Peter Matkowski, CRI Research Coordinator Kyle Andreasen, and Anna Borys at Ag Awareness Day 2019

Culinary Arts and Culinary Research & Innovation (CRI) co-op students Anna Borys and Peter Matkowski showed off their chops at Ag Awareness Day on March 19^th. While dozens of dignitaries, government officials and supporters filled the Golden Boy Dining Room at the Manitoba Legislative Building, students from both RRC and Assiniboine Community College were busy prepping their innovative appetizers to serve to guests following the program.

The Manitoba Provincial government has been celebrating Agriculture Awareness Day during the third week of March since 2005. The event promotes greater awareness of the contributions agriculture makes to this province and the industry’s role as a key driver of the Manitoba economy.

To add a dash of spice to this year’s event, culinary students were invited to compete in a protein-based appetizer challenge. Each of the four students were tasked with preparing a creative animal or plant protein-based snack, featuring either peas or bison.

Anna Borys dished up yellow pea tempeh chorizo tacos, while Peter Matkowski served bison bratwurst with braised cabbage, pickled blueberries and fermented mustard. While both dishes were flying off the table faster than the students could dish them up, it was Peter Matkowski’s bison bratwurst that was ultimately crowned most innovative at the friendly competition. The students’ efforts proved there’s plenty of room for creativity and flavour in value-added protein products in Manitoba.

Anna Borys’s yellow pea tempeh chorizo taco with roasted corn cilantro salsa and lime crema

Peter Matkowski’s bison bratwurst with braised cabbage, pickled blueberries, and fermented mustard

Culinary Research & Innovation (CRI) may be relatively new to Red River College, but the program has accomplished a lot in a short timeframe. CRI has created or improved more than 95 new products, processes, and ingredient applications for 40 companies, thanks to the work of research chefs, food scientists, and culinary students.

With the new research kitchen set to open in June 2019, there will be new opportunities for students, instructors and companies to participate in this exciting program.

Don’t just take our word for it – listen to what others are saying about CRI!

Student opportunities for part-time work (around your academic schedule) can be found here: jobcentral.rrc.ca. New positions will be posted at the beginning of each term, so check back frequently.

Companies can get more information about the program here or by contacting Mavis McRae at mmcrae30@rrc.ca or 204-632-3993.

Red River College, in partnership with Bioscience Association Manitoba, is pleased to welcome Dr. David Hughes, international speaker on global food and drink industry issues, to the Prairie Lights Dining Room on Monday, Dec. 3rd for a talk on “Insights and Trends in the Healthy Food Sector.” The event is free and all are welcome.

• Date: Monday, Dec. 3rd, 2018
• Time: registration is at 9am, session begins at 9:30am
• Location: Prairie Lights Dining Room, Notre Dame Campus
• Please register in advance at: biomb.ca.

Light refreshments will be served.

From Bioscience Association Manitoba:

Professor David Hughes is an Emeritus Professor of Food Marketing at Imperial College London, and a Visiting Professor at the Royal Agricultural University, U.K. He is a much sought-after speaker at international conferences and seminars on global food industry issues, particularly consumer and retail trends. David has lived and worked in Europe, North America, the Caribbean, Africa and South East Asia and has extensive experience as an international advisory board member with food companies and financial service organizations on three continents.

For 20 years, he was a Non-Executive Director of Berry Gardens Ltd – a U.K. farmer-owned berry fruit business (£230 million turnover in 2015). With his American business partner, David established, grew and sold a branded fresh produce business which served supermarkets in the USA. Around the globe, he works with food and beverage supply chain companies – including farm input, growers, manufacturers and ingredient companies, retailers and food service firms – to assist them in management training, strategy and Board level decision-making. David’s views are frequently sought by TV, radio and the printed press.

PARKING INFORMATION

If you are entering through the main entrance by the bus loop:

• Please go down to the Mall level,
• Proceed through the hallway on your right,
• Prairie Lights Restaurant is located on your right, next to Tim Horton’s in the Mall Level.

If you are entering through any other entrances:

• Please head to the Mall level
• Look for the Tim Horton’s (Prairie Lights is adjacent to it.)

Ray Hoemsen, Executive Director, Research Partnerships and Innovation, Red River College (RRC), Ian Seymour, Board Director, CFI, Paul Vogt, President and CEO, Red River College, Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport, Sue Leclair, President and CEO of The Pretzel Place and RRC alumni, Doug Eyolfson, Member of Parliament for CharleswoodÑSt. JamesÑAssiniboiaÑHeadingly, and Rick Tofani, Director, Applied Research and Innovation Services, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology are photographed after an announcement of a total federal investment of $10,678,322 in research infrastructure funding for recipients awarded in the latest round of the Canada Foundation for InnovationÕs (CFI) College-Industry Innovation Fund (CIIF) competition at Red River College in Winnipeg, Wednesday, January 18, 2012. The funding will support 11 projects at 11 different colleges/polytechnics across Canada. Canadian Press Images/John Woods

On Wednesday, Science and Sport Minister Kirsty Duncan stopped by Jane’s restaurant to announce a total federal investment of over $10 million in research infrastructure funding for recipients awarded in the latest round of the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s (CFI) College-Industry Innovation Fund (CIIF) competition.

Red River College was one of eleven successful colleges and polytechnics across Canada, and now thanks to the CFI’s investment of more than $1 million, construction is underway to build the College’s first-ever multi-functional culinary research centre. Read More →

Bringing more than 10 years of experience in the agri-food industry, Heather Hill has joined Red River College’s Culinary Research and Innovation team for a six-month term as a Research Manager.

Peas, beans, lentils and chickpeas – collectively termed pulses, are what Heather brings to the table in terms of expertise in food development research. She has worked in partnership with agri-food companies and organizations from Beijing, Switzerland, Morocco, Minneapolis, Steinbach and Portage la Prairie – from large multi-national corporations, to farmers looking to add more value to their crops, and everything in between.

With a Master’s of Science degree in food science, and a background in value-added ingredient development, Heather brings a bold new perspective to the team. She loves being presented with a challenge and providing practical solutions to overcome an issue. In her new role here in Culinary Research and Innovation, Heather will be providing a science-based approach to help with the applied research activities of the department. Read More →

The growing Culinary Research & Innovation (CRI) team at Red River College supports food production firms by working on recipe development, research trials, and other partnership opportunities. This work is conducted by a core CRI team and rotating cast of co-op students with culinary experience that spans the globe. Read More →

The Culinary Research & Innovation (CRI) team at Red River College are doing some fascinating and delicious work. Their efforts are paying off, with an expanding team and new partnerships emerging. We caught up with CRI’s new Research Technician, Kyle Andreasen, to talk about the future of culinary research.
Culinary research and innovation is a fascinating yet often overlooked field. What do you think some of the more exciting trends in culinary innovation are? Read More →

PHOTO BY LIGIA BRAIDOTTI

Pina Romolo, co-owner of Piccola Cucina (14-360 Keewatin St.), won the silver award at the Great Manitoba Food Fight held at De Luca’s Specialty Foods Store, receiving $7,000 for her hemp macaroons, reports Ligia Braidotti in Canstar Community News.
Piccola Cucina partnered with Red River College’s Culinary Research and Innovation program to produce a macaroon made of hemp seeds.
The partnership and product has received high-praises from industry, government, and media.
Read the full article here.
Learn more about the CRI program here (PDF).

As researchers and industry representatives converged on Winnipeg for the 2017 Agricultural Bioscience International Conference (ABIC) this week, nearly 250 participants received a small cookbook that highlights how science reaches your dinner table.
The “Hot Elements” cookbook is a tasty fusion between science, health and recipe development, created in partnership between the Culinary Research & Innovation (CRI) team at Red River College, Genome Prairie and the Manitoba Agri-Health Research Network (MAHRN). Read More →

Aileen Lopez is a second year Culinary Arts student currently doing her second co-op placement with the Culinary Research & Innovation program at Red River College. We chatted with Aileen about her path to culinary arts and research.
What got you interested in Culinary Arts?
I got interested in Culinary when I moved here to Canada with my two sisters. None of us knew how to cook meals that we usually eat back home in the Philippines. Since none of us was trying hard enough to make “good” dishes, I decided to step up and watch videos online on how to prep ingredients correctly.
I also read different recipes everyday so I can incorporate it into the dishes I wanted to make for my sisters. As time went by, I gained more interest in cooking, and I was seeing improvement on the dishes that I was creating. The biggest factor that made me want to pursue Culinary was seeing the happiness and appreciation for the meals I have prepared. That was reason enough for me to enter Culinary school. Read More →