Great Chefs Of Our Time

If you stop by to see me and the TV’s on, it’s more than likely on the Food Network and whatever else I'm doing, I’m also watching a food show. I like watching most of them and can’t stand some of them. I thought that I would write a blog about my favourite shows and chefs but once I got going, I soon realized there were too many to fit in one blog. So I thought I would break it down into individual blogs about 1 chef and come back to the theme over time.So here goes my first installment of Great Chefs Of Our Time.

Let’s start with Mark McEwen and The Heat. I sometimes feel a little nostalgic when I watch this show because some of the names and sites are familiar to me. I was working at Le Select Bistro on Queen St. when Chef McEwen started up North 44. There was quite the buzz at the time about the new venture and it was the place to go as soon as it opened. The food has been creative, tasty and visually appealing and has garnered great reviews over the years. Since the start of North 44 Mark has added two other restaurants to his holdings, Bymark and One, as well as an upscale gourmet shop, simply called McEwen. (I want to call it a grocery store but I don’t think the term does it justice).

But back to the show, I like The Heat because it’s real. McEwen takes you through catering gigs from start to finish. What his team goes through to get the job done, what problems he encounters along the way and of course the stellar end results. From ‘small’ parties to 500 seat extravaganzas, the team always pays great attention to detail and the food always looks fantastic. I like the cooks on the show and would love to cook along side them. They all seem passionate about food and what they do and dedicated to Chef McEwen and his restaurants. That says a lot about Chef McEwen.

McEwen just published his first book, Great Food at Home, which I purchased right away because I’ve been so impressed with his food and what he’s done throughout his career. Though I’ve just opened the book and skimmed through it a few times, I’m already impressed. When I read through the introduction and descriptions of food items, I can here Mark’s voice as he explains why he did this or included that. I’m looking forward to trying many of the dishes contained in the book and will let you know how that goes.

But for now, I look forward to every show, even if I’ve already seen it once. When I watch the show I feel like I’m right there with his team and that’s a great place to be. If you haven't seen The Heat, it's well worth checking out.