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Top Chef Canada recap, episode 1: fresh meat

Chuck Hughes was the guest judge for the season opener (Image: Top Chef Canada)

Once again, Top Chef Canada got an upgrade in the off-season. This year’s grand prize now includes a custom Caesarstone countertop in addition to the usual $100,000 and GE Monogram Kitchen. The 16 contestants now stay in ~~a two-storey suite~~ the three-storey penthouse at the Soho Metropolitan, making their usual cries of disbelief over their palatial digs—“oh my God, this is like completely fancy!”—more plausible than in years past. And the chefs seem to have a certain steely determination, with their introductory camaraderie more perfunctory and their fangs bared from the get-go. Heck, it took less than ten minutes for one them—Calgary’s Nicole Gomes—to declare that she’s not there to make friends. But does this new competitive edge augur a season of kick-ass dishes? Find out, in our recap below.

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The Dish

Food TV

February 11, 2013 | 2:38 pm

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Meet the five Toronto contestants on Top Chef Canada season three

(Image: Top Chef Canada)

Season three of Top Chef Canada kicks off on March 18, and earlier today Food Network Canada unveiled the slate of 16 contestants, including five from the GTA (that’s one less than in seasons one and two). Returning this year are host Lisa Ray, head judge Mark McEwan and resident judge Shereem Arazm, and just like last season, the winner takes home $100,000 and a new GE Monogram Kitchen (plus a custom Caesarstone countertop installation, which was the prize in episode 12 last year). The celebrity guests will include Montreal chef-hunk Chuck Hughes, U.S. Top Chef season six champ Michael Voltaggio and Food Network regulars David Rocco and Robert Irvine, as well as the usual sprinkling of CanCon’s finest like Trish Stratus, Russell Peters and, gloriously, Jann Arden. Below, we suss out the Toronto contestants’ chances.

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The Dish

People

December 3, 2012 | 3:05 pm

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Q&A: Guy Fieri on shooting Diners, Drive-ins and Dives in Toronto

(Images: Caroline Aksich)

Guy Fieri, the frosted-tipped host of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, hasn’t had a great month thanks to Pete Wells’ hilarious (if perhaps over-the-top) New York Times review of his newest restaurant, Guy’s American Kitchen and Bar. We caught up with Fieri just after he wrapped up filming an upcoming Toronto episode of DDD and right before he hosted the Chef’s Challenge, a fundraiser that supports breast and ovarian cancer research at Mount Sinai Hospital. Here’s what he had to say about his personal connection to the cause, his impressions of Toronto and the already-infamous review:

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The Dish

Food Events

December 3, 2012 | 3:00 pm

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GALLERY: Guy Fieri presides over a roster of celeb chefs (and their fans) at this year’s Chef’s Challenge

(Image: Caroline Aksich)

Saturday’s Chef’s Challenge was a chance for Iron Chef wannabes—or “masochists,” as event host Guy Fieri called them—to flex their cooking talents on stage in front of 400 of their fellow food-loving philanthropists. The third annual fundraiser was in support of breast and ovarian cancer research at Mount Sinai hospital, and took place this year at the Royal York. This was no ordinary ticketed event—all attendees were required to raise a minimum of $2,500, with the top 50 broken up into groups of 10 led by a celebrity chef (Chuck Hughes, David Rocco, Mark McEwan, Lynn Crawford or Michael Smith) who coached them through three rounds of Iron Chef–inspired challenges (those not in the top 50 ate their Fieri-conceived five-course dinner in peace).

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People

May 15, 2012 | 4:44 pm

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An afternoon with Chuck Hughes and 19 excitable kids at The Stop’s after-school program

Chuck Hughes leads the cooking class at The Stop’s after-school program (Image: Jenna Marie Wakani)

Yesterday afternoon, Chuck Hughes took a break from promoting his new cookbook, Garde Manger, to join 19 eager kids in a cooking class at The Stop’s after-school program at Wychwood Barns. Upon his arrival, three enthusiastic youngsters took Hughes on a tour of the Stop’s facilities at the barns (the organization was one of Canada’s first food banks and has since expanded into a community hub with a wide-reaching mandate that includes community gardens, food markets and advocacy). Some highlights of Hughes’s kid-led tour included handling compost and worms and ogling the now-in-their-prime seedlings that were about to be shipped out to west-end community gardens. We couldn’t resist tagging along.

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The Dish

Food Events

May 12, 2012 | 10:30 am

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Weekly Eater: Toronto food events for May 14 to 20

Chef Chris Brown prepares a five-course meal to support The Stop on Thursday (Image: Renée Suen from the Torontolife.com Flickr pool)

Monday, May 14

86’D With Ivy Knight: Join Chuck Hughes for the launch of his new book, Garde Manger, and watch him bite into the battle of amateur cookie bakers. Ticketed event, with proceeds going to The Stop. The Drake, 1150 Queen St. W., 416-531-5042. Find out more »
Piola’s Monday Night Mixer: Piola’s weekly aperitivo italiano, with cocktail and beer specials and complimentary snacks. 1165 Queen St. W., 416-477-4652. Find out more »
Raw Made Easy: Marni Wasserman teaches simple recipes to incorporate raw food into your diet. Marni’s Kitchen, 26 Lauderdale Dr., 647-477-8131. Find out more »
Sorauren Farmers’ Market: 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the field house at Sorauren Park. 50 Wabash Ave. Find out more »

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The Hype

To-Do List

May 9, 2012 | 1:45 pm

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The Weekender: West Side Story, Chuck Hughes and six other items on our to-do list

Chuck Hughes, West Side Story and Jane Archibald as Semele

1. WEST SIDE STORY
Sharks versus Jets, “I Feel Pretty” and extended dance breaks are just a few of the elements that add up to West Side Story, the seminal 1957 Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim musical. A contemporary adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, it’s set in 1950s New York City and stars two gangs—the Puerto Rican Sharks and the white, working-class Jets—fighting for control of the neighborhood. Meanwhile, a forbidden romance springs up between Sharks-affiliated Maria and her Jets beau Tony. To June 3. $51–$180. Toronto Centre for the Arts, 5040 Yonge St., 416-644-3665, dancaptickets.com.

2. LEONARD COHEN STREET TRIBUTES (FREE!)
Part street concert, part performance art, this Leonard Cohen tribute takes place at locations throughout the city, including Nathan Phillips Square, the CBC building on Front and the corner of Bay and Bloor. The daylong salute to Cohen will feature 25 artists from several disciplines who will perform his songs and poetry. May 11 and 12.Various locations, glenngould.ca/street-tribute-leonard-cohen.

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The Dish

Food Events

January 23, 2012 | 12:03 pm

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TIFF Food on Film series pairs famous chefs with foodie movies

Food on Film, a new six-film series at the TIFF Bell Lightbox, pairs culinary-themed films like Mostly Martha and Kings of Pastry with discussions led by food celebs, including Montreal chef Chuck Hughes and Food Network Canada’s Laura Calder. In honour of each screening, Luma, the Lightbox’s in-house restaurant, will serve a one-off dish for each of the nights (for an additional charge, natch). A subscription for the whole shebang goes for $180 for non-TIFF members. Check out the five already-announced pairings after the jump (the sixth is still TBA).

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The Dish

People

December 1, 2011 | 4:43 pm

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Q&A with Chuck Hughes: the hunky Garde Manger chef on tattoos, Mexico City and poutine appropriation

(Image: Yves Freypons)

Since Chuck Hughes opened Garde Manger in 2006, he’s been steadily rising in the celebrity chef world (he even bested Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America back in March). Five months ago, he opened his second restaurant in Montreal, Le Bremner, and then rushed south to shoot Chuck’s Week Off, in which he ate his way across Mexico. When we caught up with him at the Chef’s Challenge fundraiser this weekend, the Montreal native really seemed like he was warming up to the idea of opening up shop in the soulless Big Smoke.

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The Dish

People

November 29, 2011 | 10:48 am

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Q&A with Bobby Flay: the Iron Chef talks to us about comfort food, Toronto dining and his Thanksgiving dinner for 55

Bobby Flay is a busy, busy man. In between flipping burgers with President Obama and opening up new restaurants (he launches his ninth Bobby’s Burger Palace next week), he finds time to shoot five TV shows and write cookbooks (he’s penned nearly a dozen). As if that weren’t enough, he also races horses and raises money for charitable causes. We caught up with the Iron Chef, who was in Toronto this past weekend hosting the Chef’s Challenge, a fundraiser that supports breast and ovarian cancer research at Mount Sinai hospital. Here’s what he told us:

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The Dish

People

November 28, 2011 | 2:32 pm

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With Bobby Flay at the helm and six celeb chefs on deck, this year’s Chef’s Challenge fundraiser proved a relaxed affair

Host Bobby Flay has a refreshment (Image: Yves Freypons)

At last year’s Chef’s Challenge, the famously potty-mouthed Gordon Ramsay ended up throwing the chefs off the stage after a skillet caught fire. This year, the annual fundraiser for Mount Sinai’s breast and ovarian cancer research was led by grill master Bobby Flay, meaning there were no fires—although there was a good deal of impaired cooking by the end. Mark McEwan was swigging limoncello from the bottle, while Flay downed prosecco and Lynn Crawford tried to curry favour with the judges with some frozen mojitos. Who knew the night would end in such delightful debauchery?

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People

November 14, 2011 | 4:28 pm

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Less than two weeks until Bobby Flay touches down for the second annual Chef’s Challenge cancer fundraiser

Bobby Flay, the Iron Chef star famous for his devotion to the grill, will be heading north this November to host the second annual Chef’s Challenge: The Ultimate Battle for a Cure next week. Last year, under the supervision of the infamously potty-mouthed Gordon Ramsay, the event raised a whopping $1.1 million for Mount Sinai Hospital’s ovarian and breast cancer research. This year, their goal is simple: surpass last year’s total (with less swearing, presumably).

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The Dish

People

October 31, 2011 | 4:10 pm

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Chuck Hughes anointed next big celeb chef by Grub Street, contemplating Toronto restaurant

(Image: Shaw Media)

Montreal chef and tattooed, all-around heartthrob Chuck Hughes could be the next primetime celeb chef, according to New York magazine’s Grub Street. The blog offers a slew of reasons why the easygoing host of Chuck’s Day Off is about to take off: he’s gotten plenty of exposure through the Cooking Channel (Canadians have watched Hughes on Food Network Canada for even longer); the cuisine at his Montreal restaurant Garde-Manger fits in with the current mini-trend of interest in French-Canadian food; he crushed Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America (with lobster poutine, no less); and he’s got a slot on the upcoming Next Iron Chef.

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The Dish

Food TV

May 17, 2011 | 11:39 am

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Top Chef Canada recap, episode 6: horsing around

Dale MacKay before head judge Mark McEwan and his boss Daniel Boulud; French Food at Home’s Laura Calder (Image: Food Network Canada/Insight Products)

TOP CHEF CANADA
Season 1 | Episode 6

Last night’s episode of Top Chef Canada might have featured superstar New York chef Daniel Boulud, but the viewing audience likely tuned in for another reason altogether: horsemeat-gate (last week’s preview for episode 6 revealed that horsemeat would make an appearance, setting off a pre-emptive e-backlash and prompting Metro Morning to call our own Chris Nuttall-Smith for his opinion). Aside from the horsemeat sideshow, the episode featured some entertaining character development—Dale MacKay as a sore loser, Rob Rossi as a baby-faced trash talker—a classic Top Chef misstep and, for the first time, not a single chef in their underwear. Our recap of it all, after the jump.

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The Dish

Food TV

April 25, 2011 | 11:51 am

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Roger Mooking—of Kultura, Nyood and Bass is Base fame—to take on Michael Symon on Iron Chef America

It seems MC Mystic is back. No, Toronto chef Roger Mooking isn’t reprising his role as rapper and percussionist in Juno-winning, ’90s R&B group Bass is Base. Instead, he will be riding his funkmobile over to Kitchen Stadium to take on Michael Symon on Iron Chef America later this May. Mooking is no stranger to food television—he’s the host of Food Network Canada’s Everyday Exotic—but the executive chef at Queen West’s Nyood will be facing some pretty high expectations following Montreal’s Chuck Hughes’ recent victory against Bobby Flay (Hughes was only the second Canadian chef ever to win on the series, Rob Feenie being the first). Symon has battled against two Canadians in the past, beating Ame’s Guy Rubino in season 6 and earning a draw against David Adjey in season 7. We’ll be tuning in to watch Mooking compete—and hoping for a little beat boxing and fake rain.

• Coming up on Iron Chef: Pasternack, Todd Stein, Mooking [Eater]

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