Another S Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition

Last year I was asked to talk about S Pellegrino's Almost Famous Chef Competition.  I even got to chat with Daniela Molettieri, from Quebec who was the Canadian Regional Winner.  Not to mention that I received  some delicious San Pellegrino drinks and the coolest apron that my grandsons still fight over when we cook together.  That's Boaz making pizza.   It's that time of year again.  Another competition and...

Chat with... Daniela Molettieri, S Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Canadian Finalist

Back in January I first wrote about the San Pellegrino's Almost Famous Chef Competition and I'm proud to announce the Canadian Finalist (from Montreal, my home town)...

Daniela Molettieri from the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec  won the competition for her Fillet of Veal Stuffed with Wild Mushrooms signature recipe. She'll go on to compete at the finals to be held at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in Napa Valley from March 9-12, 2012. Congratulations Daniela!  


And lucky us, I get to chat with her 

R: What made you want to become a chef ?  And when did you first know that that was the career choice for you?

 D: I first became interested in being a chef when I started CEGEP and wasn't happy sitting in the classes for three hours with a teacher talking at me. I used to skip class to cook at home with my brother. I would be more happy staying home for 8 hours making ravioli than doing anything else. Then a friend mentions the ITHQ to me, and she made me apply, even though I didn't speak a word of french.  Two weeks into the program, I couldn't have been more happy that I had been accepted and that I was doing this for me. 

           

 R: How did you get selected for the AFC Canadian Regional?

 D: My chef advisor teaches quite a few courses and he had the choice of picking a student to mentor for this competition. I've known Daniel Cote for about a year and a half, and we know the way we work and the style we both like. It was an easy fit and he is the one who approached the school about choosing me.

        

 R: How did you prepare for the competition? 

 D:  My chef and I have been practicing for about 4 months, once a week, sometimes more. We timed ourselves, and we perfected the components of the dish. Played with plating techniques. We tweaked everything 'til it was perfect. 

R: What were the highlights of the competition?

D: I really enjoyed the water workshop! And of course running on such an adrenaline high in the two hours I had to put out my plate. Having the relief of my name being called that night as the winner was incredible and seeing my mom happy was priceless. I was also every warmly congratulated by the chef judges that were present and that felt amazing! 

 R: Most stressful part?

 D: Knowing that I needed quite a bit of time to dress my plate and worrying that it was going to get cold was the most stressful part for me! Oh and standing in front of 75 people and talking into a mic! 

  

R: What was the inspiration for your winning dish?

D: I am Italian and we eat a lot of veal, so the protein inspiration came from there. I currently work at Bistro Cocagne, and the chef Alexandre Loiseau likes to use a lot of mushrooms, so I took that aspect and put it in the dish. The puree idea came from a love of the two ingredients, butternut squash and hazelnuts. The veggies were what I could get at this time of year from the supplier that my Chef and I know in Montreal. 

R: What will you to do prepare between now and the final competition in California?

D: My chef will probably design some surprise baskets to see how I adapt to the situation. We will go over basic cooking techniques depending on what gets thrown at us. 

R:  Where do you see yourself in five years?

D: I see myself as Chef in a restaurant saving up some money to open my own place in 7 years from now. 

R: Anything else you'd like my readers to know about you...your school, your family? 

D:  I am half Indian from Goa and half Italian from Castelfranci, and I have had the extreme fortune of having two parents that love to explore food as much as I do. Since I was young we would try all different sorts of cuisines and I think that's where my diverse palate comes from. 

As for my school, the ITHQ, I now realize more and more, has a quality of student that graduates that is better than most schools. I have such a good base and a solid knowledge of cooking that I think is superiour  to the other competitors I have encountered in any competition I have done. I want to thanks M.  Daniel Cote for coaching me and working side by side with me, because he has pushed my limits and that is something I thoroughly enjoy about a coach/chef! 

AND I get to share her signature recipe.

Filet of Veal Stuffed with Wild Mushrooms, served with Butternut Squash and Roasted Hazelnut Puree

Veal tenderloin is stuffed with flavourful mushrooms offering up a tender roast that is delicate enough to serve atop the sweet puree of butternut squash. Serve up a fresh mix of carrots, parsnips and beets for additional colour and vegetables for the dinner plate.

 Ingredients:

2 veal or pork tenderloins (about 2 lbs/1 kg)

1/2 cup (125 mL) butter

12 oz (375 g) fresh mixed fresh mushrooms, minced

4 shallots, minced

1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh thyme leaves

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp (1 mL) freshly ground black pepper

Pinch salt

2 1/2 cups (625 mL) veal or beef stock

1 cup (250 mL) dried mushrooms (about 1 oz/30 g)

 Butternut Squash and Roasted Hazelnut Puree:

1 1/2 lbs (750 g) peeled and cubed butternut squash

1/2 cup (125 mL) butter, cubed

Pinch each salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup (75 mL) chopped toasted hazelnuts

 Directions:

Butternut Squash Puree: Bring squash to boil in salted water for about 20 minutes or until very soft. Drain well and return to pot. Using potato masher, mash well with butter, salt and pepper. Stir in hazelnuts. Set aside and keep warm.

In large skillet, melt 1/4 cup (60 mL) of the butter over medium high heat; cook mushrooms, shallots, thyme and garlic, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes or until liquid has evaporated. Set aside and let cool.

Using a chef’s knife, make an incision in centre of tenderloin across the middle not cutting through to the other side. Cut along each side to open up a bit more. Stuff centres with mushroom mixture and close back up. Tie tenderloins with butcher’s twine in about 2 inch (5 cm) intervals and place seam side down on parchment paper lined baking sheet; sprinkle with half of the pepper and salt. Roast in 350 F (180 C) oven for about 45 minutes or until meat thermometer reaches 150 F (65 C) for medium rare. Let rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.

Meanwhile, in saucepan combine dried mushrooms and stock and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Drain through fine mesh sieve and return stock to saucepan. Whisk in remaining butter and pepper.

Spread squash in centre of plate and place veal slices alongside. Spoon sauce along meat to serve.

Makes 8 servings.

Tip: To toast hazelnuts, place in baking pan in 350 F (180 C) oven for about 8 minutes or until golden and fragrant.

Tip: You can serve the rehydrated mushrooms alongside the veal and sauce if desired.

Congratulations Daniela and best of luck in California.  We're all rooting for you!

S Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition

As promised... here are all the details about the 2012 S Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef cooking competition that brings together students from 73 culinary institutions across the United States and Canada. During the competition they battle for a chance to compete and be judged by nationally renowned chefs at the finals competition in Napa this March.   It sounds like a fantastic opportunity for budding chefs and naturally I have to share the four Canadian schools participating this year... which is the TENTH year of the competition.  

George Brown College Chef School (Toronto)

TheInternational Culinary School at the Art Institute of Vancouver

École hôtelière de la Capitale (Québec City)

Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (Montréal)

From the S Pellegrino Press Kit...

"Each school selects two students and the competition holds both a regional and finals competition. The 10 regional events bring together diverse culinary schools from a single region to compete for one winning spot to represent that region at the finals event.  All regional competitions are held approximately 30 days prior to the finals event. The finals competition takes place in March in Napa Valley, CA, where all 10 regional winners compete for the coveted S.Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef title."   

 And if you're a fan of Iron Chef competitions, this one will be just as intense!

• Two hours to prepare 8 servings ( 7 for the Judges & one for display)
• Judges in the kitchen while the contestants prepare their dishes ... talking and watching
• Presentations of the dish to the judging panel, who will evaluate on kitchen, chef and personal impact & presence skills

... Wow!  I need a cigarette and I haven't smoked in 25 years!

The Canadian Regional Event will be held at the Calphalon Culinary Center in Toronto on January 30th and I will keep you posted, but I'm sure you're interested in the prizes....

Each regional winner (there are 10 regions in total and all of Canada makes up just one region... only Canadians will find that strange) will receive a gift of appreciation from participating sponsors, including chef ware from Chef Revival.and all expenses paid trip to California for the finals in March (along with one-on-one sessions with the judges & media training... rock stars in the making!)

Then there are the finals....

Three competitions : Mystery Basket, Signature Dish and People's Choice:

•  The Mystery Basket Competition is a two-hour task to prepare an entrée with provided ingredients.
•  The Signature Dish Competition is a duplicate of the recipe; however, this time it is prepared for up to 200 distinguished guests.
•  In the People's Choice Competition, distinguished guest attendees vote on their favorite student dish

The winning prizes:

•    The Mystery Basket Winner will receive a $3,000 cash prize.
•    The Signature Dish Winner will receive a $3,000 cash prize.
•    The People’s Choice Winner will receive a $3,000 cash prize.
•    Acqua Panna Fan Favorite Award Winner will receive a $3,000 cash prize.

   The overall S.Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition Winner will win...

•    A $10,000 cash prize
•     An offer of a position to work for a nationally recognized chef for one year
•     Media tours, interviews and various other public appearances around the U.S. and Canada    

And I get the opportunity to interview one of the Canadian contestants and some of the award winning recipes after the competition, of course.    Stay tuned. 

San Pellegrino Memories

I've been asked to write about the 2012 S. Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition... and I will, because it's very exciting...but not until tomorrow!

For now, I want to reminisce about my affair with San Pellegrino .. don't tell my Honey.    It started when I was 21 and my parents' birthday gift was a trip to Europe for a month.   Of course, way back then, my very protective parents couldn't imagine sending me off without some sort of structure... and a chaperon.  So I went on an organized tour to London, Paris and several Italian cities and I still remember my first glass of San Pellegrino, served with a thin slice of lemon.  I felt incredibly sophisticated and on days when I feel particularly ... well... let's just say ... LESS than sophisticated... some San Pellegrino with a thin slice of lemon over ice does the trick.

During the Great Depression of the '20's, they called carbonated water "two cents plain"... I wonder what they'd call it these days...twenty dollars plain?.  but I digress...When I was little, my parents and grandparents had seltzer water.  I vaguely remember the special bottle with a  weird handle that, when squeezed, carbonated  the plain tap water.   Today, it's making a come-back with companies like Soda Stream.  

But what I remember, when I was little, is that whenever the grownups drank some... they'd burp.... the men, much for forcefully than the women... almost making it a contest to see who could do it longest and loudest... and the burp, was followed by a contented sigh and smile.   So, I asked my dad if I could have some "Burp Water" and the title has stuck with my family ever since.  

All that to say, that when I did try S Pellegrino, the sparkling natural mineral water, it was much more delicate and ... well the only word I can think of is... "sophisticated".  

When I agreed to write about the competition, I was sent a large package with a chef's apron and some other goodies... most enjoyably... some limonata (sparkling lemonade never tasted so delicious), aranciata (orange), aranciata rossa (blood oranges - and my latest favorite), and pomplemo (grapefruit).  I'm not really a soft drink fan... too sweet... too many chemicals... I usually just have water...

But these are different... in the best way imaginable.  With 18% fruit juice and no preservatives....this is my choice to go with that very sophisticated Lamb, Feta & Eggplant Burger ... please.

Don't forget to check back tomorrow to hear all about the 2012 S Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition.