Atlantic Provinces Culinary Competition

I love to compete and love for competition is definitely important when you are leading a team. As captain of Senior Team Nova Scotia it is important to be excited entering competitions because my energy helps build up the energy of my teammates, and that energy was definitely needed at the Atlantic Provinces Culinary Competition. With a late start to the competition, it was important for us to pull together as a team and push through to finish on time. And that team work and passion for cooking and competition paid off with Senior Team Nova Scotia winning the Grand Prix Prize. We had a complex menu with a variety of flavours and cooking techniques and we were glad to see our hard work and ambition rewarded. The thing I learned at this competition is to know your judges. Like when I build my menus for Cafe 101, it is important that my menus reflect the clientele that I am serving. The first place finish doesn't go to the team that wows the crowd; it goes to the team that wows the judges. So, I guess we can consider the judges wowed. Another great competition by Senior Team Nova Scotia!

Menu

Beginning

Brown Butter Poached Perch
Warm Green Bean Salad

Pomme Anna

Olive Puree

Chive Sabayon

Lobster& Perch Roll

Carrot Gastrique

Cucumber Pesto

Carrot Twine

Middle

Sous-vide Pork Leg

Apple & Goat Cheese Puree

Parsley Sauce

Pork & Barley Cabbage Roll

Pickled Beets

Cranberry Drops

Butter Poached Rutabaga

Zucchini Pearls

End

Chocolate Orange Block

Roasted Pineapple Sorbet

Honey Raspberry Parfait

Banana Chocolate Fritter

Pineapple Compote

Raspberry Froth

Orange & Almond Cake

And the Winner is....

Soon to be announced and I, like any other chef at the Savour Food and Wine show, am eager to find out. On February 25th the stars and fans of NS food were out in full force. It was a packed event, with 600 guests waiting to get their fill on every dish imaginable. And Cafe 101 did not disappoint! Joined by my Sous Chef, Leslie Hull, and 3 NSCC students, John Saulnier, Dean Anderson and Keegan Goodspeed, we showed our passion for food with an innovative and modern menu. We received lots of great compliments and peaked everyone's interest with our "In a Cloud of Smoke Sous-Vide Pork Curry." How did we do it? Well, that one will have to remain my little secret;) Check out the menu below:

In a Cloud of Smoke Sous-Vide Pork Curry

Apply Yogurt Panna Cotta

Pickled Mango

Beet Cilantro Drape