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  • On Set of Roger Mooking's Latest Music Video

    (Roger watching the monitor and on set) As if being a chef, Food Network Canada host, restaurateur, singer, rapper and producer isn’t enough, the multi-talented Roger Mooking is adding director to his long list of accomplishments. Is there anything this boy can’t do?! As my hubby says, this guy makes the other men look bad. (Roger directing the girl with the rose petals and then watching the action) I dropped by the set of Roger’s latest music video, Why Oh Why from his album Soul Food . On location at his Nyood Restaurant, the first-time director was in his element, giving directions, encouraging his actors as he went about the shoot. (Actors on set, Roger directing the girl who's supposed to be a sex addict!) There were gorgeous ladies, rose petals and even a necklace showcasing er... male genitalia. Here's Roger to make sense of it all. Related: Photo Gallery: Roger Mooking's Awesome Eats, Beats and Tweets Event Video: Roger's Favourite Tool Video: 10 Questions with Roger Mooking from waaaaay back when I was still pregnant!

  • Anna and Michael Olson at the Vancouver Games

    (Anna and Michael Olson goofing around; layering the tiramisu) Aside from all the sporting events, the Winter Games is a cultural hub for participating countries to showcase their art and food. I was lucky enough to check out the Ontario pavilion, at the Vancouver Games, where Food Network Canada’s hostess with the mostess, Anna Olson , and her talented husband, Michael , put on an awesome food demonstration. Anna and Michael are very passionate about sharing their love of using local and seasonal products, which, as Anna pointed out, includes meats, baked goods and cheeses . The husband and wife cooking duo did Ontario proud and cooked up a menu featuring: Puff pastry tart with onions, apple and goats cheese (delicious!) paired with Jackson-Triggs Delaine vineyard Riesling Dry glazed pork tenderloin with maple sugar and cherry compote paired perfectly with an Inniskillin reserve Pinot Noir bursting with cherry flavours Tiramisu with lady fingers soaked in ice wine paired with the Inniskillin Espirit Vidal Ice Wine. Anna has definitely caught Olympic fever. She mentioned how amazing it was to see all these nations together rooting for their respective countries, but with a sense of togetherness. She also loved watching the arial jumpers. She watched them live and said they were totally awe inspiring. You need to upgrade your Flash Player to 9 or greater Peter Bagi is a food blogger and photographer based in Vancouver. He blogs at www.closetchef.c a with a love for sharing food with friends. Related: Vancouver Spotlight 2010 Meinhardt Fine Foods, Vancouver HGTV.ca's Style Sheet: Store Review: Bling's The Name of the Game at Parliament, Vancouver

  • Holy Mole! Chef Pilar’s Oaxacan Cuisine Class at Nella Cucina, Toronto

    The second I hear three consecutive notes of Mexican music, or scoop a generous glob of guacamole on a chip, I’m instantly transported. Mexican food not only tantalizes my taste buds, it warms my soul. In Toronto, we’re lucky enough to have an excellent variety of restaurants to choose from, but when it comes to traditional Mexican food, we have so much more to learn. Enter Chef Pilar Cabrera Arroyo , the little firecracker from Oaxaca (pronounced wa-ha-ka), who recently toured Toronto and cooked up a storm in a handful of kitchens, including the one at Nella Cucina , where I was fortunate enough to attend a class and learn from the master herself. Chef Pilar is a Oaxaca City native who has taught novice and renowned chefs from around the world at Casa de los Sabores (House of Flavour), her cooking school. Her fans include Rick Bayless, the winner of Top Chef Masters , who calls her “one of the greats.” She specializes in Oxacan cuisine, which has been described as one that requires a deft hand, fine-tuned taste buds and old-world knowledge. At her restaurant, La Olla (The Pot), Pilar lovingly prepares generations-old dishes including moles, the signature dish of Oaxaca. During the class at Nella Cucina , Chef Pilar shared some of her favourite recipes, and the participants joined together to prepare a righteous feast, including Guacamole, Quesadillas de Champiñones y Quesillo (Cheese & Mushroom Quesadillas), Sopa Tarrasca (Traditional Oaxacan Soup with Beans and Tortillas), Mole Amarillo de Pollo (Yellow Mole with Chicken), Arroz con Hierbabuena (Rice with Mint), Salsa de Chipotle (Smoky Chipotle Salsa), and a luscious Flan de Coco (Coconut Flan) for dessert. Having never been to a cooking class before, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The attendees were divided into small groups, each of which prepared a portion of the dinner. Within moments, delicious aromas were wafting over my head as I chopped garlic, avocado, cheese, and onion (ingredients for the soup). My “group” was just me and my boyfriend, but we had the help of Chef Robert, who did most of the heavy lifting where boiling the stock and toasting the tortilla chips was concerned. It was a refreshing change to get out of my tiny condo kitchen and cook with real pros in a proper space. After the class, I spoke with Pilar about the seven moles of Oxaca, fried grasshoppers (chapulines), and her experiences in Toronto. Check out the video : When all of...
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  • Video: Kevin Brauch Weighs in on an Iron Chef Competition, Plus a New Orleans BBQ Rib-Eye Recipe

    I recently had the pleasure of attending the final round of the Iron Chef competition at this year's Hot and Spicy Festival at Harbourfront Centre. Two chefs,Chef Ben Thibodeaux, the Chef de Cuisine at the Palace Café and Bourbon House in New Orleans and Chef Kent Tran of the Santa Ana Star Casino in New Mexico faced off and battled to create a dish using the featured secret ingredient: gourmet salts from around the world . Instead of one item to work with, the chefs were presented with an entire display of salts in all colours and textures, giving them lots of options for flavour. The competition was harrowing: the room was packed to capacity and the judges (including Kevin Brauch of Iron Chef America!), the MC, various videographers, and an over-eager reporter from FoodNetwork.ca (ahem) were continually poking our noses into both kitchens throughout the slim 40-minute cook time. Both chefs put together entrees featuring beef, and judges commented on how in many ways, they were similar. However, Chef Ben's creative use of the feature ingredient in almost every element of the dish won over the judges, who said he truly made the salt the star of the plate. Here's Kevin Brauch giving his final comment about the competition: After the competition, Ben told me (in his subtle Southern drawl) that he had a plan as soon as he saw the salt, and was really excited about the ingredient because it allowed him to fill in flavour gaps, work best with the limited resources of the Iron Chef kitchen, and create a dish similar to what he would cook in his own restaurant. Judging by the feeding frenzy that occurred with the judges, and later when the plates were offered up to the attendees, his injection of a little Southern comfort was spectacular (sadly, I did not jump in early enough to get a taste for myself). Ben was generous enough to share his award-winning recipe . If you're a little overwhelmed by the complexity of this multi-item dish, try making the BBQ sauce and slathering it on a steak, roast, or anything you think could use a creamy, spicy hit. I assure you that this dish looked at least 300% more delicious than in the photo -- low lighting and food photography are not a good combination. Note: the recipe uses Just a Pinch salts, which are available at most grocery stores. New Orleans BBQ Rib-eye (serves 4) For Ribeye: 3 lbs Loin End Boneless Rib Roast Blackening Seasoning “Chardonnay-Barrel” Smoked Salt Alderwood Smoked Salt Black Pepper, Freshly...

  • Video: Digby Scallop Days, Nova Scotia

    Digby is a quiet little town on the Annapolis Basin of Nova Scotia – population 2,311. It was founded in 1783 and is famous for the tides, which can reach28 to 35 feet at high tide, but more important for a foodie – they are famous for their scallops . I don’t think you’ll find a sweeter, whiter, richer scallop anywhere. So lucky, me, Halifax is only a two hour or so drive to Digby and that means we certainly couldn’t pass up a visit, especially on Digby Scallop Days when the venerable scallop is celebrated with everything from crowning the Scallop Queen, parades, buskers, bands, a good old fashioned antique auto show, contests like scallop shucking, and net knitting (a very important job if you want to catch a good haul) and don’t forget the scallop shell skipping ( winners – 8-14 year olds get to win a brand new bike). Lots more was going on in town, but I needed my scallop fix. Dean and Nancy Kenley, who have been owner/operators of The Fundy Complex , comprised of suites, restaurant & Dockside Bar, were kind enough to share some scallop facts, a trip to the kitchen where Daniel showed us the real Digby way to sear scallops, and, my favorite part of the day: a fine meal of seared scallops and bacon-wrapped broiled scallops, served on the dock overlooking scallop boats rising with the tides. But first, in order to really appreciate scallops, it’s important to know how difficult it is to get a scallop on your plate. And some statistics for you: There are large scallop boats about 40-55 feet long that go out and fish the Bay of Fundy for 4-5 days with a crew of 3-5 men and smaller boats about 35-40 feet long that go out for a day or two. Large nets are cast and dredge the bottom of the bay. A good “drag” or haul, depending on the captain and the boat can take anywhere from 20 minutes to over an hour. The scallops are then separated from all the rocks and whatever else came up in the nets and placed in bushel bags (about 40 pounds each). A really good drag would bring in 4-5 bushels, but often they would only get a half to 2 bushels. Scallops, like shrimp, are packaged by the “count” - the larger the scallop, the fewer the count per pound. An average serving would be 6-8 scallops at 25-30 count (about half a pound). And now that I’ve whetted your appetite, watch Daniel sear us up a batch in about two minutes. The last thing you want to do is overcook a scallop. So the next time...
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