There was delicious food and wine, chef camaraderie and short sleeps at the Canadian Culinary Championships (CCC) in Ottawa last weekend. The annual event brings 10 chefs (all winners at regional Kitchen Parties) together in a gruelling three-day competition—Mystery Wine Challenge, the Black Box and finally, the Grande Finale on Saturday night where a sold-out audience of Ottawa food lovers danced to Steven Page and Kevin Fox at the Shaw Centre. Three chefs came to the podium—Edmonton chef JP Dublado (Red Deer Resort and Casino) grabbed bronze; Rupert Garcia (Hawthorne at the Fairmont Palliser Calgary) took silver and Jasper Cruikshank (Wild Blue Restaurant, Whistler) nabbed the gold. Not only does the CCC raise money for three worthy organizations, it provides an opportunity for chefs to come together and make lasting friendships, building Canadian cuisine from coast to coast. Bravo chefs! And brava Great Kitchen Party for a tremendous event that looked seamless from this vantage point. More on the weekend in the March/April issue.
