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September 2018 Season Kickoff Event

Our first event of the season will have us preparing numerous Middle Eastern delights under the guidance of Chef Sinan Aboud in the kitchen of his Ali Baba Restaurant and Shisha Lounge. 

Sinan.jpg

It was March 21, 2002 when Chef Aboud looked up Chef Ali at Pasta La Vista in search of a job.  Even though Chef Aboud had to answer 'no' when asked if he spoke English, he still got the position. Since then, the kitchen has become Chef Aboud's comfort zone. Even though he was laughed at for his English, the chefs he worked with were helpful in correcting his errors. Chef Aboud learned how to speak English in the kitchen with their help.

Chef Aboud cooked at the University of Winnipeg's Diversity Food Services while studying biology and was known to sell and carry large amounts of pure saffron. Community involvement is important to him, as the many events he has organized or supported attest. With all of his worldly experience, Chef still finds himself most comfortable and at home in the kitchen. The kitchen at Ali Baba may be the best fit yet!

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Jun 22, 2017 Windup at Kitchen Sync

This year, our season wind up event will be held at The Kitchen Sync.  There will be two different versions of Beef Brisket plus we will be soliciting members for dishes that they can bring.  This event is open to members, guests, and their significant others.

There was a wide variety of dishes and the facility was beautiful.

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May 8, 2017 RRC Culinary Arts Program Event

Every year, Les Marmitons Winnipeg contributes financially to assist one promising young chef from the RRC Culinary Arts program. Bradyn Palmer, is this year's recipient of our annual award. Unfortunately (for us), he has moved away so he will not be able to host this event.

Bradyn Palmer

Bradyn Palmer

Luckily for us, we will have the opportunity to showcase the skills of other chefs from the RRC Culinary Arts program.  

This month's event will be lead by Anna Macdonald and David Sawatzky.

Anna Macdonald

Anna Macdonald

Anna's Bio

I grew up in the small town of Pinawa, Manitoba and moved to Winnipeg after graduation to pursue a Science degree at the University of Manitoba. During the third year of my degree, I began to work as a cook in a small restaurant and discovered I looked forward more to my hours at work in kitchen than the hours I spent studying. I had always loved cooking and reading about food while growing up, but never considered it as a career option. Within the next 6 months, I transferred to Red River College to attend the Culinary Arts program and was happier and more enthusiastic about my studies than I had been while at the U of M. Since then, I have worked at The Grove Pub and Restaurant, Sous Sol and volunteered at a number of culinary events. Once graduated, I hope to travel to Europe and Asia, learn about local agriculture/farms while back at home, and eventually open a restaurant one day.

David Sawatzky

David Sawatzky

David's Bio

My name is David Sawatzky, and I am 25 years old. I am currently a student of Culinary Arts at Red River College.

Culinary Experiences/Co-op Placements
Winnipeg Squash and Racquetball Club - 2012-2013 (Full-time)
Burrito Del Rio - 2013-2014 (Part-time)
Canadian Mennonite University - 2013-2015 (Full-time)
Bergmann’s on Lombard - 2013-Present (Fulltime/Casual)
Marion St. Eatery - Winter 2016 (Full-time)

Why Did I choose Culinary Arts?
I grew up surrounded by food on a potato farm in central Manitoba. As you can imagine, I was never surrounded by a variety of modern ingredients or cooking styles on the farm. It wasn’t until my older brother came home from culinary school when I was in grade 10 that I started to appreciate food. He decided to showcase what he had learned for my family. He made panko crusted pickerel filets with prosciutto wrapped asparagus, potato gratin and a lemon cream veloute. I remember that it was the first time I realized food could be so much more than just nourishment, but it could bring joy, wonder and flavour into people’s lives. Since that moment I started volunteering in church kitchens, camp kitchens and soup kitchens whenever opportunity presented itself. It wasn’t until the fall of 2012 that I had my start in a real restaurant kitchen at the Winnipeg Squash and Racquetball Club. Since then, I have enjoyed learning from the people that I work with.

Chef Michael Fitzhenry, Program Coordinator from RRC will also be joining us as a special guest.

Menu

  • Course 1
    • Spring Vegetable Tart with Goat Cheese, Herbs and Green Goddess Dressing
    • Suggested Beer Pairing - Half Pints Lil’ Scrapper IPA
  • Course 2
    • Ravioli stuffed with Blue Cheese, Parsnips, Toasted Walnuts, in Sage Brown Butter Sauce and Parmesan
  • Course 3
    • Confit Arctic Char with Pearl Barley Risotto, Seasonal Vegetables, and Beurre blanc
  • Course 4
    • Manitoba Pork Chorizo with Baby Roasted Potatoes and Apple Fennel Slaw
    • Suggested Beer Pairing - Torque Brewing Company “The Witty Belgian” Wheat beer
  • Course 5
    • Rhubarb Berry Platz with Cornell Ice cream and Prairie Crumble

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Apr 10, 2017 Chef Alex Vaziri

Chef Alex Vaziri from Casa Bianca will be leading this month's event.

The theme of this event will be Italian/European and the menu consists of:

  • Appetizers
    • Bruschetta al Pomodoro 
    • Cajun Shrimp
  • Salad
    • Mixed field greens with Italian dressing
  • Pasta 
    • Penne fumme with Italian pancetta, tomato and cream sauce
  • Entrée 
    • Roasted pork tenderloin with wild mushroom and red wine sauce served with oriental vegetables
  • Dessert
    • Strawberry Sambuca with zabaglione

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Mar 13, 2017 Chef Ramina Lyn Ritual

Chef Ramina Lyn Ritual will be leading this month's event.  Chef Ritual will be assisted by Rosshiel Lagman.

Ramina.jpg

Biography
My name is Ramina Lyn Ritual. I am 25 years old. Culinary Arts graduate in January 2015 from Red River College.

Coop- Placement/ Culinary Experiences
Resto Gare and Train Bar – 2013-present (Full-time)
Bergmann’s on Lombard – 2014-present (Casual)
Certified Chef de Cusine (C.C.C 2016 Exam) - apprentice 2016
52nd Canadian Culinary Federation Annual Convention newfoundland- assistant 2015
Gold Medal Plates in Kelowna, B.C - assistant 2015

Why did I choose Culinary Arts as my Career?
When I was a kid I showed a lot of affection in foods and cooking. Back in the Philippines my family used to own a small business restaurant. I was only 9 or 10 years old when I started helping my parents with the restaurant. But of course I can only help with some small prep like cooking rice, peeling vegetables, cleaning the restaurant etc. Since then I felt like I knew what I really want to do in the future. However, when I got here in Canada in 2006 I forgot about what I felt back then. I still love cooking and I always A’s my cooking class in High School but it never crossed my mind that I would take Culinary Arts as my Career. Because honestly deep inside my heart cooking is not a Job. It is part of my life. And then one day I felt that very strong feeling of wanting to move forward and enhance my knowledge in cooking. I wanted to learn more about Culinary Arts and other ethnic foods and not just limiting myself to the foods that I grew up with. Now I am proud to say I am a Culinary Arts graduate student of Red River College and will be one of the Future Chef.

 

Biography

Rosshiel Lagman is an international student from Philippines. She moved to Canada to develop her cooking skills in a diverse country. She graduated with honours at Red River College in 2016. Her cooking influences include her mother, Erlinda Lagman who is currently living in Philippines; her Chefs at Red River College, and Chef Jamie Pastorin who is her Chef at Four Points by Sheraton Airport. She started her part time work at Sheraton after her first Co-op last 2014 and since then she have worked for the hotel as line cook, banquet cook, breakfast cook and action station cook for almost 3 years now. Cooking techniques are mostly Canadian with Asian/Filipino twist for her Chef is also a Filipino and most of her co-workers are Filipino.

 

Kamayan (Boodle Fight)
Kamayan is one of the traditional way of eating in the Philippines. It means it with your bare hands. The name comes from the word Kamay which means Hands. All of the foods will be serve on Banana leaves and everyone will be eating with their bare hands. 

Menus

  • Spring Roll
  • Chicken Adobo
  • Pork Sisig 
  • Inasal (Grilled BBQ Chicken)
  • Pork Belly Lechon
  • Inihaw na Isda (Grilled Stuffed Tilapia) 
  • Pancit (Filipino Noodles)
  • Seafoods (Crab, Mussels, Shrimps)
  • Plain Rice
  • Balut (Fertilized Duck Eggs)

 

 

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Feb 13, 2017 Sweetheart Dinner

Les Marmitons will celebrate their significant others at this annual Valentine's dinner event.

The evening was a huge success. The Ladies thoroughly enjoyed the meal and we all got out by 9:15!

The main course was rack of lamb.

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Jan 9, 2017 Chef John Delaat

John Delaat from Diversity will be leading this month's meal.

BIO - I started cooking at a young age, learning family traditions from my mother, who is French-Canadian, and my father, who was a Dutch immigrant, as well as digesting any tidbits I could from the food shows of the day such as Yan can Cook and The Frugal Gourmet.

After many tribulations and misadventures, my hobby of home baking and cooking led me towards a career as a professional chef. I have plied my trade in my hometown of Winnipeg while also delving into various culinary traditions: Greek, Italian, Classical, Contemporary and locavore to name a few.

In my current position as Chef de Cuisine of Diversity Food Services at the University of Winnipeg, it is my pleasure to oversee three locations, assist in running a thriving catering business and also lend a hand with many community events, including the annual Holiday Community Dinner hosted by Les Marmitons.

This event features a Dutch - Indonesian meal.

The menu for the upcoming Rijstaffel will consist of:

  • Steamed rice
  • Nasi Goreng (fried rice and vegetables)
  • Bami Goreng (fried noodles and vegetables)
  • Loempia (large spring rolls with pork and vegetables
  • Sop Rawon (beef soup)
  • Sambal Goreng Telor (hard-boiled eggs in spicy tomato sauce)
  • Fried potato matchsticks
  • Kroepoek (fried shrimp crackers)
  • Curried beef and potato Croquettes
  • Lemper Ayam (sticky rice balls stuffed with chicken)
  • Tamarind Pork stir fry
  • Balinese Spicy Mackerel
  • Chicken and pork Satay
  • Roast Chicken with coconut chili sauce
  • Firecracker Shrimp
  • Urap-Urap Sayur (veg stir fry with spiced coconut)
  • Gado-Gado (blanched veg salad with boiled eggs and peanut sauce)
  • Acar Ketimun ( simple pickled cucumber salad)
  • Braised hearty greens in sweet soy and lemon
  • Tamarind sauce
  • Sweet and Spicy sauce
  • Coconut Peanut sauce
  • Curried Ketchup
  • Spiced fruit chutney
  • Seroendeng (spiced coconut with peanuts)
  • Sambal Soto (almond and chili sauce)
  • Martabak Manis (sweet leavened pancakes with condensed milk)
  • Pisang Goreng (fried bananas)
  • Orange Coconut Pannacotta
  • Marzipan stuffed Speculaas
  • Es Cendol (dessert drink with coconut milk, palm sugar syrup and pandan leaf )
  • Coffee and tea

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December 14, 2016 - Community Dinner

Les Marmitons Winnipeg participated once again in the annual Community Dinner at the University of Winnipeg.  The food was plentiful and everyone went home with a full stomach.

Here are some pictures from this year's edition of this fun event.

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Nov 14, 2016 Chef Diana Cline

Chef Diana Cline from Diana's Cucina will be leading this month's event which will be held at Diana’s Cucina and Lounge located at 730 St. Anne’s Road.

 

Diana Cline is a five-time Canadian Pizza champion, internationally recognized master pizza chef, judge, author of the "Passionate About Pizza" cookbook, and has over 23 years of experience in the pizza industry.  

Currently, she is a partner in Diana's Cucina & Lounge in Winnipeg, Manitoba

The theme of this event is Pizza.

DIana started the evening off by showing us how she makes her signature Moosehead Beer pizza dough.  Then she demonstrated pizza making techniques and set us free on the topping bar!  We all learned an amazing amount about pizza making. 

Diana's commitment to making an exemplary product was obvious in everything from the cleanliness of her kitchen to the quality of the ingredients she uses.

 

 

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Oct 16, 2016 Chef Sinan Aboud

Chef Sinan Aboud will be leading this month's event.

The theme of this event will be Molecular Gastronomy. 

 

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS EVENT WILL BE HELD AT 2:00 PM ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2016 TO ENSURE SUFFICIENT TIME TO PREPARE  THE DISHES.

Menu:

  • Tharid, a 3 thousand years old recipe. Made of beef stew, onion, potatoes and broth, and home made naan bread.
  • Spicy shrimp and sausages with spicy mango foam
  • Prosciutto and cantaloupe caviar
  • Reconstructed prime rib
  • Banana custard and frozen rum

It was March 21, 2002 when Chef Aboud looked up Chef Ali at Pasta La Vista in search of a job.  Even though Chef Aboud had to answer 'no' when asked if he spoke English, he still got the job.  Since then, the kitchen has become Chef Aboud's comfort zone.  Even though he was laughed at for his English, the chefs he worked with often were helpful in correcting his errors.  Chef Aboud learned how to speak English in the kitchen with the help of these chefs.  

Prior to learning how to cook, he was a biologist.  He applied what he learned in microbiology to food in the kitche and strives to present food in a new and unique way.  Over time, Chef Aboud's love for cooking grew and he gained the skills needed to become a chef.  Chef Aboud believes that food and science work hand in hand.  The sky is the limit when you come up with a way to present a combination of ingredients that usually are not used together.

Cooking is a part of Chef Aboud's identity.

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Sep 12, 2016 Chef Fatma Korid

 

The theme of the evening will be Syrian Cooking.

Chef Fatma Korid, was born in Aleppo, Syria, 1959. Mother of 4 children and a grandmother of 7. She has spent most of her life in the kitchen with her mother. At an early age, she knew she wanted to be a chef. At the age of 19 she opened her first KOSHIK, a small shop that sells baked goods. A few years after that, she opened her first ever restaurant where she served nothing but comfortable Syrian food on the go.

Since the Arab spring spread in the region, she was forced to leave everything she had built for more than 40 years. She is a very thankful to be alive, living in Canada since November of 2015. She is hoping to open an authentic Syrian restaurant to share her heritage and passion for food with the people of Winnipeg.

She will be assisted and translated by a friend to our Les Marmitons chapter who is very familiar with the Diversity kitchen, Sinan Aboud.

Here are some photos from this event.

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March 14, 2016 Chef Kyle Lew

TonyK

Chef - Kyle Lew from Chew

I’m from Toronto and moved here with my wife, Kristen in 2012 to open a restaurant and start a family.

Having gone to George Brown College, I then apprenticed and ascertained my red seal under Mark McEwan at One Restaurant. I also worked for Mildred Pierce,  Buca, 5 Doors North and was the head butcher for The Healthy Butcher.

This event was held with a different format than normal as we went to Chef Kyle's restaurant and watched as he demonstrated how to butcher a pig and answered all of our questions.  The meal was prepared by the kitchen staff at Chew and it had a pork based theme from beginning to end.  

The bread was served with a lard based butter.  The salad had crunchy deep fried pig skin.  The Carbonara had small pieces of pork in the sauce.  The dessert was topped with bacon ice cream.

WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES OF A PIG BEING BUTCHERED FOLLOW.  IF THESE TYPES OF IMAGES BOTHER YOU, PLEASE DO NOT SCROLL DOWN.

 

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September 14, 2015 Chef Peter Bastians

Chef Peter Bastians, owner of Taste of Sri Lanka was our guest chef this month.

Born in Sri Lanka, Chef Peter was educated and worked as a civil engineer for three years before going to hospitality school to become a chef.  He loved spending time with his mother in the kitchen and that evolved into his passion for cooking.  As a young man, Chef Peter spent 19 years living in Saudi Arabia as he worked his way up through the kitchens in that country.  During the first Gulf War, Chef Peter managed the food servrices for the U.N coalition forces before moving his family to Winnipeg.  He has had success with his business, Taste of Sri Lanka for many years in Winnipeg.  

Due to a logistical issue with our regular venue, this month's event was a private dinner event where Chef Peter cooked for the group and the membership partook in an evening of good food, drink and conversation.  

The evening started off with everyone marveling at Paz's beautiful house and drooling over his shiny high tech kitchen.  Once everyone was settled, we had a nice greeting wine.  Dinner was accompanied by a red wine as well as two beer choices.  

The evening's menu consisted of:

  • Yellow Rice
  • Lamb Curry
  • Butter Chicken
  • Eggplant Moju
  • Dhal Curry
  • Onion Tomatoes Yogurt Salad
  • Double Roasted Bread
  • Watalapang

Once everyone started eating, there were exclamations of how tasty and delicious we all found the meal to be.  Clearly, some dishes were pretty spicy as beads of sweat started welling up on more than one brow.

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June 12, 2015 Barbecue

Our annual BBQ will he held on June 12, 2015 at Conrad's House

Start time is 6:00 PM.

The barbecue will feature:

Chilled shooter, tomato , sweet, chilli flavours with a chilled shrimp garnish
Calamari
Greek Salad
Barbecued Lamb
Pork Loin Roast
Pita with an assortment of sauces
Lemon Potatoes
Baklava Cheesecake

We could also use some volunteers from the group to bring along additional food items.  

Some suggestions for popular sides to complement the Greek theme that is evolving would include things like:
Lemon Rice
Avgolemono Soup (lemon, rice, chicken)

 

Click on the following picture to see some photos from the BBQ.

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