If you plan to attend Coast Day this year, don’t forget your appetite. A full lineup of seafood creations is on the menu.
Sponsored by the College of Marine and Earth Studies and the Delaware Sea Grant College Program, Coast Day will be held on Sunday, Oct. 5, rain or shine, at the University of Delaware's Hugh R. Sharp Campus in Lewes from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Culinary presentations will begin at noon, when Lisa Brisch of Dinner Thyme in Middletown, Del., will show guests how to make Thai shrimp curry. At 1:30 p.m., Betty Burleigh, chef and owner of Dinner is Served in Bear, Del., will demonstrate how to prepare Asian tuna with an oriental wasabi sauce. Wrapping up the agenda at 3 p.m. will be Lynn Hanna of It’s Simply Delicious in Wilmington, Del., who will demonstrate how to cook seafood enchiladas.
“The cooking demonstrations are a great way to learn new approaches to cooking seafood,” said Doris Hicks, seafood specialist with Delaware Sea Grant and organizer of all the seafood-related activities at Coast Day. “And since the recipes are usually easy to make, they’re something you can use at home.”
Two of Coast Day’s most delicious traditions also are on the schedule: the Crab Cake Cook-Off and the Seafood Chowder Challenge. Beginning at 11 a.m., the 19th annual Crab Cake Cook-Off will get started. Eight finalists will prepare their recipes in their quest to make “Delaware's Best Crab Cakes.” Judging takes place at noon, and the winners will be announced at 1 p.m.
The 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 Inc., 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, which is sponsored by the University of Delaware’s College of Marine and Earth Studies and the Delaware Sea Grant College Program, attracted 13,000 visitors in 2007 to celebrate Delaware’s coastal resources and experience innovative marine research. Admission and parking for the event are free.
For more information about Coast Day, visit www.deseagrant.org/coastday or call 302-831-8083. Additionally, the full lineup will be available through the event program, which will be posted on the above web site beginning Sept. 22.
To learn more about the Delaware Sea Grant College Program, visit www.deseagrant.org. For more about CMES, visit www.ocean.udel.edu.