Chef Curtis Stone
Curtis Stone is a 'young gun' Australian Chef, classically trained in London under the legendary Marco Pierre White. He is the face of a new generation of Chefs. Curtis is an author and presenter of the globally successful cooking/lifestyle program, 'Surfing the Menu', and has one of America's most popular reality/cooking shows titled, 'Take Home Chef'. His success in the US has been phenomenal, with People Magazine voting him as one of the sexiest men alive.What Makes Curtis Tick
Ever since I was young I've always been fascinated with food - whether it was making marmalade with my Nan and Grandad or fudge with my Granny. I've always realized it was food that brought my family and friends closer together. I often hear people say that they don't have the time to cook. Well, actually, a good home cooked meal can take less time than waiting for a take-in pizza! And be a lot more fun. It's one of life’s' great pleasures."
Keep it Fresh
"The key to great cuisine starts with great ingredients and that's why I'm always interested in how ingredients are sourced and produced. My favourites are organic and natural foods - preservative and chemical free. You often hear people say, "Tomatoes just don't taste like they used to." Well, the fact is, they don't taste like they used to because they're not grown like they used to. I recommend that we always try to buy fresh, seasonal produce."
Chef Corbin
Corbin Tomaszeski is often recognized from Food Network's Restaurant Makeover, Crash My Kitchen and his new show: Dinner Party Wars. As the consummate host, he entertains, as he creates memorable meals designed to connect families, friends and communities – his philosophy that food and life go hand in hand sends a powerful message to audiences everywhere.
He began his career in Edmonton where he became Executive Chef of the restaurant in 1997. Soon after, with the help of Tomaszeski, Holt Renfrew upped their food services and revitalized their food and beverage operations from the hub at Toronto's Bloor Street Flagship to training their kitchen teams across Canada. The Holt's Café was launched in 2002, featuring a bright new menu with foods originating from France and has become a mecca for celebrities for lunch and special events while in Toronto. He is both prestigious enough and proud enough to fly to France every so often to create his exclusive menu and to keeping in touch with what his 'flavour' is really all about.
Growing up on a farm in Alberta, Corbin learned the importance of fresh food and fine ingredients at an early age. While his Polish background has taught him that making foods from scratch is as important as the time you put into eating the foods when they are done.
He has worked and apprentice under award winning chefs such as Dion Dayanandan and Simon Smotkowicz who was culinary captain of Team Canada for the internationally acclaimed Cooking Olympics.
Attention to detail is one component that helped create that demand for his highly discriminating clientele and his plates are known to be as beautiful and dramatic to see visually as they are wonderful to eat.
Chef Mark McEwan
From his early years as Canada's youngest ever, executive chef at Toronto's upscale Sutton Place Hotel to his latest endeavor, trendy resto bar Fabbrica, Mark McEwan is never content to rest on his laurels.
Using food as the ultimate palate for his boundless creativity and energy, McEwan has led the restaurant scene in Toronto for many years. He joins the ranks of the truly innovative with groundbreaking Toronto standards from "North 44" to "Bymark" to the always interesting "ONE", a staple for the "see and be seen" crowd in Yorkville. With Fabbrica, he has taken another turn and captivated customers with rustic Italian fare in a warm, yet contemporary setting at The Shops at Don Mills.
But, it doesn't stop with dining -- in early 2009 he turned his attention to upscale gourmet food and opened McEwans at The Shops at Don Mills. Always attentive to the changing needs of the consumer, he created a jewel box of a grocery store that caters to foodies and chefs alike. His best selling cookbook "Great Food at Home" added author to his resume and he hasn't stopped there.
Mark has also added television personality to his long list of talents and is currently the head judge on "Top Chef Canada". His first show for The Food Network, "The Heat" was a riveting behind the scenes look at North 44 Caters as well as the building of McEwans grocery store - a ratings winner.
Mark's new cookware line by Fresco is sold nationally across Canada and with his chef's stamp of approval for a high quality product in the kitchen.
And for the future ... this Canadian "original" is rarely still and always innovative and "out of the box".
Chef Lynn Crawford
Whether competing against Bobby Flay in the popular Iron Chef competition, or hosting Food Network Canada's Pitchin' In & Restaurant Makeover, Chef Crawford has received tremendous media attention for her recent restaurant project, close to her heart, Ruby WatchCo. Her new show, Pitchin' In celebrates the power of buying local and supporting the great farmers and purveyors of North America.
Lynn has established herself as a tremendous culinary presence in Canada. Returning recently from the Four Seasons in NYC, she is the only female chef in the Four Seasons worldwide to honor the executive chef position.
"All of the media attention is great – I won't deny it. But for me, it's all about making people happy through great food and having a whole lot of fun doing it," says Chef Crawford. "I love people. I love food. And I love sharing so if that's my role and future, then that's perfect for me." she adds.
Chef Crawford began her career with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts 19 years ago in Montreal. During her career with Four Seasons, Chef Crawford worked in Nevis, West Indies; Vancouver and Toronto, Canada; and New York.
After studying fine arts in university, Chef Crawford moved to Toronto and attended George Brown College's acclaimed culinary program. During her studies there, she worked and received classical training from the city's premier chefs. After graduating, she traveled throughout California to further her culinary education. While female chefs were still an anomaly, Chef Crawford was fortunate enough to work and learn from two of the best; Alice Waters and Barbara Tropp. Today, she still considers them role models and mentors.
A native of Toronto, Canada, Chef Crawford has received critical acclaim from Food media and food lovers and established herself as a tremendous culinary presence in Canada as well as a popular favourite on Food Network. Her new restaurant, Ruby WatchCo has opened to an instant fan base of food lovers and supporters of all things local.
Special Guest Matt Moore
Matt Moore, creator and author of Have Her Over for Dinner; a gentlemans guide to classic simple meals has quickly established himself as the go to resource for creative and reliable recipes created for the man's-man. Also a country music artist, Moore has opened shows for Sugarland, Dierks Bentley, Jason Aldean, Zac Brown, Luke Bryan, and other popular acts. Matt will be the featured guest host and performer at The Great Big BBQ Cook Off and Block Party, Sept. 24th in Charlottetown.
Join us from September 2-25, 2011, for the 4th Annual PEI Fall Flavours Festival. This month long culinary celebration highlighting authentic Island tastes and traditions takes place in communities across PEI. The Festival features some very interesting celebrity guest chefs, plus exquisite dining and a wide range of unique culinary experiences.
Festival host, the Prince Edward Island Chefs Association
Chef Ross Munro
Chef Ross Munro, Prince Edward Island's Chef of the Year for 2010, represents the Prince Edward Island Chefs Association as Official Host of the 2011 Fall Flavours Festival.
Raised in rural Eastern Ontario, between The St. Lawrence and Ottawa River valleys' by way of birth in Montreal, Ross has always had an understanding of where food came from and has always tailored his cuisine with that in mind. You can see his amazing connection to local farmers, fishermen and local purveyors on Prince Edward Island at Sims Corner Steakhouse & Oyster Bar.
Ross has been a part of bringing food from farm to plate, long before this became a "buzz" word in last few years. He was fortunate enough to work some of the godfathers of the local Canadian restaurant food scene in the late 80's and early 90's in Toronto. Ross has not lost that passion or drive for bringing the best locally harvested food and presenting it day in and day out. He has an incredible knowledge of beef; he understands the nurturing of beef on the hoof, at the hand of a great butcher and has developed his own world-class standards for aging our homegrown island beef to perfection.
His career has taken him around the world, for both business and pleasure, but always seeking out grass roots food wherever he landed. A few of his stops along the way have included, The Westin Harbour Castle, CSIS, The Westin Edmonton, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and The Hyatt Regency Calgary, among many others before taking a break from the "line" and working with Griffith Laboratories as their Corporate Chef in Research and Development.
Now a permanent fixture with in PEI as chef at Sims Corner Steakhouse and Oyster Bar, he has also taken up the challenge as Director of Culinary for the parent company, Murphy Group of Restaurants. Ross brings with him a wealth of knowledge not only in leading and developing seasoned culinary professionals, but his love and ability to meld flavours is first class. Not shy to create, he has always loved to "be there" with his clientele sees to it that all are looked after in a "world class" manner.
Quite simply said...........Ross loves to cook. His heart and head are in it each and every day. His passion can be felt just by the simplest of conversations with him.
The Fall Flavours Festival is hosted by
the Prince Edward Island Chef’s Association
and is an initiative of PEI Flavours.
Funding support provided by
PEI Department of Agriculture
PEI Department of Fisheries, Aquaculture
and Rural Development
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