. Together, they will create a dish that utilizes seasonal greens and Chef Georgie’s well known dried Rockwell beans, which are something of a local treasure well known on Whidbey Island.

About the Chef:

As a practitioner and messenger for the use of local and sustainable products to create unique culinary experiences for both novice and sophisticated diners, Chef Stewart is a full believer in what he terms as the magical combination of friends, family and food. Getting an early start working in the kitchen of a local hospital at the age of 14, Chef Stewart would later apprentice under several local chefs before undertaking a “culinary pilgrimage” to the French Quarter of New Orleans to work at childhood hero Paul Prudhomme’s famed Kay Paul. He would later head the kitchen at Arlington, Washington’s The Bistro before going into business as a co-owner at his own establishment, Gordon’s on Blueberry Hill, one of Whidbey Island’s premier dining experiences.

Georgie Smith (Georgie) is owner and proprietor of Willowood Farms on Whidbey Island. A leader in the state’s farm-to-table movement, Georgie’s family has been living on and farming the same property since the 1890’s. Georgie has reinvigorated her family’s tradition of farming with new emphasis on sustainable and organically grown practices and direct marketing techniques that have sparked a revitalization of small family farms across the United States.

2:00 – 3:00 pm 

The Northwest Seafood Challenge Cook Off

Oregon vs. Washington

State pride is on the line! This segment is knock-down, drag-out culinary battle between two top notch competitors representing Washington and Oregon. Chef Kerry Salas from Seattle’s Place Pigalle and Chef Erol Kanmaz from Oregon’s Timberline Lodge mix it up for bragging rights, and for the privilege of wearing the “Best Seafood Dish” crown. Come and see who will reign supreme in this seafood challenge cook off.

Hosted by the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission.