Cook of the Year 2008

Canadian Living's Cook of the Year 2008 is now closed. Good luck to all who entered!



Click here to download
Cook of the Year 2007 winning recipes!

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Cook of the Year 2008 FAQ's and Recipe Writing Tips

Q. In the Cook of the Year Contest, what does “a main-dish recipe” mean? Please let me know what would be considered a main dish versus what would be considered a menu for the meal.

A. A main dish is the principal, main-course dish of a dinner, whereas a menu is the entire dinner (including appetizers, salads and/or vegetables and dessert). What you consider a main dish for casual entertaining is really up to you. But, to qualify for the Canadian Living Cook of the Year Contest, your recipe must: feed six to eight people; be prepared within our time limit of three hours and budget of $100; and be made from the number and types of ingredients from the three categories listed on the entry form.
A main dish may or may not include a side dish (such as a “starch” like pasta, rice pilaf or rösti potatoes) to make it a complete dish.

See Cook of the Year 2006 winning recipe: Stuffed Beef Tenderloin with Rösti Potatoes.

Q. What do you mean by casual entertaining?

A. To The Canadian Living Test Kitchen, casual entertaining is an evening with friends or family, good conversation, your second-best dishes and not too many forks. It should be a dish that you are proud of and enjoy making (but are not rushing right up until the last minute or jumping up and down throughout the meal to finish). Whether your recipe is personal and comforting or wild and exotic, it should feel like a wonderful home-cooked meal and not a dinner in a Michelin 3 Star restaurant. It must be something you are comfortable making and do well  – remember, if you are one of the four finalists, you will be cooking your recipe for our judges!

Q. Some main dishes need accompaniments to round out the dinner. Are these included in the recipe or are side dishes separate?

A. If your main-dish recipe is one all-inclusive dish (such as a lasagna or another casserole), just include that recipe. But if your dish has several components (such as beautifully cooked chicken, delicate pan sauce and a side dish like rice pilaf) or is best served on or with a simple accompaniment (such as a fabulous curry with steamed rice or a richly flavoured stew with boiled potatoes) then these side dishes or accompaniments must fall within the ingredient parameters outlined in the three ingredient categories: Must-Picks, Grocery Cart and Wild Cards.

Q. Can my dish be barbecued?

A. Your dish can be cooked any way you choose – for example, roasted in the oven, simmered on the stove top or barbecued to perfection. Choose whatever method (or combination of methods) is best suited to the end product and remember the three-hour time limit.

Q. Under Category & Must-Picks, you list "chicken, turkey or duck: whole, or any cut or part, bone-in or boneless." Does this include ground chicken and chicken livers?

A. Yes, both ground meat and offal (livers, hearts, feet, etc.) are included.

Q. How many of the ingredients from the Grocery Cart section need to be used in a submitted recipe?

A. You can use as many (or few) and as much (or little) of the ingredients in the Grocery Cart section as you want for your recipe. However, the Wild Card ingredients are restricted to four only.

More FAQ's on page 2