NW Natural Kitchen Stage

A celebration of the local flavors and talent we are blessed to enjoy in this bountiful region. Daily cooking demos and delicious tastings!

NW Natural Kitchen Stage Schedule

M e e t    t h e    C h e f s

Chef Daniel Brophy - Herbs & Produce

Saturday & Sunday

12 noon & 1:30 pm

With 32 years in food service, from dishwasher to executive chef, Chef Daniel Brophy's experience includes teaching, cateing, private chefing, working for large corporations, individual owners and recipe R&D, as well as menu design and extensive costing. Certified Culinary Educator, Chef Brophy currently teaches at Oregon Culinary Institute. Member of Chef's Collaborative and Oregon Tilth, Chef Brophy is a Master Gardner, mushroom forager and edible inner tidal specialist! He was the 2003 Instructor of the Year at WCI and a member of winning ACF and LeCordon Bleu Schools Professional Knowledge Bowl Teams in '03 and '04.

Charlie Slate - Sustainable Seafood

Friday @ 2:30pm

Saturday & Sunday @ 3:00pm

Charlie Slate has been a Northwest resident for 35 yearswith 15 years restaurant experience in Portland. Currently Charlie owns a private catering business specializing in local seafood. He's spent 20 years in the Seafood industry including; Commercial fisherman, processing, buying, sales and distribution. Charlie has worked with tribal fishermen in Oregon, Washington and Alaska and developed in-house sustainability programs for two major distributors. He's taught sustainable seafood classes at a local culinary school and is a consultant for seafood sustainability issues for restaurants and distributors.

Chef Al Chase - Vegan

Friday @ 4:00 pm, Saturday @ 4:30 pm

Chef Al Chase is a 1979 alumnus of the Culinary Institute of America, and LLCAI who combines decades of classical culinary artistry with 17 years of experience in the Organic, Plant-based Cuisine realm! As the founder of Culinary Awakenings, he provides trainings, custom programs and consultations for traditional food pros, emerging chefs, eco-businesses and the general public who desire to expand their vegan options. Chef Al's upbeat teaching style emphasizes organic, whole foods and a farm-to-the-table approach to preparing food. Along with his wife Donna, their goal is to "build community one delicious plate at a time!"

Chef Margaret Sanger - Sweets

Saturday @ 6:00 pm

Margaret Joyce has been cooking all of her adult life but has in the last four years expanded her cooking talents into doing demos and dinners for Dacor Appliances. As a demo chef it has been her responibility to demonstrate the benifits and features of the Dacor Appliance line to the general public showcasing how easy it is to get resturant quality food in your own home. Margaret demonstrates the use of Dacor appliances in Appliance Store showrooms throughout the Northwest. She is called upon to cook educational Dacor Dinners to demonstrate Dacor's superior convection system. She also cooks for Trade Shows and special events sponsered by trade organizations. Margaret's favorite thing is to help someone see how easy it is to make great food using Dacor's amazing convection technology.

Get Smart with Smart Energy

NW Natural was a company before Oregon became a state in 1859.  When you’re in business that long, you get used to thinking long term.   And because we want to keep serving customers in the Northwest for another 150 years, we always think in terms of sustainability. 

That means we are always asking ourselves: How can we sustain the health of our company and its employees?  And what can we do to ensure the continued health of local communities, our regional economy and the environment that supports us all?  

You probably know that we’re dedicated to energy efficiency.  Through our partnership with Energy Trust of Oregon, we’ve helped our customers save money and energy, 

So what have we done for the environment lately?  

In 2007, we became the first gas-only utility in the nation to offer customers a carbon offset option – called Smart Energy.  By contributing to Smart Energy, you can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from dairy farms – and offset the carbon dioxide emissions from your own use of natural gas.  Biogas projects supported by Smart Energy also can help farmers protect rivers and streams from animal waste and create a practical alternative energy source. 

So how can you stay warm and comfortable this winter while doing your part to protect the environment? 

First, use energy wisely.  Install high-efficiency equipment whenever possible and make sure your home is weatherized.  Visit energytrust.org for tips on conservation and weatherization.