Chef Jaco Lokker / en Final Iron Chef practice: 'This is a gold medal plate' /news/final-iron-chef-practice-gold-medal-plate <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Final Iron Chef practice: 'This is a gold medal plate'</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Cured%20salmon%20%28resized%20for%20main%29_.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=15S_K16j 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/Cured%20salmon%20%28resized%20for%20main%29_.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Cxpyxp9D 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/Cured%20salmon%20%28resized%20for%20main%29_.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=HsDz51nl 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Cured%20salmon%20%28resized%20for%20main%29_.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=15S_K16j" alt="A picture of a quick cured salmon made by U of T students on the Iron Chef team"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>geoff.vendeville</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-02-23T11:47:11-05:00" title="Thursday, February 23, 2017 - 11:47" class="datetime">Thu, 02/23/2017 - 11:47</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">The U of T Iron Chef team’s appetizer on the last day of practice was a quick cured salmon (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/geoffrey-vendeville" hreflang="en">Geoffrey Vendeville</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Geoffrey Vendeville </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/iron-chef" hreflang="en">Iron Chef</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/food-services" hreflang="en">Food Services</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/food" hreflang="en">Food</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/chef-jaco-lokker" hreflang="en">Chef Jaco Lokker</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/students" hreflang="en">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/education" hreflang="en">Education</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">With the inter-university culinary competition days away, is U of T's team ready? </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The ؿζSM Iron Chef team faced its&nbsp;stiffest test yet on Wednesday, days before competing&nbsp;against students from three other universities.</p> <p>Using a box of surprise ingredients, the team&nbsp;had 2 1/2&nbsp;hours to produce an appetizer and main dish that would wow&nbsp;the guest judges, U of T executive chefs <strong>Jaco Lokker</strong> and <strong>Suman Roy</strong>.&nbsp;</p> <h3><a href="/ironchef">Catch up on U of T Iron Chef news,&nbsp;video and updates</a></h3> <p>The chefs surprised students <strong>Felipe Branco</strong>, <strong>Brettany Colette</strong>, <strong>Jordan Su</strong> and backup team member <strong>Ailin Xi</strong> with the ingredients: ginger beer, beluga lentils, beets, tandoori sauce and puff pastry.</p> <p>This was the team's final practice before the cook-off against the University of Massachusetts Amherst, University of Ottawa and McGill University&nbsp;on Saturday.&nbsp;In the Iron Chef competition, the team will also be given a&nbsp;black box of ingredients and be asked to prepare an appetizer and main course to impress the judges.&nbsp;</p> <h3><a href="/ironchef">Watch the cook-off&nbsp;live on Saturday</a></h3> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__3547 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/Iron%20Chef%20group%20shot%20%28resized%20for%20embedded%20picture%29_1.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <em>“Why do you look so serious?” Chef Jaco Lokker (centre) says,&nbsp;as he strides past students (from left to right) Ailin Xi, Brettany Colette, Felipe Branco and Jordan Su (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)&nbsp;</em></p> <p>The students&nbsp;met in the office of their coach, Chef <strong>James Piggott</strong>, to brainstorm a menu, deciding on a quick cured salmon with ginger-beer pickled beets and a lentil salad. The main course would be a tandoori braised chicken on biryani-style rice with roasted cauliflower, samosa and lime cilantro yogurt.</p> <p>The team&nbsp;quickly got to work and assumed familiar roles in a kitchen station at the New College residence. Xi kept time to make sure everyone was on schedule. Branco butchered the chickens and salmon.&nbsp;</p> <p>The guest judges Lokker and Roy questioned whether the students could pull off such an “ambitious” menu in time.&nbsp;</p> <p>“A cured gravlax in two-and-a-half hours? Normally you’d do that overnight,” Lokker said.&nbsp;</p> <p>The students got off to a slow start but picked up the pace to get their appetizer out on time.</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__3546 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/Felipe%20Branco_.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <em>A multiple exposure of Felipe Branco, an M.B.A. student at Rotman, butchering chicken (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</em></p> <p>The judges’ initial skepticism seemed to melt away after they saw the finely sliced gravlax salmon arrive.&nbsp;</p> <p>“That’s a gold medal plate to me,” said Lokker, after a few bites.</p> <p>His fellow judge agreed. “If I go&nbsp;to a good restaurant in Toronto, and I got this, I’d be happy,” Suman said.&nbsp;</p> <p>Their only criticisms were that the dish needed a touch more salt and that ginger beer gastrique lacked a little punch.</p> <p>They were harsher on the main course since it arrived a few minutes late –&nbsp;the students took too long garnishing the plates. The chefs said the chicken was cooked properly, but that the rice should have been drier to be a true biryani. Overall, though, they were delighted.&nbsp;</p> <p>“Every time you put something on a plate, it gets better and better,” Lokker said. The students have come a long way since <a href="/news/student-chefs-face-secure-spot-u-t-iron-chef-team">their first day</a> in the kitchen&nbsp;Jan. 24.&nbsp;</p> <p>“This shows they’re becoming little culinarians,” Lokker&nbsp;told <em>U of T News</em>.&nbsp;</p> <h3><a href="http://www.macleans.ca/education/university/university-of-toronto-makes-dramatic-shift-to-independent-local-from-scratch-food/">Read about Chef Lokker and U of T food services in Maclean's&nbsp;</a></h3> <p>Despite the glowing reviews, the students appeared downcast when they listened to the chefs’ criticisms. Their grade for the appetizer was an 83.&nbsp;</p> <p>“I think of my grades and 83? Is that the best we can do?” Xi said later.</p> <p>“With that mark, you go&nbsp;to the prof and say,&nbsp;‘Where did I go wrong,’” Colette added.&nbsp;</p> <p>Asked why the students looked glum, Lokker said it’s probably because they are high achievers.</p> <p>“At the end of the day, they’re U of T students.”&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 23 Feb 2017 16:47:11 +0000 geoff.vendeville 105145 at Student chefs face off to secure spot on U of T's Iron Chef team /news/student-chefs-face-secure-spot-u-t-iron-chef-team <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Student chefs face off to secure spot on U of T's Iron Chef team</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Felipe%20and%20Jordan%20resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Ju6sRjP5 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/Felipe%20and%20Jordan%20resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Egkx5geO 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/Felipe%20and%20Jordan%20resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=7k1guP5e 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Felipe%20and%20Jordan%20resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Ju6sRjP5" alt> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>geoff.vendeville</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-01-25T16:30:32-05:00" title="Wednesday, January 25, 2017 - 16:30" class="datetime">Wed, 01/25/2017 - 16:30</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Felipe Branco (left) and Jordan Su were among the four students chosen to represent U of T at the Iron Chef competition in February (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/geoffrey-vendeville" hreflang="en">Geoffrey Vendeville</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Geoffrey Vendeville</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/chef-jaco" hreflang="en">Chef Jaco</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/chef-jaco-lokker" hreflang="en">Chef Jaco Lokker</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/food-services" hreflang="en">Food Services</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/iron-chef" hreflang="en">Iron Chef</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">They will face McGill, OttawaU, Yale and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in an inter-university culinary showdown hosted by U of T in February</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Four student chefs have been chosen to bring the ؿζSM glory next month when the university hosts the annual Iron Chef challenge.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Brettany Colette</strong>, <strong>Felipe Branco</strong>, <strong>Jordan Su</strong> and <strong>Ailin Xi</strong> made the cut after a culinary duel in the New College cafeteria kitchen on Tuesday evening.&nbsp;</p> <p>After receiving dozens of applications to represent U of T at the competition, U of T chefs <strong>Jaco Lokker</strong> and <strong>James Piggott</strong> invited 12 students to demonstrate their skills in a faceoff. The students were split into teams of three and given two hours, a whole chicken and the run of the New College kitchen to prepare a dish that would leave the judges licking their lips.</p> <p>Here’s how the night went down:&nbsp;</p> <h3><u><strong>5:30 p.m.</strong></u></h3> <p>Piggott, the executive chef residential dining at&nbsp;New College, greeted the students in the cafeteria and made it clear that&nbsp;as hosts of this year’s contest, the stakes are especially high.&nbsp;</p> <p>“We are hopefully going to have eight or nine competitors,” he said, “and we’re going to crush them. This is our home. This is our turf. We don’t lose at home."</p> <h3><a href="https://ueat.utoronto.ca/chef-james-piggott/">Read more about Chef James Piggott</a></h3> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__3267 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/Resized%2001242017%20-%20James%20Piggott%20shows%20Iron%20Chef%20contenders%20around%20kitchen_0.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"><br> <em>Chef James Piggott shows students around the New College cafeteria kitchens (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</em><br> <br> Su, a fourth-year human geography major, wouldn’t have made it to the trial if it wasn’t for a friend who sent him the <a href="/news/calling-all-student-chefs-u-t-preps-iron-chef-cook-against-yale-mcgill-and-other-universities">Iron Chef application</a> the night before deadline.</p> <p>He needed to submit a photo of a dish for the application&nbsp;but had nothing in the fridge.</p> <p>“I was so stressed that night.&nbsp;I couldn’t sleep,” he said.</p> <p>He woke up at six to get the ingredients from Loblaws for miso halibut and&nbsp;pan seared scallops with quinoa salad. He got everything done before going to work at nine.</p> <p>As he sat in the New College dining room with the other finalists for the U of T team, he said he was a little nervous.</p> <p>“At the same time, I’m excited because I’ve never cooked in a pro kitchen before&nbsp;so this will be a great experience,” he said.&nbsp;</p> <h3><u><strong>6:00 p.m.</strong></u></h3> <p>The students were separated into teams and took their places at counters in the&nbsp;kitchen.</p> <p>Lokker, U of T's director of culinary operations and executive chef, introduced himself to the finalists.</p> <p>He has coached the U of T team in each of the last three years at Iron Chef&nbsp;but stepped aside this time to host the event.</p> <p>Piggott takes over as head coach&nbsp;although Lokker will help prepare the student chefs for the big event.</p> <h3><a href="http://www.macleans.ca/education/university/university-of-toronto-makes-dramatic-shift-to-independent-local-from-scratch-food/">Read about Chef Jaco Lokker in <em>Maclean's</em></a></h3> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__3256 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/Resized%2001242017%20-%20Iron%20Chef%20students%20meet%20Chef%20Lokker.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"><br> <em>Chef Jaco Lokker meets the students gunning for a place in the U of T Iron Chef squad (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</em>&nbsp;</p> <p>Before the students at the trial could make a dash for ingredients, Piggott went over the ground rules:</p> <p>“No swearing. This is not Hell’s Kitchen,” he said.</p> <p>The contenders were allowed one f-bomb if they cut themselves –&nbsp;and even then, “It better be worth stitches,” he said.&nbsp;</p> <p>At just after six, it was go time.&nbsp;</p> <h3><u><strong>6:30 p.m.&nbsp;</strong></u></h3> <p>The teams wasted no time planning their dishes: a classic coconut curry with blend of fresh herbs and fresh chicken stock;&nbsp;roasted chicken with butter and thyme accompanied by green pea puree with thyme, garlic herb oil and lemon juice;&nbsp;fried chicken on french toast with applesauce and whipped cream; and chicken stuffed with cheese and pine nuts on handmade fettuccine.</p> <p>Branco, a first-year M.B.A. student at U of T’s Rotman School of Management, was in charge of carving the chicken for the curry.</p> <p>He said he had some experience in that area after interning at a restaurant in Panzano, near Florence, Italy, where he learned how to make “old school”&nbsp;Italian dishes like bistecca fiorentina and Francesina stew (beef shank cooked in red wine, onions and tomato sauce).</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__3257 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/Resized%2001242017-%20Felipe%20butchering%20chicken.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"><br> <em>Felipe Branco, an M.B.A. student at Rotman, prepares a chicken for a curry while his team partner&nbsp;Brettany Colette looks on (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)&nbsp;</em></p> <h3><u><strong>7:00 p.m.&nbsp;</strong></u></h3> <p>“55 minutes teams, 55 minutes! Feel the pressure, feel the burn,” Piggott said.</p> <p>As students picked up the pace to finish in time, the chefs strolled up and down the aisles appraising their skills.&nbsp;</p> <p>They were evaluating whether students could hold a knife properly, cooking terminology the students were using and whether they stuck to simple&nbsp;ingredients or took risks.&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__3258 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="503" src="/sites/default/files/Resized%2001242017-%20Ailin%20Xi%20making%20a%20puree.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"><br> <em>Ailin Xi, a biochemistry and nutrional sciences student, is splattered with green pea and pepper puree during the Iron Chef competition trial (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)&nbsp;</em></p> <p>The judges also considered&nbsp;how well the students gelled together.</p> <p>“You’re always going to have people who stand out more as leaders,” Lokker told <em>U of T News</em>. “And you don’t need three of those on the same team. That’s a huge problem.”&nbsp;</p> <h3><u><strong>7:30 p.m.</strong></u></h3> <p>By this point, some teams were getting ready to plate their dishes while others had yet to put their food in the oven.</p> <p>With 15 minutes to go, the chefs left the kitchen to give the teams some breathing room.</p> <p>Branco, Su and their teammate Colette prepared to lay out the chicken curry, thinking carefully about the position of each element of their plate and what one student called the&nbsp;“sauce-to-rice ratio.”&nbsp;</p> <p>They chose only the prettiest pieces of chicken for the dish and garnished them with tweezers.</p> <p>Another team raised fried chicken on french toast to a new level of elegance.&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__3260 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/Resized%2001242017-%20Fried%20chicken%20on%20french%20toast.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"><br> <em>U of T students vying for spots on the university's Iron Chef team put the finishing touches on fried chicken, french toast, applesauce and whipped cream (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</em></p> <h3><u><strong>8:00 p.m.</strong></u></h3> <p>One by one, the teams brought their creations out to the cafeteria&nbsp;where chefs Lokker and Piggott were waiting.</p> <p>“Honestly this is really good gnocchi, and I’m not a fan of gnocchi,” said Piggott, tasting the roast chicken, green pea puree, gnocchi combo.&nbsp;</p> <p>Lokker seemed impressed with another team's&nbsp;fettucini&nbsp;made from scratch.</p> <p>“This is exactly the way fresh pasta should taste,” he told them.&nbsp;</p> <p>The chefs conferred while the&nbsp;students cleaned up their stations. “It’s getting harder now,” Lokker said to his colleague as they deliberated.</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__3261 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/Resized%2001242017%20-%20Stuffed%20chicken%20with%20handrolled%20and%20cut%20pasta.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"><br> <em>Stuffed chicken with fettuccine. The chefs behind this dish didn't make the cut for the U of T Iron Chef team this year (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)&nbsp;</em></p> <h3><u><strong>Just after 8 p.m.</strong></u></h3> <p>A few minutes after sampling the last dish,&nbsp;the chefs called the students back out to the New College cafeteria dining room.</p> <p>When Piggott announced the winners –&nbsp;the makers of the coconut curry –&nbsp;Colette sprung up from her chair and high-fived her teammates.&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__3262 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/Resized%2001242017%20-%20Iron%20Chef%20team%20announced.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"><br> <em>The students who were chosen to be part of U of T's Iron Chef team celebrated after the announcement was made (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)&nbsp;</em></p> <p>With the air of an athlete who had just progressed to the playoffs, Su, the human geography student, said he was happy to have made it this far&nbsp;but refrained from gloating.</p> <p>“My main purpose here was just to have fun,” he said.&nbsp;</p> <p>The students who hadn’t made the roster smiled and applauded.</p> <p>“It was so much fun. They provided us the whole kitchen, which was amazing,” said <strong>Burce Isik</strong>, who studies genetics, biotechnology, and molecular biology. “I’m in fourth year. If I’d known about this before, I would’ve applied in my second year, third year.”</p> <p>Three of the four winning students will compete at the Iron Chef cook-off the weekend of Feb.&nbsp;25th. The fourth student is an understudy&nbsp;but guaranteed a spot on next year’s team. The backup will be decided at the team’s first practice session with their coach, Piggott.&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__3263 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/Resized%2001242017-%20Burce%20Isik%20making%20gnocchi.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"><br> <em>Burce Isik who studies genetics, biotechnology, and molecular biology, makes gnocchi (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)&nbsp;&nbsp;</em></p> <h3><a href="/news/calling-all-student-chefs-u-t-preps-iron-chef-cook-against-yale-mcgill-and-other-universities">Read more about the competition</a></h3> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 25 Jan 2017 21:30:32 +0000 geoff.vendeville 103550 at Fresh and local: Maclean’s shows foodies what’s new at U of T /news/fresh-and-local-maclean-s-shows-foodies-what-s-new-u-t <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Fresh and local: Maclean’s shows foodies what’s new at U of T </span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Jaco%20Lokker.jpg?h=be3ebb3b&amp;itok=xDVR3513 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/Jaco%20Lokker.jpg?h=be3ebb3b&amp;itok=bcAEReU9 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/Jaco%20Lokker.jpg?h=be3ebb3b&amp;itok=fRTT8lhu 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Jaco%20Lokker.jpg?h=be3ebb3b&amp;itok=xDVR3513" alt="Photo of Jaco Lokker serving food"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>vzaretski</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2016-10-28T14:43:18-04:00" title="Friday, October 28, 2016 - 14:43" class="datetime">Fri, 10/28/2016 - 14:43</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">U of T's much-loved chef, Jaco Lokker, serves up food on campus (photo by Carlos Osorio/Toronto Star via Getty Images)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/food" hreflang="en">Food</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/chef-jaco-lokker" hreflang="en">Chef Jaco Lokker</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/students" hreflang="en">Students</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Lamb sausage from a butcher at the St. Lawrence market. Organic milk and cream from a dairy in Kincardine. Custom-made rye bread from Tre Mari bakery.</p> <p>Those are just a few examples of what <em>Maclean’s</em> magazine found when it decided to go behind the scenes of what the magazine is calling “the largest independent food service operation at any university in Canada.”</p> <p>Two in-depth features in<a href="http://www.macleans.ca/"> the current edition of <em>Maclean’s</em></a> take a look at what happened after the ؿζSM took over food operations across much of its downtown Toronto campus this year.</p> <p>Read about how Chef <strong>Jaco Lokker </strong>spent the summer developing recipes and menus made from local, fresh ingredients – and the partnerships he developed with local food producers.&nbsp;</p> <p>“I’m very much a believer in wholesome and whole foods,” Lokker tells <em>Maclean’s</em>, emphasizing that there is a unique opportunity in a university to affect the habits people form in adulthood. “Here’s the moment when people are making choices in their life,” he says. “We have the social responsibility.”</p> <h2><a href="http://www.macleans.ca/education/university/university-of-toronto-makes-dramatic-shift-to-independent-local-from-scratch-food/">Read the&nbsp;article</a></h2> <p>So how does it taste? <em>Maclean’s</em> puts the healthy menus to the ultimate test –&nbsp;sending food critic Corey Mintz to a tasting spree of everything from tortillas&nbsp;to burgers, tabbouleh salad and more.&nbsp;</p> <h2><a href="http://www.macleans.ca/education/university/what-a-food-critic-thinks-of-university-of-torontos-new-fresh-local-food-program/">Read the review</a>&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;</h2> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 28 Oct 2016 18:43:18 +0000 vzaretski 101784 at