For the "A Feu Vif" version of this newsletter, please click HERE.
Welcome to the October issue of the “Hot Off the Grill” Culinary Federation Newsletter!

We hope this message finds you all having had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your loved ones, and fully embracing the fall season. 

Thank you to everyone who placed an order with the new Culinary Federation Apparel Line. Your orders are being assembled and packaged up for bulk delivery to your branch for early next month. We can’t wait to see you all representing the Culinary Federation family. When you get your apparel in the mail, please be sure to wear it with pride and tag us in your CF Selfies! For those of you who missed the deadline, we will have another apparel release in the spring, so stay tuned!

It’s hard to believe that 2021 is quickly coming to a close, but it’s true! Which means it’s almost time to renew your Culinary Federation membership for 2022! Watch your email for a notification when renewals will open on the website. This year we are excited to offer an awesome renewal incentive – any members that renew before December 31 will be entered to win a $100 Gift Certificate to the Culinary Federation Apparel Line. Two chefs (one young chef, one senior chef) from each region will win! Stay tuned for details.

November is World Vegan Month, and the Culinary Federation is celebrating with a special Sysco’s Virtual Kitchen Chef’s In the Field episode! Chef Amy Symington in partnership with Humane Society International, will be joining us on October 28th at 11am EST. Chef Amy will be discussing “Tips for Plant-Based Menu Planning”, do not miss out! As always you can live stream along on Facebook,Instagram, YouTube and Linkedin!

And finally, the moment you’ve all been waiting for! Thank you to everyone who participated in September’s Chicken Challenge with the Chicken Farmers of Canada. We had an overwhelming rate of participation from our membership, with some amazing recipes shared. The winners (drawn at random) are as follows:


1st place 
Chef Froilan Ofiaza (MB)
Dish: Pandan Chicken
Chicken wrapped in aromatic pandan leaves from the Philippines. 
 
2nd place  
Chef Coralie Van de Bruinhost (AB)
Dish: Kroket
A Dutch street-food staple.
 
3rd place
Chef Erika Araujo (ON)
Dish: Tinga
A Mexican chicken fiesta.
As always, thank you for your continued support and membership, if there is anything you want to discuss regarding the Culinary Federation and your membership experience, please contact me at president@culinaryfederation.ca

Thank you,

Ryan Marquis
National President
WE STILL WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU ...

Please take a few minutes to participate in our conference planning survey so that we can make sure the conference program exceeds your expectations. Click HERE for survey.
Layers Above The Competition.
There is a reason ProfBoard cutting boards are used by professional chefs and food enthusiasts world-wide – it's the multi-layers of kitchen smarts built into their brilliant design. Produced in Germany and Denmark since 2006, ProfBoard produces robust, warp-resistant cutting boards made from food safe materials that feature replaceable cutting surfaces.
One Cutting Board, Many Tops.
ProfBoard cutting boards save you money long term, all thanks to the ‘click system’ - a creatively integrated design feature that allows you to replace the cutting surface by pulling away a top-layer sheet, and 'clicking' a new one back into place. This not only ensures optimal hygiene, but also preserves the life of your cutting board. When the top sheets become scratched or soiled over time, you simply replace those sheets at minimal cost, instead of replacing your entire cutting board. Brilliant!



The replaceable cutting surface sheets are available in various sizes and are colour coded for food safety requirements.
The impressive ProfBoard product line also features quality carving and chopping boards, designed for integrated use with the ProfBoard 'Series 270' cutting boards.

Learn more about this innovative and exciting product line at:
YOUNG CHEF OF THE MONTH ....
Brittany Failler, CF Saskatoon
Brittany is a young chef from Saskatchewan, working and living in Humboldt. She is currently working as a cook for the Saskatchewan Health Authority at the Humboldt District Health Complex. Brittany obtained a B.COMM from the University of Saskatchewan in 2017 and after working various office jobs, she decided she wanted to pursue her baking passion. Enrolling at Saskatchewan Polytechnic in their Culinary Arts Program, Brittany discovered her passion for cooking too. She received her diploma in 2019 and has been working towards hours for her Red Seal since. 

Along with working, Brittany bakes on the side creating cake and cupcake creations. She also enjoys competing and getting involved in the culinary community. She has competed in various competitions throughout the years and volunteered at several events including the Great Canadian Kitchen Party, Gold Metal Plates and the Chef's Gala in Saskatoon. She has also travelled to Niagara Falls on a Young Chef Culinary Exchange and Aguascalientes, Mexico on an exchange with classmates to further gain knowledge of the culinary world outside of Saskatchewan. 

When Brittany isn't cooking or baking, you can catch her curled up on the couch reading a book, playing video games, doing yoga or taking her dog for a walk.
CHEF OF THE MONTH ....
Alex Lombardi-Hartig, CF Toronto
Chef Alex Lombardi-Hartig is proudly the Product Innovation Chef for Freshstone Brands Inc. 

Chef Alex has taken his lifelong enjoyment and curiosity of food successfully into the world of product innovation. As a child raised in Little Italy in Toronto, he tasted everything local restaurants and food vendors had to offer. Roasted chestnuts to raw oysters. Always adventurous, his travels all over the world include a culinary quest. Flavours, traditions, ingredients; local and international. He creates his visions in food solutions for the end consumer. Inspired by his Sicilian Nonna’s kitchen that included everything from meatballs to matzah ball soup to grilled cheese sandwiches, he recognizes the social and cultural significance of food. Food sets the stage for so much in life, family time, alone time, work time. His passion is creating products that serve as the nourishing and focal point for so much of life. He recognizes that food sets the stage for conversation, interaction, celebration everyday and he strives to develop products that compliment life. 

He is a proud graduate of both The Culinary Institute of Canada, Applied Degree in Culinary Operations and Humber College, Culinary Administration, Management and Arts.

He served as lead developer for “Patty Fresh” winner of the SIAL Innovation Award, Top 10, developed for Tiffany Gate. Lead developer for The Fresh Food Group, Sous Chef for Clublink, Executive Chef at ClamDiggers, prize winner at Pulse Canada and Escoffier Society of Toronto, Chef Instructor at the University of Prince Edward Island. 

Chef Alex continues to enrich his culinary creativity through his daily life experience, at home with his family, vegetable garden, and travelling, rural and urban destinations, combining core culinary traditions with contemporary elements to excite and satisfy the palate and the person.