BLAIR RASMUSSEN

Executive Chef Vancouver Convention Centre

What is your philosophy when it comes to preparing food for a meeting, conference, or other live event? I like to work froma seasonal approach when preparingmenus. This will ensure that there is a focus on local ingredients—some- thing that I pioneered here at the Vancouver Convention Cen- tre. As a Vancouver-born chef, I am very proud of our local seafood, produce, and wines.

What should meeting planners know when it comes to working with you and your F&B team? We operate a scratch kitchen, preparing all of our breads, pas- tries, sauces, etc. in house.This gives us control over quality and enables us to offer unique dishes to our guests.

What are some new trends in event-based F&B that you’re particularly excited about? I am happy to see the increase in food-related knowledge and experience that people have these days, and their increased expectations for F&B. The Food Network seems to have ignited a greater interest in qualityF&Bexperiences. In turn, chefs have stepped up their game, which increases people’s expectations, and the whole cycle keeps moving higher. A chef can only be excited by this development.

What’s your favorite dish to make for meeting attendees? I love to see people’s faces when we set out a tapas-style dessert station. The different colors, shapes, and textures look great; the pastel macarons, panna cotta shots, saffron crème brulée, and strawberry Romanoff puffs (to name a few) combine into a stunning visual display. Oh, and it doesn’t taste too shabby either!

What are some creative ways for meeting planners to stretch their F&B budgets? Ask the chef to create a menu utilizing the seasonal produce that is available.We all know that raspberries in January will break most F&B budgets. Multi-flavored hydration stations offer a sugar-free and natural beverage option. They look good, and are an inexpensive and eco-friendly alternative to canned pop. Lastly, try to tap into the chef’s creative side— he or she probably has some great cost-effective ideas up their sleeve!

www.pcma.org CHEF RASMUSSEN’S MENU

Hors d’oeuvres Espelette-Seared Wild Mexican Prawn, Papaya Salsa

Caramelized Pear and Serrano Ham, Vino Cotto Portabella Mushroom Salad Roll Bites Chevre Roasted Vegetable Tart Halibut Cheek and Dungeness Crab “Fish Cakes,” Sour Cream, and Trout Roe

Smoked Haddock Puffs Jamaican Jerk Chicken Micro-Sliders Stilton Cheese Popovers Bacalao Fritters, Roma Tomato and White Truffle Oil

Dinner AMUSE-BOUCHE:Weathervane Scallop Ceviche, Saffron Emulsion

Alderwood-Smoked Fraser Valley Duck Breast Asparagus, Chive, Edamame, and Shimeji Salad Yuzu Ponzu

Green Apple Sorbet, Merridale Cider Splash Saltspring Island Lamb Noisettes “Aux Saveurs du Soleil” Herbes de Provence and Lavender Blossom Reduction Olivette Potatoes Roasted Vegetable Tian or

Pan-Seared Barramundi Filet, Akudjura (Bush Tomato), and Parmesan Crust Nova Scotia Lobster Mac ’n’ Cheese Orange Tomato and Tarragon Fondue Summer Vegetables

Quartetto di Dolci Mango Panna Cotta Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream, 24K Gold Leaf Chinese Five-Spice Chocolate Cake Caramelized Passionfruit Parfait, Almond Tuile

pcma convene June 2011

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