Local chefs to duke it out in food fight

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This article was published 04/04/2019 (2750 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

From Chopped to Top Chef, culinary battles are nothing new, but Siloam Mission’s Food Fight fundraiser puts a bit of twist on the format.

In addition to a mystery ingredient drawn the week before, such as fresh eggs, lemon juice or sesame seeds, participating chefs will have to create a dish from items commonly donated to the mission at 300 Princess St., which has been providing free meals, clothing, emergency shelter, health services and more to those in need in Winnipeg since 1987.

Stepping into the ring to whip up dishes containing pork loin, kidney beans or turkey are 10 top chefs from Winnipeg restaurants. The lineup includes Tim Palmer, executive chef at the Fairmont Winnipeg, going head to head with Bergmanns on Lombard’s Adam Peterson; the mission’s own Chris Buffington will face Jaime Briones from Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries’ Loft 180. Loaf and Honey catering’s Dustin Peltier takes on Scott Grant from the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology, while Haley Pache of Cakes, Cookies and Catering by Haley takes the gloves off to battle Winnipeg Squash and Racquet Club’s Allyson Martin. The St. Charles Country Club’s Rain Regalado goes toe-to-toe with Jason Wortzman from Granny’s Poultry.

About 90 per cent of the food that’s served at Siloam comes from donated items; the chefs will be challenged to use what they’ve been given with restrictions they may not be used to. Attendees will vote for their favourite dish. The winning chef will take home the Food Fight Championship Belt.

The event also features a 50/50 draw, live music and a silent auction with foodie prizes.

The first annual Siloam Mission Food Fight takes place Tuesday, April 9, at 5:45 p.m. at the RBC Convention Centre. Tickets are $150 or $1,000 for a table of eight and can be purchased at Eventbrite.com (search “siloam”) or by emailing events@siloam.ca or calling 204-956-4344.

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After the unfortunate folding of Peg Beer Co., craft beer fans breathed a sigh of relief when another local brewer, Nonsuch, took over the space at 125 Pacific Ave. However, for the first few months of its existence, the brewery — which focuses on Belgian-style offerings — wasn’t quite ­emulating the Peg experience, with only gourmet popcorn and dried fruit and nuts to nosh on.

That’s set to change in May, when chef Tyrone Welchinski, formerly of King + Bannatyne, comes aboard full time to serve food.

The 29-year-old chef’s eight-item menu with a focus on charcuterie will make its debut on Friday, April 5, as part of First Fridays in the Exchange; he hopes to roll out the complete service next month. The kitchen will be open the same hours as the taproom.

The beers may be Belgian, but Welchinski says the food — snacks and larger dishes, all intended for sharing — is not, though he’s taken into account flavour pairings.

“It’s more of a focus on ingredients,” he says, adding all the pork comes from Zinn Farms in Manitoba. “I’ve got cod coming in from Fogo Island in northern Newfoundland, venison from Quebec; it is all Canadian.”

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After a long incubation period, Black Market Provisions in Riverview finally opened its doors on March 21.

Angela Farkas and Alana Fiks — the owner-operators of the popular Pop Cart, which serves up frozen treats at festivals and markets all summer — have been carefully refining and curating their general store concept.

The 700-square-foot space at 550 Osborne St. has a commercial kitchen, where Farkas and Fiks can concoct their ice pops and vegan ice cream. The shelves are stocked with house-made to-go meals, including desserts, soups and hearty salads — both greens-based and spreadable sandwich varieties — as well as goods from local purveyors, such as sourdough loaves and cinnamon buns from Eahda Bread, biscotti and butter tarts from Hildegard’s Bakery, Smak Dab mustard, Abiding Citizen bitters and Nature’s Farm eggs.

Black Market hours are Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (closed Mondays).

jill.wilson@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @dedaumier