Toronto Harbourfront Centre International Hot & Spicy Food Festival

The call came from the Consulate’s Adriana Becerra – Serrano, to invite Pilar to participate in the Iron Chef competition of the annual Toronto Harbourfront Centre International Hot & Spicy Food Festival, September 5 – 7.

A few days later, after recognizing that this would mean a much grander opportunity to showcase Oaxacan culture and cuisine, before both a live audience and on screen, the fear and trepidation appeared to moderately dissipate in favor of guarded anticipation:

“But you have to come with me for that extra week as well, Alvin, or else I won’t do it; and what do we do about the plane tickets for the 10th; and where would I stay, since I don’t want to impose upon your friends’ already generous hospitality for any extra nights?”

Between Pilar, the Consulado General de México, and management of Harbourfront Centre, changes in plane reservations were arranged, hotel reservations from the 3rd until the 8th were looked after at downtown Toronto’s Westin Harbour Castle, and the paperwork was signed confirming the extra week in Toronto – including Pilar’s obligation to compete in an Iron Chef Competition, initiallly against a chef from Louisiana.

Harbourfront Centre’s Mitch Smolkin then requested that Pilar be one of four judges at an emerging chef event, on the 5th, the day before her own competition on the 6th. And then yet a further request to appear on Canadian National television the 4th, the day after our arrival, with five plates of Oaxacan food to be prepared for the cameras, in advance, all in order to promote the Festival.

“How can we get off the plane Thursday evening, source ingredients the next morning in some downtown market I don’t know, cook five dishes in your friend’s kitchen uptown, and then be downtown again at a TV studio for 5 pm Friday? I don’t even know if I’ll be able to find what I need in the market, or if your friend’s kitchen will have the equipment I require.”

Mexican media previewed Pilar’s tour, on August 27th in Oaxaca’s El Imparcial and nationally in El Financiero on August 31st, in both cases highlighting the Iron Chef competition. The Government of Oaxaca finally took notice after the publication of the El Imparcial piece, hand-delivering a congratulatory note of support. And of course Pilar’s visit was accorded its deserved ceremony and spectacle in the Consulate’s September newsletter:

As has now become customary and accepted practice, the Oaxaca division of the primary federal teachers’ union announced three days of disruption in the state capital and further abroad, scheduled to begin September 1st, with road closures, striking in front of all government offices so as to prevent their opening, and the September 3rd blockading all highways. Back in 2006, this meant a reasonable likelihood of an airport shutdown. A frantic email to the Consulate, requesting that a helicopter be made available and kept in the wings in the event of a highway blockade necessitating that we be airlifted to Mexico City, was met with an equally concerned response, and the provision of Ms. Becera-Serrano’s personal cell phone number for our use 24 hours a day.

As it turned out, and as anticipated, the teachers did not blockade at 6 am (by which time we had to be at the airport), since the teachers don’t much care to awaken that early and as a result tend to man the blockades about 8 or 9 am. In any event, overland bumpy treks to the airport pretty well always work.

Pilar indeed descended the plane at Toronto on the evening of the third, and settled into her hotel room with a spectacular view of Lake Ontario, moored boats and the greenery of the Toronto Islands. She could not have planned a more pleasant route for her early morning runs, along Toronto’s attractive waterfront.

Meeting later that first night with her sous chef, actually Chef Jose Hadad, owner of Frida Restaurant, provided Pilar with much needed encouragement and calm, since Pepe would be her “rock” during the lead-up to the competition. And that first morning of shopping for produce, chiles, chicken, and spices and herbs in Kensington Market and Chinatown, provided additional stress-reduction, since Pilar now realized that the markets of Toronto have virtually every ingredient a Oaxacan chef would need to prepare the most traditional and flavorful of all that is Oaxaca’s gastronomic greatness.

The SUN TV segment that first afternoon went smoothly, albeit not without nerve-racking rushing throughout morning and afternoon in preparation for the cameras. A well-deserved relaxing walk through Toronto’s fashionable Yorkville district that evening, and dinner on a terrace overlooking the street provided all that the doctor would have ordered … especially since the next two days would be met with the unknown – the competitions.

The 5th and 6th were divided between meeting with Pepe to discuss and prepare ingredients for the Iron Chef , taking in parts of other Hot & Spicy events whenever breaks so permitted, and meeting the organizers of the Festival, fellow judges, emerging chefs and of course the Louisiana chef pitted against Pilar.

Pilar judged the entire day of the 5th (two semi-finals and the final), competed the 6th, and then participated in an open forum with chefs and the event’s moderator, fielding questions from the public.

The Lousiana chef ended up winning it all on the 7th. His dishes were very good. But a cloud hung over the competition for this writer. For Pilar, the experience was absolutely wonderful, with no regrets and only heartfelt thanks for being given the opportunity to participate. In judging she knew that she would be saddled with the responsibility of perhaps impacting the futures of several young chef hopefuls from a number of different culinary colleges. In competing, working under pressure and representing one’s state and country cannot be taken lightly either; learning the ropes in terms of strategies, what ingredients to use when under a 30 minute gun, working closely with a colleague met only two days previously and in a less than natural kitchen environment, and using that “secret ingredient” presented to competitors five minutes before the cooking begins.

Ingredient options are predetermined and listed. You can ask in advance if a specific ingredient is permitted. The Louisiana chef asked about cajun and blackening pre-mixtures. To our surprise they were permitted. We accordingly asked about being able to use two mole pastes prepared by Pilar, and a powdered third. Once again allowed. Then, the day prior to Pilar’s competition, Harbourfront’s festival head honcho advised that there had been a change – no such prepared mixtures would be permitted, a reasonable about-face, to this writer’s thinking.

Why then did the Louisiana chef use his prepared mixes in the face of the clearest dictate against so doing? Two of the four judges were critical of how he incorporated one of the secret ingredients, garlic. None of the four judges was critical of anything regarding Pilar’s dishes, at least not when questioned in front of the audience. Before the judges had made their decision, while they were tasting and deliberating, the Louisiana chef explained to them the dish he had prepared, and why he had used chicken thighs – because they are more flavorful and moist. More flavorful and moist than what? Chicken breast was the only permitted protein, yet not only did the Louisiana chef use the prohibited chicken thigh, he flaunted his decision to ignore the rules, directing his response to those very judges who ought to have known and enforced the rules – one would think. And he won it all, against Pilar, and in the final round. The State of Louisiana was one of the sponsors of this year’s Hot & Spicy Festival, with booths set up promoting all that is cajun and southern.


page 1 | page 2 | page 3 | page 4 |

ARTICLES MAIN PAGE | CONTACT US | LINKS | HOME