After a successful half-decade of our Alabama Seafood Cook-Off (ASCO), we’re switching things up again—and we think you’ll really like what we’ve got in store. Our sixth annual event will be held Wednesday, May 13th, and we’ve got a brand new location on tap. We’ll be right on the beach at the luxurious, newly reopened The Lodge at Gulf State Park! With an open terrace for cooking up amazing dishes and a spacious indoor ballroom for mingling and indulging—plus a front-row view of our beautiful Gulf Coast—we think it’ll be the perfect location for our culinary celebration. Now all we need is four talented chefs to compete for the crown. As in previous years, we’re seeking four chefs to face off in the Alabama Seafood Cook-Off, and the only qualifications are that you have to be an Alabama chef, and your recipe has to include Alabama Gulf Seafood product. Registration is now open through March 23rd, and we’ll be selecting our finalists by April 2nd. “In recent years, we have been so impressed with each chef’s unique culinary creation,” said Chef Jim Smith, Chairman of the Alabama Seafood Marketing Commission. “We look forward to welcoming new entries from across the state as we search for the sixth Alabama Seafood Cook-Off champion.” This year’s ASCO scoring will use the same criteria as in years past. Four chef teams (one lead chef plus one assistant) will be judged based on five factors: Presentation, General Impression, and Serving Methods; Creativity; Composition and Harmony of Ingredients; Correct Preparation and Craftsmanship; and Flavor, Taste, and Texture. Judges will be named at a later date, once we have our finalists. Once a champion has been crowned at the ASCO, our winner will go on to represent the state of Alabama at the 17th annual Great American Seafood Cook-Off (GASCO) in New Orleans this August. And we’ll be counting on them, too, because we haven’t brought home GASCO gold since Chef Jim Smith won it in 2011. “The Cook-Off is an exciting way to support Alabama’s seafood industry,” said Chris Blankenship, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and program administrator of the Alabama Seafood Marketing Commission. “Many Alabama chefs are showcased throughout this event, so we welcome any and all interested chefs to submit for their chance to battle for the title in May.” Registration won’t be open for long, so learn more and register today! And for those of you who are more interested in eating than cooking, we’ll have more information soon on tickets to the event. Stay tuned!