Announcing an Appetizing Line-up of Culinary Demonstrations

The 2006 Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival, October 7th & 8th, features a line up of great chefs and experts to demonstrate cooking and preparing fresh seafood. Demonstrations will feature the riches we have available on the Peninsula: lots of fabulous fresh seafood, paired with local produce and wine.

At the First Federal Education Pavilion, Pacific Northwest chefs will offer demonstrations for all levels of cooking ability, beginning with live crab and whole salmon, proceeding with step-by-step instruction on cleaning, filleting and preparation techniques, and finishing with mouth-watering, nutritious and beautiful appetizers and entrees.

Northwest Seafood paired with Chateau Ste. Michelle Wines will be prepared by John Sarich, Culinary Director of Chateau Ste Michelle Winery, whose enthusiasm and knowledge of the wines and food of the area is unsurpassed. He conducts cooking classes, wine and food tastings, wine dinners and special events throughout the US and internationally. He also presents training seminars and classes for wine and food professionals and aficionados around the world. Sarich founded Seattle's acclaimed Adriatica Restaurant, where he was selected by Esquire magazine as one of the country's "hot new chefs" and listed by The Seattle Times as one of the city's top five chefs. Chef Sarich also opened Dalmacija Ristoran in Seattle Pike Place Market, hosted the Emmy-nominated cooking show Taste of the Northwest for four years, published two books: John Sarich's Food & Wine of the Pacific Northwest (1993) and John Sarich at Chateau Ste Michelle (1997).

Brian Scheehser, Executive Chef at The Hunt Club in The Sorrento Hotel (Seattle), will present Quick Crab Crowd-Pleasers. Scheehser has been influencing Seattle cooking for over ten years, including television appearance on local stations, KCTS’s Chefs II, and PBS’s Flavors of America; and in publications such as Vanity Fair, Chicago Tribune, and Town & Country. Along with teaching public and private cooking classes, Scheehser also uses his skills in many community programs and charities. The Chef revels in making soups and touts fresh fish as his favorite feast: “I like to keep the food simple, with fresh ingredients, and a good, strong blend of textures.” Chef Scheehser will demonstrate how to clean and shell a cooked crab and then will prepare a Crab Salad with tomato vinaigrette and honey, as well as Dungeness Crab Potato Pancakes.

Enjoy a presentation of Chinese Crab with Chef Les Chan, of Victoria. As a cooking instructor, Chan injects humour into his culinary classes he teaches to sold-out crowds, bringing people from all walks of life who are interested in good health and good eating. Chan encourages personal failures and successes with cooking. Chef Chan will prepare Stir-Fried Crab with Ginger and Green Onion Sauce. If time allows, he will also whip up Stir-Fried Crab with Garlic and Black Bean Sauce.

Bill Boynton, Chef of Dupuis Restaurant in Sequim, Washington, describes himself as “an old salt.” After 32 years of commercial fishing, and cooking his catch aboard his ship, he has transferred his love of seafood and his cooking talents to the restaurant venue. In recent years he has become the highly-praised chef at Dupuis, a Peninsula trademark restaurant that has been serving Dungeness crab and delicious meals since 1920. Chef Bill will present Salmon: From Knife to Pan, including how to fillet and prepare a whole salmon to ready the fish for cooking, before preparing a quick salmon sauté.

Leonard Johnson, owner of Mystery Bay Seafood Catering will lead a demonstration entitled The Mysterious Oyster, providing the “how-to” of live oysters, including shucking technique, information on preparation, and an educational segment on issues affecting oyster harvesting, such as red tide and other environmental effects.

Joy Siemion, owner of Joy’s Wine Bistro in Port Angeles, will prepare several of her recipes, highlighting new bread and focaccia that she has developed in her restaurant. Together with her mother, Barbara Gooding, she will demonstrate Crostini with Crab Salad, an Open-faced Seafood Sandwich, and a Bread Salad.

Beth Schleve, presenting Crab “U”: Cleaning and Cooking, will share her expertise on the “how tos” of preparing live crab for cooking. Beth and her husband, Dan, are the owners of B & D Seafood. Dan has been in the seafood business for over 25 years. She describes herself as his “apprentice” and, as a result, has become a “darn good crab cleaner.”

A complete schedule of demonstrations is available at www.crabfestival.com or in the official Festival Program produced by Peninsula Daily News. For more information including transportation, accommodations, directions, and a complete schedule of events, please go to our website at www.crabfestival.org, e-mail info@crabfestival.org, or phone 360-457-6110.

The Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival is produced by Olympic Peninsula Community Celebrations, a nonprofit corporation, with generous community support from the City of Port Angeles, and the Port Angeles Chamber of Commerce. Festival Presenting Sponsors are: First Federal Savings and Loan, John L. Scott - Port Angeles, Peninsula Daily News, Red Lion Hotel Port Angeles, and Wilder Auto.