What was your first food memory?

As a kid, it was looking forward to my mom’s turkey stuffing every holiday.  She was not a flashy cook, but she cooked with a lot of love, and that is the best ingredient of all, but especially for comfort food, which was her forte.

 What was in your elementary school lunch kit?

Peanut butter and jelly or ham and cheese sandwiches, fruit and a juice box.

Where did you first learn to cook?

I first learned to cook during a high school exchange program when I was 17.  When I was 20, I attended the Dubrulle Culinary Institute in Vancouver.

Did you attend culinary school – if so, where?

See above

Where has been your favourite place to work to date and why?

I really couldn’t pick a favourite – each of my experiences molded my career and who I am today, but I do have a soft spot for the time I spent learning in the kitchens of my mentors – including in Alsace with Emile Jung at Au Crocodile, and Johnny Letzer at his family’s inn, in Chicago with Charlie Trotter, and of course, right here in Vancouver with Michel Jacob at Le Crocodile.

Who in the industry taught you the most?

Michel Jacob, Charlie Trotter, and Johnny Letzer.

What is your favourite style of cooking?

Right now, I am really loving Italian, but of course, I will always love and appreciate French techniques.

What is your favourite ethnic cuisine?

Japanese

What ingredient(s) can’t you live without?

Mushrooms, Butter, Cheese

What are the most essential tools for cooking?

Love and a passion for what you do will take you further than any gadget.

 Do you have an unforgettable taste combination?

Champagne and caviar – it’s a lux combination and makes special occasions even more memorable

 Ingredient you can’t get enough of?

Tomatoes

Ingredient that will never touch your lips?

I am not a big fan of horse meat.

What is your most prized possession?

It’s not really a possession, but my family is what I value most in the world.

What basic recipe/s do you advise for cooking novices to learn as a starting point?

Mac n’ Cheese, BBQ’d anything!

What’s your go-to comfort food?

Pizza – a traditional Napoletana pizza

What’s your favourite cocktail?

Negroni or Manhattan

Do you have a guilty pleasure?

Sour ju-jubes from Superstore

What’s your definition of a perfect meal?

Surprisingly enough, I think a perfect meal starts with good company, great wine and zero stress.  Regardless of what you are eating, these are key.

What do you always have on hand for last minute entertaining at home?

Tomato sauce and pizza dough

How do you unwind after service?

David’s Tea is always a good start, I love the organic crème brulee tea.  I also love reading cookbooks and watching movies.

Most overrated food trend?

Nothing is overrated if people enjoy it. 

Favourite culinary destination?

Japan, France, Spain.

Most memorable meal last year?

The steak tartare at Nota Bene, David Lee’s restaurant in Toronto.

If you weren’t a chef what career would you have pursued?

Golf – it’s my thing right now!

What would you eat at your last meal?

A 1.5 kg jar of caviar, a litre of crème fraiche and at least 50-60 warm bellini pancakes, polished off with and a double magnum of vintage Krug champagne.

Who are you dream dinner companions?

Bono – he is an incredible musician and I respect what he has done to make the world a better place.

Bill Clinton – he is such an inspiring leader and intelligent guy.

Pierce Brosnan – he’s an interesting actor and a fellow Irishman.

What do you do in your off time?

Spend time with my family, golf and cycle.

Where do you eat in your city when you are not working?

Le Crocodile and Cioppino’s

Are there some regional dishes your city is known for? 

Seafood dishes with Ocean Wise fish are a must in Vancouver!

What is the dish/dishes your restaurant is known for?

At Cactus, the tuna tataki and the butternut squash ravioli are our most popular dishes and which I am very proud to have developed for our restaurants.

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What dish will you be cooking for Gold Medal Plates?

That’s top secret – you’ll just have to find out when you’re there!

 Why did you choose the particular wine/beer pairing for the dish?

We chose the Haywire Pinot Noir.  We used the Pinot Gris for our dish in Vancouver and wanted to do something a bit different.  BC isn’t known for its Pinot Noir but this is a fantastic wine.  Christine Colletta has done amazing work to promote BC wineries and develop the VQA program.  She has a brilliant palette and I really admire her.

 What ingredients have you brought with you?

Again – you’ll just have to be there!

 Who have you brought with you to assist?

Matthew Stowe – an incredibly talented chef who I work with here at Cactus Restaurants in Vancouver and who I teamed up with for the Vancouver event.

And we are being joined by Jason Streefkerk – the amazing head chef at our Cactus Restaurant in Kelowna.

For the black box competition are there any strategies that you will employ to succeed?

You’ll just have to check out the competition to find out – that’s the fun of this event!

What challenges do you have to face as your travel to another destination to cook?

It’s going to be the same challenges for all of us – not knowing the local area and what is immediately available.  Though I am from BC, the coast is far different from the Okanagan so it should be a ton of fun.  I also really hope my loaded down van makes the long drive over the Coquihalla!

Who do you see as the toughest competitor this year?

Everyone!  I am really proud to be representing BC with this group of chefs.  They are all incredibly talented and events like Gold Medal Plates are a chance for us to celebrate Canadian culinary talent! This competition has really grown in recognition over the past few years and as such, so does the benefit for Canadian athletes.   I am proud and excited to take part in such a worthwhile event. 

Chef Feenie’s Gold Medal Plates Winning Dish

Trafiq Café & Bakery offers a broad selection of freshly made baked goods and light café specialties. The French-inspired patisserie fare features both classic selections and innovative creations. Rustic, naturally leavened breads such as light rye, fruit and nut blends, and Campagne loaves are offered fresh from the oven each morning at 9. Absolute Sugar has established a reputation for baking beautiful and sumptuous cakes and Trafiq Café & Bakery will continue this tradition in-house. The talented duet of ‘cake ladies’ are steadily filling orders and stocking trays with attractive cakes and tantalizing desserts. The busy bakery is a lively backdrop to the modern café, pleasantly buzzing with SOMA locals and shoppers. A variety of savoury sandwiches, delicious house-made soups, quiche and fresh salads are available any time of day. Freshly roasted small-batch organic coffee is brought in weekly from local roaster Los Beans Trading Co. Fresh juices and a short list of wine and beer are available to round out the offerings of this contemporary café.

Trafiq Café & Bakery offers free Wi-fi to all guests and is available for private functions.
www.trafiq.ca

Trafiq on Main:
4216 Main Street, Vancouver
(604)648-2244
8am – 6pm, 7-days a week

Trafiq in West Vancouver:
1860 Marine Drive, West Vancouver
(604)925-2503
8am – 5pm, 7-days a week

Say “I Love You” The French Way, And Gluten Free! http://frenchmadebaking.com/en/

French macarons have been trending for a couple of years and are still high on the 2012 must-have list of every food lovers. If you wish to break free of traditional gift ideas for the upcoming Valentine’s Day and hit the (sweet) spot, these heart-shaped macarons baked by French Made Baking will do the trick. This limited edition will be available in the store at 81 Kingsway, Vancouver, from February 10 to 14 but it is recommended to pre-order.

Handcrafted with love by a Parisian-born baker, they are flavoured with all-natural rose water, crispy on the outside but smooth and chewy in the middle. They “melt in your mouth like a snowflake” as Sadie D., a customer, puts it. Made of almond meringue and buttercream they are naturally gluten free.

Before opening a brick-and-mortar location in December, this family-run Parisian-style bakery has gained the favours of Farmers’ and Bakers’ Markets shoppers with its baked goods over the last year. It has made a speciality of being creative with macarons, giving them a contemporary look while sticking to a very traditional recipe. Limited editions for Halloween, Movember and to show support to the Vancouver Canucks during the 2010 Stanley Cup Final all proved very popular.

Owners David and Catherine Introligator are driven by a common passion for good food and the desire to share it. They are convinced it is possible to recreate typical French pastries in Vancouver, just as good as they are in France, while sourcing most of the supplies locally. They have built a solid reputation with the macarons and canelés de Bordeaux but also offer all sorts of croissants, tarts and cakes in the store as well as macarons making classes.

Valentine’s Day macarons price (tax included): $2.25 each  /  6 for $12   /  12 for $22. Various packaging available.

Partial proceeds raised from this event help fund scholarships for the B.C. Chefs’ Association and support several health organizations.

Hyatt Regency, Vancouver

Thursday, March 15th, 2012

Judging @ 6:30PM; Dinner: 7:30 PM

This is a fun and healthy competition that has been taking place for over a decade. It is organized by the BC Produce Marketing Association (BCPMA) in collaboration with the BC Chefs Association (BCAA).

This event takes place usually every March on the third Wednesday of the month except in a leap year.

Judging is based on:

Taste and texture components, Artistic appearance of the food presentation, correct cooking procedure in order to receive maximum nutritional benefit of ingredients, mandatory use of six fruit or vegetables promoting healthy cuisine and the overall table display that showcases the property.
Prizes and Trophies will be given out to the top five winners

Winner of BC Chefs Association and Canadian Culinary Federation contest goes on to national event

Diva at the Met Executive Sous Chef, Jeff Kang, has been named “B.C. Chef of the Year” after winning the annual Roasted Competition at the BC Foodservice Expo. The event, held on January 30, was presented in partnership with both the BC Chefs Association and the Canadian Culinary Federation.

The Roasted Competition is a knock-out black box event for up-and-coming chefs, with all competitors preparing appetizers, but only top contestants going on to prepare main courses and, ultimately, desserts. Chef Kang impressed judges with his skill, creativity and quick thinking, going on to win the final round over Chef Dan Craig from the Delta Burnaby (2nd) and Chef William Tse from The Sandbar (3rd). As the winner of this event, he will head to Halifax in June to compete in the national competition. As an added bonus, this year’s top two finalists will also travel to Toronto in March to take part in the “Discovered Chef Competition” at the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association’s national show.

For each round, the chefs received a black box with two ingredients that had to be used in that course. The first round saw Chef Kang use the supplied yellowtail and mussels to produce an olive oil poached yellowtail with mussels, served with a ginger scallion mayonnaise foam and a garden salad.

The main course black box items were sirloin and crocodile, with which he prepared a dish of pan-seared beef, black garlic parsnip puree, heirloom carrots, garlic foam and crispy crocodile.

With quinoa, walnuts and vanilla as his back box ingredients, the final round, dessert, saw him win the event with his blueberry sorbet and microwave bread, served with candied quinoa, walnut crumbles and white chocolate vanilla tuile.

“In this case, the quinoa and crocodile were definitely the ingredients that tested me the most,” said Chef Kang. “But with a black box competition like this, the biggest challenge is the mental one-having no idea of what ingredients you’ll be given to cook with, and then worrying about it for the full 30 minutes of each round! But this is why I am doing competitions like this, to try things I’ve never done before and to test myself.” Chef Kang was also the winner of the 2011 Fetzer Great Beginnings Appetizer Challenge at the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival.

The Metropolitan Hotel Vancouver and Diva at the Met restaurant have been known for a strong mentorship and culinary arts program, and actively encourage all members of the kitchen team to compete in events. “Taking part in competitions is important in keeping our team challenged and at the top of their game,” said Metropolitan Hotel Vancouver Executive Chef, Hamid Salimian. “Competing is a fantastic way to build confidence, exercise creativity and sharpen skills. Jeff is a very talented chef, and he did a lot of practice for this event. All of the members of the team get to see how that pays off.”

About Metropolitan Hotels

Metropolitan Hotels operates three luxury properties: Metropolitan Toronto, the Soho Metropolitan and the Metropolitan Vancouver. With more than 750 rooms, Metropolitan Hotels is committed to providing luxury accommodation for business and leisure travellers seeking an independent choice. A member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Metropolitan Hotels strives to provide superior service with distinctive accommodations. Award-winning restaurants at Metropolitan Hotels include Hemispheres and Lai Wah Heen (Metropolitan Toronto), Senses (SoHo Metropolitan), Diva at the Met (Metropolitan Vancouver) and Lai Toh Heen (mid-town Toronto).

The judging panel included Chef Jonas Mangao of Lee Restaurant, Chef Heinrich Meesen, Le Château Laurier, Chef Julia Hanna, Julia’s Ristorante, Chef Sebastien Houle, Restaurant sEb, Chef Richardo Roque, Brasserie Crème, and media judges Annabelle Waugh, Food Director, Canadian Living Magazine, Emily Richards, Food Columnist, Metro Newspapers and Alexa Clark, blogger at unsweetened.ca. The panel awarded Molettieri the once-in-a-lifetime chance to compete at the finals competition to be held at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in Napa Valley from March 9-12, 2012.

The fast-paced, high-pressure cooking competition included six culinary students representing The George Brown Chefs School (Toronto), The International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Vancouver, École hôtelière de la Capitale (Québec City) and Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (Montréal).

Molettieri won high marks with her innovative signature dish recipe, Fillet of Veal Stuffed with Wild Mushrooms. The demanding, in-depth evaluation from the judging panel took place during a lively tasting reception for local media, chefs and invited guests. Molettieri was met with cheers and applause as she was crowned the Canadian regional winner.

“I owe a lot of my success this evening to Chef Côté, my ITHQ advisor,” says Molettieri. “He spent a lot of time helping me prepare for this competition and his patience really paid off.

In celebration of its 10^th year, Molettieri will join the nine past winners of the S.Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition during the three-day finals event. Past winners will work alongside Molettieri and an esteemed judging panel to mentor the 10 finalists throughout the three days of fierce competition. All finals competitors will be evaluated in three competition categories: the Mystery Basket, Signature Dish and People’s Choice.

The highly intense, star-powered weekend will culminate with the announcement of the 2012 S.Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef. The event will be broadcast live via the Almost Famous Chef Competition Facebook fan page where viewers can vote for their favorite competitor and ask questions of the celebrity chef panel. The overall winner will take home the title along with up to $22,000 in prizes and a career-changing apprenticeship with a master chef.

Another winner at the S.Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Canadian Regional Competition was Anne-Marie Plourde, a student at École hôtelière de la Capitale. She won the hearts and palates of everyone in attendance at The Calphalon Center and was rewarded with the People’s Choice award for her signature recipe, Roasted Duck Breast and Gingerbread Crusted Foie Gras.

“I’m really pleased to win the People’s Choice award,” says Plourde. “Even though I didn’t win overall, I know a lot of people enjoyed my dish tonight.”

About the S.Pellegrino^® Almost Famous Chef^® Competition

For centuries, Acqua Panna^® Natural Spring Water and S.Pellegrino^® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water have complemented fine food, wine and the dining occasion. In support of this passion for gastronomy and their commitment to the culinary arts, the S.Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition was founded in 2002 as a mentoring program that connects top culinary students with established chefs and influential media. Since then this program has helped to launch hundreds of culinary careers and refined the skills of a new generation of chefs. Through the Almost Famous Chef Competition, student chefs are given the opportunity to gain unmatched experience, while cooking in some of the most prestigious kitchens in the world.

Goldfish thanks diners for years of loyal patronage

Aburi Restaurants Canada Ltd, operating as Miku Restaurant, announces it will take over the lease of Goldfish Seafood & Chops, located at 1118 Mainland Street. A new restaurant with a different concept, named Minami, is expected to open in Summer 2012. Goldfish’s last day is Sunday, February 5, 2012, after completion of Dine Out Vancouver.

Miku is a celebrated Japanese restaurant in Vancouver, and is popular with both residents and tourists visiting the city. It is known for innovating the Aburi or sear-flamed style of sushi, which is the act of applying fire directly on the fish to enhance the natural flavours. This technique, paired with specialty sauces and non-traditional Japanese ingredients make the perfect complement to the unique taste of fish.

“We look forward to expanding the Miku brand in one of Vancouver’s most vibrant neighbourhoods and bringing Aburi to the Yaletown community in Summer of this year,” explains Takuya Motohashi, Vice President and Executive Chef of Aburi Restaurants Canada Ltd. “Bud Kanke is a legend in the restaurant business. It has been a pleasure working with him on finalizing the details.”

Kanke Seafood Restaurants has founded, opened, and operated 11 restaurants in the past 40 years. Kanke, who is now 72, is contemplating retirement. To assist staff and management with as smooth a transition as possible, the company is providing employees with a generous severance allowance.

“We wish to thank our many diners who have enjoyed their guest experience and supported and frequented Goldfish over the years,” says Bud Kanke, Proprietor of Kanke Seafood Restaurants Ltd. “I am very proud of our Goldfish Team and what we have achieved when we first introduced Yaletown to West Coast seafood cuisine with Pacific Rim flavours in 2007. It has been a great run.”

Kanke adds, “It is time to turn over the reins to the young passionate restaurateurs who can take the Vancouver restaurant experience to the next level. Mr. Motohashi is such a person. I wish him and Miku the ultimate of success in Yaletown.”

Saturday February 25, 2012

Indulge in our “Uncorked” Winemaker’s Dinner – Executive Chef Michael Sproul will be pairing Burrowing Owl wines with amazing seasonal dishes to create a unique dining experience.

• Tickets are $109 per person, applicable taxes and gratuities are additional.
• Have a look the incredible menu:

Menu – Burrowing Owl Winemakers Dinner (pdf)

TASTE OF AFRICA DINNER – PART TWO!

Our Taste of Africa Dinner last year was so popular and sold out so quickly that we had to do it again!  Back by demand is Isaac and his wife Becky with their amazing food from Taste of Africa.  Paired alongside South African wines, enjoy Sliced yams, Spinach stew
Rice & Beans, and Jollof Rice.

$45/ticket, 36 tickets available

Friday February 24, 2012

Swirl at Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort & Conference Centre 

Festival goers will enjoy the best BC has to offer from fine wines to gourmet cuisine at Swirl. Whether you are discovering BC wines for the very first time, or reveling in selections to tempt a sophisticated palate, this festival of taste excites all the senses. Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort is proud to host Swirl 2012.

• Friday February 24, 2012 at Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort & Conference Centre
• Tickets are $69 per person + applicable taxes including an exclusive 2012 Parksville Uncorked wine glass.
• Applicable taxes and gratuities are additional. Advance reservations are required.

Call 1-800-663-7373 to reserve.

http://www.parksvilleuncorked.com/uncorked-events