Challenge reveals cooks’ character

Breaking-point tension and dizzying relief were served up by the MasterChef Canada cooks last night

Danielle Cardozo will participate in episode five of MasterChef Canada, airing on February 17. — Photo courtesy CTV

The Master Chef Canada home cooks hardly have time to realize what they’ve achieved in each cooking challenge before they’re herded into the next one.

Cranbrook’s Danielle Cardozo said she was happy that she wasn’t involved in the drama that affected half of the cooks in the process of cooking for the Toronto Maple Leafs in episode four of MasterChef Canada. She was pleased to be on the blue team rather than the white—pleased that her team’s captain trusted her to cook without interference, and that the team effort turned out so well. Her experience with cooking fish prompted her to poach the halibut in a homemade lemonade oil, as this technique permits some crowding of the portions and forgives some time lapse between oven and plate.

“I was honoured to cook for hockey greats (like) Wendel Clark and Darryl Sittler,” Cardozo said. ”I am also not going to complain that the handsome Colton Orr liked my halibut!”

The Maple Leafs chose the blue team as their favourite, exempting the blues from the stress test challenge that eliminated competitor Brooke Feldman.

Gaining momentum

Cardozo said that participating in this competition has revealed new depths in her passion for cooking and resulted in new opportunities in her life.

“I am extremely excited to announce that I have teamed up with Cranbrook's Genex Marketing,” she said, “and we are starting a very exciting project together. More will be announced in coming weeks!

“I am also very excited to announce that I am going to be teaming up with executive chef Dave Bohati of Market Restaurant in Calgary. On March 23, we will be collaborating on a multiple-course dinner at Market. I will spend a couple days at his restaurant learning how to prepare for and execute (the) dinner. Dave is a part of an initiative called The Syndicate, a group of extremely talented chefs across Canada who have dedicated themselves to mentoring young chefs. I have been blessed to have him to turn to for culinary advice and I am honoured that he'd invite me into his kitchen.”

“I'm looking forward to brainstorming up a unique menu with Danielle for this event,” Bohati said. “And who knows, maybe I will learn a thing or two from her through this process."

The next MasterChef Canada episode—when the cooks will be working with exotic meats like kangaroo—airs on February 17.