This is the first of a five part series for Star of the Show from Canadian Lentils. Star of the Show is a contest organized by Canadian Lentils in partnership with Chef Michael Smith.
Have you ever dreamed of having the lights shine down on you, the director yelling "Action" and being the star of your very own cooking show? Well, if you said "yes," you are definitely not alone. Canadian Lentils decided to give five Canadian food bloggers the chance to live out their dream in beautiful Prince Edward Island in Chef Michael Smith's Test Kitchen! This was truly the chance of a lifetime. Imagine cooking in a professional test kitchen surrounded by a film crew waiting to bring your recipe to life all while working directly with a 9-time cookbook author and host of multiple cooking shows.
Last month, Michael Smith combed through over 50 video submissions from aspiring hosts sharing their love of lentils, their favourite lentil dish and why they'd make for a great Star of the Show. After an exhaustive selection process, Chef Smith selected the five winners and this week those five travelled from all over Canada to PEI to become the Star of the Show!
Up first was Adam Heard from the blog Kook Channel. Adam is relatively new to the world of food blogging but definitely not new to the world of cooking.
Growing up, Adam's mother owned a few different restaurants, so even at a young age, he was learning how to cook and how food brought people together. Adam has peeled enough potatoes and shrimp to last a lifetime. He loved being in the kitchen even though he now realizes it was probably a bonus for his mom too...keeping him occupied and inexpensive labour 😉
As a dad of three himself now, Adam is always looking to create dishes that his whole family will enjoy, while being cost effective and good for everyone. Enter his Firecracker Chicken with Rice and Lentils.
Since everyone deserves a treat from time to time, Adam goes the deep-fried route with his chicken but uses a red lentil beer batter to fry it up. Imagine, the perfect fritter: which is great on its own, but the batter coated over the chicken makes it the best beer-battered chicken fritter out there! His firecracker sauce is just as it sounds, a kick of heat with just the right amount of sweetness to bring it altogether. And it gets served all on a bed of rice and lentils.
We don't want to give away how the video will turn out but suffice it to say, the entire test kitchen smelled amazing all day and the entire crew couldn't wait to try the Firecracker Chicken for themselves. As soon as the director yelled cut, everyone made a beeline to try it and it was a resounding success. Chef Smith has already stated on the record that this lentil beer batter will be served soon at his kitchen table.
And with that, one Star of the Show has been born and four more are on their way. Keep an eye out on social media for lots of behind-the-scenes photos and videos. You can find them by searching for the #LoveLentils hashtag or following @FoodBloggersCA on Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and Periscope. Canadian Lentils can be found on Twitter and Instagram and Periscope too!
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I knew Adam Heard for several years, he is a man with a big heart, talking to him is like a wonderful joy with is sense of humor. I am very happy for my friend Adam and all my support goes to him……Manaf.
Very proud of my brother Adam….has always been a “foodie” and happy he had this opportunity. Good job.
Thanks Bro! See you soon to tell you all about it!
Thanks Manaf that really means a lot!
That is awesome Adam! You are going to have to invite me over when you get back and whip that up for Val and I!!
Any time Jimmy!
Good for you Adam!