Whose cuisine will reign supreme?

The Food Network's version of must-see TV, "Iron Chef" and "Iron Chef America," has been huge in helping Americans get a taste for cooking. Today we have countless cooking shows, cooking schools and cookbooks designed to appeal to the growing ranks of amateur and professional chefs.

The same food craze can be found in the Mid-Valley. Our readers love food - not just to eat but to prepare, study and share. We even held our own "Iron Chef" cook-off last year, and people loved every second of it.

Well, it's back! Beginning at 6 p.m. Saturday in downtown Yuba City, two local chefs will vie for the title of Mid-Valley Iron Chef.

Tom Goudie, co-owner of Grills for All Seasons in Yuba City, will face-off with Philip Scott, co-owner of A Noble Chef in Gridley. Both of these talented chefs have been professionally trained. I was amazed at the level of skill these two culinary artists possess.

Graduating with honors, Tom chose Roseville IT Culinary Arts School to receive his main training. His internship was at The City Cafe in Yuba City where he gained, in his own words, "a real education."

I asked Tom about his passion for food.

"My passion for cooking comes from around the world, and I love to cook indoors and out," he said. "There is nothing that can be cooked indoors that cannot be cooked outdoors. Sauces are probably the one thing I love the most, especially reductions of all kinds."

Philip joined the U.S. Coast Guard after high school. He later attended the culinary arts and food and beverage management program at Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island, where he earned three degrees.

Philip's experience fuses into a full-spectrum of practical knowledge of artisan techniques and skills. He has studied enology for several years and has developed a refined palate to select the perfect wine for each of his recipes.

"I try to continuously raise the bar for quality and customer satisfaction as a personal chef," Philip said of his future goals. "I would also like to market my growing collection of marinades and sauces."

Come Saturday evening, the heat will be turned up on these Mid-Valley chefs and their support teams. They'll prepare four recipes each, including those shown below. There will also be a salsa competition starting at 5 p.m. as part of the Harvest Festival in downtown Yuba City.

You will not want to miss this exciting evening of culinary delights. Turn off the TV, put down the remote and come see for yourself whose cuisine will reign supreme.

Tom Goudie's Spinach Salad with Walnuts, Pears and Blue Cheese

2 Bartlett pears, peeled and halved

2 ounces extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup walnuts

1 small shallot, minced

1 ounce balsamic vinegar

3 ounces extra virgin olive oil

Salt and black pepper to taste

12 ounces baby spinach, cleaned

6 ounces crumbled blue cheese

Toasted walnuts

Dressing, enough dressing to coat

Putting it together

Marinating and searing pears

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine the pears with the olive oil and garlic and allow to marinate for at least an hour or up to a day ahead.

Once the pears have marinated, sear them in a hot saute pan (no need to add oil) until they are caramelized on the surface and then remove them from the pan.

Place the pears in a pan, put them in the preheated oven and cook until tender. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool before using for the salad.

Roasting the walnuts

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Place the walnuts in the oven on a baking sheet and bake until the walnuts just begin to color inside (approximately 10 to 15 minutes). Taste walnuts or check the inside to determine if they are done.

Once the walnuts color, remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Making vinaigrette

Combine all ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Set aside and use to dress salad just before serving.

Assembling the salad

When ready to serve, dress the spinach with 3/4 of the vinaigrette in a mixing bowl and place on plates.

After dressing the spinach, slice the pears 1/4-inch thick and dress with the remaining vinaigrette and arrange around the spinach.

Crumble the blue cheese and toasted walnuts over the salad and serve.

Yield: Six four- to five-ounce portions

Philip Scott's Black Walnut Soup

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons sweet, unsalted butter

2 tablespoons white, unbleached flour

Salt and fresh-ground cayenne pepper to taste

5 cups chicken or beef stock

1/2 cup lightly roasted black walnuts, chopped

1/4 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons sour cream

1/4 tablespoon thyme, rubbed into the soup between palms (more if using fresh thyme)

1/2 cup tart red cherries, pitted and drained

Putting it together

Melt butter in large saucepan. Stir in flour, salt and cayenne and continue stirring into a roux. Pour in the stock and whisk until boiling and slightly thickened.

Stir in walnuts and bay leaf and simmer, partly covered for 15 minutes. Add the cream, sour cream and rub the thyme into the pot. Simmer two minutes.

• Cook's Note: Serve hot. This is an excellent first course to precede game, duck or lamb shanks. Serves four to six people.