The ApEx Culinary Stage will feature two days of intense competitions and interesting demonstrations promoting culinary excellence.

Scattered Black Box Competition Hosted by Chef Luis Clavel

Two person teams, comprised of a red seal chef and an apprentice, will show off their skills in a fast-paced, fun-filled black box cooking competition. Competitors will race through the ApEx trade show floor to complete a number of assigned culinary tasks in order to receive their black box mystery “rewards”. Returning to the Culinary Stage with their ingredients, the chefs will have a limited amount of time to prepare their masterpiece dishes for tasting and judging.

Serving Dishes Provided by:

Scattered Black Box Competition Schedule:

Sunday, April 15, 2012
2:15pm – 3:15pm    Scattered Black Box Competition - Heat 1
3:30pm – 4:30pm    Scattered Black Box Competition - Heat 2

Monday, April 16, 2012
3:30pm – 4:30pm    Scattered Black Box Competition – Finals

Interested in competing in the Scattered Black Box Competition? For competition rules and application information, Click Here.

The Halifax Great Burger Cook-Off

Local Halifax restaurants and foodservice establishments will compete to prove that they have the “ultimate burger experience”. Competitors will produce an exact replica of the delicious burger that is sold in their establishment. The juiciest, tastiest, biggest and most unique burgers in Halifax will be presented, explained and judged.

The Halifax Great Burger Cook-Off Schedule:

Monday, April 16, 2012
11:30am – 1:00pm

Does your burger have what it takes? Interested in competing in The Halifax Great Burger Cook-Off? For competition rules and application information, Click Here.

Demonstration - The Forgotten Beef

Sunday, April 15, 2012
11:30 am – 12:00pm

Creative chefs have long known the value of secondary cuts of beef and interest in these parts of the animal is increasing. Using secondary cuts of meat maximizes flavour and texture and minimizes costs. A pair of junior chefs will showcase the less expensive cuts of meat and present skillful methods of preparing them. Learn profitable ways to utilize secondary cuts in your menu, excite the palates of your patrons, and make a difference to your bottom line.

Demonstration – Frozen

Monday, April 16, 2012
2:15 pm – 3:00pm

The idea of using liquid nitrogen in food is not actually new; there are reports of ice cream made with it in the 1800s. The extremely cold temperature of dry ice may also be harnessed to “cook”. The use of liquid nitrogen and dry ice in food preparation can be an amusing sideshow to entertain dining patrons, and these cool tools are headed for the mainstream as new techniques are developed. This lively, fun-filled demonstration will showcase innovations, avant-garde processes and proper and safe handling methods. Be amazed and entertained as the chefs instantly freeze anything you would ever want frozen - and plenty more you never thought could be.

Presented by: Chef Luis Clavel, Executive Chef, Atlantica Hotel Halifax and Chef Peter Dewar, Faculty Culinary Arts, Nova Scotia Community College