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

We hope this message finds you all happy and healthy as we prepare for winter and the upcoming holiday season. The Culinary Federation wishes you and yours a time of reflection and inspiration towards the year ahead. We have all been through a lot over the last 2 years, and we believe 2022 will be the year of fresh starts for us all. 

The first week of November, the 2022 National Conference Committee travelled to Saskatoon for a site visit of the hotel, venues and various tour offerings for our conference June 12 – 16, 2022. Our excitement for the conference has been renewed and we are looking so forward to gathering next June. We plan to have conference registration open in January 2022, so be sure to watch for that announcement!

Further to my note in last month’s newsletter about renewals, we will begin the renewal program Monday, November 22nd. We will be sending out a member wide communication with the directions on how to renew, so please stay tuned. As usual, any new memberships as of November 1st will be counted towards the 2022 year. 

Don’t forget about our renewal incentive this year – any members that renew before December 31 will be entered to win a $100 Gift Card to the Culinary Federation Apparel Line. Two chefs (one young chef, one senior chef) from each region will win a gift card to use towards our Spring Apparel Order! Stay tuned for details.
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.
Welcome our newest Culinary Federation partner:
Shoes for Crews - The Shoe that Grips.

For more information about their safety footwear programs, please contact:
Dan Rubinstein, Director of Sales Canada
647-355-3139
September was Chicken Month, and this year, Chicken Farmers of Canada presented Canadian chefs of all cultural backgrounds with “The Chicken Challenge” – a contest where chefs create and share a dish from their culture and talk about how chicken is an important part of their cultural heritage.

Chefs from across the country showcased their impressive skills and created amazing dishes that proudly reflected their backgrounds. It wasn’t easy picking the top 3! Winners were chosen at the end of September from the pool of participants who posted their “Chicken Challenge” content, and although all entries looked delicious, the following winners were chosen:
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.

Thank you to all of the chefs who participated, and we look forward to next year's Chef Challenge during National Chicken Month.
Please join us in welcoming these new and returning members to the Culinary Federation:
CF NORTH VANCOUVER ISLAND
Kartik Goel

CF OKANAGAN
Rache Bahler

CF LETHBRIDGE
Jennifer Cearns

CF EDMONTON
Karen Kwong
Deanna Hicklin
Stephen Prevedel
Bhawani Singh Khangarot
Vanessa Christensen
CF TORONTO
Akosua Afriyie
Koby Kuloththunkan
John Joseph Manabat
Molly White
Tommaso Poltronieri
Tania Espino
Leanne Merr Romero

CF PEI
Leslie Flynn

CF MEMBER AT LARGE
Brianna Humphrey
Sammantha McIlvenna
Geno Bornea
YOUNG CHEF OF THE MONTH ....
Sumit Raghav, CF Oakville
Sumit Raghav has been fuelled with a passion for cooking food since he started helping his mother and grandmother in the kitchen at a young age. He took his interest in cooking further by studying Hotel and Hospitality management in Mumbai, India and started his career as a cook at a 5-star luxury hotel in Dubai.

The pursuit of learning more took him back to his home country where he enhanced his skills by working in a Japanese restaurant. He eventually opened his own place and ran it for a year. But the itch to travel and learn from world-renowned chefs brought him to Canada to study culinary management at Conestoga college.

While studying at Conestoga, he worked at Proof Kitchen and Lounge which was a great way to be immersed in and familiarize himself in a Canadian kitchen. To continue to diversify his skillset and with Covid limiting restaurant opportunities, he took a chance to hone his butchery skills at Cumbraes. Most recently, Sumit has been learning and growing as a chef at Elora Mill under the leadership of Jonathan Gushue and Danijel Dacha while simultaneously working with Research Institute of Ageing in the development of recipes and execution of meals.
CHEF OF THE MONTH ....
Froilan Ofiaza, CF Winnipeg
Chef Froilan holds a Master’s Degree in International Hospitality from the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff in United Kingdom. Hailing from the Philippines, he obtained his National Certificate II in Cookery in 2015 and National Certificate II in Bread and Pastry in 2014 from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) of the Philippines. He joined the Culinary Federation in 2018.  

With more than 13 years of culinary experience, Chef Froilan has worked for many different hotels and restaurants, starting in 2008 when he worked in a well-known Thai Fusion restaurant as a Demi Chef de Partie in Busaba Eathai in Store Street Branch located in London, United Kingdom. He then moved to work as a Commis Chef for a British style restaurant inside the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Benugo and then to a restaurant at Westminster Abbey.

His Canadian journey in the culinary industry began when he started working for Canad Inn and Holiday Inn in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He then transferred as First Cook for Eurest at the Cafeteria in Boeing Winnipeg location. He also worked as a Cook in All Seasons Catering where he was able to share his culinary expertise. Chef Ofiaza is also a Chef Director of the CF Winnipeg Branch.
Please take a moment to acknowledge the passing of this chef, and past member of the Culinary Federation ....

Chef Louis Victor Meconi (CF Windsor)