Cooks & Curds Cheese Gala
| SATURDAY JUNE 2 | 6:00 p.m. | Prince Edward Curling Club |
A fabulous feast featuring tasting dishes prepared by eight Canadian chefs with eight Canadian cheeses and paired with Ontario wines and beers. The strolling dinner concludes with sweet delights, port, ice wine and coffee. Here are the chefs from across the land who worked their magic at the Gala last year. A similarly stellar line-up for 2012 will be posted soon.
Jamie Kennedy, Jamie Kennedy Kitchens, Toronto
For more than three decades Jamie Kennedy has been instrumental in shaping the culinary landscape in Canada. His innovative approach to gastronomy, commitment to sustainable agriculture and advocacy of local food have been unwavering.
Michael Howell, Tempest, Wolfville, Nova Scotia
A love of travel and memories evoked by food inspire Chef Howell’s cuisine. A focus on quality regional ingredients motivates his cooking. A commitment to using only sustainably harvested or farmed seafood has been adopted. Chef Howell is the Leader of Slow Food Nova Scotia and a director of Slow Food Canada.
Michael Blackie, National Arts Centre, Ottawa
Born in Leicestershire, England and raised in Montreal, Quebec, Chef Michael Blackie has been cooking for almost 25 years on three continents. Having worked his way up through some of the best kitchens in Toronto, Michael was very fortunate to apprentice at the Windsor Arms Hotel. Chef Blackie joined the NAC artistic leadership team in April 2009.
Anthony Rose, Drake Hotel, Toronto
Upon graduating from the California Culinary Academy, Chef Rose worked alongside legendary chefs Bradley Ogden at the Lark Creek Inn and Mark Franz at Farallon, savouring the cuisine culture of Northern California. A move to the East Coast brought Rose to Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Mercer Kitchen and Jonathan Waxman’s Washington Park, lending a New York edge to his California “farm house” cooking.
Craig Finn, Chives Canadian Bistro, Halifax
On December 4th, 2001, Craig opened Chives Canadian Bistro. The restaurant menus are based on seasonal produce from local farmers, artisan cheese and meat producers, and sustainable seafood with the core menu changing every 6 to 8 weeks. The bistro’s clientele enjoy contemporary Canadian bistro dishes rooted in European culinary history.
Lisa Ahier, Sobo, Tofino, British Columbia
Living in the Hudson Valley opened up an incredible awareness of farm fresh products for Chef Ahier. This new awareness led her to work under the tutelage of renowned award-winning Chef Melissa Kelly at the Old Chatham Shepherding Company Inn – a working farm in upstate New York. Here she further developed her affinity for incorporating locally grown, fresh ingredients into original recipes.
Jeremy Charles, Raymonds, St. John’s, Newfoundland
Chef Jeremy Charles has traveled from the Canadian shield at the Molson Fly Fishing Camp in Quebec, to the urban oases of Los Angeles and Chicago, where he staged and served as a private chef. The diversity of Jeremy’s experience continues to guide him on his culinary journey toward the redefinition of rustic East Coast cuisine.
Alexander Svenne, Bistro 7 1/4, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Alex Svenne along with his wife Danielle Carigan Svenne are the owners of the very successful Bistro 7 ¼. Alex was the Executive Chef at several popular Winnipeg restaurants including Pineridge Hollow where he pioneered regional cuisine.
Click here to view the 2011 Cheese Gala menu. And here’s the dessert menu.
COOKS & CURDS CHEESE GALA: $100 BUY TICKETS NOW!
