Anchorage, Alaska - The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) announced the lineup for the Great Alaska Seafood Cook Off. The six chefs selected to compete in the live cook off are:

* Christopher Vane - Crush Wine Bistro, Anchorage
* Aaron Apling-Gilman – Seven Glaciers, Girdwood
* Kristi Skaflestad - Chipper Fish, Hoonah
* Mary Helms - Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Anchorage
* Gil Turturici - The Chart Room, Kodiak
* Kevin Lane - Alaska Culinary Academy, Seward

The first ever Great Alaska Seafood Cook Off, hosted by ASMI, will take place on Monday, May 14, 2012. The event starts at 4 p.m. at the Anchorage Historic Railroad Depot in downtown Anchorage. Guests will take a scenic train ride down Turnagain Arm before arriving at the Bill Sheffield Railroad Depot located at the Ted Stevens International Airport for a night of great food and drink paired with fierce competition. During the live cook off, contestants will have an hour to prepare and plate a dish highlighting Alaska seafood. Their work will be judged by a panel of past Great American Seafood Cook Off contestants and culinary stars from Alaska and beyond. Local radio host Dave Stieren will be the emcee.

Sponsors of the event include the Alaska Railroad Corp., Alaska Airlines, Alaska Grown, Alaskan Brewing Co., J. Lohr Vineyards and Wines and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fish Watch. Judges for the event include Chef Christine Keff from the Flying Fish in Seattle, Chef Dan Enos from Oceanaire in Boston, Chef Erik Slater from the Resurrection Roadhouse in Seward, Naomi Everett from the University of Alaska Anchorage Culinary School and Alaska Chef Rob Kinneen.

The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute is a non-profit partnership of the State of Alaska and the Alaska seafood industry that promotes the wild, natural and sustainably managed seafood of Alaska.