Chefs Battle It Out at the Culinary Clash with Mario Batali

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• Dana White and Emeril Lagasse were among the judges at the last Culinary Clash.
• Herb Wilson of SushiSamba works on one of the food trucks.
• The prize, a golden toque.
• Chefs from Lavo work on one of the food trucks.
• The judges from last week.
• Dishes for the chefs to use.
• Basics such as veggies and grains for the chefs to use.

Round two of the Venetian and Palazzo's Culinary Clash kicks off tonight at the Doge Palace in front of the resorts with Mario Batali himself serving as one of the judges.

Each chef from the resort faces off against another, eight in all, with half eliminated and the other half moving on to round three next week. Each chef will create a dish in 45 minutes from ingredients found moments before in a mystery basket. Food trucks will be on hand, serving as the kitchens for the event.

Last week, Emeril Lagasse served as one of the judges. Cameras inside the food trucks showed the chefs working away at their creations. The frenzy of cooking shows up on the video screen high above the Strip. In the center, a pantry of staples awaited use. Lagasse cat-called passersby on the Strip trying to entice them to join the festivities. UFC president Dana White even showed up to keep the contestants

Tonight the action kicks off at 10 p.m. Chefs on tap to face off include Stefan Peroutka of the Venetian and Palazzo, Nicole Brisson of Carnevino, Tommaso Tarantino of Valentino, Matt Harubin of B&B Ristorante, Herb Wilson of SushiSamba, Ronnie Rainwater of Delmonico Steakhouse, DJ Cheek of Tao Asian Bistro and Steve Aguglia of Aquaknox.

The event is free and open to the public. Each cooking battle will be highlighted with street entertainment, DJ music and an after-party provided by Tao.

The stakes? The winner receives a trip to Italy with a guest.

The festivities are all part of the Winter in Venice, a celebration of the winter holiday that runs through Jan. 6, 2013, at the Venetian and Palazzo.
· All Coverage of the Culinary Clash [~ELV~]