TORONTO
Master of Ceremonies: Lisa LaFlamme and Jennifer Hedger
Chairs: Mark Maybank, James Grout, Scot Martin
Gold Medal Plates is the ultimate celebration of Canadian Excellence in cuisine, wine, entertainment and athletic achievement.
Gold Medal Plates Toronto
Thursday November 19, 2009 6:00 pm
Metro Toronto Convention Centre
South Building Hall FG
222 Bremner Blvd.
Contact:
Allie or Matt
802 Logan Avenue,
Toronto, ON - M4K 3E1
P: 416-646-2751
F: 416-646-2752
E: agearybotting@dshevents.com
The final regional event of the 2009 Gold Medal Plates campaign was everything we had hoped it would be - filled with excellent entertainment, rousing speeches, fabulous food and wine and a very successful live auction that ended up raising more money than any other city for our Olympic and Paralympic athletes. The Metropolitan Toronto Convention Centre was the spacious venue, giving our chefs plenty of room to spread out. Steven Page was in splendid voice and the guest Olympians most inspiring. As a tiny prelude to the joys of the Yorkshire Dales trip taking place next May, rowing gold medallist Adam Kreek challenged me to a beer-drinking contest. Though the playing field was scarcely level, I was able to down my pint faster than he could down his half-yard of ale. It was merely the first skirmish in a war that will be won next year in Wensleydale.
For the judges, last night provided one of the toughest deliberations of the campaign - with barely half a percentage point separating the gold and silver medallists. The gastronomical standard was universally high but the variety of approaches to the competition shown by the chefs - some dishes elegantly simple, others extraordinarily complex; some just a delicious bite or two, others accompanied by an amuse, even bread and butter - amazed everyone and made judging particularly difficult.In the end, the bronze medal was awarded to Chef Anne Yarymowich from Frank, at the Art Gallery of Ontario. She roasted and glazed pork belly from a Tamshire pig (a Tamworth-Berkshire cross) until the striations of lean and fat were perfectly reconciled, the delectably porky flavour a great match with her chosen wine, Cave Spring Cellars 2007 Estate Riesling, a Niagara beauty full of the aromas of apple and petrol. She had used some of the wine to make a gentle sauerkraut of purple cabbage and red onion set beside a whole brandied blue prune plum. The sauce was a smooth and brilliantly judged rendition of plum, cardamom and mustard that brought all the other flavours together. A visual harmony of purples and blues, the dish was finished with a single Cookstown blue potato chip.
The silver medal went to Chef Jonathan Gushue from Langdon Hall who began by sending a palate-cleansing sorbet to the judges' table - a wonderful ice made from Japanese flowering quinces from Langdon Hall's garden, scented with Sarawak pepper and vanilla bean. An uncooked quince lay beside the block of etched ice that held the sorbet, its wonderful fragrance explaining the inspiration for the gesture. Next came a warm, crisp-crusted roll with a pat of Langdon Hall butter for each judge. Finally, the main event appeared - a torchon of Rougié foie gras, rich and tremulous, into which Chef Gushue had set a stripe of slow-cooked pig cheek, its own flavour nudged by a five-spice braise. Tangy lentils du Puy lurked under the torchon and beside it was a purée of parsley root, part of the year's last harvest from the hotel garden. Offering a fascinating contrast to the foie, a spoonful of "lobster pudding" proved to be chopped lobster with bacon, cream, shallot and icewine. A sauce of reduced scrumpy cider worked well with every component on the plate. Chef Gushue's chosen wine was a delicately aromatic 2007 Gewurztraminer from Daniel Lenko in Niagara.
The gold medal was presented to Chef David Lee of Nota Bene for a dish that was as avant-garde and intellectually challenging as anything we have ever seen at Gold Medal Plates. "Crisp chicken skin and chicken cartilage" is how he described it and anyone who imagined this must be some kind of metaphor was in for a shock. On the plate was a lozenge-shaped piece of chicken skin, pressed flat and fried to a brittle crisp. Greaseless and tasting as delicious as chicken skin always does, it was topped with a dab of plum hoisin sauce and a little sour apple compote flavoured with ginger and coriander. On top was a piece of the smooth white breast cartilage that most cooks are careful to cut out and discard from a chicken. Chef Lee had pressure-cooked it for 24 hours, softening its texture a little and enhancing its very subtle chicken flavour. The dish was small and quickly eaten, the unexpected textures forcing concentration, the layered flavours building like the notes in a musical chord. The chosen wine, the 2007 "June's Vineyard" Riesling from 13th Street Winery in Niagara with its off-dry petrol notes made its own impressive contribution.Chef Lee now has a few days to prepare for the Canadian Culinary Championship in Vancouver where he will go head-to-head against our champions from the other Gold Medal Plates regional events. From Edmonton, Chef Nathin Bye of Wildflower, Lazia at City Centre; from Vancouver, chef Rob Feenie of Cactus Club; from Ottawa-Gatineau, chef Matthew Carmichael of Restaurant E18hteen; from Montreal, chef Matthieu Cloutier of Kitchen Galerie; from Calgary, chef Jan Hrabec of Crazyweed; and from St. John's, chef Ivan Kyutukchiev from Bianca's. The competition will be intense.
James Chatto
National Culinary Advisor
Gold Medal Plates
By donating over 325 cases of wine to the seven city Gold Medal Plates culinary competitions and the Canadian Culinary Championships this fall, the Canadian wine, beer and spirits industry has contributed close to $100,000 in support of Canada's Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Sixty-five wineries stepped up to either pair wines with the competing chefs or provide Canadian Wine Awards gold medalists to VIP receptions at the events. Please see the list of donating wineries, city by city, below or at www.goldmedalplates.com.
The list includes wineries owned by Vincor Canada, official wine sponsor of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Sponsorship however was not involved in deciding which wines were served by the chefs or at the VIP receptions. Each chef selected their wine independently as the success of the food-and-wine pairing was part of the judges' scoring process.
Since 2004, Gold Medal Plates has raised over $3.5 million dollars for Canada's Olympians. The program is designed to encourage and showcase Canadian excellence in the areas of sport, food and wine and entertainment, and has evolved to become the leading culinary competition in Canada!
The Winners in 2009
After local competitions in St. John's, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver, the 2009 Gold Medal Plates campaign ended with the Canadian Culinary Championships in Vancouver on November 28.
The 2009 Canadian Culinary Champion is Mathieu Cloutier of Kitchen Galerie in Montreal, who paired with Huff Estate 2007 South Bay Chardonnay from Prince Edward County in Ontario. The silver medalist was David Lee of Nota Bene in Toronto, who paired with 13th Street 2008 June Vineyard Riesling from Niagara. Completing the sweep for Ontario wine, the bronze went to Matthew Carmichael of Restaurant 18 in Ottawa, who paired with Closson Chase 2007 South Clos Chardonnay, also from Prince Edward County.
The winery that won the gold in its respective city competition was automatically invited to the Canadian Culinary Championships as a partner with the competing chef. The other participating CCC wineries included the Okanagan's Road 13 which took gold in both the Calgary and Vancouver competitions, Joie Farm (its 2008 Rose took the gold in Edmonton and was also poured in Vancouver) and Hillebrand Estates (its Trius 2006 Red from Niagara took the gold in St. John's).
The Mystery Wine Pairing Competition
One of the most exciting elements of the Canadian Culinary Championships was a Mystery Wine Pairing held at the trendy Republic nightclub in Vancouver. The chefs were given an unlabeled bottle and had 24 hours to shop, prepare and serve a matching dish to 200 guests. Montreal's Mathieu Cloutier was the People's Choice winner of this leg of the competition.
The Mystery Wine was revealed to be Black Hills 2008 Alibi, a crisp, complex sauvignon blanc and semillon blend that provided great refreshment with all the chefs creations then dovetailed beautifully with the best of the evening. Black Hills donated 10 cases to this event, plus another four cases to the Vancouver event, making this premier Okanagan winery the largest single donor to Gold Medal Plates 2009. Many thanks to winery President, Glenn Fawcett, who also generously donated to the Live Auction.
Canadian Wine Awards Gold Medalists Showcase
This year, Gold Medal Plates also teamed up with the Wine Access magazine Canadian Wine Awards to provide an opportunity for almost 2,000 VIP guests to taste gold medalists from the 2009 Awards programs. Wineries that had won gold were asked to donate six bottles to one or more cities, and most came through with flying colours. Those wineries are also listed below, and complete results of the Canadian Wine Awards can be found in the December issue of Wine Access magazine now on newsstands.
The Wine Access Canadian Wine Awards participating wineries:
Burrowing Owl, BC
Fielding Estate, ON
Hillebrand (Trius), ON
Kacaba Vineyards, ON
Mission Hill Family Estate Winery, BC
Quail's Gate Winery, BC
Road 13 Vineyards, BC
Rosehall Run Winery, ON
Sandhill Wines, BC. (CWA Winery of the Year)
See Ya Later Ranch, BC
Seven Stones, BC
Stag's Hollow, BC
Thirty Bench, ON
Thornhaven Estates, BC
The Wines - City by City
St. John's
Trius 2006 Red, Niagara Peninsula, ON - GOLD
Norman Hardie 2007 Pinot Noir, Prince Edward County, ON - SILVER
Prospect Winery 2008 Larch Tree Riesling, Okanagan Valley, B.C. - BRONZE
Domaine Pinnacle Apple Ice Wine, QC
Iceberg Vodka, NL
Inniskillin 2007 Cabernet Franc, Niagara, ON
Mission Hill 2008 Pinot Blanc, Okanagan Valley, BC
Peninsula Ridge 2007 Reserve Chardonnay, Niagara, ON
Rodrigues Markland Cottage Sedna Vodka, NL
Montreal
Huff Estates 2008 Merlot, ON - GOLD
Malivoire 2007 Chardonnay, Niagara Peninsula, ON - SILVER
Rosehall Run 2007 Cuvée County Chardonnay, Prince Edward County, ON - BRONZE
Black Prince 2005 First Crush Chardonnay, Prince Edward County, ON
Creemore Springs Brewery, ON
Norman Hardie 2007 Pinot Noir, Prince Edward County, ON
Val Caudalies 2008 Vidal Demi-Sec, QC
Wayne Gretzky No. 99 Estates 2007 Merlot, Niagara Peninsula, ON
Wayne Gretzky No.99 Estates2007 Chardonnay, Niagara Peninsula, ON
Ottawa
Closson Chase 2007 South Clos Chardonnay, Prince Edward County, ON - GOLD
Vignoble Les Pervenches 2007 Chardonnay Seyval Blanc, QC - SILVER
Southbrook 2005 Cabernet Merlot, Niagara Peninsula, ON - BRONZE
Angel's Gate 2007 Riesling, ON
Cave Spring 2007 Riesling, Niagara Peninsula, ON
Chateau des Charmes 2006 Cabernet-Merlot, Niagara Peninsula, ON
Coyote's Run 2007 Red Paw Pinot Noir, Niagara Peninsula, ON
Peller Estates 2007 Meritage, Niagara Peninsula, ON
Stratus 2007 Wildass White, Niagara Peninsula, ON
Tawse 2006 Echoes White, Niagara Peninsula, ON
Toronto
13th Street 2008 Riesling June's Vineyard, Niagara Peninsula, ON - GOLD
Daniel Lenko 2007 Gewurztraminer, Niagara Peninsula, ON - SILVER
Cave Spring 2007 Estate Riesling, Niagara Peninsula, ON - BRONZE
Chateau des Charmes 2007 Riesling and 2006 Gamay Noir, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
Closson Chase 2007 South Clos Chardonnay, Prince Edward County, ON
Fielding Estate 2008 Pinot Gris, Beamsville Bench, ON
Henry of Pelham 2007 Baco Noir, Niagara Peninsula, ON
Hidden Bench 2007 Terroir Caché, Beamsville Bench, ON
Mission Hill 2006 Reserve Merlot, Okanagan, B.C.
Organized Crime 2008 Riesling Reserve, Beamsville Bench, ON
Edmonton
JoieFarm 2008 Rose, Okanagan Valley, BC - GOLD
Kettle Valley 2008, Chardonnay, Naramata, BC - SILVER
Road 13 2007 Syrah 2007, Okanagan Valley BC - BRONZE
Cedar Creek 2006 Meritage, Okanagan Valley, BC
Gehringer Brother PR 2007 Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley, BC
Malivoire 2008 Ladybug Rose, Beamsville Bench, ON
Mission Hill 2006 S.L.C Chardonnay, Okanagan Valley, BC
Meyer Family Tribute Series Bill Reid 2007 Chardonnay, Naramata, BC
Morning Bay 2006 Pinot Noir, Pender Island, BC
Quails' Gate 2007 Old Vine Fosch, Okanagan Valley, BC
Calgary
Road 13 Vineyards 2007 Syrah, Okanagan Valley, BC - GOLD
Quail's Gate Vineyard 2007 Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley, BC - SILVER
SAP Vampire Maple Lager - BRONZE
Black Hills 2007 Chardonnay, Okanagan Valley, BC
Blue Mountain 2008 Gamay Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley, BC
Gray Monk Estate Winery, 2007 Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Laughing Stock Vineyards 2008 Chardonnay, Okanagan Valley, BC
Nk'mip Cellars 2007 Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley, BC
Osoyoos Larose 2004 Petalos, Okanagan Valley, BC
Vancouver
Road 13 2008 Viognier Roussanne Marsanne, Okanagan Valley, BC - GOLD
Tantalus 2008 Riesling, Okanagan Valley, BC - SILVER
Black Hills 2008 Alibi, Okanagan Valley, BC - BRONZE
Blasted Church 2008 Pinot Gris, Okanagan Valley, BC
Clos du Soleil 2007 Meritage, Similkameen Valley, BC
8th Generation 200 Riesling, Okanagan Valley, BC
Joie Farm 2007 Reserve Chardonnay, Okanagan Valley, BC
Le Vieux Pin 2008 Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Okanagan Valley, BC
Stoneboat 2007 Pinotage, Okanagan Valley, BC
Wild Goose 2008 Autumm Gold, Okanagan Valley, BC
For more information contact:
David Lawrason
National Wine Advisor
Gold Medal Plates
Phone: 613-885-4489
Email: david@davidlawrason.com
Oh my goodness, what a party! The Royal York hotel proved to be a venue of extraordinary glamour, its staff most generous hosts. Gold Medal Plates stretched out across the second floor from the spectacularly painted ballroom to the elegant Ontario room where Canadian Culinary Champion Melissa Craig wowed the VIP reception with her supremely elegant king crab fantasia. A very merry crowd of almost 650 guests were delighted to discover that EDO Sushi and Amaya the Indian Room had set up "demonstration stations" in the main hallway, supplementing the offerings of the competing chefs with daringly delicious dishes.
The competitors themselves had definitely come to play. As in Ottawa-Gatineau the previous evening, the consensus among the judges and the other gourmets in the room was that the standard of quality had never been higher. The judges were faced with a difficult task - so much first-rate gastronomy - but three chefs in particular enthralled us with their technical sophistication, their harmony of conception and their originality. Each had many elements on the plate but they were all there for beautiful reasons.
Taking the bronze medal was John Kwan, chef of Lai Toh Heen, who presented a quartet of items, arranged with unearthly precision. Like many of the competing chefs, he provided written material to help explain his dish, in this case, the healthy virtues of his ingredients in Chinese medicine. He fried a cube of beef tenderloin in a wok and set it on a crisp, tissue-thin golden base for contrast, adding a garnish of dried tangerine peel that set our taste buds alight. He prepared a succulent Cantonese beef wonton and set it in a hot-and-spicy Sichuan soup flavoured with Sichuan pepper, Chinese wolfberry and ginger. Beside that stood a miniature roll of sweet, tangy, gingery pickled vegetables wrapped in a ribbon of Australian wagyu beef that had been marinated with Chinese herbs. A delicate dumpling of mashed yam and beef was crowned with a sliver of truffle and a truffled-soy sauce. United by the sense of the beef, the dish worked well with Chef Kwan's chosen wine, the Jackson Triggs 2004 Pinot Noir Delaine Vineyard. An extra taste of Inniskillin sparkling icewine was an added treat.
David Lee of Splendido and Nota Bene took the silver medal, though it was a close-run thing! He created a delightfully witty "English breakfast," subtly elevating every harmonious element to extraordinary heights. Perfect baked beans, enriched by Splendido's own salted pork lay on a toast point fried in duck fat. A slice of boudin noir was a technical tour-de-force - no easy feat to make a miniature black pudding that smooth and fine and to spice it so carefully! But it was the bacon and egg that really wowed the crowd. Lee cooked the eggs very slowly and on a very low heat until their texture had changed dramatically. The whites were removed and the now-pliant yolks were rolled out between bacon of translucent delicacy, bonded in a vacuum chamber then sliced and fried at his station. The result was egg yolk with a unique texture somewhere between solid and jelly. Inniskillin 2004 Pinot Noir Montague Vineyard was the chosen wine - a fine match, particularly with the boudin noir.
The gold medal went to Patrick Lin of Senses who had the kindness to provide a recipe card featuring the seven (count 'em) individual recipes that made up his little plate. This was a treatise on the duck (Ontario's own King Cole ducks), using every part of the bird but the beak and feet. There was a sliver of cured duck breast with a hint of bitter chocolate duck jus. Beside that a very different slice of the breast smoked in cherry wood came garnished with passion fruit seeds and green tea dressing. Beside that lay a slice of galantine made from the duck's leg and neck and crowned with a pungent kumquat compote. A tiny metal dish held a rich crème brulée flavoured with duck liver mousse. Lastly a lollipop of soft, marinated foie gras rolled in crushed candied walnuts lay across the lip of a shot glass containing a cool broth made from the duck's bones - so flavourful but surprisingly light and refreshing, almost a palate-cleanser. When the winning wineries were announced alongside the gold, silver and bronze chefs, only one man came to the stage - Bruce Walker of Vincor. Vincor wines had swept the field that night, with Jackson Triggs 2004 Cabernet Merlot Delaine Vineyard as the gold medal match.
Congratulations to all the competing chefs who provided such fantastic and delicious entertainment. Patrick Lin now goes on to represent Toronto at the Canadian Culinary Championship in Banff in late February, 2009.
Next week: Montreal!
Last night saw the spectacular start of the 2007 Gold Medal Plates campaign with a sold-out crowd of over 600 guests at Toronto's most glamorous venue, The Carlu. The multitude was in a generous mood during the silent and live auctions, inspired by an extraordinary evening of excellence in Canadian athletics, cuisine, wine and - as a new departure for GMP - music. Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo performed three times during the evening and almost stole the entire show when he sang a duet with Steven Page of Barenaked Ladies.The gastronomic festivities began with 2007 Canadian Culinary Champion, Makoto Ono, from Winnipeg, creating stunningly delicious little hors d'oeuvres for the VIP reception. Then the doors were opened into the great rooms where the chefs were waiting - Susur Lee of Susur, Michael Stadtländer of Eigensinn Farm, Jamie Kennedy of Jamie Kennedy Kitchens, Chris McDonald of Cava, Claudio Aprile of Colborne Lane, Lino Collevecchio of Via Allegro, Lorenzo Loseto of George, Robert Bartley of Four Seasons Hotel Yorkville and Anthony Walsh of Canoe. Their offerings covered a broad range of foods and presentations, from the simple perfection of Michael Stadtländer's home-smoked ham served on bread and butter to Lino Collevecchio's "Lamb Trinity," featuring lamb brains, short rib and testicle. Alongside each offering, a Canadian winery chosen by each chef poured a fine Canadian wine - the judges evaluated the success of the pairing together with the presentation, texture, taste, originality and "wow factor" of each dish. Then they deliberated, discussed and came to the following decisions.
This year's bronze medal went to Claudio Aprile of Colborne Lane who roasted a gorgeously juicy, tender lamb chop and dusted it with freeze-dried apricot. Also on the plate was a crisp little cylindrical samosa filled with date, dried fruit, pine nuts, ginger and galingale for a sweet-spicy hit alongside stripes of green chili chutney and cardamom-scented yoghurt. Claudio paired his dish with Jackson Trigg's Delaine Vineyard Syrah 2005 VQA Niagara.Our silver medal was awarded to Lorenzo Loseto of George who presented an awesomely tender, lightly smoked fillet of fresh sable fish over tiny pastina grains cooked with porcini mushroom and aged cheddar foam. Garnishing the plate were pickled carrots of many colours, mirin-candied Ontario garlic, a cippolini onion marinated in balsamic, and a tissue-thin carrot crisp. Lorenzo matched his sable to Thirty Bench Small Lot Chardonnay 2005.
Our gold medal winner was Anthony Walsh of Canoe who centred his creation around a slice of superbly tender Nunavut caribou hind. Also on the plate was a tiny tortiere made from the caribou neck, a sweet-salty purée of Cookstown sunchokes, some amazingly flavourful Ford Hook mustard greens and a single walnut prepared with a hint of dark chocolate. Once again, Jackson Trigg's Delaine Vineyard was associated with a medal, this time the Cabernet-Merlot 2005.Congratulations to all the chefs and wineries for a magnificent competition. Congratulations also to Chef Anthony Walsh of Canoe, Mark McEwan of North 44 and Keith Froggett of Scaramouche who were inducted into the Gold Medal Plates Hall of Fame as past winners!
Next stop, Halifax on October 23!
James Chatto,
National Culinary Advisor, Gold Medal Plates