It was a night of gastronomic pleasure back on October 17th at Toronto’s Maison Mercer where the Courvoisier Collective Culinary Masterpieces Showcase Event was staged. Several months previous, culinary students and at-home chefs were invited to submit original, Courvoisier-infused dishes to a judging panel comprised of professional chefs. The Showcase Event provided the three students and top three at-home chefs with a venue where they could dazzle the palates of invited guests with their creations alongside a range of Courvoisier cognacs.

Chef judges J.P. Challet of Ici Bistro and Le Matin, The Grove’s Ben Heaton and, from TURF Lounge, Michael Kirkwood set about selecting the three winners from each category this past September as part of the Courvoisier Collective: Culinary Masterpieces program. And the winners were:

Representing the student chefs – Holly Bruce and Doug Burke from Conestoga College; Erica Guidi from Niagara College;

Representing the home chefs – Jenn Lim and Don Chow from Ottawa; Steve Cylka from Toronto.

Guests paused (more or less) from the grazing and sipping to let host Kary Osmond of CBC’s Best Recipes Ever announce the overall winners of the competition. They were (drumroll):

Steve Cylka, at-home chef winner (Duck Brest with Duxelle Ravioli);
Doug Burke, student chef (Lobster Corn Chowder)

Each winner received a cash prize of $1,000.

Then it was back to the aforementioned grazing and sipping on the dishes served by all six finalists accompanied by a range of Courvoisier cognacs including Courvoisier VS, Courvoisier VSOP, Courvoisier VSOP Exclusif, and Courvoisier XO.

With a heritage that can be traced back to Napoleonic times, Courvoisier is a pioneering cognac house and a leading player in the market. Nevertheless (as is the case with practically any spirit producer these days), it is constantly seeking to expand and diversify its consumer base, particularly amongst the younger crowd. The connection with the culinary arts community seemed a natural fit for this luxury spirit.

“The Courvoisier brand is delighted by the culinary community’s response to the Courvoisier Collective: Culinary Masterpieces program,” said Deepti Gurkar, Courvoisier Canada Brand Manager. “Courvoisier is a brand known for its ‘Revolutionary Spirit’ and we aim to inspire and support like‐minded individuals that are keen to embrace and discover what is next. We appreciate and wish to celebrate the dedication, passion and creativity that was demonstrated by
the program finalists and winners.”

For more information on the Courvoisier Collective (including recipes – lots of them) visit: www.Courvoisier Collective.com