Outfitters are raising the stakes, and steaks, on rafting by placing added emphasis on food preparation and cooking. Now you can hone your culinary skills while also whitewater rafting.

Professional chefs are joining ROW Adventures for foodie trips down Oregon's Grande Ronde River and Idaho's Salmon River.  Participants in their cooking adventure will learn all the tricks of Dutch Oven cooking with a focus on regional Northwest fare such as wild salmon, Pacific oysters, huckleberries, Idaho potatoes, mushrooms, apples and other fresh seasonal fruit, etc. ROW Adventures is excited to celebrate their second year of offering our cooking adventure, The Culinary Whitewater Rafting Series in 2010, combining hands-on learning of campfire and Dutch Oven cooking focused on Northwest Regional Fare. Participants will be taught by ROW Adventures' talented guide staff as well as a skilled chef to learn how to prepare gourmet meals in the wilderness. The skills learned can be used in for backyard cooking, on car camping trips, or other outdoor scenarios.

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For those with a passion for great food, exquisite wine and a palate for adventure, O.A.R.S. Wilderness Gourmet Culinary Adventure series brings a traditional culinary classroom setting to the Wild & Scenic Rogue River. If the idea of learning how to prepare world-class cuisine while pairing it perfectly with a glass of superb wine sounds intriguing, imagine doing it along the banks of a world-class river in a renowned wilderness area, topped off with instruction from a celebrated gourmet chef.

Chef Bob, as he's affectionately known by his patrons, will accompany our September 1st – 4th trip on the Wild and Scenic Rogue River in Oregon. Just a short drive from the renowned Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, our Wilderness Gourmet trip on the Rogue will include instruction on how to prepare black pepper rosemary broiled prawns, a crisp dinner salad, pan-seared filet mignon with a Jack Daniel’s reduction sauce, seasonal vegetables and a porcini risotto along with a variety of other Chef Bob specialties. Featured wines for our Rogue River culinary adventure trip will include an eclectic selection of California, Oregon and Washington wines hand selected by Bob’s wife and loveable bartender, Mary Anderson.

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Not confident in your culinary ability? Just remember, in the wilderness everything tastes great.