What happens when you pair a cookbook author with a culinary school and give them a stage? You get Taste Canada’s Cook the Books, a fine culinary event.
Let the Competition Begin!
Students from George Brown College are first to take the stage with Chef Matt Dean Pettit where they will put their spin on a culinary delight, Bang’n Coconut Curry Lobster Tails.
We are pleased to share the recipe from The Great Lobster Cookbook by Matt Dean Pettit below.
We know you’ll love it!
Chef Matt, featured left, enthusiastically teaches a group of #EatWellCanolaOil workshop attendees how to perfect his coconut curry while keeping the crowd engaged, intrigued and even had them get a little messy in the kitchen.
Can’t be at the event in person? We’ve got you covered.
Follow us online @CanolaEatWell for live updates from the competition as well as chances to win a set of some of these cookbooks!
If you are in the Toronto area you can take in the event September 19 and 20, 2015 at the Toronto Food and Wine Festival.
What Happens at Cook the Books?
Cook the Books, a program that runs in partnership with Taste Canada and the Alberta Canola Producers, is an event like no other.
Students from 10 culinary schools across the country apply to be matched up with a cookbook author nominated for a Taste Canada Cookbook Award. The students take the stage with their cookbook author, prepare a dish from the author’s book while a live audience looks on and a panel of judges critique their every move. It’s fabulously intense, fun and entertaining.
It’s a way for students to practice their culinary skills and for cookbook authors to see the up and coming chefs create their dishes while incorporating a unique element.
The winners for this culinary competition will be announced at the Taste Canada Awards Gala Fundraiser on September 21 at the Arcadian Court!
Eat Well…Jenn
Bang’n Coconut Curry Lobster Tails
by Chef Matt Dean Pettit ~ The Great Lobster Cookbook
Serves 4
4 fresh frozen lobster tails, steamed
2 Tbsp canola oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp red curry paste
1 small Spanish onion, finely chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 can (14 oz) unsweetened coconut milk
¾ cup heavy cream
½ cinnamon stick
½ tsp coriander seeds
¼ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp fish sauce
1 tomato, finely chopped
½ cup finely chopped cilantro
- Cut the steamed lobster tails in half using a large chef’s knife, leaving the meat in the shells. Set aside.
- In a large frying pan, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and curry paste and saute for 1 minute. Add the onion and bell pepper and sauté for 2 minutes. Increase the temperature to high, add the coconut milk, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the mixture reduces by half. Do not allow the mixture to boil.
- Stir in the cream and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the sauce reduces and thickens. Add the cinnamon stick, coriander seeds, turmeric, fish sauce, tomato, and lobster tails (still in their shells). Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring well.
- Serve in bowls, garnished with cilantro. You can also serve this on a bed of jasmine rice.
Recipe reprinted with permission: The Great Lobster Cookbook, Matt Dean Pettit
Excerpted from The Great Lobster Cookbook: More than 100 recipes to cook at home by Matt Dean Pettit. Copyright © 2014 Matt Dean Pettit. Excerpted by permission of Appetite by Random House, a Penguin Random House company. All rights reserved.
