Canadian Culinary Student Competition
Pear Bureau Northwest names grand prize winner
The members of the final event’s renowned judging panel were Donald Thibeault (Chef Instructor at College Communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick - Edmundston), Darren Dorcas (Chef Instructor at New Brunswick Community College - St. Andrews), Sammy Cacciatore (Chairman, Quebec Produce Marketing Association, President, Sungrape Marketing), Martin Lemire, RD, (Vice President, Edikom), and Barbara Dion (Chef Instructor, Ecole des metiers de la restauration et du tourisme de Montreal).
The student competitors won an all-expenses-paid trip to Montreal to participate in the national competition, which was held just before the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) Convention and Expo. Each winner earned a cash award, and each finalist’s school also received scholarship funds in honor of their prize. Event attendees, including culinary students, food bloggers, and foodservice professionals, sampled each dish and voted on their favorite to select the People’s Choice award. This year, the award was given to finalist Theresa Walsh of the Maritimes region for her Caramelized Scallops with Pear Fennel Slaw, Maple Glazed Pork Belly and Savory Pear Puree. Twitter was used to dispatch play-by-play updates from @USApears live during the finals with the tag #PearExcellence.
And the winner is…
Samuel Caron, a culinary student from Centre Calixa-Lavallée, representing the Quebec Region, won top honors from the judges with “A Sea of Pears,” a plate featuring oysters with pear garnish on a bed of vermicelli, lobster bisque with a Bosc pear milk emulsion, octopus salad served over pear hummus, and pear-scallop ceviche. The judges noted that the dish looked impressive, had well-balanced flavors, and showcased the versatile pear in an outside-the-box format.
Caron’s worthy competitors were Esther Lepage, from Vancouver Island University, representing the British Columbia/Northwest Territories region; Chelsea Radke, from SAIT Polytechnic, representing the Prairies region; Mery Judith Cuadros Tenorio, from Algonquin College, representing the Ontario region; and Theresa Walsh, from Nova Scotia Community College - Kingstec, representing the Maritimes region.
Caron says that he chose the combination of pears and seafood because he grew up eating and loving fresh Canadian seafood. The highlight of his savory entree is a sweet hummus that blends Bosc pears and chickpeas, topped by an octopus salad with Green Anjou pears and red pepper. The judges lauded the dish, saying they enjoyed it start to finish and found it very creative.
Now in its eighth year, the Pear Excellence Canadian Culinary Student Competition recognizes the country’s most talented student chefs for their pear prowess. Kevin Moffitt, president and CEO of Pear Bureau Northwest said, “We are proud to encourage pear consumption in foodservice by educating student chefs nationwide about USA Pears. Canada is one of our top export markets, and we congratulate these promising individuals as they start their careers with enthusiasm for fresh pears.”
For more information:
Brittany Wilmes
Pear Bureau Northwest
Tel: (503) 652-9720
Email: bwilmes@usapears.com