What’s cooking at the Canadian Culinary Championships

• The Canadian Culinary Championships, the finale of the nationwide Gold Medal Plates competition, take place Friday and Saturday in Kelowna

• The event features three major components: the mystery wine pairing on Friday night, the black box competition on Saturday morning and the grand finale gala on Saturday night.

• Gold Medal Plates and the Canadian Culinary Championships is a fundraiser for the Canadian Olympic Foundation, and supports programs like Own the Podium. Since the Gold Medal Plates was founded in 2003, more than $8.2 million has been raised.

• A handful of Olympians will be in attendance, including gold-medal freestyle skier Jennifer Heil, gold medal rower Adam Kreek and bronze medal swimmer Curtis Myden. For additional celebrity glam, there will be live music by Barney Bentall, Matthew Harder and Spirit of the West’s John Mann and Geoffrey Kelly.

• The judges are led by Toronto food writer James Chatto, and comprise some of the country’s top food and wine writers, including Vancouver’s Sid Cross and Andrew Morrison.

• As for the competing chefs, from coast to coast they are: Kristian Eligh, Hawksworth Restaurant, Vancouver Dave Bohati, Market Restaurant, Calgary Ryan O’Flynn, The Westin, Edmonton Chris Hill, The Delta Bessborough, Saskatoon Milton Rebello, Wascana Golf and Country Club, Regina Luc Jean, Jane’s, Winnipeg John Horne, Canoe, Toronto Patrick Garland, Absinthe Cafe, Ottawa Antonio Park, Restaurant Park, Montreal Renee Lavallee, The Canteen, Halifax Mark McCrowe, Aqua Kitchen/Bar, St. John’s, N.L.