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Alright folks, it’s now less than a week away!! Celebrity Chefs of Canada is almost here and I’m getting ready. That’s right, an event this cool you can’t just show up. Well I guess you could, but where is the fun in that? To help you prep, here are the top 5 things I’m doing to get ready for this kick ass event.
1. Putting on my game face.
With so many amazing chefs talking nothing but stellar food all day, you run a real danger of pulling a jaw muscle if your mouth isn’t used to saying ‘wow’ about 1079 times in a day. So for the past week I’ve been stretching my jaw muscles in a rigid 15 minute calisthenic regiment. I just hope it’s enough.
Hold each pose for 1 minute and repeat 3 times ending with a big silly grin.
2. Practicing with my big girl heels.
While you can dress any which way you please for this event, it is at the fabulous NAC and I always feel that calls for a little bit of class. To celebrate this year I’m planning to wear a pair of heels. For at least 20 minutes with my back up flats in my bag. To ensure I last the entire 20 minutes with minimal face plants, I’ve been wearing the shoes around the house. We’ll see how long I last.
3. Studying up on the culinary famous.
The only thing better than meeting Susar Lee in person is knowing who he is and why exactly he rocks before hand. A great way to do it is to check out all the local bloggers who have been interviewing and talking to the chefs from the event. You can find them all here with links to their articles!
4. Drinking my weight in wine.
Did you know that each of these fantabulous chef teams is paired with a winery?? True story. So that means that not only are you going to be sampling some pretty spectacular food, but you’ll have an on point wine along for the ride. Personally I’m getting my palate ready by drinking a bottle of wine with every meal. Building my tolerance so to speak. On a side note, Pinot Noir and cheerios… not a winning combination. Skip the cereal.
5. Not losing my ticket
I hear this event is nearly sold out. With remaining tickets available here. Which just means that I can’t really afford to misplace my ticket. So I’ve put it somewhere smart, somewhere that when I do forget where I’ve put them, then frantically search through the house and eventually ‘find’ them I will think… “oh yeah… that makes sense. Good thinking me.”
So there you have it. My 5 step plan for getting ready for what is sure to be the most badass event of 2012. Hope to see you all there!
Tonight at 10pm is a moment I’ve been waiting for a few weeks now. The return of Top Chef Canada. Truthfully I wasn’t all that excited, as I wasn’t the biggest fan of the first season, that was until I found out Ottawa had a couple of horses in this season’s race. In particular, Chef Jonathan Korecki, one of the chef’s I profiled for the Celebrity Chefs of Canada event that is rapidly coming up on March 25.
I have a gut feeling that Chef Korecki is going to go all the way. He’s a ninja. A tiger. A culinary flying monkey. Here is just some little known facts about Chef Korecki.
When Alexander Bell invented the telephone he had 3 missed calls from Chef Korecki.
Jonathan Korecki won American Idol last season using only sign language.
There is a grizzly bear rug at Sidedoor Kitchen. The bear isn’t dead, just afraid to move.
Chef Korecki won the World Series of Poker using Pokemon cards.
He’s also the only chef ever to unscramble an egg.
Good luck to Chef Korecki and to Chef Curtis Luk from Courtyard Restaurant – here is hoping it’s a Ottawa show down for the finale!!
For anyone interested, there are still some tickets left to the March 25 Celeb Chef event – come on out and meet some amazing chefs and, more importantly, try their food! Click here for details.
As mentioned in an earlier post - I’m once again blogging for the Celebrity Chefs of Canada event! This year I am covering the dynamic duo of Chef Jonathan Korecki from SideDoor Restaurant and Chef Jeremy Charles of Raymond’s in St. John’s.
I visited SideDoor Restaurant earlier this year and loved it! But this was my first chance to get to speak one on one with Chef Korecki. What a great guy. Not only didn’t he fake a stomach ache to get away from me and my odd line of questions, he even gave me a quick tour of his kitchen! Korecki is not only an Ottawa Celebrity chef but he is a Top Chef Canada contestant in season two which will be airing starting this March. Check out his audition video here:
Chef Korecki is so mild mannered and polite, my first question was to ask him how long until he gives that up and starts acting like a real celebrity chef? How cold must his latte be before he will throw it at his assistant. Speaking of which, when will he be getting an assistant?
(Korecki) No no! That’s the number one thing you want to stay away from. I don’t let it get to my head, because then you are ‘that asshole’. The best part of being part of all this is that I get to work with other Chefs that I might not have had the chance to work with otherwise. I can head out to where they are and cook, and I can bring them in here to see what we are all about.
Ok. That’s all well and good. I can tell that it’s really about the cooking for you. But you also have a side business – head bands. It’s one of your trademarks and you actually have a line of them for chef’s and other professionals who sweat a lot. I don’t know about you, but they kind of remind me of ninjas. Are you in fact a ninja? And would you show me some of your ninja moves?
Ha! Um … it would be more like Beverly Hills Ninja than an actual ninja.
Back to food. SideDoor will be one year old this Valentines Day weekend – how has the first year been?
It`s been a fast learning curve! But it`s so cool seeing something grow from an idea into reality. It`s been a really cool ride. We are so much farther along now then we were at this point last year. The kinks have more or less been ironed out, like the doughnuts for example. They are done to order all night. So getting the recipe right so that they come out the same at any point was challenging, but we got it down now. And more of the staff know how to complete the dishes so I have more time for fun and menu development.
Speaking of menus, you have been working with Chef Charles for Celebrity Chefs of Canada. What can you tell me about your dish?
**As if his ears are burning, it is at this moment when Chef Charles calls Korecki to talk about a last minute idea for this dish… and to tell him about how he fell down the stairs the night before**
Jeremy and I have been chatting back and forth for a couple of weeks now, but it was only yesterday that we actually hammered out the real idea for the dish. It`s going to be rabbit. Jeremy has a contact in St. John`s who can get him some really amazing local rabbits. There will be a terrine, pate with homemade pickles (which we have already started working on) and ravioli… it is going to be quite the dish.
That sounds amazing. How do you enjoy working with Chef Charles?
Jer is great. He is just so super cool. He is relaxed but focused, which I like. And as an added bonus I used to work with his Sous Chef back in the day when I was in Toronto working with Susur.
Are you looking forward to seeing Susur again?
Of course. I`m really looking forward to connecting with Susur. That guy is funny as hell.
So last year some (by which I mean most… by which I mean all) the chefs went out for a little meet and greet the night before the event. Let us just say that the 8am demos were a little groggy. Do you have any plans for that this year?
Not so much. We will save the party for after the event. Plus it doesn`t get started until noon this year, which is a big help. 8am for any chef who is still working the line is difficult.
Thanks so much to Chef Jonathan for his time. I know he is going to make a rocking dish for Celeb Chefs and is going to kick ass and take names on Top Chef!
To order your tickets for Celebrity Chefs of Canada – click the banner below. Come on out and meet chef Jonny – he’s wicked cool.
Iiiiittttt’sss Baaaaaack! March 25, one of the BEST food events in Ottawa – The Celebrity Chefs of Canada (formerly Canadian Celebrity Chefs) is back… with a vengeance. Sorry. I had to.
First – a review of last year. Here’s a couple of my posts including an overall review of the event, and a post of things over heard during the day.
Same as last year, Ottawa’s culinary titans are going to be paired up with fantastic Chefs from all over the country. Then that chef team is given a blogger that will cover them, their dish and their contributions to the event. This year the teams are:
Jeremy Charles, Raymond’s (St. John’s), Jonathan Korecki, Side Door and Jodi Lariviere from a little blog called Simply Fresh Ottawa. Perhaps you have heard of it?
Not to mention:
Lynn Crawford, Ruby Watchco (Toronto), Michael Blackie, National Arts Centre and Abby from Acqtaste
Susur Lee, LEE (Toronto), Matthew Carmichael, Restaurant e18hteen and Ron from the Ottawa Citizen
Vikram Vij, Vij’s (Vancouver), Cesare Santaguida, Vittoria Trattoria and Tracey from The Lemon Kitchen
Ned Bell, Four Seasons Hotel (Vancouver), Patricia Larkin, Black Cat Bistro and Lynne from the Twisted Chef
Jason Bangerter, O&B Canteen | Luma (Toronto), Jason Duffy, ARC Lounge and Kelly from The Gouda Life
Quang Dang, West Restaurant (Vancouver), Marc Lepine, Atelier and Hillary from Hillarymakes
Jason Parsons, Peller Estates Winery Restaurant (Niagara-on-the-Lake), Clifford Lyness, Brookstreet and Claire from FoodiePrints
Patrick McMurray, Starfish Oyster Bed & Grill (Toronto) and Paula Roy from Ottawa at Home
You can learn all about the chefs and their dishes by visiting the blogs listed above. OR better yet, why don’t you join us for the event??
Like last year there are two ticket options. #1 is the demo and food tasting from noon to 7pm for $135 and option #2 is the food tasting and tickets to the after party with the chefs from 6:30 to 11pm for $85 (tax and gratuity are not included).
Proceeds from the event will go to support the NAC’s National Youth and Education Trust which furthers artistic education, training and mentorship for young Canadians.
What more could you ask for? Getting up close and personal with some of the country’s most talented chefs and their food while supporting charity?!?! Sign me up!
And if you’d like to sign up too (otherwise known as buying your ticket) click here to visit the NAC’s websitem.
This started out as an attempt to make a more ginger flavoured peanut butter cookie. After watching the same episode of ‘Eat, Shrink, and Be Merry’ for the second or third time I wanted to make the cookies from the episode. But the original recipe only calls for 1/4 tsp of ginger powder. I like ginger in my ginger cookies so I added some fresh ginger and changed the cooking process to suit someone who hates to wash dishes. The result was so fantastical, I had to share them!
Breakfast of Champions
Ingredients
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp each baking soda and cinnamon
1/4 tsp each ground ginger and salt
1/2 TBSP grated fresh ginger
1/3 cup peanut butter
3 TBSP melted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 TBSP molasses
1 tsp vanilla
Add first 5 ingredients to a large bowl. Mix and make a well in the centre. And remaining ingredients. Stir to combine.
Roll into little balls and place on an oiled cookie sheet. Press down with fork. Bake at 350 for 7 minutes. They will be quite soft when they come out of the oven but will harden as they cool.
And the winner is… Don from FoodiePrints! If you haven’t checked out FoodiePrints you really need to. It is an amazing blog written by some world class foodies – seriously some of the nicest people I’ve ever met. EVER.
Congrats Don! Enjoy.
Last night was The Red and The White – a wonderful event that was held to raise money for Harmony House Women’s Shelter. Here are 10 pictures from last night. It was a truly wonderful event and a big congratulations goes out to Chefs Michael Blackie and Laura Kirk for their amazing dishes, to Tracey from The Lemon Kitchen for her wonderful planning and for inviting me to the event, and to all the staff from the NAC and students from Algonquin College who were there to prep and prepare dishes for the crowd. I’m sure there are many other people to thank – including all those who attended – but I think the enjoyment of all involved speaks volumes about the success of last night.
Chef Kirk showing how to make the sweetbreads for her first dish
Doing what Food Bloggers do…
Chefs at work… their beers patiently waiting their return
Chef stepping aside while Stuntman Stu gets the live auction underway
Hardworking NAC staff and Algonquin students
One of four amazing plates of food
Such a great pair!
Getting in there for a good look at the tasty plates being created
Little Cakes provided the most amazing cupcakes! These were maple french toast flavour
So wonderful to see such culinary talent!
This has been a wonderful year for food! So many amazing meals eaten – here are my top 5 that I had in Ottawa this year… in no particular order! That’s a lie… they are most likely in the order I came across them while reading through my own blog… maybe… perhaps.
1. Atelier - this was just a 4 course sampling of the 12 courses offered at the restaurant in the evenings, but I am sold. Creativity, artistic plating and exciting cooking techniques result in a meal I wont soon forget and long to eat again as soon as possible.
2. Le Cafe - this meal scored on all fronts: wonderful service, exceptional location/view/decor, fantastic price, topped only by mind blowing food. It doesn’t get better than this.
3. Le Saint O - what can I say? This restaurant is one of Ottawa’s hidden treasures. The food is second to none, prices can’t be beat and some of the nicest staff I have ever met. Decor could use a little updating, but that’s what makes it a diamond in the rough! Wonderful restaurant I strongly recommend everyone in Ottawa visit.
4. Empire Grill - this high end steak house delivers some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. I had this wonderful meal at the start of the year when Chef Robin Bowen was still at the helm. Since then they have changed chefs, but I am sure that they are still delivering some of the most wonderful food in the city.
5. Town – it was crowded the night I visited Town on Elgin street and after trying the food I know why. Socks were knocked off… never to be recovered. An utterly wonderful meal.
I’d like to throw a few honorable mentions to Oz Kafe, Signatures, Perspectives at Brookstreet Hotel and Sidedoor. I’ve been lucky to have so much wonderful food in my life this year. Cheers to 2012!
This past weekend was the Ottawa LAFF a great opportunity to buy some local food products. I stopped in to see my friends from Siren Bakery and Michaelsdolce and meet some new friends which I will post about soon. Ottawa LAFF is a bit of a dangerous place though… I went in with the inention of just looking around, trying some new stuff and within 20 minutes I had picked up the following:
Try saying no to that face! It practically begs ‘take me home with you!’
As you can see, part of my bounty was some 12 grain and fennel Art-is-in bread. I’m told that some people in Ottawa refer to this amazing baked good as ‘crack bread’ because of its addictive taste. I hate that name. I prefer to think of it as ‘super happy fun time bread’… has a more positive spin.
With bread this good, you can just cut it. No no, faithful reader. That would be silly. There are rules that must be adhered to or else you will find yourself in a cluster-cuss where you may never get to fully enjoy your ‘super happy fun time bread’. No one wants that. So…
Rule 1 – Be alone when you take it out. The last thing you need is some Johnny-bread-stealer standing around behind you waiting to snag that first piece. That is YOUR piece. Hands off everyone else.
Rule 2 – Consider how many pieces you want, then cut one more. This has two purposes. First, you will need something to munch on while cutting the rest of the bread (you didn’t think you could hold out until you were finished cutting to have some did you?? Silly.) Secondly, you always end up eating more of it than you thought you were going to.
Yeah… I couldn’t even wait until the picture was taken to grab ANOTHER piece. Yes I already had one.
Rule 3 – If you have the ability to stop eating it once you start, hide it. Or the next time you go for some it will be gone. That is a lesson learned the hard way.
Rule 4 - If you really feel that you must share, or your family, like mine, will not be fooled when you say you are eating ‘nothing’ but have a big smile plastered on your face and are eating crumbs off your shirt… buy two loaves. One to share… and one for you.
Rule 5 – Always have a piece on its own before you put anything on it… this bread really is awesome and deserves your mouth’s undivided attention if only for a moment.
Thems the rules. I know you are going to thank me later so… you’re welcome.
Thanks so much to Tairy for making the winning bid of 16 pairs of underpants for Underpants Up! A project that seeks to provide 1017 pairs of new underwear to Ottawa shelters by the end of the year. This is my last auction for Underpants Up – thank you so much to everyone who has bid. Ottawa is such a generous town! This week I have 3 veggie cookbooks that I am almost sad to give up… but it is for a good cause so here goes!
The first book is Cooking Vegetarian – which obviously is full of vegetarian recipes.
The next is Fresh – from the owners of Fresh Restaurants in Toronto comes another great cookbook (the other is reFresh which I love). Veggie eating at its best with a whole chapter dedicated to smoothies. Wish I could find a bigger picture – but if you win the book you can see the full size cover!
The final book is Everyday Raw Express. Eating raw has never been easier or quicker with a book filled with recipes that take under 30 minutes to make.
Let the bidding begin. Just comment on this post – remember that you bid in pairs of underpants and need to live in the Ottawa area because I deliver the books myself! Thank you!!
