Closing Ceremonies

Today was the big day of medals and awards and announcements and excitement! It started off with a VIP brunch reception and some speeches. Then onto team introductions and cheering. Presentation of medals and the moments all the competitors have been waiting for - the top three score placements in each category. Then I got to congratulate everyone and hang out for a bit before it was time to eat on a plane yet again and fly on over to my brother's place for a visit!

Competition Day Two

Today was another long day of competing. I bounced back and forth among cooking and baking both secondary and post secondary competitions. I also checked out a lot of the other sites and the try-a-trades. At the end of the day I helped with the clean up and tear down of the cooking sites. I took A LOT of photos - pretty much every food plated today!

sugar sculpture

table of pastry items

salmon main course

bread pudding dessert

ravioli appetizer

salmon entree

creme caramel dessert

fruit tarts and elcairs

slice of decorated cake

Competition Day One

The events of today included a lot of poster girl smile. Basically our group had breakfast together and attended the official launch of the competition. Then we split up into our respectful project areas for the day. Later on we grouped back together for a presentation and then later for a group dinner at a local restaurant. Back at it again tomorrow!

For my specific duties I first went to mingle around the cooking and baking competition areas, where I spent most of the mingling with people I had already know but hadn't necessarily seen in awhile. At the competition area I met three of my previous culinary instructors, a few other chefs I knew from doing different competitions, a few people I had just met at the least conference I attended just before this, as well as some competitors from my region that I knew!

Mid-morning I had a filmed interview and mini demo with a Masterchef champion so that was super cool! I got to meet him, take a picture with him, plate food with him, and just chat.

I also got the chance to watch some of the cooking and baking competitions going on, cheer on some competitors I know, take pictures, and visit the try-a-trade chocolate truffle, freshly baked cookie, and canape stations.

canapes 

cookies

cooking competition area

cooking sample plate

baking sample cookies

visitors 

Opening Ceremonies

Today in the morning we did some set up and tours of the project area and set up seven feet posters of ourselves with little descriptions to present us as the alumni and offer to answer anyone's questions. In the afternoon there was some free time so I got to go shopping and explore the little market by the river, the river walk, and some surrounding shops.

The evening was very exciting with the opening ceremonies - beginning with a VIP welcome reception with drinks and hors d'oeuvres (smoked salmon blinis, spanokopita, terriyaki chicken on rice, fried shrimp, mini ceasars, chicken skewers), an opening reception with a huge buffet of food (vegetable tray and hummus, fruit tray, macaroni and cheese, pork, beef, and chicken sliders, condiments, coleslaw, greek salad, garden salad,pierogies, and dessert squares, pop, and juice) and then the huge, extremely loud opening ceremonies with the rallies of all the teams, entertainment, presentations, and speeches. 

chocolate truffles at the market

city view

welcome reception buffet

the crowd beginning to arrive

Orientation

1. Finally sleeping in
2. Getting so much free swag
3. Orientation meeting
4. Tour of the event grounds
5. Exploring the city
6. Dinner out at a pizzeria

view of the city

free swag

col bridge on the river

inside a mall

The Culinary Olympics

Big announcement time! This news has become common knowledge to both my loved ones and people I don't know very well at all, but for those of you who don't know...I am going to the World Culinary Olympics Competition tomorrow! Way back at the beginning of the year I was chosen as a member of our regional culinary olympic team. We trained Monday - Friday; 7:00a.m. - 2:00p.m.; May 16th - October 7th. This is where I have been working all summer, with another job on top. It has been very stressful at times, and extremely busy, but tomorrow is the day we travel to the competition. I am so excited and nervous at the same time! I won't share too many details in regards to the actual competition today, but I hope I will get a chance to post some updates along the way!

Seafood Chef's Challenge Plates

Goat cheese parisienne gnocchi, lobster tail,
tomato sauce, chanterelle mushrooms, dill sprigs

Seafood (mussels, quahogs, oysters) kibbeh,
fresh fennel, orange, pickled onion, and dill salad,
flavored cream sauce, gastrique

Avocado puree, fresh oysters, carrot curls, cucumber
curls, pickled rasdish, sauteed spinach, panko
crumb, fried rice noodle, chives

Lobster claw, fresh peas, chanterelles,
 sauce accompaniments

Seafood perogi, pickled red onion,
cucumber, fennel, dill, green puree, sauce

Mussels atop a vegetable gateau

Seafood Chef's Challenge

I had the privilege of volunteering as a runner at a local seafood competition. There were twelve chefs in total competing for a grand prize of ten thousand dollars. The first day the twelve competitors were narrowed down to six. The second day the six competitors were narrowed down to two. And the third day the two competitors battled it out on the grand stage for the grand prize. The competition took place in a temporary tent set-up and the competitors were from around the world. The set-up consisted of only two small work tables for each competitors in front of a crowd, and the runners (me included) had to do all the set up of equipment, organization of ingredients, and run dishes back and forth from the stage to the small kitchen trailer. The competitors had use of brand new equipment, including state-of-the-art blenders, food processors, stand mixers, and immersion blenders; in addition to pots, pans, utensils, and induction burners. They had access to a wide range of parstock ingredients, as well as mandatory seafood, including the following:

Produce: shallots, red onions, fingerling potatoes, baby potatoes, chanterelles, leeks, green onions, ucumbers, broccoli, bok choy, tomaotes, bell peppers, celery, carrots, button mushrooms, oranges, lemons, limes, avocados, fennel, assorted fresh herbs

Dairy: milk, cream, butter, eggs, goat cheese, mozzarella cheese

Alcohol: red wine, white wine, brandy, vermouth

Dry Ingredients: assorted spices, sugar, brown sugar, flour, cornsttarch, rice noodles, white rice, wild rice, arborio rice, vinegars

Seafood: mussels, oysters, whole lobsters, quahogs, crab meat

I will share some photos of the competition plates tomorrow.

Skills - Set-Up

When doing a competition, it is important to familiarize yourself with your work area as soon as possible in order to be most efficient. It is particularly important to locate key ingredients. It is very helpful when you are allowed to see the competition are the day before. I took lots of pictures so I could study them the night before and make best use of my time during the competition.

frozen purees 

provided small wares

produce

dry goods pantry

brand new stovetop range

oven racks

induction burner

stocked fridge

work table

dish wash sink