Derek Dammann Preps for Star-Studded Northern Chefs Alliance Event This Weekend

The next Northern Chefs Alliance event takes place this Sunday, August 17, at the Fish & Game farm in the New York Hudson Valley enclave of Claverack. The gonzo "Play With Fire" dinner will unite five chefs from Canada and five from the U.S. in a kind of affable, al fresco cook-off.

Aside from Montreal chef Derek Dammann (Maison Publique), the contingent from Canada includes Jeremy Charles (Raymonds, St. John's), Matty Matheson (Parts & Labour, Toronto), Rob Gentile (Buca, Toronto) and Lee Cooper (L'Abbatoir, Vancouver).

The U.S. side includes April Bloomfield (Spotted Pig, The Breslin, New York, NY), Matt Jennings (Townsman, Boston), Sean Brock (McCrady's, Husk, Charleston and Nashville), Jamie Bissonnette (Coppa, Toro, Boston and New York) and hosts Zakary Pelaccio, Jori Jayne Emde and Kevin Pomplun of Fish & Game.

A brigade of mixologists will be on hand as well.

Media sponsor Food Republic reports that the event will feature "five open fire pits and whole spit-roasted meats from local family farms." Chefs will pair off to cook a chosen ingredient and/or protein via a specific method.

Dammann will team up with Brock to cook vegetables over coals. Matheson will smoke a pig with the Fish & Game crew. Bloomfield and Charles will whip up some seafood. Cooper and Bissonette will rotisserie poultry and Gentile and Jennings will serve lamb or goat.

Guests can mingle with the chefs throughout the 175-acre property as of 3:30 p.m. "until the fires burn out."

Tickets start at $250.

· Northern Chefs Alliance in Hudson Valley [Friends of the Farmer]
· All Derek Dammann Coverage [-EMTL-]