Canadian Chefs' Congress

It’s Saturday morning, just hours away from the Opening Ceremonies that mark the official start of the 2010 Canadian Chefs’ Congress.

Many of our chefs and guests have already been with us for one night, having arrived a day early to set up camp and mingle with other delegates at Friday’s Firelight Pig Roast.

Chef Robert Belcham and his team had been prepping two Sloping Hills Farm heritage pigs for this occasion. One was destined for the spit (above) and the other slow cooked in Adam Protter’s industrial BBQ for a dozen hours or more.

Delegates set up camp throughout the woods above the main site. A tent village was also set up by our team of volunteers for participating chefs and other guests needing a home.

As night fell and the dinner bell approached, Chef Robert Clark took to the main stage to greet our Early Bird attendees and to introduce MP Fin Donnelly and biologist Alexandra Morton, who spoke briefly but passionately about the Save Our Wild Salmon campaign (private members’ bill C-518).

The rest of the evening focussed on food, beer, wine, music and dancing by the main stage, and conversations by the bonfire.

Photo Gallery

For all photos taken by us throughout the weekend, visit the 2010 Canadian Chefs’ Congress album page.

Come take a peek inside the kitchen of the exclusive Vancouver Club as we set to task on the next Mystery Kitchen Tour fundraiser for the 2010 Canadian Chefs’ Congress. The kitchen was humming with activity as 9 chefs and their aides flowed through the aisles to get course after course out to our guests.

Reception

Canapes by Quang Dang, Executive Chef, Diva at the Met, Metropolitan Hotel:

Spiced Yarrow Meadows duck meat balls, young garlic puree; rare seared albacore tuna, Granville Island sake emulsion; poached cherry tomatoes infused with basil

Salt Spring Island goat cheese bread stix

Dinner

Jeremie Bastien – Owner / Executive Chef, Boneta

Spring salmon gravlax, nugget potatoes, avocado, pickled cucumber, crispy shallots

Township 7 “7 Blanc” 08

Sean Cousins – Executive Chef, The Vancouver Club

Chili and salt cured “free spirit” Hecate Straight halibut; Pacific seaweed salad, Vancouver Club roof top coriander, spot prawn brioche, squid viniagrette

Neck of the Woods Rosé, BC VQA Fraser Valley, Estate Bottled

Andrea Carlson – Executive Chef, Bishop’s

Baby beet with ricotta zucchini blossom fritters and red currant vinaigrette

Chandra Estate Winery Pinot Noir Rosé 2007

Chris Whittaker – Executive Chef, O’Doul’s, Listel Hotel

Seared Qualicum Beach Scallop, Chilliwack corn and saffron puree, bacon powder, Poplar Grove Tiger Blue panna cotta

2008 Averill Creek Pinot Gris

Josh Wolfe – Executive Chef, Coast Restaurant

Dungeness crab salad with pickled oysters and a sweet corn fritter

Mission Hill “Martin’s Lane” Riesling 2008, Okanagan Valley

Marc Thuet – Executive Chef, Thuet, Conviction Kitchen

Fraser Valley rabbit fricaasse, foie gras ravioli, chanterelles

Mezzacorona Pinot Grigio 2009 Trentino-Valle dell’Adige, Italy

Quang Dang – Executive Chef, Diva at the Met, Metropolitan Hotel

Lightly Smoked Yarrow Meadows Duck, Okanagan lapin cherry financier, fava beans, thyme essence

Desert Hills 2009 Gamay

Robert Belcham – Owner / Executive Chef, ReFuel, Campagnolo

Slow cooked Fraser Valley lamb collar navarin, radish, polenta, mint

Montagu Cellars Three Barrel Merlot 2006

Lisa Perkins – Pastry Chef – The Vancouver Club

Crème friache and tarragon pannacotta, black cherry pearls, white cherry puree, black pepper “crisp”

Satura Vinsera 2007 “Port Style” wine

Save the Date: August 22, 2010

Whether you enjoyed you dinner at the Vancouver Club or wish you had been there, we would love to see you at our next and last Mystery Kitchen Tour fundraiser on August 22nd.

Mystery Kitchen Tour Encore
August 22, 2010, from 6:30pm – 9pm
Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts
1505 West 2nd Avenue | Vancouver, BC

With the wild success of June’s Mystery Kitchen Tour, PICA Director Chef Julian Bond announced an encore event to be held in late August.

Who’s cooking? What’s on the menu? You’ll find out that night. If you’re determined to figure out the mystery before you arrive, we’ll be dropping hints at the Canadian Chefs’ Congress website, on our Facebook group page, and through Twitter.

Photo Gallery

Just a reminder that the Canadian Chefs’ Congress is coming fast! We’ll be closing the online registration on Friday, September 19 at 5:00 pm EST. If you wish, you may still register at the farm, just remember – at the farm we cannot accept credit cards. You may pay in person with cash or cheque only. If you choose to take advantage of one of the roughly 30 remaining seats on the bus from the Palais Royale, you’ll also need to bring cash or a cheque. We will have a desk for purchasing water bottles and t-shirts, etc. you will want to bring some cash for those purchases also. The closest bank machine to the farm, is approximately 1/2 an hour away by car.

A lot of you are confused about whether or not you have registered!? Please be aware that you are not registered for the congress unless you pay for your registration! Your registration information is not kept on file unless you pay using PayPal online or make other arrangements.