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Local chefs whip up gourmet fare for ‘Taste of the Heartland’

Four local chefs displayed their culinary skills at the long-table dinner.
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Chef Brenda Brinson with emcee Shawna Benson. PHOTO BY MOUSH SARA JOHN

The architects behind the extraordinary meal that was served at Stettler’s ‘Taste of the Heartland,’ a long-table dinner on Saturday evening, Aug. 19 as part of Open Farm Days, were four local chefs – Brenda Brinson of Stettler, Rieley Kay of Lacombe, Jimin John of Stettler, and Lutz Kintzel of Red Deer.

The appetizer, Prairie Caprese Salad and the salad, which comprised of spinach and saskatoon berries were made by Rieley Kay, who runs Cilantro and Chive. Kay has worked in a variety of kitchens and restaurants in order to discover his true passion. After gaining a lot of experience and being mentored widely in various culinary environments, Kay became the Sous Chef at Wolf Creek Golf Resort. In 2009, he started his own catering business, Cilantro Catering, which has now morphed into Lacombe’s Cilantro and Chive.

The soup, Zesty Gazpacho, was made by Brenda Brinson of Brenda’s Cozy Cafe. Brinson is a household name, owning Brenda’s Country Catering, and has been a part of Stettler’s catering landscape for a long time.

Jimin John, who is the head chef at the Otherside and the Delburne Bistro made the entre, which was roasted herbed beef tenderloin with border cross whiskey sauce. John fell in love with cooking in his mom’s kitchen and has travelled the world, following his passion. He has been in Italy for some years, honing his skills, before he moved to central Alberta.

The dessert of brownies and creme puffs was made by Lutz Kintzel, who has worked at the Hotel Berlin, one of Berlin’s finest hotels alongside some of Europe’s best chefs, as well as resorts throughout Switzerland. Kintzel has worked in Le Beaujolais in Banff, Panorama Mountain Resort, Canadian Club, among other local hotels in Alberta. Having been the owner-operator of Chef’s Dining Room in Rocky Mountain House, Kintzel is focused on his next new adventure, which might be a local catering business out of Red Deer.

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Chef Rieley Kay with emcee Shawna Benson. PHOTO BY MOUSH SARA JOHN
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Chef Jimin John. PHOTO BY MOUSH SARA JOHN