The 2011 Healthy Chef Competition

Above, the Chinese Canadian Chef Associations' Award Winning Table Showcase, carved from fresh produce.

Three nights ago, 10 local chefs and their teams convened at the Hyatt Regency in Downtown Vancouver to show off their culinary prowess at the 12th annual Healthy Chef Competition. The competition is the result of a collaborative effort between the BC Produce Marketing Association (BCPMA) and the BC Chefs’ Association (BCCA), promoting healthy eating through fresh fruits and vegetables.

This diverse range of competitors—including restaurants, hotels, and culinary schools—produced some amazing talent and fantastic culinary creations!

This year’s competitors included:

The Chinese Canadian Chef Association

Delizia Fusion Cuisine

Dynasty Seafood Restaurant

Executive Hotels & Resorts

The Well Restaurant

Goldfish Pacific Kitchen

River Rock Casino Resort

The Hyatt Regency Vancouver

The International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Vancouver

Vancouver Community College

Awards were presented for Best Entrée, Best Dessert, Best Table Showcase, the Healthy Plate Award (for desirable presentation of fresh produce, and the overall healthiness of the dish), and the People’s Choice Award.

There were six judges for the competition, including:

Executive Chef Michael Pinter, CCC, Seton Villa Action Line Housing, Director BCAA

Corporate Chef Boban Kovachevich, Executive Hotels and Conference Centre

Chef Thomas Dietzel, International Hospitality Recruitment

Chef Edgar Rahal, Chairman BCAA

Pastry Chef Ulrich Pohl, Pohl’s Bakery & Pastry Ltd.

Melody Fury, Food Writer, VancouverFoodTour.com, GourmetFury.com

In the end, four competitors walked away with the five awards:

Best Entrée – The Hyatt Regency (entrée of beef tenderloin with a tandoori rub, aloo tikki spring vegetables, mint chutney, and beet coulis)

Best Dessert – Goldfish Pacific Kitchen (dessert trio of pineapple yoghurt mousse, white chocolate apple cake, and strawberry panna cotta)

Best Table Showcase – Chinese Canadian Chef Association, with some incredible fruit sculptures!

Healthy Plate – River Rock Casino Resort (entrée of braised sea cucumber, shitake mushrooms, pea sprouts, tiger prawn, garden pea puree, lily bulb, beet powder and chive oil)

People’s Choice – Chinese Canadian Chef Association (“Seafood From the East” entrée of poached prawns and scallops with a ponzu glaze, organic soba noodles and vegetables)

Congratulations to all of the winners!

The "Seafood From the East" dish by the Chinese Canadian Chef Association, winner of the People's Choice Award.

The evening was not just a big one for established chefs, but for up and coming individuals as well. In the last decade, the BCPMA has raised more than $80,000 for the BC Chefs’ Association Junior Scholarship fund, and the BC Chefs’ Association has awarded more than $150,000 in scholarships for culinary students.

Fundraising at the 2011 Healthy Chef Competition was no exception to previous years: the BC Produce Marketing Association presented the BC Chefs’ Association with a hefty check of $7,000 towards the Junior Scholarship fund, in addition to donations to the Canadian Cancer Society, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, and the “Fruits and Veggies Mix it Up” for Better Health program.

All in all, the 2011 Healthy Chef Competition was an entertaining night for guests and participants alike. Live music, great-tasting food, fundraising for great causes, and an incredible goody bag to bring home (filled with fresh fruits and vegetables, mushrooms, and a potted herb plant to name a few)? What more could a lot of foodies ask for?

Just wait until the CCFCC 2011 National Conference in June.

BC Junior COTY Competition, March 12, 2011

Pictured left, 2011 BC Junior Chef of the year, Jasper Cruickshank.

Below is a message from Corey Jessup, President of the Victoria Branch of the Canadian Culinary Federation:

Hello Everyone,

Yesterday (Saturday, March 12, 2011) we held the 2011 BC Junior COTY competition and from what I saw we have some great young talent in all regions of this province. We would first like to start out by thanking Gilbert Noussitou and Camosun College for in only three days notice being able to accommodate the competition and pulling it off as if it was planned to be hosted there from day one.

Competitions like these would never be possible without support from our industry partners so thanks goes out to InterCity Packers for contributing the cash prizes and Certified Angus beef chuck flats and top sirloin for the black boxes. Sysco Victoria for contributing the whole Dungeness crab, Coho salmon, Little Qualicum blue claire cheese, wild mushroom blend, parsnips, golden beets and sunflower shoots for each black box. Ronald St Pierre for securing the wine for the peoples tasting table I know they were very grateful for that and Spatula Media for the amazing trophies, plaques and posters for all the competitors as keepsakes.

But without further adieu we would like to acknowledge the winners of this years event with the first place finisher going on to represent the province of BC at the National Junior COTY competition June 2011 in Vancouver.

1st place - Jasper Cruickshank, Vancouver

2nd place - Jenna Angle, Okanagan

3rd place - John Lance, Victoria

We would also like to thank the judges from this years event in no particular order, Bruno Marti, Willi Franz, JC Feliella, Leslie Stav, David Lang, Rick Choy, Terry Lockhart Rust, Gilbert Noussitou, Jeffrey Brothers and Dr Jane Ruddick for assisting in all the administration details the day of the event.

On behalf of the Victoria & North Island Branches

Thank you,

Corey

Pastry Chef of the Year Competition

Wednesday June 15, 2011

8:00 am – 3:00 pm

Vancouver Community College
250 West Pender Street
Vancouver, British Columbia

The 2011 Pastry Chef of the Year Competition will take place the same day as the CCFCC National Junior Chefs Challenge at Vancouver Community College on June 15, 2011.

Over the course of an eight-hour day, six candidates will demonstrate their expertise in the pastry field. The only rules? Everything must be prepared from scratch, and proficiency in sugar and chocolate sculpting must be demonstrated in some shape or form.

Your $50.00 ticket will give you the exciting experience of witnessing this event, and a taste of the goodies from the kitchens to satiate your sweet tooth.

Visit http://pastrychefchallenge-eorg.eventbrite.com/ for tickets and further details on the competition.