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James Waller, executive chef for the Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa on Cannery Row in Monterey took the honors of the festival's second "Garlic Showdown," Gilroy's iron chef competition that pitted four culinary masters in a heated battle for the prize, a $5,000 check and, of course, garlic - 1,000 pounds of fresh Christopher Ranch garlic.

The other competitors, Ryan Scott, executive chef for San Francisco's Mission Beach Cafe, Mark Ayers, executive chef for Highlands Inn and Hyatt Regency in Monterey and Christopher Preyale, executive chef for Fourntaingrove Golf and Athletic Club in Santa Rosa, each received $500 for their efforts Sunday.

The chefs, and their sous chefs, are presented with a variety of ingredients, from meats and vegetables to spices and other staples, and had an hour to concoct culinary delights sampled by a panel of judges.

All the chefs acknowledged the importance of the sous chef, with Waller sharing a laugh with his, Saul Romero, as he answered a question from the audience about the role of the assistants.

"What do sous chefs do? Anything the chef doesn't want to," he quipped.

The four master chefs, two sponsored by Bay Area radio stations, provided their own cookware, utensils and spices for the tournament, but did not know until a scant 20 minutes before the stopwatch started ticking away their one hour preparation time what other ingredients they would be working with, except that garlic would play a major role.

The bleachers surrounding the stage on three sides were filled to capacity, with stragglers filling the openings at either side, as the chefs and their assistants quickly assessed the ingredients and exchanged rapid-fire instructions, plotting the quickest way to create a masterpiece that would incorporate not only King Garlic, but the fresh vegetables, including asparagus, vine-ripe tomatoes, a rainbow of peppers, lentils and potatoes, to compliment the beef and lean pork tenderloins.

"One of the things I want to do now is go to their restaurants, try their food on their home turfs," said Salinas resident Anita Dale.

Festival President Ed Struzik was permitted to taste Prevale's ancho chile sauce, pronounced the creation "really nice," but said also he likes more heat.

"I think it's great to see these guys creating from scratch, basically just waking up to a surprise and then coming up with these wonderful creations," he added.

Knives flashed in the sunlight, as the white-coated chefs and their assistants rapidly sliced vegetables and meats, and the intensity of the contest built as the minutes ticked away, with periodic warns about elapsed time. Sauces were energetically whisked to perfection, as risottos were tossed and fritters fried, chefs wiping heated brows as festival volunteers ran to and fro with offers of icy bottled water, the shaded stage area steaming with ovens and stovetops adding to the heat of the day.

Contest host Don DeLorenzo kept the crowd, which easily topped 300, entertained as the cooking and prepping progressed, asking for questions from the audience and highlighting unique techniques employed by the chefs.

Event judges wandered around the stage as the chefs busied themselves and later were the ultimate beneficiaries as they tasted the results of the chefs' efforts.

"All the chefs were fabulous, to come up with two entrees in an hour, well, they just did a wonderful job, and I was delighted to be able to taste all their creations," said Laura McIntosh, host, executive producer and co-creator of the television show "Bringing it Home with Laura McIntosh.

The "Iron Chef" title is nothing new to Waller, who has prepared state banquets for Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Henry Kissinger and other dignitaries. He has reigned as executive chef at the Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa since 1997.

Marilyn Dubil Marilyn Dubil covers Morgan Hill education and public safety for South Valley Newspapers. Send her an e-mail.