The Cast Iron Cook-off at Chattanooga Market will be held Sunday in coordination with the Serve and Protect initiative of the Tennessee Aquarium; teaching locals more about healthy seafood choices that keep wildlife safe.

The chefs arrive in the morning armed with their preferred serving dishes and cooking utensils, but nothing more; the Market provides each chef with a pantry of basic items (salt, sugar, vinegar, etc), a mystery ingredient or two, and a modest budget (typically $60) so that they may shop the Market for the remaining ingredients they need to prepare their meal.  The “surprise” ingredient this year will be a sustainable seafood product to be determined in conjunction with the Tennessee Aquarium's Serve & Protect initiative. 

The chefs are provided about an hour of shopping time, where they can select the ingredients they choose from farms and local food providers at Chattanooga Market; there are no restrictions, other than all foods must be sourced from within the Market.  The ultimate goal is to showcase the abundance and variety of local foods in a way that is both entertaining and educational.

Guest emcees, Thom Benson and Anna George of the Tennessee Aquarium, will visit with each of the chefs as they cook to interview them, talk about the dishes they are preparing, why they chose those specific ingredients, what farms they shopped from and a mention or two about their restaurants.  The chefs will be cooking in Lodge Cast Iron cookware. 

Market patrons can have an intimate interaction with the chefs as they cook; they ask questions, observe the cooking methods, smell the aromas and basically become part of the event. The cooking portion of the event lasts about one hour.

During the final phase of the event, the chefs present their dishes to members of the tasting panel for judging.  The panel is asked to judge based on appearance, taste, creativity and overall impression. Both the runner-up and the new Cast Iron Chef are announced and awarded various cookware prizes supplied by Lodge Cast Iron. 

The chefs for the 2012 Cast Iron Cook Off:

John Palacio, Porter's Steakhouse
Charlie Loomis, Greenlife Grocery
Matt Marcus, Hennen's
Susan Moses, 212 Market
Andrew Millsap's Broad Street Grille
Chattanooga Market would like to recognize Cast Iron Cook Off sponsors, FiveStar Cooking Ranges and Lodge Cast Iron.

Recap of Schedule:

12 p.m. Chefs introduced and shopping begins

1-2 p.m. Live cooking demonstration

3 p.m. 2012 Cast Iron Cook off winner announced

Live music on the EPB stage for Sunday will be Courter, Clouse and King at 12:30 p.m. and Matthew Walley at 2 p.m.  Bios and photos of musicians can be found at ChattanoogaMarket.com, as well as other weekly information.

Kickin Chickin Raises Money For Chattanooga Endeavors

The Chattanooga Market hosted Chattanooga Endeavors Sunday for their 8th Annual Kickin Chickin event.  The event boasted six chicken wing restauranteurs: The Honest Pint, Magoos, R & V Wings and Things, Market Street Tavern, T-Bones and Keller's Grilled Wings. Over $6,000 was raised that day for the charity Chattanooga Endeavors.  The 2012 Judge's choice winning wings went to Market Street Tavern while the popular choice went to The Honest Pint.