#ccc2014 @goldmedalplates Chefs from Canada will meet in Kelowna from February 7-8, 2014 to compete in the Gold Medal Plates Canadian Culinary Championships. Each year I interview them some questions prior to the challenge. Here is the scoop from Chef Kelly Cattani from Elements the Restaurant in Winnipeg.

What was your first food memory?

A stack of cinnamon raisin toast slathered with butter.

What was in your elementary school lunch kit?

Honey ham on white bread, NO condiments! I was a very picky eater.

Where did you first learn to cook? 

At home! I learned to cook out of my mom’s Betty Crocker New Boys and Girls cookbook from the 1970’s. I still have it.

Did you attend culinary school – if so, where? 

I graduated from Red River College’s Culinary Arts program in 2005.

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

I have had great experiences and learned a lot at every job I have had. I don’t think I could pick out one in particular as being the favorite.

Who in the industry taught you the most? 

I worked for Chef Bernard Mirlycourtois for two years after graduating from RRC. The techniques and trade tricks that I learned from him laid a very solid foundation which I continue to be very grateful for.

What is your favourite style of cooking?

My training says “classic French!” but I don’t think I have been cooking that way for a long time. I like world cuisine. I like bold flavors. I like hearty food.

What is your favourite ethnic cuisine? 

To eat: Ethiopian. So delicious! 

What is your favourite family recipe? 

Grandma’s Restiva. Only because tracking down the original recipe ended up becoming quite a crazy ordeal! All the aunts and uncles have their own version! Apparently no one outside my family has ever heard of a dish called Restiva. They’re probably spelling it wrong. Cattani’s!

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

Butter. Everything else can vary.

What are the most essential tools for cooking? 

Knives and fire.

Do you have an unforgettable taste combination?

Nope. Although Half Pints Noche de Los Albrijes and Chef Aron Epp’s Salted Almond and Chocolate Fudge Cake was an epiphany.

Ingredient you can’t get enough of? 

Piment d’espellette. Literally, I cannot get it here.

Ingredient that will never touch your lips?

I have a pile of food allergies. Soo…… other than those…. I really do not like truffles. At all.

What is your most prized possession?

I really do not know. I am a mother, so I cherish nothing as much as I cherish my daughter.  Other things sort of stop mattering in the same way after you have a kiddo.

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

Soup! So simple, versatile and good.

What’s your go-to comfort food?

Right now: Pho.

What’s your favourite cocktail? 

I love Old Fashioned’s. LOVE them.

Do you have a guilty pleasure? 

I really enjoy dark chocolate and straight alcohol. I am not at all guilty about it though.

What’s your definition of a perfect meal? 

Anything cooked by someone else (that fits within my dietary restrictions) is AMAZING!

Alternately: simple and good food, shared with friends and accompanied by a few drinks. 

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

I don’t entertain at home.

How do you unwind after service? 

Does going home and cooking dinner for the family count? I usually don’t sit down until after my daughter is in bed. I am up at 6am and sit down sometime after 10pm. I love reading, or watching a sci-fi show before bed. I really like science fiction.

Most overrated food trend?

KALE CHIPS!

Favourite culinary destination? 

I would love to go to eat in France.

Most memorable meal last year? 

Grazing in the Field – a multi course culinary adventure we cater annually in conjunction with the Dairy Farmers of Manitoba. We set up a kitchen in the middle of nowhere, on a dairy farm. It is always such a blast serving dinner out of the usual context of a restaurant. It is a very unique experience and really show cases what a talented catering team we have here at Diversity… as well as all the great dairy that Manitobans can really be proud of.

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

I would love to go back to university to study Marketing.

What would you eat at your last meal?

BREAD!!! I miss bread so much.

Who are you dream dinner companions? 

Martin Picard and Eric Ripert. That would be amazing and hilarious.

What do you do in your off time?

Spend time with my family.

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

At home mostly. When I do go out I like to eat at Deer + Almond.

Are there some regional dishes your city is known for? 

We have an amazing assortment of cultures which come together in Winnipeg. I think Perogies would be something that almost everyone here just loves.

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

We love ramen soup and are one of the only places in Winnipeg that makes it (as far as I know)

What dish will you be cooking for Gold Medal Plates? 

We are repeating our dish from the regional competition – elk avocado soba soy

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

The refreshing and approachable nature of the wine really fit well with our original concept. Even though we fiddled with the food several times we stayed true to our choice for a pairing. I love the Okanagan Falls region and was thrilled that the wine our sommelier suggested was from that area.

What ingredients have you brought with you? 

All of them!

Who have you brought with you to assist? 

My Sous Chef – Virginia Jensen and my Executive Chef Ben Kramer. I am blessed to have such a great team and so much support from home.

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

‘Keep It Simple Stupid’ keeps coming to mind.

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

I am a little concerned with finding food that I can eat (dietary restrictions). Apart from that I find that the stress of a competition always takes a little effort to push through.

Who do you see as the toughest competitor this year? 

I try to only be worried about my own performance in a competition. I will do as well as I can. What the other teams do is not really my concern.