With 2020 off to The Nomad Cook’s busiest start of any year, I rode that wave of momentum right into February. This was the month of the collaboration, as I had an opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and work with two chefs who specialized in cuisines I knew little about; Plant-Based & Sushi.
Plant-Based Cannabis Collab
First up was my collaboration, was with Janice Buckingham of Flora Fromage, for the Valentine’s Day weekend. We had constructed an 8-course plant-based menu that we served to 40 people in Vancouver on the 14th and 40 people in Calgary on the 16th.
Janice is an extremely talented chef when it comes to building flavour in delicious plant-based dishes. I pushed myself to try and match her dishes and was very happy with the end results.
One dish which stood out was a Smoked Farmers Carrot I made with a Fondant Potato and a Vegan Demi Glaze. My goal was to make something that the typical meat-eater would have and say to themselves “This is delicious”. Janice served a Banana Cream Pie which really stole the show and sent our guest home delightedly full and perfectly stoned.
Cannabis & Sushi
My 2nd collaboration was with a Chef I have a ton of respect for but until recently had never met. Vinh Tran (Sushi By Vinh) is the king of the private dining scene in Edmonton, Alberta. For the last 4 years, Vinh has been doing private 14-course sushi dinners 5 nights a week and is booked a year in advance.
It was exciting for both of us to combine our passions (sushi and cannabis) and do something new. Our ambition led us to hold two 50 seat dinners back to back on the same night serving 12 courses. Through our service time ran a little longer than normal, the event was a smashing success, with 100 happy dinners leaving in a state of zen.
Chef-to-Chef Conference
I finished the month of February by flying out to Charlotte, North Carolina, to give a presentation on CBD dining at the Chef to Chef Conference. Landing in a state & city I had never been to, the rush of excitement hit me the second I stepped off the plane.
I am so extremely fortunate to get to travel and share my passion with others. To be giving a presentation to a room of 400+ executive chefs is something I never dreamed in a million years. Dare to dream I say…