Chefs

Chef John Placko in Chefs #LoveCDNBeef

Chef John Placko in Chefs #LoveCDNBeef

The first time I met John he was using a reverse griddle and the second time he let me make ice cream with liquid nitrogen. The way to this girl’s heart is through food, especially if it’s science experiment food! I love this guy! Chef John Placko is one of the first people I think of when discussing  molecular cuisine.  John’s food is all kinds of sciency fun incorporating manyof the techniques you’ve come to expect from an episode of Top Chef and at the same time it’s flavourful, healthy and clean.  Something you don’t get when Chefs are so…

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Week Filled With Conferences, Cookies, Contests and Crowds (lovely crowds!)

Week Filled With Conferences, Cookies, Contests and Crowds (lovely crowds!)

Last week was a whirlwind, leaving my brain (and my SD cards) filled with images, ideas and inspiration. I have much to process, integrate and digest, so I’ve decided I’ll share a quick set of snapshots of what was going on over the last week in the Food and Hospitality scene around here.  (Yes I know this is sucky SEO-wise, should care. Don’t.) Terroir 2013 – #Terroir7 the 7th annual Hospitality Industry Symposium bringing together Canada’s “innovative and creative influencers of Canada’s hospitality industry including chefs, food writers, wine and food experts and business leaders.” Essentially we all get together…

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I’m Speaking at the Food Bloggers of Canada Conference

I’m Speaking at the Food Bloggers of Canada Conference

I’m excited to announce that I am one of the speakers at this weekend’s Food Bloggers of Canada Conference, Canada’s first dedicated food blogging conference. I will be speaking about restaurants, blogging and critiques in: The Chef & The Critic – 2 Perspectives on Restaurants and Blogging Alexa Clark and Jason Bangerter. Moderated by Alison Fryer of The Cookbook Store In this panel, moderated by Alison Fryer of The Cookbook Store,  Chef Jason Bangerter of Oliver & Bonacini’s Luma Restaurant and Alexa Clark of CheapEats and unsweetened.ca will discuss and debate the pros and cons of bloggers and restaurants working…

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Chef Carl Heinrich in Chefs #LoveCDNBeef

Chef Carl Heinrich in Chefs #LoveCDNBeef

I am delighted to announce that Chef Carl Heinrich is the next chef in our Chefs #LoveCDNBeef series.  Carl is Chef and co-owner of Richmond Station, winner of Top Chef Canada and co-owner of West Side Beef Co. Before I had tasted his food, before I had met him, even before his win on Top Chef Canada, I had been hearing about Carl.  One thing that kept coming up, especially since I’m working with Canadian Beef, was the quality of the beef Carl uses at Richmond Station and the relationship he has with the  farmers who raise it. Carl’s team…

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Chef Obsession Contest Winner!

Chef Obsession Contest Winner!

We had a lot of Chef obsessions, favourites and stories shared in the #AFChef13 #ChefObsession Contest – Tell Me Your Canadian Chef Obsession, Win Dinner at Fabbrica. What a great set of entries to chose from. You can see everyone’s  stories in the comments of the original post but let me give you a run down of the Chefs that were mentioned. Just in case you are looking for someone obsession worthy to cook you dinner, teach you to cook or be an inspiration! Here is the list of Chefs that do just that:  Aaron Joseph Bear Robe – @keriwacafe…

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Contest: Tell Me Your Canadian Chef Obsession, Win Dinner at Fabbrica

Contest: Tell Me Your Canadian Chef Obsession, Win Dinner at Fabbrica

In celebration of this year’s S. Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition, San Pellegrino has given me a $150 Gift Certificate to Chef Mark McEwan’s Fabbrica to give away to one of you.  Well, one of you who is brave enough to tell me about your Chef Obsession. Tell me about your favourite Canadian Chefs – each chef you tell me about gets you another entry in the random draw. You don’t have to know them personally, but you do need to tell me something about them and why you are obsessing over them (or they are your favourites). I won’t…

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Chef Ilona Daniel in Chefs #LoveCDNBeef

Chef Ilona Daniel in Chefs #LoveCDNBeef

When I started considering chefs for Chefs #LoveCDNBeef I was hoping to including a Chefs from each of the Maritime provinces.  Since there’s only one Canadian Beef Ambassador east of Ontario, I kind of felt it was my duty to represent the Martimes too. So I turned to my buddy Rob Hyndman to ask about Chefs in PEI. Since Rob knows food and often regales me with the quality of PEI beef, I was sure he’d know who I should consider.  Rob immediately responded with an introduction to Chef Ilona Daniel. “Ilona is awesome and is the Lieutenant Governor’s chef,…

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Chef Rossy Earle in Chefs #LoveCDNBeef

Chef Rossy Earle in Chefs #LoveCDNBeef

Given Chef Rossy Earle’s easy touch with beef, it wasn’t a hard to know she’d make a great addition to the Chefs #LoveCDNBeef series. When she agreed to participate I started to salivate in anticipation of what dish she’s share with us. I met Rossy at the first Food Truck Eats event a couple of summers ago. We have a lot of friends and connections in common, but I was still unprepared for this passionate, gregarious, focused Chef to embrace me and start introducing me to her food. Traditional Panamanian and Latin dishes, flavours and techniques with an easy sophistication.…

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Chef Jonathan Korecki in Chefs #LoveCDNBeef

Chef Jonathan Korecki in Chefs #LoveCDNBeef

Okay, I have to fess up, I’ve never met Jonny.  In fact, even after all our email exchanges, I feel a little unsure if using Jonny instead of Jonathan is really okay, but we all know I take liberties. However, I have met his food. And introduced other people to it. I have had him in my home, spent hours with him, late at night, when my spouse was asleep… but he was in the TV at the time cooking up a storm on Top Chef Canada, so I doubt he remembers spending all that time with me. Jonny’s playfulness…

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Chef Adam Hynam-Smith in Chefs #LoveCDNBeef on unsweetened.ca

Chef Adam Hynam-Smith in Chefs #LoveCDNBeef on unsweetened.ca

The first time I meet  Chef Adam Hynam-Smith, our next Chef in the Chefs #LoveCDNBeef series, he was leaning up against a food truck in the Distillery District at the first Food Truck Eats event. That may have been the last time I saw him standing still. I was there early taking photos and “helping”, so when he offered me a sample, I turned it down. I figured it wasn’t really fair to sample early.  I was a fool! Within 15 minutes the line up for  El Gastrónomo Vagabundo, the food truck he runs with his partner Tamara Jensen, was…

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Chef Jason Bangerter in Chefs #LoveCDNBeef on unsweetened.ca

Chef Jason Bangerter in Chefs #LoveCDNBeef on unsweetened.ca

You know those times when you meet someone and you feel an instant connection?  That’s how it felt when I met Chef Jason Bangerter, the next chef in the Chefs #LoveCDNBeef series. Jason is the Executive Chef at Oliver & Bonacini’s two restaurants at the TIFF Bell Lightbox: O&B Canteen and Luma. I’ve had the luxury of getting to know Jason over the last couple of years and I have to admit I have a little chef’s crush on him. (shhh don’t tell him!) I met Jason in towards the end of Toronto Taste in 2008. We’d been filming chefs…

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Chef Matt Kantor in Chefs #LoveCDNBeef on unsweetened.ca

Chef Matt Kantor in Chefs #LoveCDNBeef on unsweetened.ca

Our first Chef in the Chefs #LoveCDNBeef Series is Chef Matt Kantor. If you are a regular reader of unsweetened.ca, you already know that Chef Matt Kantor is my partner in the Secret Pickle Supper Club, my travel buddy to the Encuentro Internacional de la Cocina del Aceite de Oliva Virgen Extra , and my dear friend.    I have enthused about his food often and was delighted when he said he’d participate as the first Chef in Chefs #LoveCDNBeef on unsweetened.ca . I invited Matt not because he is my friend, because he’s a very talented Chef who is doing…

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