And The Winner Is . . .

The winning recipe stole the taste buds of the judges at the Manitoba Canola Growers Association Canola Oil Bakeoff at Red River College. The competition is open to Culinary Arts and Professional Baking students at the College. This is the first year for the Manitoba Canola Growers Association to provide a culinary scholarship of $300.00. "There were seven entries and only four were chosen as finalist," says Ellen Pruden, Education and Promotion Coordinator. "This is a great success for the first year, the entries were difficult to choose from," she adds. The four finalists had the bake off at the College and it came down to two recipes. After much deliberation, the winning recipe was chosen based on use of presentation, taste, creativity, and a written explanation of the connection to Manitoba Cuisine. The winning recipe went to Clinton Morissette, a Culinary Arts Term 3 Student, with Seafood Roulande with Ginger Bacon Oil and Herb Infused Rice Pilaf (recipe included).

One of the criteria that is unique to the Manitoba Canola Growers Association Culinary Scholarship is the written explanation of how the student’s recipe connections to Manitoba cuisine. Clinton Morissette explanation was "Manitoba Pickerel rolled with salmon and scallops, dressed with an Asian inspired canola oil sauce on a bed of white and Manitoba wild rice is a fusion of methods, techniques and products utilizing some of what Manitoba has to offer".

The goal of the program is to inspire new and upcoming chefs to utilize canola oil, as it is an oil with infinite possibilities. The entries ranged from appetizers to sweet desserts, muffins and pies. MCGA believes in supporting and encouraging young upcoming chefs to experiment and incorporate local ingredients into their cooking repertoire. Morrissette comments "I use canola oil when I wants a flavourless medium because I can flavour canola oil with everything under the sun, it is one of the best to use."

"Students, like Clinton, are the future in the food service industry, it is his passion and creativity that will take him far," says Pruden. Upon graduating from Red River College, Clinton plans to go to Europe and train and then come back to Winnipeg.

The runner up was Jordan Thornhill, first Term Professional Baking student, with her recipe of Blackberry Bread Pudding with White Wine Custard (recipe included). "It is a new twist on an old favorite," says Pruden. Jordan Thornhill uses canola oil because it doesn’t have a distinct flavour; it has a buttery undertone that is hard to find in other oils.

The Manitoba Canola Growers Association is a non-profit organization made up of producers who share the goal to develop and promote the development and marketing of Manitoba grown canola.

For more information and/or to receive copies of pictures taken, contact:

Ellen Pruden
Education and Promotion Coordinator
Tel: (204) 982-2107
Email: prudene@mcgacanola.org