Canadian Culinary Championships: A foodie’s delight
It’s on! This week in Kelowna, the best chefs have disembarked on our terrain to cook innovative dishes as we witness their skills put to task each day.
The finale will take place tonight, when the 11 gold medal plate winners from across the nation get whittled down to one — the Canadian culinary champion for 2017.
It’s Thursday evening at 7 p.m., and I arrive at the Laurel Building to attend the official welcome reception for the Canadian Culinary Championships. We are introduced to the judges, sommeliers, and the competing chefs with their team of sous chefs they brought with them, as well as students from our very own Okanagan College culinary course, who have been specially selected to assist on a team.
As I meander around the room, sipping and savouring the food and wine tasting stations hosted by local restaurants and wineries, I am feeling the excitement as the room fills up with journalists, photographers and foodies alike who have arrived from all over Canada to be involved with this event.
It’s time to meet the chefs and be introduced to the judges.
The attention is now focused on the stage, the music swells and all 11 chefs walk on and off the stage in a procession while founder The competitors for this year’s Canadian Culinary Championship taking place in Kelowna. The two-day event began Friday and wraps up tonight. and host Stephen Leckie sums up what the weekend events will entail.
We are then introduced to the chairperson, Judy Burns, and all the organizers who make this event run smoothly.
It’s now time to meet the judges, who each take a minute to express the importance of this event along with their own pearls of wisdom. Remarks like ‘be yourself on the plate.’ Winnipeg judge Barbara O’Hara says “don’t reinvent the wheel, stick to what you know.”
Regina judge C.J. Katz emphasizes on how this competition will change your life if you get on the podium to strive for a bronze, silver or gold.
Calgary judge Competing chefs: Representing British Columbia: Jesse McCleery, Pilgrimme, Galiano Island. Paired with: Sea Star Estate Farm & Vineyards 2015 Blanc de Noir Pender Island. Representing Edmonton: Eric Hanson, Prairie Noodle Shop. Paired with: Gruner from Culmina Family Estate Winery. Representing Calgary: Jinhee Lee, Foreign Concept. Paired with: Bartier Bros. 2014 Gewürztraminer, Okanagan Valley. Representing Regina: Garrett (Rusty) Thienes, Harvest Eatery and Fresh Market. Paired with: 2014 Dirty Laundry Kay-Syrah. Representing Saskatoon: Scott Torgerson, Radisson Hotel Saskatoon and Aroma Resto Bar. Paired with: 2014 Inniskillin Discovery Series Zinfandel, Okanagan. Representing Winnipeg: Jesse Friesen, Pizzeria Gusto. Paired with: Thirty Bench 2012 Riesling, Niagara, Ont. Representing Toronto: Amanda Ray, O&B Canteen. Paired with: Cave Spring Cellars 2015 ‘The Adam Steps’ Riesling, VQA, Beamsville Bench, Jordan, Ont. Representing Ottawa: Joe Thottungal, Coconut Lagoon. Paired with: Huff Estates Winery 2015 Riesling Off Dry Prince Edward County, Ont. Representing Montreal: Sophie Tabet, Chez Sophie. Paired with: Vignoble De L’Orpailleur 2014 Cuvée Natashquan, Que. Representing Halifax: Mark Gray, Battery Park Beer Bar & Eatery. Paired with: Ironworks Gin, Lunenburg, N.S. Representing St. John’s: Ruth Wigman, Oppidan. Paired with: Arrowleaf Cellars 2015 Gewürztraminer Okanagan Valley. JUDGES: National head judge: James Chatto. Kelowna: Perry Bentley. B.C.: Sid Cross, Andrew Morrison. Edmonton: Mary Bailey. Calgary: John Gilchrist. Regina: CJ Katz. Saskatoon: Noelle Chorney. Winnipeg: Barbara O’Hara. Toronto: Sasha Chapman. Montreal: Robert Beauchemin. Ottawa: Anne DesBrisay. Halifax: Ted Grant. St. John’s: Bob Arniel. John Gilchrist says ‘this is the culinary ironman competition.”
It’s finally time to meet the competing chefs. The volume of the room gets louder because the energy levels of their competitive spirit sparks a surge of adrenaline as the chefs begin to speak. Each competing chef introduced his or her self and their culinary team.
I see a trend emerging; these new cool kids of gastronomy look like they could be in a Brit-pop band or art school graduates, which fills me with wonder if that same attitude will be experienced on a plate.
Of all the chefs, one stands out in generous spirit and camaraderie: Garrett (Rusty) Thienes from Regina’s Harvest Eatery and Fresh Market. My eye is on him and a few others that interest me when I talk food to them. Chef Ruth Wigman, an executive chef at Oppidan in St. John’s NL, dons her Canadian Culinary Championships chef's jacket and receives her bottle of mystery wine Thursday at the Laurel Packinghouse.The bottle has no label and a non-descript cork. Each of the chefs competing is given a bottle of the same unidentified wine and had to create a dish with local ingredients for Friday evening’s Mystery Wine Pairing competition. The Canadian Culinary Champion-ships continue today with the Black Box competition in the morning, followed by the Grand Finale this evening.
Anna Jacyszyn is an award winning jazz singer and recipient of the Civic Honour of the Arts award, the Okanagan Arts award in Music. Email her at artafactevent@gmail.com.