Cesare Santaguida, chef and co-owner of Vittoria Trattoria, is one of the local talents participating in the Canadian Celebrity Chefs event at the National Arts Centre.
Top culinary stars from across the country will be bringing Ottawa residents a taste of Canada at the inaugural Canadian Celebrity Chefs event on Jan. 24.
The all-day event will take place at the National Arts Centre and features live cooking demonstrations followed by a tasting reception in the evening.
The host, Kevin Brauch of the Food Network’s The Thirsty Traveller, will showcase the works of local chefs and culinary celebrities from across Canada in food and wine demonstrations that “highlight the importance of modern Canadian cuisine.”
Proceeds will go to the NAC’s National Youth and Education Trust, which furthers artistic education, training and mentorship for youth in Canada.
Michael Blackie, executive chef at the NAC and the main organizer of Canadian Celebrity Chefs, says he came up with the idea for the “full Canadian event” after being inspired by a Spanish food convention he attended in Madrid in 2007.
“It is projects like this that will keep me engaged with what I am passionate about,” he says.
Blackie has been planning the gastronomic extravaganza for the past three months and says the purpose is to make it accessible to the public. Tickets for the event, which cost $75 for the evening reception and $145 for the full day, are almost sold out.
“I chose January because it’s a quiet month for the city and there’s not a lot going on,” Blackie says. “With the amount of tickets we have sold in the last three weeks, I’m convinced we can sell out by the time the event starts.”
The event will feature the culinary skills of 16 celebrity chefs. Each chef from outside of Ottawa is paired with a local chef to create a series of eight lavish dishes paired with Canadian wines.
Each pair has a designated Ottawa food blogger to write about them, their dish and the event.
Blackie is working on a dish with chef Michael Lyon, from Kelowna, B.C. Both chefs host the Food Network’s Chef*Off, a cooking competition where “anything goes.”
However, Canadian Celebrity Chefs is not about winners or losers. Blackie says this month’s event is one of “collaboration,” rather than competition.
Cesare Santaguida, chef and co-owner of Vittoria Trattoria, a popular Italian restaurant with two locations in Ottawa, is a friend and colleague of Blackie’s. He says people can look forward to a “fun, lighthearted event.”
“Everyone will just enjoy food,” he says. “We don’t want to complicate anything.”
Santaguida will be collaborating in the event with Toronto celebrity chef David Rocco, host of the television series David Rocco’s Dolce Vita.
Chef Robin Bowen of the Byward Market’s Empire Grill restaurant says he’s participating because he hopes it will show Ottawa residents what kind of delectable food people can find in Canada’s capital city.
“We’ve got a lot of great chefs and restaurants in Ottawa that people need to experience,” Bowen says.
Centretown chefs participating in the event include Michael Moffatt of Beckta Dining and Wine, Marc Lepine of Atelier Restaurant and Charlotte Langley of The Whalesbone Oyster House.
Tickets can be purchased through the NAC Box Office and Ticketmaster at 613-755-1111.