Malaspina chefs bring home medals from 2004 Grand Salon Culinaire

The Malaspina Culinary Arts program sent three competitors to the 2004 Grand Salon Culinaire held Sunday, April 25 and all three came home with medals. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Chef instructor Gordon Cowen won gold for his Hot and Cold Tapas. Culinary arts student Dianne Gordon won silver for her Four Hot Entrees Displayed Cold, and Chef instructor Bill Clay won bronze for his Buffet Showpiece Seafood Platter.

The BCCA Vancouver Chapter of the CCFCC and the Canadian Culinary Foundation hosted the annual competition in conjunction with Eat Vancouver at BC Place Stadium. This competition is open to Novice, Professional and Team Categories.

According to Malaspina Chef Debbie Shore, the competition was a cold competition where the food is displayed as if it might be served in a restaurant. But there are procedures the food needs to go through in order for it to be “fresh looking” while on display at room temperature for a whole day. It is cooked, cooled, sliced, air-bubbles filled, and then coated in three layers of aspic.

For a competition of this calibre, the Chefs and students start practicing as much as four months ahead. The last week before the competition is an intense regimen of preparation right up until the food is actually put out for viewing. All in all it’s an exhausting study in perfection.

“Cold competition is like painting a tapestry and then shellacking it to make it seem fresh and perfect,” said Shore. “To win medals at this level of culinary art is equivalent to winning at the highest level of athletic competition. Our chefs and students did a great job. We’re proud of them.”