A Niagara College culinary student has taken first-place at this year’s ‘Making the Grade: Rising Chef Citrus Cook-Off’ competition at the Winterlicious 2010 event held in Toronto, January 29 to February 11.
Originally from Guelph, Ontario, Baker Lewis, a second-year Culinary Management student at Niagara College’s Niagara Culinary Institute, took home a cheque for $2,000, after defeating top students representing some of Canada’s leading culinary schools, including Humber College and the Stratford Chef’s School, February 2.
“I was ecstatic to win,” said Lewis. “There was a picture taken minutes after I was announced the winner, and I don’t think I’ve ever had a bigger smile on my face.”
The competition took place at SCHOOL restaurant, located at 70 Fraser Street in Toronto, with students going head-to-head in a grapefruit challenge for the top spot. A panel composed of local food enthusiasts and specialists judged the competition, which was held in front of a live audience.
“I am so grateful for the faculty and staff who were kind enough to lend me their valuable time, not only during the week, but on the weekend, helping me practice to make a win possible, in particular Chef Jim McClean and Chef Michael Olson,” said Lewis. “I chose Niagara College, not only because of the fantastic restaurant and wine industry in the Niagara Region, but also because of its stellar reputation with faculty, including world-renowned chefs.”
As part of the competition, Lewis created an appetizer, entrée and dessert featuring the citrus fruit.
“I had to produce four portions of an appetizer, entree, and dessert within a time limit of only 25-minutes for the appetizer and dessert, and 35-minutes for the entrée,” said Lewis. “My goal was to keep everything very simple, with clean, but distinguishable and bold flavours.”
For the appetizer, Lewis created a simple salad of roasted purple and golden beets, grapefruit segments, shaved parmesan, baby arugula, with extra virgin oil and finishing salt. As an entrée, Lewis served up a chive rosti, a crispy potato cake, with zested rapini, seared sea scallops, and grapefruit and vodka beurre blanc, a rich butter sauce. Lewis chose a simple dessert, featuring grapefruit and Niagara College Teaching Winery Cabernet Franc Icewine sabayon, a simple and sweet French custard. The sabayon was spooned over Florida Blood oranges and Ruby Red grapefruit segments, then lightly browned.
“It was my first external competition, let alone one in front of a live audience with celebrity chef judges and a large prize,” said Lewis. “Fortunately, I was able to tune most of that out and just do what I do best: cook.”
After graduation, Lewis plans on taking part in a work exchange program between Canada and Switzerland, called the Youth Mobility Program.
“I did live in Switzerland for a couple of years during high school,” said Lewis. “I can see myself working in a Michelin-starred restaurant there by the end of the summer, but things are very much up in the air right now.”
With 8,000 full-time students, Niagara College offers more than 90 diploma, baccalaureate degrees and advanced level programs at campuses in Welland, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Falls and St. Catharines. Areas of specialization include food and wine sciences, advanced technology, applied health and community safety, and the College is home to the globally-recognized Niagara Culinary Institute and Niagara College Teaching Winery. In 2008, Niagara College launched a $90 million campus redevelopment project, which is scheduled for completion in 2011.For more information, visit www.NiagaraCollege.ca.
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For more information, contact:
Gordon Hunchak
Director, Marketing and Communications
905-735-2211, ext. 7567
905-650-7820 (cell)
ghunchak@niagaracollege.ca
