- James Holehouse, Team Member
- Roger Andrews, Support Member
- Patrick Gayler, Team Member
- Peter Dewar, Team Member
- Brad Horen, Team Captain
Any favourite food memories?
My grandma used to bake a lot, especially pies. She would always make your favourite for your birthday—peach and raspberry for me. I recall homemade meals at home with my family. We rarely ate out, but my parents were adventurous in their cooking. I grew up trying lots of different flavours and dishes—I might not have been keen on some of them, but I always tried them.
What's your beverage preference?
Love wine. Love beer. Definitely drink a lot more beer than wine. When I was younger, my dad would look for smaller breweries, so that was my introduction to micro-breweries. For eating, I like pairing food and wine, red and white, and would like to do the sommelier course someday. I also really like learning the history of the region and of the people where the wine comes from.
Is there one food you could never give up?
Homemade pasta. I love making pasta—and making sauce. I eat a lot of it regularly. During summer, I tend toward lighter sauces, with tomatoes and cheese … chanterelle or morel mushrooms, fresh peas when in season. In winter, meat ragu or cream sauce. I usually start with a protein or cheese and a vegetable, and then go from there with other flavours and seasonings.
Name a few things that are always on hand in your pantry.
Good olive oils. I usually have a cheaper one for cooking and a better one for finishing a salad or for pasta. Truffle oil: I use quite a bit at home. Butter, for cooking. Fresh cracked pepper—I use a ton of it on everything. Balsamic vinegar from a small winery here that makes their own, using the traditional method and aging in barrels from Modena, Italy.
Any pet peeve in the kitchen?
People using something or doing something and not returning items to their rightful place. An example? Opening a wine bottle and leaving the cork and corkscrew on the table or counter. I don't like clutter. I need order, a clean space. At work, one of my habits, when they're not being used, is to place my cutting board parallel and my knife perpendicular to the table edge. It's the aesthetic of my space, and it's like you could pick up a knife and go to work right away.
Do you have any guilty pleasures?
I like ice cream. Real vanilla ice cream is definitely my favourite. Coffee—I drink way too much... espresso, Americano... doesn't matter what time of day or night, I'll drink it. A combination of the two is good! Affogato—hot espresso poured over a scoop of ice cream or gelato.
What might people be surprised to find in your kitchen?
I love Kraft Dinner. I eat it with ketchup.
When you don't feel like cooking, what's your quick meal?
A grilled cheese sandwich: Kraft Singles on rye bread, with ketchup on the side for dipping.
What's your favourite kitchen gadget?
Microplane at home. At work: a probe thermometer with a heatproof wire that runs outside of the oven so the thermometer sits on the counter. It's very useful for monitoring the temperature of meat, especially big pieces like prime rib, pork loin roast or turkey. It ensures consistent results, taking out a lot of guesswork and stress. In competitions everyone uses them!
Who has influenced you and your style of cooking?
The French chef Michel Bras. I really liked his approach and what he did in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He was around before Food Network popped up.
Do you read any food magazines or blogs?
I subscribe to the quarterly Art Culinaire and visit the blog Ideas in Food for sourcing ideas and techniques. They're very current and very suited to the type of stuff that we do.
A fun food-related activity you enjoy?
Every year I get together with three friends to make sausage. We grind 80 lbs. of pork, 20 lbs. of venison and 20 lbs. of veal, add our own blend of spices, cure or smoke the meat, and then case it all the next day.
What do you do to relax, unwind and de-stress?
Crossword puzzles in the morning. Camping a lot with my wife. My friends like to golf. Motorcycling: my wife and I don't always have the same days off, so riding on my own is nice/peaceful, since at work I'm around people all the time.
How would you sum up your philosophy toward cooking?
Cooking with humility... not trying to convince others, or yourself, that you have the best way of doing something. I like to take in what other people have to offer. You should have confidence, but not be overconfident. Be willing to question yourself, and have others question you. That helps me to change and to grow, to better myself.
