Eps #4040
Junior Chef Competition
Join
Michael as he helps judge Canada’s best and brightest young chefs as
they compete for the title of National Junior Culinary Champion.
Each competitor must cook a three-course menu consisting of an
appetizer, entrée and dessert. Michael is a kitchen judge and takes us
behind the scenes for a look at this high stakes, high intensity
competition.
Eps #4041
The Edible Schoolyard
The
Edible Schoolyard, created by legendary Chef Alice Waters of Chez
Panisse, is a unique program that helps kids understand their
relationship with food by planting, harvesting and cooking food they
grow themselves. Michael attends a summer session at the Martin
Luther King Jr. High School and meets some of the inner city youth that
are invited to attend this inspiring program.
Eps #4042
Wedding Cake Masterpiece
Thomas
Haas, one of North America’s finest pastry chefs, has been commissioned
to create the biggest wedding cake he has ever made. The cake
features seven tiers, each with 11 layers. It stands over six feet
high, weighs more than three hundred pounds and has 22 hand made
oversized sugar flowers. Michael lends a hand as Haas creates this
$5000 masterpiece in less than 24 hours.
Eps #4043
East Indian Wedding
Michael
is invited to a traditional East Indian Wedding. He joins 600 guests
for a ceremony steeped in ritual and exotic flavours. Michael jumps in
to help out at a family dinner for 75, and a vegetarian reception for
600. Along the way he learns all about the art of curries, and gets an
inside look at the role food plays in the celebration.
Eps #4044
Restaurant Menu
Michael
explores the world of menus when he is asked to create a new menu item
for Cactus Club Café, a casual fine dining restaurant chain. Michael
reveals the incredible effort that goes into developing menus and how
important they are to the success of any restaurant. He creates three
new fish dishes. Will one of them make the cut? What will the guests
think?
Eps #4045
Acadian Reunion
Thousands
of Acadian descendants from all over the world descend on Nova Scotia
for one of the largest cultural events ever held there. Michael
joins James Surette of Nebraska and his family as they rediscover their
Acadian roots and the authentic food of their ancestors. Along the way
the Surettes’ meet their family for the first time and Michael jumps in
to help prepare an Acadian fest for 800 guests…
Eps #4046
Feeding the Canadian Open
It
is the 100th Anniversary of the Bell Canadian Open, one of Canada’s
largest single sporting events, and Michael is in the middle of it
all. 65,000 spectators and 157 pro golfers a day eat up
everything from burgers and fries to gourmet meals. Michael takes
us behind the scenes to the busy kitchens, and introduces us to the
various characters that it takes to make an event of this magnitude a
success.
Eps #4047
Hospital Food
Michael
visits Toronto’s Mt. Sinai Hospital where there are close to 5000 staff
and students, 2000 auxiliary members and volunteers, 25,000 admissions
a year, 35,000 emergency treatments, and 600,000 ambulatory care
visits. Feeding people and taking care of everyone’s nutritional
needs is a major challenge; patient satisfaction with meals is very
important. Michael learns how a team of dieticians,
clinical technicians, food service supervisors, the executive chef, and
nursing staff plan, prepare and serve nutritional hospital food.
Eps #4048
Las Vegas Cuisine
The
Bellagio Casino Hotel in Las Vegas is a city within a city with over
5.4 million square feet, 5000 guest rooms, and over 5 million guests
each month. Michael spends a day with Executive Chef Wolfgang von
Wieser, and takes us behind the scenes for a look at the fast paced
world of Vegas casino hotel where anything can – and does – happen!
Eps #4049
First Nations Potlatch
Michael
travels to Alert Bay on Vancouver Island in British Columbia to join
the Whonnock family for a traditional Potlatch. He joins in the
fun as an entire community celebrates with family memorials, passing of
rights and privileges and two weddings. As he helps feed 1000
guests, Michael learns how to cook usa, ooligans, deer stew, butter
clam chowder, and other native dishes. He also joins a fishing
expedition as he learns about this vibrant community.
Eps #4050
Fighting Hunger
D.
C. Central Food Kitchen in Washington DC feeds the homeless and needy
and is the largest community outreach program in North America. Michael
joins founder, Robert Egger, and his team in their quest to fight
hunger through meaningful training and work. With thousands of
pounds of food arriving daily and a kitchen full of trainees and
volunteers, this program is an award-winning model of success.
Eps #4051
At Your Service
What defines great restaurant service? Michael visits Toronto’s Canoe restaurant to find out what makes their dining room world class.
From their perch on the 54th floor of the TD Bank Tower, Canoe is known for their legendary hospitality and flawless service.
Michael discovers a few trade secrets and we learn a new respect for
waiters.
Eps #4052
Community Fundraiser
Join
Chef Michael Smith and his neighbours as they band together for an
ambitious charity fundraising dinner. The community finds resources
they didn’t know they had and deal with some major culinary hurdles on
their way to pulling off a wildly successful dinner.