Chef Jaco Lokker / en Final Iron Chef practice: 'This is a gold medal plate' /news/final-iron-chef-practice-gold-medal-plate <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Final Iron Chef practice: 'This is a gold medal plate'</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Cured%20salmon%20%28resized%20for%20main%29_.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=15S_K16j 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/Cured%20salmon%20%28resized%20for%20main%29_.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Cxpyxp9D 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/Cured%20salmon%20%28resized%20for%20main%29_.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=HsDz51nl 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Cured%20salmon%20%28resized%20for%20main%29_.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=15S_K16j" alt="A picture of a quick cured salmon made by 吃瓜爆料 students on the Iron Chef team"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>geoff.vendeville</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-02-23T11:47:11-05:00" title="Thursday, February 23, 2017 - 11:47" class="datetime">Thu, 02/23/2017 - 11:47</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">The 吃瓜爆料 Iron Chef team鈥檚 appetizer on the last day of practice was a quick cured salmon (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/geoffrey-vendeville" hreflang="en">Geoffrey Vendeville</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Geoffrey Vendeville </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/iron-chef" hreflang="en">Iron Chef</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/food-services" hreflang="en">Food Services</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/food" hreflang="en">Food</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/chef-jaco-lokker" hreflang="en">Chef Jaco Lokker</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/students" hreflang="en">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/education" hreflang="en">Education</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">With the inter-university culinary competition days away, is 吃瓜爆料's team ready? </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The University of Toronto Iron Chef team faced its&nbsp;stiffest test yet on Wednesday, days before competing&nbsp;against students from three other universities.</p> <p>Using a box of surprise ingredients, the team&nbsp;had 2 1/2&nbsp;hours to produce an appetizer and main dish that would wow&nbsp;the guest judges, 吃瓜爆料 executive chefs <strong>Jaco Lokker</strong> and <strong>Suman Roy</strong>.&nbsp;</p> <h3><a href="/ironchef">Catch up on 吃瓜爆料 Iron Chef news,&nbsp;video and updates</a></h3> <p>The chefs surprised students <strong>Felipe Branco</strong>, <strong>Brettany Colette</strong>, <strong>Jordan Su</strong> and backup team member <strong>Ailin Xi</strong> with the ingredients: ginger beer, beluga lentils, beets, tandoori sauce and puff pastry.</p> <p>This was the team's final practice before the cook-off against the University of Massachusetts Amherst, University of Ottawa and McGill University&nbsp;on Saturday.&nbsp;In the Iron Chef competition, the team will also be given a&nbsp;black box of ingredients and be asked to prepare an appetizer and main course to impress the judges.&nbsp;</p> <h3><a href="/ironchef">Watch the cook-off&nbsp;live on Saturday</a></h3> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__3547 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/Iron%20Chef%20group%20shot%20%28resized%20for%20embedded%20picture%29_1.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <em>鈥淲hy do you look so serious?鈥 Chef Jaco Lokker (centre) says,&nbsp;as he strides past students (from left to right) Ailin Xi, Brettany Colette, Felipe Branco and Jordan Su (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)&nbsp;</em></p> <p>The students&nbsp;met in the office of their coach, Chef <strong>James Piggott</strong>, to brainstorm a menu, deciding on a quick cured salmon with ginger-beer pickled beets and a lentil salad. The main course would be a tandoori braised chicken on biryani-style rice with roasted cauliflower, samosa and lime cilantro yogurt.</p> <p>The team&nbsp;quickly got to work and assumed familiar roles in a kitchen station at the New College residence. Xi kept time to make sure everyone was on schedule. Branco butchered the chickens and salmon.&nbsp;</p> <p>The guest judges Lokker and Roy questioned whether the students could pull off such an 鈥渁mbitious鈥 menu in time.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淎 cured gravlax in two-and-a-half hours? Normally you鈥檇 do that overnight,鈥 Lokker said.&nbsp;</p> <p>The students got off to a slow start but picked up the pace to get their appetizer out on time.</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__3546 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/Felipe%20Branco_.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <em>A multiple exposure of Felipe Branco, an M.B.A. student at Rotman, butchering chicken (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</em></p> <p>The judges鈥 initial skepticism seemed to melt away after they saw the finely sliced gravlax salmon arrive.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淭hat鈥檚 a gold medal plate to me,鈥 said Lokker, after a few bites.</p> <p>His fellow judge agreed. 鈥淚f I go&nbsp;to a good restaurant in Toronto, and I got this, I鈥檇 be happy,鈥 Suman said.&nbsp;</p> <p>Their only criticisms were that the dish needed a touch more salt and that ginger beer gastrique lacked a little punch.</p> <p>They were harsher on the main course since it arrived a few minutes late 鈥&nbsp;the students took too long garnishing the plates. The chefs said the chicken was cooked properly, but that the rice should have been drier to be a true biryani. Overall, though, they were delighted.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淓very time you put something on a plate, it gets better and better,鈥 Lokker said. The students have come a long way since <a href="/news/student-chefs-face-secure-spot-u-t-iron-chef-team">their first day</a> in the kitchen&nbsp;Jan. 24.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淭his shows they鈥檙e becoming little culinarians,鈥 Lokker&nbsp;told <em>吃瓜爆料</em>.&nbsp;</p> <h3><a href="http://www.macleans.ca/education/university/university-of-toronto-makes-dramatic-shift-to-independent-local-from-scratch-food/">Read about Chef Lokker and 吃瓜爆料 food services in Maclean's&nbsp;</a></h3> <p>Despite the glowing reviews, the students appeared downcast when they listened to the chefs鈥 criticisms. Their grade for the appetizer was an 83.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淚 think of my grades and 83? Is that the best we can do?鈥 Xi said later.</p> <p>鈥淲ith that mark, you go&nbsp;to the prof and say,&nbsp;鈥榃here did I go wrong,鈥欌 Colette added.&nbsp;</p> <p>Asked why the students looked glum, Lokker said it鈥檚 probably because they are high achievers.</p> <p>鈥淎t the end of the day, they鈥檙e 吃瓜爆料 students.鈥&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 23 Feb 2017 16:47:11 +0000 geoff.vendeville 105145 at Student chefs face off to secure spot on 吃瓜爆料's Iron Chef team /news/student-chefs-face-secure-spot-u-t-iron-chef-team <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Student chefs face off to secure spot on 吃瓜爆料's Iron Chef team</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Felipe%20and%20Jordan%20resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Ju6sRjP5 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/Felipe%20and%20Jordan%20resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Egkx5geO 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/Felipe%20and%20Jordan%20resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=7k1guP5e 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Felipe%20and%20Jordan%20resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Ju6sRjP5" alt> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>geoff.vendeville</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-01-25T16:30:32-05:00" title="Wednesday, January 25, 2017 - 16:30" class="datetime">Wed, 01/25/2017 - 16:30</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Felipe Branco (left) and Jordan Su were among the four students chosen to represent 吃瓜爆料 at the Iron Chef competition in February (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/geoffrey-vendeville" hreflang="en">Geoffrey Vendeville</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Geoffrey Vendeville</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/chef-jaco" hreflang="en">Chef Jaco</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/chef-jaco-lokker" hreflang="en">Chef Jaco Lokker</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/food-services" hreflang="en">Food Services</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/iron-chef" hreflang="en">Iron Chef</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">They will face McGill, OttawaU, Yale and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in an inter-university culinary showdown hosted by 吃瓜爆料 in February</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Four student chefs have been chosen to bring the University of Toronto glory next month when the university hosts the annual Iron Chef challenge.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Brettany Colette</strong>, <strong>Felipe Branco</strong>, <strong>Jordan Su</strong> and <strong>Ailin Xi</strong> made the cut after a culinary duel in the New College cafeteria kitchen on Tuesday evening.&nbsp;</p> <p>After receiving dozens of applications to represent 吃瓜爆料 at the competition, 吃瓜爆料 chefs <strong>Jaco Lokker</strong> and <strong>James Piggott</strong> invited 12 students to demonstrate their skills in a faceoff. The students were split into teams of three and given two hours, a whole chicken and the run of the New College kitchen to prepare a dish that would leave the judges licking their lips.</p> <p>Here鈥檚 how the night went down:&nbsp;</p> <h3><u><strong>5:30 p.m.</strong></u></h3> <p>Piggott, the executive chef residential dining at&nbsp;New College, greeted the students in the cafeteria and made it clear that&nbsp;as hosts of this year鈥檚 contest, the stakes are especially high.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淲e are hopefully going to have eight or nine competitors,鈥 he said, 鈥渁nd we鈥檙e going to crush them. This is our home. This is our turf. We don鈥檛 lose at home."</p> <h3><a href="https://ueat.utoronto.ca/chef-james-piggott/">Read more about Chef James Piggott</a></h3> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__3267 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/Resized%2001242017%20-%20James%20Piggott%20shows%20Iron%20Chef%20contenders%20around%20kitchen_0.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"><br> <em>Chef James Piggott shows students around the New College cafeteria kitchens (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</em><br> <br> Su, a fourth-year human geography major, wouldn鈥檛 have made it to the trial if it wasn鈥檛 for a friend who sent him the <a href="/news/calling-all-student-chefs-u-t-preps-iron-chef-cook-against-yale-mcgill-and-other-universities">Iron Chef application</a> the night before deadline.</p> <p>He needed to submit a photo of a dish for the application&nbsp;but had nothing in the fridge.</p> <p>鈥淚 was so stressed that night.&nbsp;I couldn鈥檛 sleep,鈥 he said.</p> <p>He woke up at six to get the ingredients from Loblaws for miso halibut and&nbsp;pan seared scallops with quinoa salad. He got everything done before going to work at nine.</p> <p>As he sat in the New College dining room with the other finalists for the 吃瓜爆料 team, he said he was a little nervous.</p> <p>鈥淎t the same time, I鈥檓 excited because I鈥檝e never cooked in a pro kitchen before&nbsp;so this will be a great experience,鈥 he said.&nbsp;</p> <h3><u><strong>6:00 p.m.</strong></u></h3> <p>The students were separated into teams and took their places at counters in the&nbsp;kitchen.</p> <p>Lokker, 吃瓜爆料's director of culinary operations and executive chef, introduced himself to the finalists.</p> <p>He has coached the 吃瓜爆料 team in each of the last three years at Iron Chef&nbsp;but stepped aside this time to host the event.</p> <p>Piggott takes over as head coach&nbsp;although Lokker will help prepare the student chefs for the big event.</p> <h3><a href="http://www.macleans.ca/education/university/university-of-toronto-makes-dramatic-shift-to-independent-local-from-scratch-food/">Read about Chef Jaco Lokker in <em>Maclean's</em></a></h3> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__3256 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/Resized%2001242017%20-%20Iron%20Chef%20students%20meet%20Chef%20Lokker.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"><br> <em>Chef Jaco Lokker meets the students gunning for a place in the 吃瓜爆料 Iron Chef squad (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</em>&nbsp;</p> <p>Before the students at the trial could make a dash for ingredients, Piggott went over the ground rules:</p> <p>鈥淣o swearing. This is not Hell鈥檚 Kitchen,鈥 he said.</p> <p>The contenders were allowed one f-bomb if they cut themselves 鈥&nbsp;and even then, 鈥淚t better be worth stitches,鈥 he said.&nbsp;</p> <p>At just after six, it was go time.&nbsp;</p> <h3><u><strong>6:30 p.m.&nbsp;</strong></u></h3> <p>The teams wasted no time planning their dishes: a classic coconut curry with blend of fresh herbs and fresh chicken stock;&nbsp;roasted chicken with butter and thyme accompanied by green pea puree with thyme, garlic herb oil and lemon juice;&nbsp;fried chicken on french toast with applesauce and whipped cream; and chicken stuffed with cheese and pine nuts on handmade fettuccine.</p> <p>Branco, a first-year M.B.A. student at 吃瓜爆料鈥檚 Rotman School of Management, was in charge of carving the chicken for the curry.</p> <p>He said he had some experience in that area after interning at a restaurant in Panzano, near Florence, Italy, where he learned how to make 鈥渙ld school鈥&nbsp;Italian dishes like bistecca fiorentina and Francesina stew (beef shank cooked in red wine, onions and tomato sauce).</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__3257 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/Resized%2001242017-%20Felipe%20butchering%20chicken.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"><br> <em>Felipe Branco, an M.B.A. student at Rotman, prepares a chicken for a curry while his team partner&nbsp;Brettany Colette looks on (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)&nbsp;</em></p> <h3><u><strong>7:00 p.m.&nbsp;</strong></u></h3> <p>鈥55 minutes teams, 55 minutes! Feel the pressure, feel the burn,鈥 Piggott said.</p> <p>As students picked up the pace to finish in time, the chefs strolled up and down the aisles appraising their skills.&nbsp;</p> <p>They were evaluating whether students could hold a knife properly, cooking terminology the students were using and whether they stuck to simple&nbsp;ingredients or took risks.&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__3258 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="503" src="/sites/default/files/Resized%2001242017-%20Ailin%20Xi%20making%20a%20puree.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"><br> <em>Ailin Xi, a biochemistry and nutrional sciences student, is splattered with green pea and pepper puree during the Iron Chef competition trial (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)&nbsp;</em></p> <p>The judges also considered&nbsp;how well the students gelled together.</p> <p>鈥淵ou鈥檙e always going to have people who stand out more as leaders,鈥 Lokker told <em>吃瓜爆料</em>. 鈥淎nd you don鈥檛 need three of those on the same team. That鈥檚 a huge problem.鈥&nbsp;</p> <h3><u><strong>7:30 p.m.</strong></u></h3> <p>By this point, some teams were getting ready to plate their dishes while others had yet to put their food in the oven.</p> <p>With 15 minutes to go, the chefs left the kitchen to give the teams some breathing room.</p> <p>Branco, Su and their teammate Colette prepared to lay out the chicken curry, thinking carefully about the position of each element of their plate and what one student called the&nbsp;鈥渟auce-to-rice ratio.鈥&nbsp;</p> <p>They chose only the prettiest pieces of chicken for the dish and garnished them with tweezers.</p> <p>Another team raised fried chicken on french toast to a new level of elegance.&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__3260 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/Resized%2001242017-%20Fried%20chicken%20on%20french%20toast.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"><br> <em>吃瓜爆料 students vying for spots on the university's Iron Chef team put the finishing touches on fried chicken, french toast, applesauce and whipped cream (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</em></p> <h3><u><strong>8:00 p.m.</strong></u></h3> <p>One by one, the teams brought their creations out to the cafeteria&nbsp;where chefs Lokker and Piggott were waiting.</p> <p>鈥淗onestly this is really good gnocchi, and I鈥檓 not a fan of gnocchi,鈥 said Piggott, tasting the roast chicken, green pea puree, gnocchi combo.&nbsp;</p> <p>Lokker seemed impressed with another team's&nbsp;fettucini&nbsp;made from scratch.</p> <p>鈥淭his is exactly the way fresh pasta should taste,鈥 he told them.&nbsp;</p> <p>The chefs conferred while the&nbsp;students cleaned up their stations. 鈥淚t鈥檚 getting harder now,鈥 Lokker said to his colleague as they deliberated.</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__3261 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/Resized%2001242017%20-%20Stuffed%20chicken%20with%20handrolled%20and%20cut%20pasta.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"><br> <em>Stuffed chicken with fettuccine. The chefs behind this dish didn't make the cut for the 吃瓜爆料 Iron Chef team this year (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)&nbsp;</em></p> <h3><u><strong>Just after 8 p.m.</strong></u></h3> <p>A few minutes after sampling the last dish,&nbsp;the chefs called the students back out to the New College cafeteria dining room.</p> <p>When Piggott announced the winners 鈥&nbsp;the makers of the coconut curry 鈥&nbsp;Colette sprung up from her chair and high-fived her teammates.&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__3262 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/Resized%2001242017%20-%20Iron%20Chef%20team%20announced.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"><br> <em>The students who were chosen to be part of 吃瓜爆料's Iron Chef team celebrated after the announcement was made (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)&nbsp;</em></p> <p>With the air of an athlete who had just progressed to the playoffs, Su, the human geography student, said he was happy to have made it this far&nbsp;but refrained from gloating.</p> <p>鈥淢y main purpose here was just to have fun,鈥 he said.&nbsp;</p> <p>The students who hadn鈥檛 made the roster smiled and applauded.</p> <p>鈥淚t was so much fun. They provided us the whole kitchen, which was amazing,鈥 said <strong>Burce Isik</strong>, who studies genetics, biotechnology, and molecular biology. 鈥淚鈥檓 in fourth year. If I鈥檇 known about this before, I would鈥檝e applied in my second year, third year.鈥</p> <p>Three of the four winning students will compete at the Iron Chef cook-off the weekend of Feb.&nbsp;25th. The fourth student is an understudy&nbsp;but guaranteed a spot on next year鈥檚 team. The backup will be decided at the team鈥檚 first practice session with their coach, Piggott.&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__3263 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/Resized%2001242017-%20Burce%20Isik%20making%20gnocchi.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"><br> <em>Burce Isik who studies genetics, biotechnology, and molecular biology, makes gnocchi (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)&nbsp;&nbsp;</em></p> <h3><a href="/news/calling-all-student-chefs-u-t-preps-iron-chef-cook-against-yale-mcgill-and-other-universities">Read more about the competition</a></h3> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 25 Jan 2017 21:30:32 +0000 geoff.vendeville 103550 at Fresh and local: Maclean鈥檚 shows foodies what鈥檚 new at 吃瓜爆料 /news/fresh-and-local-maclean-s-shows-foodies-what-s-new-u-t <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Fresh and local: Maclean鈥檚 shows foodies what鈥檚 new at 吃瓜爆料 </span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Jaco%20Lokker.jpg?h=be3ebb3b&amp;itok=xDVR3513 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/Jaco%20Lokker.jpg?h=be3ebb3b&amp;itok=bcAEReU9 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/Jaco%20Lokker.jpg?h=be3ebb3b&amp;itok=fRTT8lhu 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Jaco%20Lokker.jpg?h=be3ebb3b&amp;itok=xDVR3513" alt="Photo of Jaco Lokker serving food"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>vzaretski</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2016-10-28T14:43:18-04:00" title="Friday, October 28, 2016 - 14:43" class="datetime">Fri, 10/28/2016 - 14:43</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">吃瓜爆料's much-loved chef, Jaco Lokker, serves up food on campus (photo by Carlos Osorio/Toronto Star via Getty Images)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/food" hreflang="en">Food</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/chef-jaco-lokker" hreflang="en">Chef Jaco Lokker</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/students" hreflang="en">Students</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Lamb sausage from a butcher at the St. Lawrence market. Organic milk and cream from a dairy in Kincardine. Custom-made rye bread from Tre Mari bakery.</p> <p>Those are just a few examples of what <em>Maclean鈥檚</em> magazine found when it decided to go behind the scenes of what the magazine is calling 鈥渢he largest independent food service operation at any university in Canada.鈥</p> <p>Two in-depth features in<a href="http://www.macleans.ca/"> the current edition of <em>Maclean鈥檚</em></a> take a look at what happened after the University of Toronto took over food operations across much of its downtown Toronto campus this year.</p> <p>Read about how Chef <strong>Jaco Lokker </strong>spent the summer developing recipes and menus made from local, fresh ingredients 鈥 and the partnerships he developed with local food producers.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淚鈥檓 very much a believer in wholesome and whole foods,鈥 Lokker tells <em>Maclean鈥檚</em>, emphasizing that there is a unique opportunity in a university to affect the habits people form in adulthood. 鈥淗ere鈥檚 the moment when people are making choices in their life,鈥 he says. 鈥淲e have the social responsibility.鈥</p> <h2><a href="http://www.macleans.ca/education/university/university-of-toronto-makes-dramatic-shift-to-independent-local-from-scratch-food/">Read the&nbsp;article</a></h2> <p>So how does it taste? <em>Maclean鈥檚</em> puts the healthy menus to the ultimate test 鈥&nbsp;sending food critic Corey Mintz to a tasting spree of everything from tortillas&nbsp;to burgers, tabbouleh salad and more.&nbsp;</p> <h2><a href="http://www.macleans.ca/education/university/what-a-food-critic-thinks-of-university-of-torontos-new-fresh-local-food-program/">Read the review</a>&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;</h2> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 28 Oct 2016 18:43:18 +0000 vzaretski 101784 at