Cooking for Solutions 2012 at Monterey Bay Aquarium with 70 chefs, 60 wineries

Monterey Bay Aquarium is holding its annual Cooking for Solutions on May 18-20, 2012. The three-day event supports the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program, which empowers seafood consumers and businesses to make choices for healthy oceans. Browse the fabulous Seafood Watch web site — a wealth of resources.

Cooking for Solutions includes a variety of events, beginning with a sold-out gala on Friday night. Several events on Saturday and Sunday are also sold out, but there are some that you can still attend, and event organizers invite you to “savor sustainability” with more than 70 chefs and 60 wineries.

One highlight of the weekend is the all-day sustainable foods information fair, held both Saturday and Sunday in the aquarium galleries and on the Great Tide Pool deck. This is a bargain – it’s included with regular Aquarium admission! It features a Whole Foods Marketplace and a Kids’ Zone, too. You can learn about sustainable seafood, organic agriculture, and “earth-friendly winemaking” at various information booths. Local growers and food artisans will be present to speak with you, and you can attend “talk and taste” demonstrations with culinary experts on the deck. See cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs including Sam Choy, chat with the Whole Foods Market Seafood Team to get tips on selecting and preparing seafood, and learn about local olive oil, produce, cheese, honey, ice cream and other treats. Want more? Visit chef Hákon Már Örvarsson at his station and taste samples of Icelandic seafood.

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