Judging the San Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition

Well that was a lot of fun!  Last night I judged the San Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition.  6 culinary students competing to win the Canadian Regionals and progress to the finals in California.

 

It was a nail biter!  There were leaders and early favourites in the kitchen, but it wasn’t until the last plate was served that I had a decision on who I thought did the best.

Of course, in addition to the food as a Media Judge I was evaluating them on their Personal Impact & Presence Skills.

I had no idea how the Kitchen and Chef judges were scoring, or even how the other Media judges scored them.

There were 6 good dishes presented by 6 solid competitors. The decision for me came down to the details: serving on a cold plate, an unstrung pea, slightly too much sauce, misnaming the meat, rushed answers, slightly too little seasoning, hushing the guests.

I believe all the competitors did a very good job in a very stressful situation.

In the end, I was happy with the winners, Anne-Marie Plourde of École hôtelière de la Capitale in Quebec City who won the People’s Choice.

 

And the winner of the Canadian Regionals of the San Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition:

Daniela Molettieri from Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec  in Montreal for her Fillet of Veal Stuffed with Wild Mushrooms, Butternut Squash and Roasted Hazelnut Puree with a mix of Quebec Vegetables.

(more photos coming… even one or two of me in action since I shared my camera around while I was working)