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Newfoundland Cooks Brian Abbott, Roary MacPhereson
Famous Newfoundland Cooks: Brian Abbott, Roary MacPherson, Bob Arniel, Ted Reader & t'others...
Roary MacPherson was born in Highlands, Newfoundland, on the west coast of the island, and as the youngest of 14 children, Roary took turns with his brothers and sisters to help out in the kitchen. At an early age, Chef MacPherson knew he was hooked while regularly cooking for a table of 16.
In October of 1988, Roary began training for his culinary career when he enrolled in the Cabot Institute of Technology. It was during that same year he secured the position of First Cook with The Fairmont Newfoundland. Roary MacPherson spent the next seven years with the Hotel and was fortunate to have Executive Chef Steve Watson take him under his wing and assist with his training and career path. During his tenure, he further enhanced his culinary skills while working summers at The Fairmont Algonquin.
The hometown favorite has won the hearts of his colleagues, patrons and industry partners. He has given new life to the menus of the Banquet Department, The BonaVista, The Cabot Club and Narrows Lounge and continues to work on marketing authentic Newfoundland Screech Cakes and specialty Partridgeberry Cookies worldwide.
Chef Bob Arniel (a.k.a. Chef to Go) has lived and worked in St. John’s for the past 23 years and during that time he coined the phrase Nouvelle Newfoundland Cuisine. Based upon Newfoundland and Labrador’s bounty from land and sea, he’s gathered and cooked with ingredients from his own garden as well as from local farmers or fishers. Whether it’s in his local cooking classes, at the Boston Seafood Show or as a member of a Team Canada chef expedition to Brussels in 2007, for Chef Arniel Newfoundland food is front and centre be it a pail of bakeapples (cloudberries) or a basket of partridgeberries (lingonberries).
He can tell you about Figgy Duff with Molasses Coady and Jiggs dinner with Pease Pudding while grilling fresh salmon or making a perfect berry-studded crème brulée . Bob was named Newfoundland Chef of the Year in 1989 and received Cuisine Canada’s Edna Award for his exceptional and long-standing contribution to regional cuisine in 2009.
His recipes have appeared in Anita Stewart, Homemakers Magazine, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Dairy Bureau of Canada - Recipe Cards, and Newfoundland Sportsman - Fish and Game Cook Book.
Chef Brian Abbott is a red seal chef based out of St. John's, Newfoundland. Brian completed his culinary training at the College of the North Atlantic based in St. John's Newfoundland. He is now an instructor at the College plus runs his own white cloth restaurant in St. John's. Restaurant 21 has received numerous accolades over the past year including CBC's renowned food critic Carl Wells. Wells is one of the chef's biggest fans and named Restaurant 21 the best restaurant in the province for 2005.
Chef Abbot is an award winner. He was the overall winner at the Chefs’ Association’s 2005 Culinary Competition, and was named Culinarian of the Year at the annual Chef's Ball in January of 2006. He has also won provincial competitions for the two man team two years in a row.
Brian's restaurant, Restaurant 21 has been named in the top 50 new restaurants in Canada by En Route magazine. He is regularly featured on Roger's Summer Breeze throughout the summer months of 2006.
Chef Vinicio Di Nillo was raised in Italy in a little town called Rosello up in the mountains, trained in Italy and worked in England under a famous Italian Chef.
He came to Canada in 1958 and worked at Ruby Foo's in Montreal and then came to Newfoundland and worked at the American base in Stephenville. Chef Di Nillo opened the first pizza place in Stephenville before to Grand Falls where he worked with Wes Simms managing Simwestco Hotel and other venues. He served Premier Kosygin. The Premier of the Soviet Union at a gala affair in Grand Falls, Newfoundland with Premier Smallwood during that time.
He moved to St. John's and was Executive Chef for the Holiday Inn's Suite of hotels in Atlantic Canada for 25 years. During this time he represented Catelli nationally for one year, visited Rome, Italy to promote Gander internationally with a number of representatives from the Gander area and was Chef of the Year for Canada in 1991.
Chef Di Nillo was a founding member of the Chef's association in 1979 and has been involved ever since. He has been President of the branch several times and has always resided on the board. He was Atlantic Vice President for four years and it was during that time he was awarded Chef of the Year for Canada. He has been Chef of the Year for Newfoundland several times and also for Atlantic Canada.
Chef Di Nillo has been involved with the local chapter of the Children's Wish Foundation since 1988 raising funds for various events such as Regatta Day Wish breakfast. In 2003 he worked in South Africa to help raise funds for the "World Cook Tour for Hunger", they raised over $2.5 M to help the kids.
Chef Di Nillo retired from the Battery Hotel in 2003, but is still active doing work with Red Oak Catering and being involved in the Chef's Association.
Chef Steve Watson first came to Canada from London, England in 1977 to study North American cooking. Before arriving in Canada the native of Scunthorpe, England had previously worked in Scotland, Belgium, France and Germany. His first culinary foray in Canada began at the Digby Pines Hotel in Nova Scotia where he received landed immigrant status. From there, Chef Watson continued to work and teach his passion. He taught culinary arts at the Cambrian college in Sudbury, Ontario before joining the Canadian Pacific Hotels chain in 1988. His association with Canadian Pacific Hotels began at the Algonquin Hotel at St Andrews by the sea in New Brunswick. However, by years-end Steve had moved again. In what was potentially his last move Steve accepted a position with the Hotel Newfoundland in St. John’s.
During his tenure as Executive Chef at the Hotel Newfoundland Steve had the opportunity to meet some of the most influential people in the world. He was the host chef for United States President Bill Clinton at the G7 Summit in 1995 in Halifax NS. In 1997, he served as host chef for Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, as well as the Duke of Edinburgh when they came to Newfoundland to celebrate Cabot 500, and the arrival of the Mathew replica. When Canada House in London, England was reopened in 1998, Chef Watson was chosen to be part of The Canadian Culinary Team. Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, the Duke of Edinburgh, and the Prime Minister of Canada, Jean Chrétien attended the State Dinner following the official opening. In addition, Steve has proudly promoted Newfoundland cuisine as a Canadian representative at culinary fairs in Japan and Great Britain. In July 2006 Chef Watson will be the host Chef for the Premiers Convention at the Humber Valley Resort.
In July of 1999 Chef Watson decided it was time to make a career move. After working virtually his whole career as a chef he realized that his experience and talent could also be used outside the kitchen. It was this decision that brought Steve to the Farmers Dairy / Central Dairies Sales and Marketing team as a Food Service Representative and Executive Chef.
Steve has brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to the dairy industry, which combined with his unique talents have enabled him to create his own niche in the community. Despite being an executive chef in various hotels around the world, Steve brings much more than those skills to the table. He is seen regularly on CTV Canada AM, ASN Breakfast television and in his own province NL he is a regular on both NTV & CBC His extracurricular activities are as diverse as his talents, and it is through his role as Food Service Representative that he is able showcase these interests.
He provides both culinary and ice carving demonstrations, a daily radio show on nutrition and health, and gives instructional cooking classes. He has made local, national, and international television appearances to talk about and prepare special culinary dishes and is a highly sought after Master of Ceremonies and Guest Speaker. Steve volunteers and participates on a number of Boards and Foundations including, the Rennies River Foundation, School Lunch Association, The Janeway Children’s Hospital Foundation, and the scouting movement. Steve is a firm believer in his community and likes to “shout it out loud” whenever he gets a chance, as he is also the Town Crier for the City of Mount Pearl.
Eighteen years has passed since Steve first came to Newfoundland. He is a devoted family man, a dedicated employee, and a prominent member of the local community. He epitomizes the definition of a volunteer, and spends countless hours giving back to the people of a province he now calls home.
Gerry Crewe was born and educated in St. John 's. He started in the food business at the hotel Newfoundland in 1965 and has been across Canada as well Labrador and the United States for the past 34 and a half years.
Gerry has been a chef instructor in the culinary arts and was a founding member of the Newfoundland and Labrador chefs association twenty-five years ago and has been president for the past six years. He is a four time winner of chef of the year in Newfoundland and 2 time winner of the Atlantic chef of the year.
Gerry Crewe has contributed to "Cooking with Beer: Newfoundland and Labrador Favorites Newfoundland and Labrador Favorites" as an author.
Chef Stephen Vardy already holds well over a decade of experience. Raised in Newfoundland and proud of his heritage Stephen moved to Ottawa in 1992 and began to build his career. Entering the kitchen at the bottom of the brigade in 1994 Stephen quickly bulldozed up through the ranks to be the most talked about chef in Ottawa, Canada.
After training with revered chefs like Michael Smith, Robert Bourassa, John Taylor, Stefan Czapalay and Maurizio Bertossi he went on to open critically acclaimed Beckta Dinning and Wine with Stephen Beckta. It won him three consecutive CAA/AAA 4 diamond awards, two stars in Where to Eat in Canada (during his stay) and fourth best new restaurant in Canada by En Route Magazine. He was only 24 years old.
Stephen has since gone on to achieve Ottawa’s first Epicurean Chef of the year award 2006, 3rd place in Canada’s Gold medal Plates, appear in Time Magazine along with dozens of other publications and establish other culinary land marks in Ottawa such as The Black Cat Bistro and Whalesbone Oyster House
He has charmed stars and executives alike and continues to instigate the dinning scene in Ottawa. To name A few; The Rolling Stones, Robert Plant, Liam Niesson, Kate Blanchett, Wayne Gretzky, Joni Mitchell, Diana Krall, Tori Spelling. Casper Weinberger, Rick Mercer, Prime Ministers, Premiers and Politicians have all passed through his kitchen doors.
Stephen has quickly won the hearts and stomachs of diners and critics, offering charm and passion with guests in addition to his diverse culinary arsenal. His cuisine is intensely personal and showcases the skilled technique and great respect for the traditional roots it spawns from.
Chef Ted Reader's father Alex was born in Bonavista in 1925 and moved with his family, including brother Ted, to Corner Brook when he was a teen. His uncle says the family first moved to St. John's before settling in Corner Brook in the early 1940s.
Ted, or Teddy, Reader, the chef known for his crazy style and love of the barbecue, is the nephew of Corner Brook's Ted Reader, owner of Ted Reader Ltd. and the Pennyworth store on Broadway.
It's here that Alex Reader met his future wife and, of course, his son's mother, Astrida Berzinsh.
Chef Reader says his mom was the first Latvian to come to Newfoundland. She came to the city in 1948 after the Second World War with her parents. Her father Alexander Berzinsh had been involved with the pulp and paper industry in Europe and came here to work at the paper mill, then owned by Bowaters.
His parents married in 1952 and left Corner Brook soon after to settle in Paris, Ont.
Despite the year's and the distance, Chef Reader has great fondest for this area of Newfoundland, in particular the Humber River.
"If you're a fly fisherman in Corner Brook, you'll know about Reader's Rock in the Humber River," he says.
Uncle Ted says his father, H.J. (Jim) Reader, used to carry limestone rocks in his boat while fishing on the Humber. If he rose a fish but failed to hook it he would mark the spot with one of the rocks. A little later, sometimes as much as a day or two, he would return to the spot and drop the anchor of the boat up above and lower the boat down until he could see the rock in the water.
"He'd park the boat there and he'd fish knowing that's where he had risen a fish previously."
He notes his father was successful in catching a salmon like this on many occasions and that he had four or five different spots where he would do this.
Chef Reader and his dad Alex last fished some of those spots the weekend after Labour Day in 2006.
Chef Reader was the only one to catch a salmon that day - a good size 10 to 12 pounds - but the trip was about more than fishing.
"It was fun to be with my dad on the river and hear the stories of his dad."
When it comes to how to best prepare that salmon this King of the Q, which was the name of his CTV TV show, suggests planking it on the grill.
Planking is the focus of Chef Reader's book "The Art of Plank Grilling: Licked by Fire, Kissed by Smoke".
Chef Reader has been planking for the last 15 years, but says it's a grilling trend that's moving forward and growing.
"It's a hot, fast way of smoking food. It makes things tasty, makes things delicious and it's really easy to do."
First take a piece of untreated western red cedar - Chef Reader says you can use a variety of different woods but doesn't recommend pine - soak it in water put those salmon fillets on the plank and put it into a grill at about 450 degrees and let it smoke and roast away for 25 to 30 minutes.
Chef Reader says planking has many advantages to traditional grilling.
"It keeps the fish moist, the fish doesn't stick to the grill, it's easy to work with, you don't have to flip it, you don't have to turn it, you don't have to do anything."
It's also a versatile way to cook.
"You can plank steaks, you can plank burgers, you can plank ribs, you can plank anything. You can bake a cake on a plank, mashed potatoes on the plank are to die for."
His "The Art of Plank Grilling" is full of "crazy things" you can do with a plank and a grill.
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