Charleston Marriott to Host Cast Iron Cook-Off Jan. 24

The Collaborative for 21st Century Appalachia, a non-profit organization formed to help West Virginia farmers and West Virginia chefs work more closely together, is conducting its annual Cast Iron Cookoff at Charleston Town Center Marriott Jan. 24.

Fourteen, 10-person culinary teams, with eight of the team members being amateur cooks are led by one of the region’s finest culinary talents and their sous chef. The teams will prepare a four-course meal prepared with West Virginia grown and raised products. The meal menus and recipes were developed by each team’s chef, judged by hospitality industry and agri-business leaders.

Beyond the actual competition on Saturday, the cookoff weekend features other unique events. Friday night, the Tastes from the Mountains is a dine-around culinary tour. West Virginia’s Departments of Agriculture and Tourism will join to highlight local farm products being featured in delectable gourmet hors d’oeuvres from around the state. In addition to Saturday’s competition, will be the Mountain Fair with artisans, traditional and folk musicians, wool spinners and weavers, storytelling and a cast iron museum.

The Cast Iron Cook-Off, the signature event of the collaborative for the 21st Century Appalachia, emphasizes all aspects of the organization’s mission: preserving Appalachian folkways, creating a broad recognition for regional cuisine and sustaining the family farm and rural community. The public is invited to participate in the cookoff. For more information on this exceptional culinary event go to www.castironcookoff.org or www.wvfarm2u.org.