Creative cooks and chefs of all kinds will offer a taste of dishes rarely seen on chain restaurant menus Thursday night at the West Central Alabama chapter of the Alabama Wildlife Federation’s annual cook-off.

The event, which is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Alabama Farmer’s Co-op, is always a unique experience, board member Tim Wood said.

“There will be every kind of wildlife you can imagine cooked,” he said. “I would bet that somebody will have some alligator this year.”

Those who attend will be able to sample the dishes, which will be judged by a panel to determine which cooks will move on to the state competition.

Every year, Wood said those who drop by leave with a full stomach and a smile on their faces.

“It is an absolute blast,” he said. “There will be a lot of live auctions going on, live entertainment, food, drinks and other things.”

Though the event begins at 6 p.m., Wood said people are usually there by noon to prepare for an afternoon of cooking.

“There will be squirrel cooked, turtle soups, dove, rabbit and a lot of salt water fish,” he said. “You never know what you are going to see. We had one guy last year that was cooking pizza on a smoker.”

Tickets for the event are $50 per couple, and the event usually draws around 300 people.

Tickets are available at the co-op, Northside Animal Hospital, or at the door the night of the event.

Proceeds from the event, Wood said, go toward Lanark to assist with educational programs.

“Kids can come in and learn about conservation and wildlife,” he said. “They do a lot of hands-on activities like fishing, identifying animals and stuff like that. They always have a blast.”

For more information, visit www.alabamawildlife.org.

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