Top Chef Canada

	story Maureen Scott “If you get in my way, I’ll stab you!” says Chef Steve Gonzalez, on a promo for Food Network’s Top Chef Canada. He’s joking of course. It’s his nature. In fact, it was his larger-than-life personality that landed him a spot as a contestant on the cooking show. “They made a casting call and I heard about it, but I wasn’t going to do it,” says Steve, who is the Chef de Cuisine at Origin (a trendy culinary hot spot in Toronto). “My girlfriend showed up at work one day with a video camera and talked me into it. The music was pumping, I was rocking some Latin-inspired food and having fun.” The show's producer called the next day. To say that Top Chef Canada is a “hot” new show may sound trite, but according to a media release, the first episode is the highest-rated Canadian series premiere in the history of Food Network Canada. Top Chef is an Emmy and James Beard award-winning series in the U.S., ranking in the top 10 shows on the Food Network. Realizing the fierce “appetite” of Canadian viewers, in spring 2010 Shaw Media acquired the rights from NBC Universal to launch the Top Chef format in Canada. Sixteen top chefs from across the country compete for their chance to be named Top Chef Canada and take home the $100,000 grand prize and a GE Monogram kitchen worth $30,000. Hosted by TV personality Thea Andrews and head judge, Chef and restaurateur Mark McEwan, it’s hard not to get addicted. Each week, contestants face several challenges and one chef is voted off the culinary island, so to speak. Thirty-five-year-old Steve Gonzalez was confident in his international cooking experience. He grew up in Mississauga with Colombian parents and says his favourite cooking style is “Latino with a modern twist.” He has cooked in Spain, Hong Kong, Miami, and Toronto. He graduated from Humber College Culinary and apprenticed at The Old Mill. He was the Chef de Cuisine at Colborne Lane and Sous Chef at Sassafraz before helping Claudio Aprile open Origin in April 2010. Steve gave up his day job, at least temporarily, and signed up for the challenge. “We taped the show in September and for a month and a bit we stayed at an undisclosed location in Toronto without any real contact to the outside world,” explains Steve. “No computers, no cell phones. We were allowed the occasional call home. There were just 16 of us and a few helpers living and working together. So we got very close and it was tough to see people go.” It was the Russian food that threw him off, literally. “I’m Latino! What do I know about Russian food?” Steve joked after he was eliminated in episode 3 when his take on Russian potato salad failed to please the judges (including actor Dan Ackroyd). “I have no regrets. It was a great experience. What I did learn from working with Mark McEwan and the other chefs is not to have so much fun. This is a serious competition. I needed to buckle down. You will see how serious some of the chefs are. There is some serious prize money at stake.” Steve has also gained some notoriety. “I was running out to pick up something for the restaurant and I could hear a car horn honking. This guy yelled out the window – ‘Yo – good luck on Top chef Canada!’ That was cool. Now it’s cool to be a chef. Suddenly we’re in fashion!” he laughs. He’s not letting the fame go to his head. “There’s one thing about me, I don’t put on a show. What you see is what you get. There’s no smoke and mirrors,” says Steve with his hearty laugh. “I’m still the same guy, just a little more recognizable! Top Chef Canada airs on Food Network Canada Mondays at 9 pm with encore presentations Saturdays at 7 pm. For more information visit www.foodnetwork.ca/topchefcanada. GL	Chef Steve Gonzalez