When the country’s best chefs congregate for a little creativity in the kitchen, it’s bound to cause a stir. Add inspired menus, an esteemed panel of judges and prestigious culinary hardware to the mix, and it’s more likely to draw a crowd. Battling it out for number-one-Canadian-chef status, top chefs from eight cities spanning coast to coast will meet at the Canadian Culinary Championships to vie for Gold Medal Plates glory, February 18 – 19, 2011. Kelowna, a farm-to-table community in BC’s wine country, and host of the event for the next five years, will set the scene for big-name draws like Vancouver’s Robert Clark (C Restaurant), Niagara’s Frank Dodd (Hillebrand Winery Restaurant) and Montreal’s own Martin Juneau (La Montee). Their quest? Duke it out in three distinct contests: the Mystery Wine Pairing, where each challenger matches the same vintage with their own locally-sourced creation; the Black Box Competition, which sees two dishes per chef produced with just 60 minutes on the clock; and the Grand Finale, which showcases an innovative dish from each competitor, paired with their choice of Canadian wine. All proceeds gathered from this competition go straight to champions of a different kind: the Canadian Olympic Foundation, which helps Olympic and Paralympic athletes achieve their own gold medal status. Reason enough to raise a glass. For tickets and more information, visit www.goldmedalplates.com.