If you’re a squash fan (the vegetable, not the game), there’s going to be a “Great Squash Cook-off” with twenty amateur Brooklyn chefs working to create a vegan dish with winter squash. It happens next Sunday (February 4) from 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm at The V-Spot in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The release promoting the event says, in part:

Squash, often overlooked in favor of ‘flashier’ produce, is starting to get noticed. In an effort to encourage home cooking and seasonal eating, a local holistic health counselor is teaming up with Park Slope’s only vegan restaurant, The V-Spot, to host The Great Squash Cook-off…The contenders include new takes on the traditional ( Drunken Squash Soup ), to the sweet ( Butternut Persimmon Pudding ), to the exotic ( Indian Squash Halva ). Dishes will be judged for taste, creative use of ingredient, presentation, and ease of preparation. The grand prize winner will receive $200 in cash as well as the honor of having their recipe featured on menu of The V-Spot.

The judges include an impressive list of local food authorities and restaurant owners, including Anna Lappé, author of Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen; Isa Chandra Moskowitz, author of Vegan with a Vengeance; Vikas Khanna, owner and consultant for some of the top Indian restaurants in New York City; KalaLea, co-owner of smooch, an organic café and wine bar in Ft. Greene; and Danny Carabano, owner of The V-Spot.

Admission of $15 includes samples of the entries as well as the ability to witness the inauguration of Brooklyn’s very first squash champ. For more information about the event visit www.cookinbrooklyn.com. Space is limited.

The V-Spot, which is one of our regular desert stops because it carries an excellent selection of vegan cakes, is at 156 5th Avenue in Park Slope.