On January 16, three MCGA staff members, Ellen, Roberta and Wendy accompanied by Agriculture in the Classroom Executive Director, Johanne were at Community College in Brandon to judge the Manitoba Canola Growers Black Box Competition. They had no idea walking in how blown away they would be by what the competing chefs had in store for them.
The competition is black box style cooking competition that challenges students to come up with a salad and an entree using the surprise ingredients put before them. They were to of course, incorporate canola oil into their creations. Four first-students were selected to compete. Bragging rights are only half of the prize, the first-year chefs were also competing for a $1000 scholarship from the Manitoba Canola Growers.
The three ingredients revealed from the black box were: pork, chicken, and bacon. The judges observed the chefs at work and chatted with them to get to know the inspirations behind their dishes. Dishes were judged on taste and presentation, and the caliber of dishes served made choosing just one winner a tough decision for the judges.
Here is a summary of each chef and dish, and the winner.
The bold flavours of Rylan Lewis
Rylan tried a few different careers out before settling in the culinary arts. He feels he is now in the right place and his flavours can be described in one word: bold. Not afraid to experiment, he shared with the judges one of the craziest creations he’s come up with was a coconut marshmallow soup he came up with when practicing for exams.
His salad for the competition was a Strawberry Chicken Spinach Salad, with a maple syrup dressing, garnished with a parmesan crisp.The entree was a coffee and cocoa rubbed pork tenderloin with a blueberry white wine sauce, rice pilaf with bacon, steamed asparagus, and roasted parmesan tomatoes stuffed with pesto.
Comfort Foods by Leah Dueck
As the judges observed her, every ingredient Leah used and every move she made in the kitchen was well calculated. There was no doubt she was in her element. The love of food is in her genes, her mother went to Red River College and now owns her own bakery in Saskatchewan. Leah’s passion was evident in the dishes she presented, adding modern twists to classic comfort foods.
Leah’s mixed green salad contained pomegranate seeds, mandarin oranges, and truffle shavings. Her main dish was pork tenderloin with bourbon sauce, mashed potatoes, creamed spinach and a tasty corn bread.
Old School Flavour from Bev Watt-Mallette
As the more experienced one in the group, 56 year-old Bev showcased her “old school” flavour in her dishes. Raised on a dairy farm in Carberry, Bev knows the importance of knowing where the foods you cook with come from. As a grandmother, she has cooked just about anything, but her favourite dish to make for her grandchildren is waffles. She even makes them extra to take home the next day. Bev has set a personal goal for herself to score 85% or higher on her grades, and she has been successful to date.
Bev served up a pear salad with her main dish of pork tenderloin, rice pilaf, potato and yams roasted then sautéed in canola oil, topped with bacon bits.
Winner: It’s all in the Details for Pesila Aropio
For Pesila, the winner of the competition it’s all in the details, and she’s got lots of inspiration. Although quiet by nature, her dishes screamed of flavor and creativity. Born in Fiji, Pesila now calls Neepawa home, where her family farms. She started a career in nursing before deciding on culinary arts where she has found her essence. Her passion for food is unmistakable. She credits her inspiration to her mother and grandmother.
Pesila wowed the judges with her arugula salad that contained grilled chicken and peaches, a honey dijon Balsamic vinaigrette dressing and garnished with two thinly sliced potato chips pressed together and cooked in canola oil with a sprig of dill in between. Her main dish was a pork tenderloin with mushroom sauce, yam, turnip, and potato puree and grilled peppers & asparagus drizzled with lemon sauce and a mixture of baked bread crumbs and herbs. Winning dishes pictured below.
All four competitors have their strengths, which made the final decision a hard one. We wish them all well as they continue to pursue their careers in the culinary arts!
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