FCC Photoshoots 1-10 recap

Things are moving quickly! After a lot of planning, creating schedules, organizing props and testing lights, the first photoshoots turned out great! 

Here are a few behind the scenes shots of the first 6 photoshoots in case you missed them over social media: 

Day 1:
Katherine and Alaura Jones from Growing Chefs Ontario

Katherine is dedicated to educating communities and getting children (and adults) excited about wholesome, local, healthy food. All her recipes have a nourishing feature and are filled with vegetables and fruits to maintain the right balance between proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Alaura, her daughter, is following her steps from a very young age.

Day 2:
Angela Purphy, Kris Simmons and Zoran Zehovac

Angela's creations at Restaurant Ninety One pay homage to modern Canadian cuisine with her own eclectic twist. All recipes are inspired by the local ingredients and born from a deep passion for Canadian culture. Kris, a young talented Sous chef, is pushing the limits and bringing colour, texture and lots of flavour to the table, while Zoran Sehovac is bringing back the classics from his home town in Serbia to the Covent Garden Market, under the Hot Oven. 

Day 3:
Stefan Pellman and Rick Hunt

For Stefan, from The London Club, his home garden is the root of inspiration, with fresh tomatoes, edible flowers, herbs and colourful vegetables. For Rick, from David’s Bistro, being different is his main goal, preparing dishes never seen before and going one step further by combining ingredients and flavours out of the ordinary. 

Day 4:
Mike Smith, Ali Assaf and Yoda Olinyk

A recipe doesn't have to be complicated; it has to be delicious! By using good quality local ingredients and maintaining the right balance of flavours and textures, you guarantee a recipe's success. The cooking philosophy of Mike, from Fellini Koolinis, Ali, from Joe Kools, and Yoda, from Yoda’s Kitchen is based on simplicity. Simple preparations with incredible flavour, those you want to eat frequently! 

Day 5:
Shannon Kamins and Jamie Griffiths

These two cracked many codes, and they'll be sharing their secrets with our readers. Shannon, from Booch Organic Kombucha, will tell you how to brew your own kombucha from scratch at home, starting with the SCOBY. While Jamie, from Pristine Olive, will make you think about Brussels sprouts in a whole new way. You won't hear the "I don't like Brussels sprouts" phrase at your home ever again.

Day 6:
Paul Harding, Luke Gauvin and Rob Howland

From the grill to the oven! Paul, from the Root Cellar, spent the afternoon preparing 3 recipes "keepers," including deep fried pickles and vegan chocolate tart! Then Luke, from Smokestacks Food Truck, prepared his favourite gnocchi recipe inspired by a memorable date night with his fiancé. We wrapped up the first week of photoshoots with a carrot cake like no other, with twice the amount of carrots and twice the amount of flavour, prepared by Pastry Chef and Instructor at Clarke Rd Secondary School, Rob Howland! 

Day 7:
Dave Ripley and Kristian Crossen

Nothing says Sunday morning like homemade pancakes, and that's exactly what we had in front of the camera, thanks to Dave. He prepared his all-time favourite buttermilk pancakes with a special Bourbon peach syrup.

Then we had the honour of working with one of the most knowledgeable chefs we have in town, Chef Cristian Krossen and his beautiful daughter, Mia! Looking calmed on the outside, but with a thousand ideas rushing through his head. There's something sublime about his cooking style; peaceful, inspiring and pushing the boundaries!

Day 8:
Scott Wesseling and Thomas Waite

We spent the day with two up and coming chefs. The kind of chefs that spend countless hours working because it's what makes them feel more alive. Chefs that inspire us to experiment in the kitchen while paying tribute to the classics. At Spruce on Wellington, they're adding a modern twist to Canadian favourites by incorporating new techniques like molecular gastronomy. At the Black Trumpet, they focus on simplicity, fewer ingredients but with an emphasis on local produce with incredible flavour.  

Day 9:
Carla Cooper and Alex Martin

Carla and Alex are two kind souls! Their recipes, sweet and unforgettable as they are! Their cooking style, simple to make, yet complex in flavour!

For Carla, it was her grandmother who inspired her to cook. Now she's continuing her legacy by encouraging others to jump into the kitchen too. For Alex, it was meant to be. He really loves food, so he learned how to cook at a very young age, and progressively became great at it!

At Garlic's of London, where they both work, they get their inspiration from local ingredients, changing the menu as the seasons change. 

Day 10:
Michele Lenhardt

Our last photoshoot of the month was full of emotional conversations. Pastry Chef Michele Lenhardt prepared three traditional recipes turned vegan delight. The kind of recipes that you could prepare every day and never get bored, those that fill your soul and make you smile! 

If you're not smiling already, let us tell you that one of her recipes is a mushroom tart made with Anderson Craft Ales beer that is to die for!

During the shoot, we talked about life lessons, the importance of quality time with family and friends, and the demanding schedules of the culinary industry.

The first month of photoshoots is now behind us, as we photographed 48 excellent recipes. There's still a long way to go, but we're excited to finally see it all coming together - day by day, photo by photo!