4 p.m., Sept. 26, 2007--Savory wantons and zingy jambalaya will top a tasty menu of seafood creations at Coast Day 2007. If you plan to attend, be sure to bring your appetite.
Sponsored by the College of Marine and Earth Studies and the Delaware Sea Grant College Program, Coast Day will be held on from 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 7, rain or shine, at the University of Delaware's Hugh R. Sharp Campus in Lewes.
Beginning at 11 a.m., don't miss the excitement of one of Coast Day's most delicious traditions: the 18th annual Crab Cake Cook-Off. Under the seafood tent, eight finalists will prepare their recipes in their quest to make “Delaware's Best Crab Cakes.”
“The recipes, including the titles, are always creative,” said Doris Hicks, seafood specialist with the Sea Grant Marine Advisory Service and organizer of all the seafood-related activities at Coast Day. “This year, we have titles ranging from 'Superlious Crab Cakes' to 'Sherry's Shorely Sumptuous Crab Cakes.'”
Judging takes place at noon, and the winners will be announced at 1 p.m. The judges will be Lynne Laino, first-place winner of the 2006 Coast Day Crab Cake Cook-Off; Theresa Medoff, freelance writer; and Chris Moore, division chief of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries' Office of Sustainable Fisheries.
Culinary presentations will begin at noon in the Pilot Room of the Virden Center. First on the menu are seafood wontons with cilantro dressing. Learn how to make this tasty delight with chefs Lisa Brisch, owner of Dinner Thyme in Middletown, Del., and Lynn Hanna, who owns It's Simply Delicious in Wilmington, Del.
At 1:30 p.m., Betty Burleigh, chef and owner of Dinner is Served in Bear, Del., and chef Pat Kuhn, owner of The Eclectic Cook Personal Chef Service in Wilmington, Del., will present “Jambalaya.” Wrapping up the agenda at 3 p.m. will be chef Mark Saunders, owner of STR Chef for Hire in Wilmington, Del., and chef Jim Paladino, owner of The Fit Chefs in Rehoboth Beach, Del., who will demonstrate how to cook poached salmon with Asian vegetables.
Other seafood-related events will include a lecture on the NOAA's new web site “Fish Watch” [www.nmfs.noaa.gov/fishwatch/seafood_and_health.htm],which helps consumers make informed decisions about the fish they eat.
The annual Seafood Chowder Challenge begins at noon and features a friendly competition between the First State Chefs Association and the Delmarva Chefs and Cooks Association. Visitors will be invited to sample a 2-ounce portion of each association's chowder and then vote for their favorite. Clams, donated by Seawatch International in Milford, Del., will be the featured seafood in this year's chowders.
A large variety of seafood also will be available for purchase including crab cakes, seafood soups and chowders, and crab-cake and soft-shell crab sandwiches. Non-seafood items also will be available.
Coast Day attracts more than 10,000 visitors annually to celebrate Delaware's coastal resources and experience marine research.
A number of businesses, industries and organizations are sponsoring special exhibits and events at Coast Day, including Sunoco Inc., NOAA and DuPont Clear into the Future.
Admission to Coast Day is free; parking is $2. For more information, contact the UD Marine Public Education Office at 302-831-8083, or visit the Coast Day web site at [www.ocean.udel.edu/coastday].
Free bus shuttle service to and from Coast Day 2007 is being offered to University of Delaware students, employees and members of their immediate families on Sunday, Oct. 7. For more information, visit [www.udel.edu/PR/UDaily/2008/sep/buses092007.html].
Article by Elizabeth Boyle