This was the Salut Food + Wine Festival's Grand Finale Dinner, hosted by Visa Infinite. The event started off with a champagne reception for those limited ticket holders, which was followed by an elegant multi-course menu prepared by Chef Feenie, working along side Thomas Bellec - the Executive Chef of The Four Seasons.
I admit that I was pretty nervous going into this as I had never covered a celebrity chef at work before, let alone ANY chef. I did not know what to expect, and plus it was my first time covering an event as a professional photographer.
Each course on the menu was paired and accompanied with exceptional wines. On the menu that evening:
Soup of BBQ duck broth, with a BC spot prawn and dungenous crab ravioli
White wine, poached miyagi oysters, lemon butter, beluga caviar and tapioca
Lobster carpaccio
Beet jelly, olive oil sorbet
Citrus cured steelhead
Cooked sous vide, curry lentils
Fraser valley duck and chicken presse, foie gras boudin
parsnip puree and caramelized onion foam
Fine Canadian cheese: Albert's Leap, Louis d'Or, Avorlea Clothbound Cheddar
Citrus terrine with lemongrass and vanilla
Strawberries and Cream
Strawberry ice with white chocolate cremeaux and coconut salad
Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies
The most challenging shots for me were during the champagne reception, where I was trying to get shots of guests being natural, and at the same time tackling the challenges of using the speedlite for the first time in a professional setting.
There's Stella Yu (Food Junkie Chronicles) -top right and bottom right, a wonderful person and fantastic Toronto food blogger (@foodieyu).
I had a seat reserved for dinner, and I had the chance to try out Chef's Feenie's amazing duck broth....
...however, I only experienced a few more items off the menu as I was eager to get into the kitchen while the main courses were being served. This is where all the action took place anyway, never mind not having any of the citrus cured steelhead or Fraser valley duck and chicken presse... I had to get those shots!
It was tough positioning myself in the kitchen as I needed to get my shots while also trying to keep out of the way of the kitchen staff.
The chefs worked hard, passing each dish down the 'assembly line' as each person was responsible for plating a particular component. They were plated as quickly as they left the kitchen.
After the two main courses went out, there was a period in the kitchen where nothing was happening so I made my way back into the dining room and made it in time for the cheese and desserts!
All in all, a fantastic dinner event, and such a privilege to meet Chef Feenie and Chef Bellec.
