NEW YORK, Aug. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Seafood From Norway, an international supporter of culinary education, advancement and achievement, is proud to announce the winners of its first annual Seafood Masters Awards competition. Culinary students throughout the country were eligible to submit recipes featuring Norway's superior quality salmon. Entries were judged by three of the nation's most celebrated seafood chefs including, Rick Moonen of Oceana, Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin and Marcus Samuelsson of Aquavit, all based in New York.

"Our trip to Norway was a great success, allowing today's most promising young seafood chefs the opportunity to explore why seafood from Norway is so spectacular," said participating chef Rick Moonen.

In recognition of their excellence, the four contest winners, accompanied by the celebrity chefs, enjoyed a one-week culinary and cultural tour of Norway before participating in extended apprenticeships in premiere Scandinavian restaurants. Additionally, Seafood From Norway has donated a scholarship to each of the winner's schools in an effort to encourage future star chefs to focus on seafood culinary excellence.

The culinary tour showcased an array of events to introduce the winners to Norway's impressive fishing industry. Events included a fishing-boat excursion guided by experienced locals, a deep-sea rafting trip, and a visit to a salmon farm in Lofoten, where they saw first-hand why the deep waters of Norway offer the perfect environment for the natural growth and development of the freshest seafood available. Another highlight provided the students with the unique opportunity to act as sous chefs to Rick Moonen and Eric Ripert, who were featured in front of the Norwegian press at the Culinary Institute in Oslo. The winners also enjoyed a dinner in their honor, hosted at prestigious Oro Restaurant, prepared by the acclaimed chef, Terje Naess -- a Bocuse D'Or Gold Medallist and former chef at Norway's only two-star awarded Michelin Guide restaurant.

The lucky winners of the "Seafood Masters Awards" were selected from four categories: appetizer, soup, salad and entree. The Seafood Masters judged the submitted recipes by conducting a visual, olfactory and taste inspection, as well as offering points for plating, flavor, technique and other. In addition to winning a trip to Norway, winners were awarded a personalized Seafood Masters Awards certificate. After carefully screening hundreds of submitted recipe entries which were then pared down to nine finalists, Seafood From Norway announced the 2001 Seafood Masters Award student recipe contest winners. The winners are: <> Appetizer Winner - Elizabeth Hollenbach of Johnson & Wales, Denver, CO Hollenbach apprenticed at Solsiden Restaurant

Soup Winner - Jodi Faley of Johnson & Wales, Denver, CO Faley apprenticed at Le Canard Restaurant

Salad Winner - Josh Sharkey of Johnson & Wales, Providence, RI Sharkey apprenticed at Oro Restaurant

Entree Winner - Felippe Bronze of the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, NY Bronze apprenticed at Feinchmecker Restaurant

"I feel privileged to have been chosen to participate in such an exciting and important contest and to be mentored by such acclaimed chefs," said Josh Sharkey a contest winner. "It is a true honor." Since participating in the Seafood Masters Awards, Sharkey has begun working with Rick Moonen at Oceana.

About Seafood From Norway Seafood From Norway is dedicated to promoting and increasing the awareness of Norway's superior quality seafood including, salmon, cod, and haddock. Seafood From Norway delivers the flavor, texture, and versatility that fits perfectly into a wide variety of global cuisine, creating an ocean of menu options for chefs and consumers. For more information about the Seafood Masters Awards and to view the winning recipes and photographs from the trip to Norway please visit http://www.seafoodmasters.com. More information about Seafood From Norway is available at http://www.seafoodfromnorway.com.