Posted by St. Johns Telegram, Canada on August 19, 2008 at 11:13:17:
LIFESTYLES
Chef heading to food Olympics
Cooking
NADYA BELL
The Telegram
The world's top food judges will get a chance to scrutinize preparations made with Gros Morne grouse, bake-apple cannelloni and Newfoundland chanterelles by one of Newfoundland's top chefs this fall.
Roary MacPherson, executive chef at the Fairmont Hotel has been accepted as a competitor at the International Culinary Olympics to be held this October in Erfurt, Germany.
"It's the largest food culinary expo in the world, and it only happens once every four years," MacPherson says, sitting in the Bonavista Restaurant at the Fairmont.
"I've been in the industry now for 20 years, and competitions are something that most chefs will do, at one time or another," he says.
"For such a wealth of talent here in Newfoundland and Labrador, we always go to the Atlantic competitions and the local ones which is fantastic, but it's time to bring it to a world stage," he says.
MacPherson will be assisted by Angie Ryan, the hotel's chef de partie, or second in command of the hotel's pastry team.
Ryan says she is very excited to be part of the competition, and can't wait to check out what other chefs are cooking.
"I think it's a dream pretty much of every chef, who are really passionate and serious, to get over there to see it and be part of it," she says.
"I love pastries, I can't wait to see the pastry section, because there's blown sugar, and they do wedding cakes and show pieces and everything," she says.
Although MacPherson is pleased to be competing at the Olympics, he describes his trip as a reconnaissance mission to check out the event, so that he can bring a Newfoundland team of six chefs to the next competition in 2012.
"My main goal is building the industry, and building the confidence level of our chefs here," he says.
"We've got so many talented people, and when you go to these things, the exposure you get, the things you see, the people you meet, all that stuff improves the industry where you are," he says.
The International Culinary Olympics was started in 1896 as a local cooking contest at the Frankfurt fairgrounds.
The event has since grown to include this year over 40 national teams, 90 regional teams and 11 military teams competing in many different events, from deserts to national specialty dishes.
MacPherson will be competing as an individual in the festive platter and canapés portion of the event, preparing the food ahead of time in Newfoundland, then carefully transporting it to Europe packed in gelatin.
He will then cut and assemble the dishes in time for their showing on Oct. 19.
His lengthy menu includes seven separate dishes on the festive platter and six canapé dishes. The judges will not actually eat any of the food, but will instead evaluate it on its presentation creativity and other categories.
There are plenty of local ingredients in the food that MacPherson will prepare, including the whole range of available seafood, from Atlantic scallop and squid roll to ceviche of Grand Bank cod cheek.
Wild game, including caribou, rabbit and grouse and local berries and mushrooms will all make an appearance at the competition.
MacPherson will also be bringing a large platter made by local artist Urve Manuel of A Stone's Throw Glassworks to present his food on.
"It's about promotion of the province too," MacPherson says. "Anything that I can take that is local, it's a hundred per cent Newfoundland and Labrador all the way."
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