Top Chef Canada Season 2: episode 13: Chef Carl Cuts Compettion

We know that you know that Chef Carl Heinrich took the title of Top Chef Canada but we just wanted to point out that we did kind of call it some time ago. Everyone is talking about self-promotion in social media these days so we are also going to point out that we also called it last year when Chef Dale McKay took the title. We said it before, the skills competition is a really good gauge of who would make it to the final. With Carl taking the skills challenge and a steady performance throughout we kept saying he was the safe bet even though it did seem like anyone’s game going into the final. Heinrich might not have been the flashiest Chef in the kitchen but he was certainly steadiest with 5 wins and only two bottom finishes towards the end of the series when the field is so narrow bottom finishes seem inevitable. We also think the Producers like to throw the top contenders in the bottom a few times just to put a bee in their bonnet. Remember how pissed off Dale McKay looked when it would happen to him? 

We were really glad that David Chrystian was brought back for the final competition. Any Chef that can make  and win a challenge with duck liver ice cream with cherries and wild rice is obviously a brilliant and creative mind. In the final, Chrystian’s dessert also drew praises from the judges. The dish, an homage to Toronto’s Kensington market, was a candy coated Al Waxman Ham, seriously, Chystian made a sweet corn pudding (he dish used corn instead of cream) with sage and dark chocolate truffles and raw chocolate nibs. The idea for corn pudding came from the Restaurant Wars episode when judge Susur Lee criticized his corn soup for being too sweet. Chrystian took the criticism and came up with the idea for the dish as a dessert. Just another example of how enjoyable it was to watch his mind at work in the kitchen.

Trevor Bird seems reborn with his appearance on Top Chef Canada. The show seemed to re-kindle his passion, creativity and inspiration as the Chef rocked out some top dishes on the show. Professionally, Bird left his “corporate” job as a hotel Chef to open his own restaurant. “Regardless of what happens today [final competition] I’m quitting my job.” 

David Korecki, the passionate bandana sporting Chef with fierce Asian chops looks the part of a star. Considering he is an Ottawa based Chef with a top 4 finish on Top Chef Canad he is already big fish in our Nation's capital.

We are of course already looking forward to the next season of Top Chef Canada but in the meantime we have lots to write about with Montreal's summer swinging into high gear. Also keep in mind that your Top Chef Canada season 3 application has to be received by June 19^th

Top Chef Canada Season 2: Episode 12: Judges nail Chrystian

We are sad that Chef David Chrystian is gone and will not be around for the finale because it has been one wild ride. Chrsystian showed a rather unique crash and burn style in the Top Chef kitchen. Amazing and on top with one dish or bad and on the bottom with another. Some great dishes of late included his Chicken Soup Terrine, a Fire Roasted Fish (he is allergic to fish) and a Kraft Dinner Grilled Cheese. Chrystian may not have earned the title of Top Chef but he did take the KD crown. . Once again if you have missed his Top Chef Canada audition video it is worth watching. Chef Chrystian makes a Turducken Tower, inspired by the CN Tower, and really shows off his unique style and approach to cooking. We also liked the fact he says his favorite Chef is Martin Picard. We think a culinary pilgrimage to his restaurant at the Drake Hotel in Toronto seems rather inevitable.

With the show going into the finale we think it will be very exciting because it is really anyone’s game. Here are our impressions of the remaining Chefs going into the finale.

Trevor Bird (2 Quickfire wins): Regardless of the outcome of Top Chef his post show endeavors has Bird following his lifelong dream of opening his own restaurant: Fable. His kitchen staff includes fellow competitor Curtis Luk. The concept of Fable is from farm to table and the concept was born during this season’s episode of Restaurant Wars. The Top Chef experience has definitely been an inspiration to the Chef who really seems to be enjoying the cooking challenges. This new found enthusiasm and passion in the kitchen might be the added advantage in taking the Top Chef title.

Jonathan Korecki (2 Quickfire & 2 elimination wins): Korecki's soup has not become Connie DeSousa’s sausage because the judges have not yet tired of what seems to have become his signature item or secret weapon. Will he serve up soup in the finale? We found it a bit odd that his plating was so off in last week’s fashion challenge only because his platings have been so creative to date.

Carl Heinrich (2 Quickfire & 3 elimination wins): The quiet Chef seems to have come under the radar but slow and steady just might win the race. Also given he is only 26 years-old we can only imagine what his future culinary career will be like. We know we are starting to sound like a broken record by repeating ourselves but he is the safe bet in choosing a winner. Heinrich seemed to be beating himself up about his 2 bottom finishes of late but he is also hot off two back to back wins.

Top Chef Canada: Season 2: episode 11: Xavier gets the axe

This episode seemed to be about icons and noodles. The first iconic noodle was Kraft Dinner as featured in the quick fire challenge. The second icon was guest judge Lidia Bastianich who decided that Xavier Lacaze’s noodle dish was enough for him to pack his knives. Not yet an iconic noodle but definitely worth mentioning is the beautiful mind of Chef David Chrystian. The more we see have him the more we want. The pint sized looking Chef got off to a slow start but as of late has been mind blowing in the kitchen. 

Turns out it was just a trailer teaser when it looked like this episode was going to be a double elimination. The Kraft Dinner quick fire challenge was fun to watch with the Chefs having to prepare two versions (casual and refined) of the dish for a $10,000 prize. As we predicted Chef Lacaze, much to his credit, had little experience with the iconic dish and confessed to being a “KD virgin.” Chrystian continued to entertain, and win, with a sour dough KD grilled cheese sandwich (casual) and bacon wrapped KD with seared scallop. The grilled cheese looked amazing. Chef Chrystian is on a bit of a roll, remember Rob Rossi last season? Chef Rossi kept winning near the end of the series and Chrystian does seem to have some momentum that has also helped him in earning $18,000 over the last few episodes. As Chrystian pointed out, and we agree, Chef Jonathan Korecki's use of coconut milk instead of regular in his coconut curry KD was simple but "genius."

The elimination challenge asked the Chefs to make an Italian family style 6 course feast for guest judge Lidia Bastianich. Chef Chrystian continued his wild ride with a whole fire roasted fish. Keeping the dish so simple in an Italian challenge perfectly exemplified the rustic nature of this style of cuisine. The winner of the challenge was Jonathan Korecki whose soups seem to be his secret Top Chef weapon. Chef Korecki did a play on a traditional stracciatella by using a poached egg. 

The reason Chef Lacaze went home seemed a bit like it was for stubbornness. Guess you got to watch those classically trained French Chefs with their my way is best attitude as Judge Mark McEwan immediately questioned why Lacaze did not use '00' Italian flour. Lacaze's served braised veal breast with pappardelle, aged pecorino and sautéed radicchio. Lacaze said, "My veal is sexy, I would like to make love to my veal, it's beautiful." Not sure how I feel about having food after the Chef has made love to it and this also seemed to be the case with the judges who found the dish salty and his noodle undercooked. All this love was enough for Lacaze to be sent home.

Top Chef Canada: Season 2 Episode 10: Chef Sheen is not winning

Why did the trailer for this episode reveal who was going to be eliminated? It was all there, the narrator's explanation, "One Chef makes the mistake of their lives," Chef Samuelsson's hands and the plastic wrap and finally eliminee Trista Sheen in tears. It seemed too obvious to predict Sheen was going home but noooo. Seriously a bit of a letdown for anyone who saw the trailer that was almost a recap. Speaking of the moment of truth, did anyone notice the way Marcus Samuelsson revealed the plastic with magician like slight of hand movement. The plastic also looked like, for a brief moment, that it would go on forever. In tonight’s trailers we see Trevor Bird in the stew room does that mean he goes home? 

Tonight is also a double elimination challenge. One Chef will be able to boast that they were sent home for bad Kraft Dinner because it is the featured ingredient in the quick fire. Despite the obvious product placement from a sponsor we think it will be a fun challenge. Kraft Dinner is as iconic as one of Andy Warhol's Campbell's soup cans. Since Trevor looks like he makes it to stew room this leaves Chefs Korecki, Lacaze, Chrystian and Heinrich as the one sent home for bad KD. We figure Lacaze goes home only because he might have limited experience with Kraft Dinner. In terms of our pics for the final we really do not see any clear winner and it looks like anyone's game. Rather exciting if you think about it.

In other news, Top Chef Canada has been renewed for another season and is looking for competitors. For more info and to download your application form click here. We also came across a Blog written by Chef Korecki. We found the Chef's food related drawings and designs very interesting (to see his Blog click here). You can also see and order his signature line of bandanas here. You often hear Chefs as talking about their art and being culinary artists so a glimpse into this artistry offers a different perspective of the culinary artist and the creative process. In an episode of The Heat we saw Mark McEwan design dishes by first starting with drawings. Not that all Chefs work in this way but it is perhaps a bit of an overlooked area in the culinary arts. In case you have not noticed Korecki does do some beautiful plating with his dishes. At the the Celebrity Chefs of Canada event Korecki’s plate, co-created with Newfoundland Chef Jermy Charles, looked like a Group of 7 landscape. We have tried the Tacos at his restaurant and it is safe to call them food porn. We also like Chef Korecki because he looks like an intellectual from the Russian Revolution...Go Comrade! We salute you in your crusade to "Make Tacos not War.”

Culinary Arts: Channeling the Group of 7

Taco Porn at Sidedoor Contemporary Kitchen & Bar

Top Chef Canada: Season 2: Episode 9 : Spoilers & Predictions

Who really cares what happened last week? Everybody really wants to know what is going to happen next. Just in case you missed the episode here is quick recap. Trevor Bird won the Quickfire vending-machine challenge. Trista Sheen won the camping elimination challenge and Ryan Gallagher was sent packing his knives. Let’s get to the subject that everyone is talking about, the teaser trailer for tonight’s episode.

According to the trailer, “one Chef makes the biggest mistake of their career.” If you look closely  at the video you will see what look likes guest judge, Top Chef Masters Winner, Marcus Samuelsson’s hands picking a piece of plastic wrap out of his food. The next shot is a sobbing Trista Sheen while Xavier Lacaze and Trevor Bird look uncomfortable. This makes us think that the elimination challenge might be a team effort. It would be too obvious for Trista Sheen to be the one sent home so we think it is going to be Xavier.

We know that Sponge towel is a big sponsor of Top Chef Canada (TCC) and they are getting lots of great product placement, drama and emotion with the shot of Sheen crying into their product. We have often heard the expression “a marketing executive’s wet dream.” In this case at least there are lots of paper towels on hand. Speaking of sponsors we have only noticed one dish making it to the Milestones menu so far. Last season, 3 Chefs had items on the Milestones menu so we are wondering why this season Carl Heinrich’s gazpacho and cucumber sandwich is the only featured item. Perhaps the food this season is just too good adventurous for it to be served at Milestones.

With the competition narrowing here is our tale of the tape:

Carl Heinrich: (2 elimination challenge wins - 1 Quickfire win) If slow and steady wins the race then Carl Heinrich is the one to watch. In picking a winner now we think the safe money is the quiet Chef. In his TCC audition video someone else does most of the talking, Heinrich is declared a Chefs’ Chef while displaying top notch butchering skills. We would love to see a butchering throw-down between the original TCC bacon ninja, Connie DeSousa, and Heinrich.

Jonathan Korecki: (1 elimination win – 2 Quickfire wins) We recently ate at Korecki’s restaurant Sidedoor in Ottawa and major TCC sponsor GE Monogram was having a big party in the backroom. Spoiler alert? Perhaps. We are fairly certain that the Chef is going to go very far in the rest of the competition. Korecki can also take some comfort and hope in the rule that if the winner of Top Chef Canada is not able to fulfill their duties the runner-up is asked to step in and assume the title of Top Chef Canada.

Trevor Bird: (1 Quickfire win) Bird just opened his new restaurant Fable in Vancouver. The name is taken from Episode 6: Restaurant Wars and means from farm to table. Remember season one winner Dale MacKay? Chef MacKay also opened his new Vancouver resto Ensemble during the first season of TCC.

Trista Sheen: (2 elimination wins) Last season, Connie DeSousa had a similar meltdown at about the same point in the series. The Chefs are tired and under a lot of pressure so her reaction is normal. Sheen was recently promoted to Head Chef at her restaurant Crush Wine Bar in Toronto.

David Chrystian: (1 Elimination Challenge) Toronto’s Wild Chef! Speaking of Chefs that are tired, emotional and under a lot of stress we think the pressure is also getting to Chrystian. We hope he stays around because his manic behavior is really fun to watch. Who knows what he will do next? The Chef has mentioned a bit of a dark past, divorce, losing his Creuset pots, so it is no surprise that the Chef is a bit out there.

Top Chef Canada Season 2: Episode 8: Go Jimmy Go

Chef Jimmy Stewart has certainly provided lots of entertainment during his stay on Top Chef Canada. It is almost a shame to see him go. Some of Chef Stewart’s finest moments included bread foam and a failed “rocket launch.” In both cases the culprit proved to be a culinary siphon and foam. On another note, Chef Stewart drew praise from fellow competitor Xavier Lacaze who said he was in awe at the 23-year-old and his culinary skills. Given the talented young Chef made it this far in the competition it looks a promising career in the making. 

The show started with a quickfire skills competition. As we said last week the safe bet would be Chef Carl Heinrich who did win. We picked Chef Heinrich because he showed mad butchering skills in his audition video. We also stand by our theory that the skills competition is a bit of foreshadowing of who is going to make it to the final. In case you missed it, the final four Chefs in the competition were Trevor Bird, David Chrystian, Xavier Lacaze and of course winner Carl Heinrich. Our wild card pick is Jonathan Korecki who just keeps impressing us.

The elimination challenge asked the Chefs to cater a buffet lunch for the cast and crew of television's Lost Girl. No easy task, when catering to a large group of people you generally have to deal with all sorts of food requests (vegetarians, vegans, gluten free, lactose intolerant) not to mention the full gambit of food allergies. We also find that catered food does not challenge people's palates (bland is best) because you have to appeal to the general masses. 

Guest judge Chef Michael Blackie is no stranger to catering for large groups of people. He is the Executive Chef of The National Arts Centre in Ottawa. On Saturday (May 5, 2012), Chef Blackie was responsible for catering at the Governor General Awards that was attended by 1200 guests. During the service, Chef Blackie served 12,000 canapés in 45 minutes. This was followed by a one hour 3 course dinner. 

Chef Stewart said he would try and do something simple but this proved to be his downfall. The Chef's green salad looked like a grocery store bag of mixed greens with cucumber and tomato slices. The judges thought his minestrone soup only tasted of truffle oil and porcini mushrooms. Two mistakes in one challenge is just too much on Top Chef at this point in the competition.

Top Chef Canada: Season 2 episode 7: Curtis Luk is Outta Luck

Top Chef Canada has been parading out the celebrity Chefs lately and things are really starting to cook. Last week we saw Susur Lee and this week it was Richard Blais. Chef Blais has a signature style of cooking, that usually involves liquid nitrogen, that is best described as Molecular or Modern Cuisine. This style of cuisine uses "new" (at least on the kitchen) tools, ingredients and methods in creating dishes. Besides liquid nitrogen, examples include the use of a kitchen siphon (foam), gelling agents (like agar and sodium alginate) to make caviars and noodles made with cheese, veggies and fruit. Another element of this cooking style seems to be about deconstruction where traditional dishes are disassembled into their "individual sensory elements." (Dudek, p. 53) With Blais as a judge the Chefs were naturally put to the deconstruction challenge. As described by Chef Ryan Gallagher, during the show, deconstruction is the "same flavors that they [judges] would get from a classic dish but given to them in a totally different way."

We recently read an article on the topic of modern cuisine and the author made a joke that we rather liked. "The postmodern era of gastronomy will truly begin when a diner asks for bacon and eggs and the waiter nonchalantly replies 'ice cream or fried?'" (Dudek, p. 54) Richard Blais did offer some good advice to young Chefs, like 23 year old Jimmy Stewart whose dish was in the bottom, who attempt this cooking style. "When stuff like that happens [foam / ice cream on the plate with a chicken dish] it makes us all look bad in modern cuisine."

The quick fire challenge featured an array of cans with no labels and the Chefs had to use whatever they got using a 3 can minimum. We noticed that caterers are starting to serve dishes in cans and this trend seems to stem from Spain and be part of the whole molecular cuisine phenomena. Spain is home to Feran Adrià's, elBulli, that has spearheaded the Molecular Cuisine movement. We were recently reading the menu from Chef José Andrés' (who has worked with Adrià) new restaurant in South Beach Florida, The Bazaar, and came across this useful bit of information, "Although the technique (canning) was invented in France in 1810 by Mr. Nicolas Appert, Spain has become known for producing the highest quality canned goods in the world. At SLS [one of Andrés' restos] these dishes are prepared fresh daily, but we pay tribute to this groundbreaking practice by preparing selections typical of Spanish canning and presenting them in cans." 

We know that Cheftestant Ryan Gallagher said, "my dog eats out of cans," but do not be perturbed at your next cocktail your waiter hands you something in a can. You know the story behind the can and you can look witty in front of the other guests when you explain why your food is being served this way. In the quick fire challenged we were surprised with how good some of the dishes looked considering how nasty some of the stuff looked when the Chefs opened the cans. Chef Gallagher took the challenge with his Grilled Mackerel with Romesco sauce that was served in an oval plate sized can.

Catering Equipment: Canned Food coming soon to a cocktail party near you 

The elimination challenge asked the Chef to make deconstructed dishes. With the Chefs coming off of having just cooked for Susur Lee and now facing Richard Blais they really seemed to step up their game because there were some amazing looking dishes. There was also no added pressure of doing restaurant wars (service) like Susur Lee. Honestly, we have been waiting for Chef Chrystian to do cook like his audition video since the series began, he made a Turducken Tower. Chrystian’s Chicken Noodle Soup Terrine in this week’s challenge was the first sign of what we have expecting from the Chef. The same can be said of challenge winner, French Chef Xavier Lacaze, who finally did right by his country and its proud culinary tradition. Chef Lacaze served up a beautiful looking Quiche Lorraine made with shortbread and bacon cylinders with scrambled egg mousse and caramelized onions. If Lacaze and Chrystian keep this up they will definitely make it to the final no problem.

Despite all the brilliance there is of course the loser, Curtis Luk, who served up a Tuna Casserole Cannelloni. The idea of a tuna cannelloni makes us think of bad hospital food but perhaps that is just us. With only 6 years of culinary experience and no formal training, Luk's background is in science and mathematics, he is obviously a very talented Chef to have made it this far in the competition. Luk also displayed a very deft hand, except when he cut himself, with his desserts in the competition. 

Next week, the quick fire looks to be a skills competition. We noticed that they had not done this challenge this season. Last season, it was the first challenge and an almost a spoiler of who would be the finalists. Obviously we will be paying very close attention to this challenge. We also think that Chef Heinrich is the safe bet in this challenge if you are looking to us to make some predictions.

Work cited: Gastronomica, vol. 8 no. 2, pgs. 51-54 'Reading a Plate' by Nir Dudek.

Top Chef Canada Season 2: Episode 6: Sad News, Chefs Rivasplata and Cruz both lose

This has to have been one of the the most exciting episodes of Top Chef Canada ever. Double elimination challenge, Judge Susur Lee and restaurant wars where get to see the Chefs handle a service. We had wondered about the double elimination challenge because they did it in episode 2 last year. The double elimination this far in the series was a bit of a surprise to us and from the looks of things the Chefs too. The only thing that is perhaps more exciting than all of this is the fact the Richard Blais will be the guest judge on the next episode.

Gabriell Cruz was the first to go home in the soup and sandwich quick fire challenge. Chef Cruz presented a prosciutto sandwich with pickled onions and truffles. The offering seemed to weird out the judges and the sandwich did look a but cafésque.  The winner of the challenge was Jonathan Korecki who served up a Vietnamese sandwich and chicken consommé. Though Korecki won, Chef Carl Heinrich's gazpacho with bacon, cucumber and tomato sandwich was selected to be a Top Chef Canada featured menu item at Milestones. We assume that the Milestones crowd was deemed not yet ready for Vietnamese Banh Minh. Heinrich’s dish will not have the kitchen staff at Milestone's filling their larders with strange ingredients or scratching their heads when having to make a bacon, cucumber and tomato sandwich. You can make gazpacho in the blender but we wonder if it will pre-prepared for the Milestones kitchens. Heinrich’s sandwich does not seem very exciting and sounds like something you can make in your own toaster as a late night snack. 

Korecki certainly made a strategic move with his reward for winning the challenge by choosing Elizabeth Rivasplata as the opposing team leader. Chef Rivasplata has been bunting heads with the other Chefs in the kitchen and Korecki’s move was diplomatically described as "sneaky" by Chef David Chrystian. Korecki’s move also made for some exciting television.

We liked that fact that both teams chose Canadian themes with their resto concepts. There may have been no standout with the teams in their services as a whole but team name Fable (farm to table) was a winning idea. We have heard rumours that Chef Trevor Bird's new resto, that is opening soon, will bear this moniker. The other team chose to be True North offering a reflection of Canadian dishes. In this context Chef Rivasplata’s octopus dish left her team-mates scratching their heads. Rivasplata’s attempt at running the pass seemed to be her second downfall amongst her team-mates and with the judges who were left waiting for their food. Jimmy Stewart did offer a potato "risotto"dish  that was all potato no rice or veggies and deemed the worst dish by the judges. The win went to team Fable but was described by judge Mark McEwan as "not a perfect day." Team Fable seemed a bit surprised, they served melted ice cream, that the judges did declare no winner for this challenge.

At the judges’ table Chef Rivasplata started by showing a united team standing together but was immediately called out by Jimmy Stewart, the guy with the worst dish, for failing as a leader and at the pass. Rivasplata did throw herself on her own sword, we thought, when she said she would  "take credit" for the mistakes of her team as their leader. “You saved your ass,” Chef Rivasplata told Stewart while accusing him of you screwing her over in order to save Ryan who did front of house. Rivasplata’s final words to Stewart as she exited was “you are not right.” Rivasplata's departure leaves 1 female Chef in the competition. As the field narrows we think it is about time to start making some predictions about who will make it to the finals..

All-Star Canadian Culinary Celebration: Celebrity Chefs of Canada

We were not sure what to expect when heading to Ottawa on Sunday (March 25, 2012) for the 2nd Annual Celebrity Chefs of Canada event at the National Arts Centre (NAC). We accidentally found the event online and did a double take because we could not believe the amazing line up of Chefs was for real. After attending the event it is official, we have been blown away and buzzing ever since. In fact, we are finding it hard to do this event justice with our blog post because there is just too much to say about this incredible day of Canadian food, Chefs and wine.

This all-star Canadian culinary celebration was organized by the NAC's Executive Chef Michael Blackie. During the evening reception we noticed Chef Blackie's portrait on the wall. What struck us is that the Chef is part of the NAC's artistic leadership team. As Chef Ned Bell said during his cooking demo, "we [Chefs] are artists, culinary artists." In the context of this event at the NAC, nothing could be truer when we say that this event is about recognizing these artists and their medium.

Celebrity Chefs are indeed a hot commodity these days, the new rock stars, or at the NAC, that often plays host to classical musicians, should the term be culinary maestros? The event could easily be described as a symphony of flavours. Given the day's roster included Susur Lee, Vikram Vij, and Lynn Crawford, this event is definitely one hot ticket. Consider the facts, the afternoon cooking demos attracted close to 350 people. An additional 400 guests came for the evening reception where we spotted Laureen Harper (wife of Prime Minister Stephen Harper) who, from what we could tell, was waiting in line to get a copy of Lynn Crawford's book signed. Over 750 guests, on a Sunday night in Ottawa for an evening of food and drinks...wow! The numbers alone demonstrate the drawing power with the cult of the Chef.

It is also worth noting that it is no small feat in smoothly serving 750 people during a 3 and half hour cocktail reception. To give you an idea, Chefs Larkin and Bell used just over 100 pounds of tuna for their service. Chef Santaguida mentioned making 960 raviolis. Chefs were assisted by members of their brigades but also Ottawa culinary students who helped keep the lines moving. Catering staff also did a great job in clearing empty plates off tables and keeping the reception running smooth.Besides highlighting Canada's culinary stars the event showcases Ottawa's food scene, more smart planning, by pairing a local Chef with a Canadian Chef in the creation of a single dish during the cooking demos. Besides being extremely educational, the demos gave us the chance to watch and be inspired by these talented individuals and their craft. Based on the comments made by the Chefs the distance between them meant their collaborative dishes were created over the telephone prior to the event. Also of particular interest was watching two Chefs plate the same dish. Same dish, same ingredients, different platings or creations. The chance to taste these creations during the reception that followed the demos was just pure gravy.

Is it art? Citrus marinated BC geoduck with ocean emulsion

The first team of demoing Chefs was Marc Lepine from Atelier (Ottawa) and Quang Dang from West Restaurant & Bar (Vancouver). The pair served up Citrus marinated BC Geoduck with Ocean Emulsion. If you have ever seen geoduck then you understand why the ingredient drew laughs from the crowd. We are lucky enough to have tasted geoduck before. It was served to us in a rich cream sauce at a Vietnamese restaurant in Vancouver and to this day we remember it as one of the best things that we have ever tasted. Giant bites of oyster. We were surprised to learn from Chef Dang that geoduck is rare in Canada because most of it is exported overseas. Dang made some good points in mentioning that it is unfortunate that we do not always get to enjoy our great Canadian bounty because it is exported for high prices overseas. These items can be part of our culinary attractions to our country by exemplifying our cuisine. Essentially we are selling and exporting a piece of our culture. The two Chefs are obviously inspired by innovation as liquid nitrogen made an appearance in addition to agar for the creation of beet jell-o. We were relieved to see that the ocean emulsion was not ocean foam. The chefs' dish introduced us to something we have never seen before, pomelo ash. Leftover pomelo bits are roasted until they turn into ash and add a subtle flavour, and interesting coloured garnish to dishes. The Chefs also mentioned using chive and apple cores to create additional ashes and flavours.
 

Chefs Quanq Dang (left) and Marc Lepine

 Chef Patricia Larkin from Black Cat Bistro (Ottawa) and Chef Ned Bell from The Four Seasons Hotel (Vancouver) was the next pairing. We know that this is not a competition but Chef Bell is an extremely charismatic and entertaining chef to watch who obviously works at it based on his trademark blue shoes. If you are looking to book a high energy Chef for a cooking presentation Chef Bell delivers. This high energy and enthusiasm comes from his obvious passion and love of his craft and food. How many people can work a room talking about their signature can of tuna? After watching Bell plate his dish it is also obvious that he is an extremely talented Chef. Not to be outdone Chef Larkin, who could just sit back and let Bell charm the crowd, also plated a beautiful dish that garnished praise from Chef Bell. The two Chefs served Albacore Tuna Tartare, Pickled Shallot Cucumber and Radish Red Miso and Lemon Vinaigrette, Black and White Sesame Praline. Chef Bell confessed his love of pickles during his demo. We see this trend as emanating from Korean and Vietnamese food or is it David Chang? As Korean food is one of our favourite cuisines we are thrilled to see this influence jumping into other styles of cooking. The Chefs described the sesame praline as being like those cookies you eat as a kid. We loved how the praline added a sweet crunchy garnish to the tuna. The presentation and serving of the tuna in a can during the reception was a nice touch.

Tuna tartare, pickled shallot, cucumber and radish with sesame praline

 Next on the bill, Cesare Santaguida from Vittoria Trattoria (Ottawa) and Vikram Vij (Vancouver). The pair served up Encrusted Lamb Lollipops with Butternut Ravioli. The dish was finished with a curry sauce and we were very disappointed to find out when we got home that it was not included in the recipe section of the event program. The main reason for our major disappointment with this omission is that the curry sauce was so damn delicious. We are glad the Chefs had prepared extra portions, "just in case," because we did go back for a second helping of this dish. We have eaten a lot of curry, we have cooked a lot of curry, we even use a mortar and a pestle to make our own curry powder but we have never tasted such a great tasting curry in our lives. Vij's reputation as a Curry King is obviously well deserved. We could have drank a cup of this sauce it was really that good. The kitchen staff happily gave us extra sauce with our second helping when we praised it's flavors. Light, creamy and a delicate curry taste, the sauce brought together the lamb and ravioli in a perfect balance. The dish was finished with a gremolata and was just another great touch to an already superbly flavored dish. If you think about it the individual components themselves are great tasting items, lamb and butternut squash that are only helped with a great sauce and garnish. What we also liked about the Chefs' creation was the way it showed Canadian style by reflecting our cultural mosaic, Indian and Italian cultures together.

Canadian Curry King Vikram Vij

 Next up was a solo act Patrick McMurray who offered us ShuckerPaddy's Hogtown chowder. McMurray was assisted by Chef Blackie who used chilli threads as a garnish for the dish. We mention this because we have never seen this ingredient before. The threads look like long threads of saffron and are a beautiful way of finishing a dish. McMurray has made a name for himself as a professional oyster shucker and is the Guinness world record holder for most oysters shucked in one minute with 38 oysters. There was a pause in the demos where we were treated to a serving of Murray's chowder. The fried oysters in the chowder make for some great bites because who does not like eating fried foods? Almost as impressive as shucking 38 oysters in one minute was the serving of over 300 portions of chowder during a 20 minute coffee break. The chance to eat a bite food after the cooking demos was very welcome because we simply cannot begin to describe the effects on your appetite of sitting in a room full of delicious aromas. We often found ourselves just closing our eyes and taking in the smell of the food during the demos.

ShuckerPaddy's hogtown chowder

 The demos resumed with Susur Lee and Matthew Carmichael from Restaurant 18 (Ottawa). Chef Carmichael has worked under Susur Lee and it was interesting seeing the reunited pair working together. The Chefs prepared "Chorizo Style" St. Canut Suckling Pig, Parmesan Crusted Fennel Lobster Salad - Saffron Mayonnaise. The two Chefs stood at opposite ends of the counter, each plating their dish. You could sense the mutual admiration the two Chefs have for one another with Lee earning a bit of awe or inspiration from Carmichael as they reminisced about their time together. During his demo, Susur Lee came across as very quiet, and extremely focused. The lack of talking combined with attention to his work meant that Lee finished his dish in record time. Both Chefs plated what must have been the prettiest plates of all the cooking the demos.

1,2,3... Look at Susur Lee

 Next up, the 2 Jasons, Chef Duffy from Arc Lounge (Ottawa) and Chef Bangerter from Luma (Toronto) with their offering of Braised Elk Ribs, Creamy Polenta, Tasty Crispy bits. We are a bit biased with this dish because we love elk meat. We happen to know a great provider of wapiti in Dunham and have enjoyed their elk tourtière on numerous occasions. The Chefs topped their dish in a great way with their Tasty Crispy Bits. Duck fat (we love it) is heated in a pan and ten you grab your bits around the kitchen, sliced garlic, thyme leaves, bits of torn bread, macadamia nuts... A great way of finishing just about any dish.

Braised elk ribs, creamy polenta, tasty crispy bits

 Jonathan Korecki from Side Door (Ottawa) and Jeremy Charles from Raymonds (Newfoundland). Chef Korecki is a recognizable face right now, the bandana sporting Chef is competing on the current season of Top Chef Canada. We ate lunch at Korecki's resto on Monday after the NAC event as part of our Top Chef Canada research. We were obviously in good company, we spotted Chefs Dang and Bell enjoying the food at Side Door when we walked in. The team of Korecki and Charles however get our villain of the show award because they served Wild Newfoundland Rabbit: Crispy Rabbit Ravioli, Rabbit Liver Mousse and Rabbit Terrine "Presse." Chef Charles mentioned he used 40 wild rabbits for the event. Remember our rule no rabbit or eating your bloggers (fans). Showing the wild rabbit to the audience we were struck with the difference of the flesh color when compared to the farmed rabbits you might find at your grocery store or butcher. The meat of the wild rabbits were a deep burgundy as opposed to the pale white flesh of the farmed variety. We do have to hand it to the Chefs for making a dish that uses all the parts of the animal with little waste. The chance to eat any animal that has not been raised under dubious conditions, especially rabbit. Korecki, like Chef Bell, is another fan of pickles, he has 24 kinds at his restaurant and they were used in finishing the dish. The two Chefs also presented the nicest looking dish of the reception using a cedar plank for the plating withwhite pine sprig for visual effect. The plating reminded us a lot of a Group of 7 landscape and it does not get much more Canadian, or artistic, than that.

Villains? Chef Jonathan Korecki and Chef Jeremy Charles

The Jack Pine White Pine: A trio of wild Newfoundland rabbit

Chef Clifford Lyness from Brookstreet (Ottawa) and Chef Jason Parsons from Peller Estates Winery (Niagara on the Lake) served up another one of our favorite food items, duck, with their Smoked Sous Vide Magret - Confit Leg. Chef Parsons caused us to have lots of envy with his cooking gadgets. Not to deter from the dish, the smoked and confit duck is the perfect example how simple foods when cooked to perfection are always a winner. Of course for the sous-vide a thermocirculator was used but Chef Parsons also had the coolest smoker that we have ever seen. Some of you might be familiar with the gadget because from what we could tell it seemed to work like a vaporizer. Remember we are talking about smoking here. The device, called a smoking gun, produces a enormous amount of smoke from a few wood chips or essential oil. The smoke is kept under wraps in a cloche with the food, infusing it with flavor. We have used a Cameron stovetop smoker at home for years and we love cooking with it in the kitchen and on the BBQ. Once you have smoked your own salmon at home there is no going back. The one drawback of the Cameron smoker in your kitchen is that it smokes up the house a lot so the the smoking gun system does look like a great way of smoking your food.

Smoked duck sous vide

 During the reception the company that sells the smoking gun had a table featuring some of their wares. Testek, a Québec company located in Delson, specializes in molecular gastronomy tools and supplies. Ever wanted to pump some spaghetti? Well now you know where to get it. In addition to a bunch of kitchen equipment that looks like it belongs in Tesla's laboratory we found the catalog to contain some of the coolest looking serving dishes, utensils, verrines, cardboard slider boxes, miniature coca-cola style bottles etc. If you are in the catering business it is definitely worth your while to check out Testek's line of products. These are wow factor presentation pieces that will definitely impress your clients. Take for example the dryspoon, hollow glass spoons that allow you to place a liquid inside (wine) and solid on top (cheese).

Designer Dishes & Toys from Testek

 Our final pairing of Chefs, Michael Blackie, Executive Chef at the National Arts Centre (Ottawa) and Lynn Crawford from Ruby Watchco (Toronto). Chef Crawford is one of the most recognizable Chefs in Canada because of her television work but it is a very different experience to see her in person. We said earlier that Chef Ned Bell was high energy and entertaining during his presentation well he has got nothing on Chef Lynn Crawford who is like a lightning bolt. Given her energy and enthusiasm, not to mention bitchin' kitchen chops, it is no wonder she has carved out a successful career as Chef and television star. With Crawford working the crowd and running around we almost felt sorry for Chef Blackie who seemed to be trying to keep things on track because they did have to prepare a dish after all. Despite being a blur on stage Crawford impressed us by inviting a 16-year-old volunteer for the event, and budding Chef, to cook with her on stage. The Chefs dish Was Seed to Sausage Double Smoked Bacon - Duck - Cranberries - Mimolette Gnocchi. Another excellent dish because we love duck but the mimolette (cheese) sage gnocchi was a real standout amongst all the dishes served during the reception.

Lynn Crawford with Chef-in-training

 Not to be overlooked the reception featured wine pairings from Ontario vintners. Allow us to take this moment to lament the fact the the Société des Alcools de Québec (SAQ) is really weak in the Ontario wine department because these were quality products. We had a bit of trouble juggling, or enjoying, our glasses of wine and plates food to take proper notes. A  handout, or including this information in the program, would have been nice because us Québécois would really like to know the names of the wines that were matched with the food. We did grab a few business cards and brochures from a few of the vineyards that included Diamond Winery, Lailey vineyard, Pelee Island winery, Peller Estates and Norman Hardie. One product that is really worth mentioning was from The Spearhead brewing company who featured their Hawaiian style pale ale brewed with pineapple. The pineapple is subtle, just a bouquet on the nose, and makes for a delicious crisp, satisfying beer that is unlike any we have ever tasted. The tropical notes pair really well with food but sadly for us in Québec this is yet another product that is not available in La Belle Province.

Chefs Blackie & Crawford: Duck sausage with mimolette gnocchi

 Coming from Montreal we know that our city likes to boast about its culinary reputation. We have also been hearing rumors that Ottawa's food scene was going places and shedding its reputation as not having any good places to eat. Judging from the caliber of the local Chefs at this event we can say that the rumor is true. Ottawa really got the big guns (long knives) out for this event. It only makes sense that our nation's capital should have great dining establishments and events when it already plays host to showcasing our national culture with it's museums and cultural institutions like The National Arts Centre. Montreal, Ottawa just kicked our asses with a capital culinary extravaganza that has all the makings of a destination event. Hear that High Lights Festival? Montreal we need to wake stop eating our foie gras poutine and watch our backs.

Top Chef Canada season 2: episode 3: Bye Bye Chef Sarah Tsai

If we had to pick a theme for this week's episode of Top Chef Canada we would have to say bizarre combinations. The strange combos started with the first challenge and was also why Chef Sarah Tsai was sent to pack her knives. 

The quick fire challenge featured last year's host Thea Andrews, who like resident judge Shereen Arazam, is expecting a baby. The challenge focussed on odd food combinations in-reference-to the cliché that pregnant women have strange cravings. Not sure how many of these combinations and ingredients were researched because a few of the combinations bordered on ridiculous. We suppose the producers are making the challenges tough for the Chefs but putting together ingredients for the sake of doing so does not really have anything to do with gastronomy. Durian, wasabi, really? Are these things that pregnant women really crave? The show is walking a fine line by making the Chefs jump through hoops with this challenge. The challenge almost bordered on Fear Factor or Survivor but then again tough is tough and this is a reality show. Chef Jimmy Stewart really did make a smart move with his winning dish Oatmeal and Wasabi Chicken Wings because who doesn’t like a good chicken wing?

We are a bit unsure why Sarah Tsai was sent home over the other guys in the baby shower elimination challenge. Chef Tsai did win a quick fire challenge, in episode 1, and we have been seeing a-lot-of David Chrystian, Joel Aubie and Xavier Lacaze at the bottom. Chef Lacaze from France has hardly been doing right by his country and their culinary reputation. When was the last time you saw the judges spit our their food and wipe their tongues with their napkins? That is what happened when they tasted Lacaze’s dish. Mark McEwan said, after tasting Xavier’s Goat Cheese and Prosciutto Ball with Figs and Balsamic Jam, "if I stayed up late at night trying to figure out something more nasty to prepare, I don't think I could do it. Why did Xavier not go home? Shereen Arazam told Chef Chrystian to wake up based on his performance thus far in the show. At this point it looks a bit like Chrsystian and Lacaze are coasting on their reputations and this is why they were not sent home. What about bottom feeder Joel Aubie? Judge McEwan said his Scallop Sausage Wrapped in Bacon was “like biting a bladder.” The surfin' in Tofino Chef might appeal to the female demographic but he has also been in the bottom a few times. Maybe his sausage was not his fault. Perhaps it is true when Aubie mused that Connie DeSousa must have worn out the sausage press last year. Sarah Tsai served up a sweet arancine ball with spicy prosciutto chocolate sauce. The judges thought her dish was awful but was it really the worst? At least they kept it down. We guess it was just too bizarre a combination.

Last week Xavier pointed out that desserts can get you sent home on Top Chef. This was not the case with the winning dish this episode with Curtis Lok's Pink Macaron with Pink Peppercorn, Meyer lemon and Lemon Grass. Pink at a baby shower as one judge said “perfect.” Like the chicken wings in the quick fire there is nothing like a good macaron. 

In seeing the preview for tonight's episode we are very nervous because the are lots of shots of Montreal Chef Sergio Mattoscio looking dejected. Fingers crossed that this was just a teaser and not a spoiler in the nose to tail challenge featuring Chef Chris Consentino.

Top Chef Canada: Season 2: episode 2: Kunal Ghose is sent packing with his taco

Still too many Chefs in the middle, under the radar, to start picking any favorites. The one exception, the female Chefs, have shown they are a force to be reckoned with.  Out of the 4 challenges thus far, the women Chefs have take 3 titles. With one quick fire going to the men, Trista Sheen served up one of the top dishes.

When we saw the preview for episode 2 and that Mike Holmes was the guest judge we rolled our eyes. Much to our surprise, he was a good judge by picking surprise winning dishes. Instead of being big plug for Mike Holmes' TV show the episode featured the charitable organization Habitat for Humanity. Very positive and brilliant cross promotion from Shaw media that produces both shows. Holmes persona, as a bad ass, was to hold the Chefs to the challenges. When watching Top Chef sometimes it feels like the Chefs make the dish they feel comfortable making no matter what the challenge. When the Chefs do not follow the instructions you wonder if they are just playing it safe. Why put yourself out there when you can fly under the radar at this point in the show? In this case we saw 2 Chefs, during the quick fire, serve Holmes raw fish when he had asked for meat. The second challenge was a BBQ for the 100 habitat for humanity house builders. The judges questioned Chef Aubie’s use of salmon. We figure the West Coast surfin’ Tofino Chef must eat BBQ’d salmon all the time. Even stranger than salmon at a BBQ was Kunal Ghose’s “taco” that was not a taco.

You might have heard that Top Chef can be a good for a Chef's career. After the first few episodes this season we are wondering if being on the show might be hazardous to your business. Think about it, Chef Ghose was sent home for a “taco” made with store bought tortillas. One of the opposing teams, the one with Ottawa taco king Chef Korecki, made fresh tortillas. You figure it out, but Ghose runs a taco stand in Victoria. When the Chef packed his knives he commented that at least he was not sent home for making a fish taco. We wonder if Ghose serves homemade tortillas at his restaurant? Being sent home for making one of your signature dishes is a rather tragic moment.  

Last week, David Chrystian was in the bottom, for serving a chicken dish seasoned to reflect each one of Toronto's ethnic neighborhoods. Cool? No, the judges described the dish as bland. We are not sure if Chef Chrystian uses this spice at his restaurant, he did threaten to use it again. We do know, from reading about him online, that he offers a tasting menu where each dish reflects one of Toronto's ethnic neighborhoods. Once again, bad branding when your dish, featuring one of your restaurant’s signature concepts, is featured in the bottom.