A handful of times a year, a cast of superhero chefs gather at Catalina Offshore Products, for an amazing underground demo and dinner event, not only to showcase recipes, tips and tricks to cooking delicious seafood, but also to raise money for local causes and rockstar organizations that are changing people's lives.

The proceeds from this particular night went to the Chef Celebration Foundation of San Diego, who are assembling the next generation of chef avengers!

The chefs of the hour and what they cooked up.

Sam the Cooking Guy 
The 14 Emmy winning, "no foie gras or truffle oil, regular "cooking made easy" guy.

Matzo Brei with Lox and Caviar
Yellow Pepper Gazpacho with Grilled Shrimp
Sweet and Spicy Chili Opah

Matt Gordon
Owner and Chef at Urban Solace / Sea and Smoke / and Solace and the Moonlight Lounge

Spot Prawn with Mole and Burnt Tortilla Pesto
Monchong with Uni-Pea Puree and Meyer Lemon Confit
Fermented Chili Rubbed HiramasA with Korean Noodle

One of my favorite things about Collaboration Kitchen is the open space that allows guests to see some of San Diego's finest chefs, working hard behind the scenes, making food magic happen. Adding to the evening's repertoire, was also an up close whole fish deconstruction demonstration by resident fish monger, Tommy Gomes and Chef Ken. (Whenever I buy fish from Catalina OP, I always ask to keep the heads and if they have extras, because yum!)

The other lucky treat to the evening, was having Alesmith brewing provide specialty beer pairings with each dish.

Over the course of a couple hours, we laughed, learned a lot, ate good food, and best of all got to know the passionate people making our food and where our seafood came from.

So, how do you score a seat to this event? Prior to each event, Collaboration Kitchen and Catalina OP will post the date and details to their facebook, with a link to purchase tickets.  Click fast, because these seats sell out.

This is the first of a series of blog posts that I'll be doing on Collaboration Kitchen, each one will feature more about the food, and a personal QA with chefs and people from the events.

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HI Friends!
Check out some of the chefs, writers and friends from that evening.

Chef Sara Polczynski - The Blind Burro

Chef Miguel Valdez - Tabletop Commons (previously 100 Wines, when I first met him and got to hear about how he got started, his love for food, and that the food world is a small world where everyone knows Tommy)

Chef Billy "Butter" Joyce - Surf Side Cuisine

Chef Maria Hesse - https://about.me/maria.hesse

Sheen Fischer - North County Food (check out his awesome write up of this event).
http://northcountyfood.com/2015/06/03/collabo-who/