The adrenaline is pumping, their concentration is intense. The hiss of steam and the sizzle of lobster frying fills the air as the chefs on stage call out instructions to their sous chefs, and confer with their mentors in a bid to create the ultimate culinary experience.
The clock is ticking, with Portage College’s culinary arts students Matthew Yowney and Kali Brodbin each having half an hour to come up with a winning dish, and claim victory on Saturday night’s Battle of the Chefs, as part of the Portage College’s annual spring gala. Celebrity chefs Rich Francis and Rene Rodriguez are on hand to mentor each student, and in soft voices, offer suggestions and advice as the pair work on stage.
“It’s just a rush of ideas that come to your head,” said Yowney of being thrown into a cooking challenge, not knowing the ingredients or recipe beforehand. But for him, it’s the type of challenge that he thrives on. “It is very intense. That’s what makes the drive for me . . . I work best under pressure.”
Both he and Brodbin focus in on their cooking during the challenge, as they use their intuition and all their senses to deliver a succulent, mouth-watering treat. The pair’s work was filmed and broadcast to the 160-plus strong audience, who could watch up-close as the chefs chopped, fried and stirred their way to perfection.
Just a few days earlier, Yowney and Brodbin had competed amongst 33 of their fellow culinary arts students in a challenge to incorporate a host of different ingredients, including hash browns, Brussels sprouts, blackberries, black olives, dried kiwi, grape crystals and shrimp.
“And it’s all got to come together,” said second year culinary arts student and judge Leeanne Fontaine. The pair presented elegant dishes, with an explosion of nicely blended flavours. “They were awesome.”
The pair was chosen as the top two students to go head to head in a Battle of the Chefs during the gala, dubbed The Voyage, showcasing the work of its culinary arts students.
“The college is very happy to be part of the community and we are using this gala to showcase our students’ talent, and the program itself,” explains program coordinator Roger Joharchy. The event took a few months of planning, with preparations ramping up over the past couple of weeks, featuring a total culinary experience for the students – from cooking and baking to sculpting decorations out of blocks of lard or out of chocolate to serving up the dishes to the gathered guests.
Joharchy noted that the students used the “freshest local ingredients” from regional producers. Everything from artisan cheeses, fruit syrup, beef and pork – graced the plates of attendees, with the delicate flavours of each dish earning rave reviews from guests.
The food, said attendee Judith Hess, was nothing less than “exquisite. For St. Paul, I’m sorry, nobody can beat it.”
Hess has attended each of the three spring galas the college has put on in St. Paul, featuring the Culinary Arts students, and the food, the presentation and the event has never failed to disappoint, she said.
“They’re simply getting better.”
Not only does the community get to sample and enjoy the students’ work, but the students get to sharpen their skills for whatever their dreams entail, whether it’s cooking at a hotel or resort, or owning their own catering business.
“Just seeing everyone out, having a good time, supporting the college – it’s unreal. It’s a good way to promote the community and college,” said Yowney of the event.
As the final minutes wind down in the Battle of the Chefs, event emcee Kevin Bernhardt gives the pair a warning that their time is nearly up. The two rush to plate up for the three judges picked at random from the crowd, as the final 10 seconds are counted down. Yowney serves up a butter poached lobster with a smoky butter sauce and quinoa salad, and Brodbin plates a lobster stir-fry with lobster bisque and an apple avocado salad.
After savouring the two dishes, the three judges confer to determine the winner. Debbie Poulin, a judge and former program coordinator, gave credit to both students for their well-presented and well done meals, but in the end, she said one came out as the winner.
“It’s redemption,” she said, pausing before announcing Brodbin was the winner, to a look of perfect glee from Brodbin, as she and her fellow student and roommate Yowney are forever competing to one-up one another.
“I would just like to say how good this feels,” said Brodbin to the audience. “Last year I had to compete against Matt to get here – my chicken was raw. So suck it, my lobster was cooked perfectly!”
Cheers and hollers erupt, as a well-satiated audience applauds, closing off yet another fine dining gala event from the college.
