Bermuda's first-ever "Master Chef Cook-Off,'' a week-long extravaganza of culinary competition, is currently readying for take-off.

Designed by its organisers -- the Bermuda Chefs Association, International Imports and Gosling Brothers Ltd. -- to simultaneously highlight the skills and talents of local chefs and raise some money for a local charity (in this case Meals on Wheels), the Cook-Off is the brainchild of Ms Karla Lacey-Minors, a promotion specialist for the Look Modelling and Talent Agency in Hamilton and a self-professed lover of food.

As engineered by Ms Lacey-Minors, the Cook-Off, which is to take place at International Imports between June 19 and 25, has been opened to all professional chefs on the Island and requires that they each produce at least two dishes.

The first, a main course, must incorporate one of the following Gosling-supplied products: Black Seal rum, Moreau chablis, Jose Cuervo tequila or J & B scotch.

The second, a dessert that is to be produced by the chef's home restaurant and will not be evaluated by Cook-Off judges, must similarly incorporate or be created to accompany Martini and Rossi's Asti Spumante.

In October, which has officially been declared "Dessert Month'' in the United States, each of the desserts and their chefs will be featured in a special media promotion by the organising parties.

The actual winner of the Cook-Off, moreover, will be awarded a number of food-related prizes, including a trophy that (organisers hope) will be handed over to future winners on a revolving basis, a "hat-shaped'' gold medal that the winning chef can keep, a trip to New York City for the 1995 Hotel-Motel Show in November, a 24-piece Forschner Group Victorinox gourmet knife set and a hand-engraved decanter of Edinburgh crystal.

More important than the prizes however -- each of the winners in the four spirit-based categories will also receive a medal -- is the cause that is being served and the talent that is being promoted, Ms Lacey-Minors said.

"Everyone wins with this,'' she told The Royal Gazette during a Cook-Off powwow at International Imports this week. "Everyone (who buys some of the 30 tickets a night for each of the six nights that the chefs will compete) will be able to sample some great food, the chefs themselves will get some recognition and the sponsors get exposure.'' Added Mr. Serge Bottelli, president of the Chefs Association and one of the various judges who will evaluate the recipes: "I see a big future for this contest.'' So far, one or more chefs from some 15 restaurants and hotels, including Ascots, the Chancery Wine Bar, Fourways, Lobster Pot, Once Upon A Table and Romanoff's, have committed themselves to the Cook-Off.

Of that number, more than half have chosen to centre their recipes around tequila -- a surprising development in the eyes of Mr. Bottelli, who expected most of the participants to work with wine -- while another four have chosen scotch, four more have decided on rum and two have chosen chablis.

A number of other chefs who have yet to be confirmed have indicated that they also may participate. The deadline for letting Cook-Off organisers know is today at 5 p.m.

With regard to the judges -- who will serve on alternating teams of three on each of the competition evenings -- the organisers have already enlisted the services of such notables as Mr. Bottelli, Tourism Director Mr. Gary Phillips, RG Magazine managing editor Mr. Chris Gibbons and Southampton Princess executive chef Mr. Eddie Gouret.

A representative from Meals on Wheels and another from the Chefs Association are also expected to serve on the panel.

In addition to hob-nobbing with master chefs and sampling some of their creations, meanwhile, each of the nightly audiences will also have its culinary capacities tested.

Guests at the Cook-Off, which has already generated a great deal of public interest, will be responsible for choosing the winning dessert on each of the evenings in question.

The overall winner of the Cook-Off will be announced on June 25 at Cafe Lido in Paget.

Like the Best Young Chef of Bermuda contest that was held two weeks ago at the Bermuda College, Mr. Bottelli, who also served as a judge at that competition, told The Royal Gazette , the Cook-Off recipes will be judged on the basis of such considerations as taste, presentation and overall creativity.

Also, Ms Lacey-Minors said, "It's important that the recipes can be adapted to the home kitchen. After all, we're trying to promote fine food here.'' Anyone who is interested in experiencing that fine food or requires any more information should call Ms Lacey-Minors at 295-6935.