Top 15 Canadian Chefs: How You Can Be Just Like Them Ever watch Food Network and wonder what life would be like if you were a chef extraordinaire?  One of Canada's Best Chefs? Lucky for you, it’s pretty dang simple. The following list of the 15 Canadian chefs will inspire you to get your “Bobby Flay” on and links to useful tools on our website will get you there! While we may not all agree on the Top 15 Canada's Best Chefs, but we can agree that these 15 Canadian Chefs are talented and renowned for their work in many famous kitchens.  Let's learn what kitchen supplies and equipment these Chefs rely on in their kitchens. #1: Anna Olson Source Specialty: Baking. Bundt cake? Souffle? Brownies? Cookies? Whatever the craving, Anna Olson is sure to give you the right inspiration to be a baking extraordinaire! With just about 10 cook books published, you can be sure to trust this master baker’s wicked skills. TV Creds: Host of Sugar, Fresh with Anna Olson, Bake with Anna Olson, Inspire with Anna Olson, and Confucius was a Foodie. How to be Like Her: Shop our bakeware section here for all of your baking equipment needs! Take advantage of our sale on silpat mats for cookies, cookie cutters and scones and our Fox Run non-stick muffin pan for easy release on all your cupcake and muffin ventures as well as baking tools and gadgets! #2: David Rocco Source   Specialty: Italian. Canadian born and raised, David Rocco has a unique skill for all things Italian. He has published four of his own cookbooks. He’s also started his own wine label, David Rocco’s Dolce Vita, which includes Chianti, Pinot Grigio, and Prosecco. TV Creds: Host of Dolce Vita, Unique Eats, David Rocco’s Amalfi Getaway, Dolce India, Dolce Africa, and has been a judge on several other shows like Top Chef Canada and Iron Chef America: The Series! How to be Like Him: With a zest for life and unique cooking, shop our Meat and Seafood Tools section here for creative ways to shape, tenderize, slice, press, snip, and scoop your protein ingredients! #3: Lynn Crawford Source Specialty:  Gourmet Cuisine. A diamond in the rough, Lynn Crawford dropped out of school to pursue her dreams of becoming a chef and she’s come out of it with flying colors. A huge fan of buying local and seasonal ingredients, Crawford has a keen eye for quality and supporting local farmers. Additionally, she was the very first Canadian woman to compete on Iron Chef America. How cool! TV Creds: Iron Chef America: The Series, Restaurant Makeover, Pitchin’ It, Top Chef Masters, Chopped Canada, and Iron Chef Canada. How to be Like Her: Shop our specialized kitchen section to roll gnochhi, sushi, slice cheese, and spiralize veggies like a champ! #4: Brad Long Source Specialty:  Using ethical, local, organic, and sustainable practices in his cooking. Much like Lynn Crawford, Long is a big supporter of local farmers and their produce. He started helping out at restaurants in the 80’s while mostly playing music. In the 90s Brad got more serious about the culinary arts and has won several awards including International Award of Excellence – Diamond Wine Award in 2004 and Air Canada Club was recognized as one of the top 10 restaurants of the year in its starting season. Can you say impressive? TV Creds: Best Known for Restaurant Makeover. How to be Like Him: Check out our fruit and vegetable tools section  for great ways to rinse, grate, crinkle and squeeze some of Earth’s most precious local and organic ingredients it has to offer. #5: Massimo Capra Source Specialty:  Italian Cuisine. Massimo Capra grew up on a dairy farm in Italy so you can be sure his works of art are authentic to the T. His first job was cleaning scallops in a restaurant at age 15. Capra now owns 5 restaurants around the world, including Rainbow Room which has one of the best views of Niagra Falls. TV Creds: Restaurant Makeover, Restaurant Takeover, Top Chef Canada, Chopped Canada, and Confucius was a Foodie. How to be Like Him: Explore our utensils section to whisk, flip, toss, and serve your michelin star masterpiece with precision and ease. #6: Rob Feenie Source Specialty:  Seafood. With 3 cookbooks to the name, Rob Feenie slays the cooking game. He worked at restaurants in the United States and France then opened up his very own restaurant, Accolade Restaurant, in Toronto at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. His restaurants Lumière and Feenie's in Vancouver was awarded the prestigious Relais Gourmand designation and won four stars from the Mobil Travel Guide and the AAA Diamond Award. TV Creds: New Classics with Chef Rob Feenie, Iron Chef America: The Series, At the Table With..., Top Chef Canada, and more! How to be Like Him: Just like David Rocco (#3, see above), shop our meat & seafood section to prep your entrees like a champ! #7: Christine Cushing Source Specialty: The Main Event. Christine was born in Greece, but moved to Canada with her family when she was just 1 year old. She’s come up with recipes for Gusto magazine, Starbucks, and Ace Bakery. She has written 3 cookbooks and has her very own food products such as Greek extra virgin olive oil, handmade tomato sauces, and roasted red pepper spreads. TV Creds: Christine Cushing Live, Superstar Chef Challenge, Christine Cushing Cook With Me, and Fearless in the Kitchen to name a few. How to be Like Her: Having claimed a mandoline to be the one tool she could not live without, get fancy and shop our mandoline slicers section for all your chef-tastic slicing needs! #8: Gail Simmons Specialty: All Around Chef Connoisseur. Gail Simmons started out by writing restaurant review for the McGill Tribune. Her career then landed her a gig working for a food critic at Vogue then lead her to becoming a special projects manager at Food & Wine. Then, of course, her series-long career as a judge on Top Chef came around. Her famous words to newbie chefs, “you should "love what you’re doing and you’ll manage to do it - no matter how hard it is." TV Creds: Judge on Top Chef, Iron Chef Canada, and literally so many others. She’s super famous. Go check out her imdb! How to be Like Her: Shop our measuring section for utmost accuracy and precision. Do you think this is a game? #9: Roger Mooking Source Specialty: BBQing. Born in Trinidad Topago and moved to Canada at the age of 5. He went to George Brown College of Hospitality where he studied the culinary arts. His career took him to being the Executive Chef and Co-Owner of both Kultura Social Dining and Nyood Restaurants before landing him gigs on Television. TV Creds: Heat Seakers, Man Fire Food, Everyday Exotic, and many, many more. How to be Like Him: Explore our outdoor grills section  to live up to Mooking’s fascination of unique ways to cook with fire! #10: Michael Smith Source Specialty:  Quality Cooking Made Easy. Born and raised in New York, Michael Smith studied culinary arts at Rochester Institute of Technology. Having lived all over the world (post college), Michael Smith cooked in restaurants located in London, South America, and the Caribbean. Upon his return to the States, Smith has made it a point to bring the best of what he’s learned to many prominent Manhattan restaurants. Before moving to Canada of course. ;) TV Creds: Chef Abroad, Chopped Canada, The Inn Chef, Chef at Large, and Chef at Home are just a few of his many TV show appearances. How to be Like Him: Shop our nonstick cookware section to make crafting his simple to follow recipes even easier! #11: Mark McEwan Source Specialty: Fine Foods & Fine Dining.  Raised in Buffalo NY but then crossing the border to attend George Brown University in 1979 turned Mark McEwan into a Canadian.  Starting his culinary prominence was in 1981 at the Sutton Place Hotel. From there on, Chef McEwan knew Toronto was him hometown.  Opening the up-scale North 44 in 1990, which had an incredible following for 28 years, allowed Mr. McEwan to conceive the elegant design and menu of Bymark on Wellington St.  ONE, Fabbrica, & Diwan are Mark’s other highly successful restaurants throughout Toronto.  Catering and specialty foods became a passion of Mark McEwan’s.  Pre-packaged chef-inspired meals are offered on Mark’s website. Chef McEwan offers a wide variety of fine foods, gifts, and flowers from around the world as well. TV Creds: Mark is so known he had his own show, The Heat With Mark McEwan.  Chef McEwan has judged Top Chef Canada, Walls of Justice, and SuperStar Chef Challenge to name just a few.  And let’s not forget about his fabulous cookbooks! How To Be Like Him: Catering uses pre-sealed meals.  Stay safe, save money, and have fun during theses times using a vacuum sealer.  Buy in bulk to stay at home.  Buy in bulk to save money! A vacuum sealer will keep your foods fresh longer than any other method.  

Related: Set Up Your Kitchen with the Best Basics

#12: Laura Calder Source Specialty: Hosting.  The 11th of our Top 15 Best Chefs in all of Canada, Laura Calder identifies to Toronto as her home city as well.  Before coming home to Canada for the long stay, Laura went to the prestigious London School of Economics. From there, this world-renowned Chef spent time in France at the Ecole de Cuisine LaVarenne, which sent her on the path to one of her greatest accolades, receiving the Merite Agricole from the French government.  TV Creds: The proof of her exemplary French cooking style is displayed in the 78 episodes of the French Food at Home series which aired around the world for 10 years.  Laura also judged great culinary shows such as Iron Chef America and Recipe to Riches.  Laura is an author of four fine French cookbooks to add to her culinary resume.  How To Be Like Her: Stay classy & elegant with beautiful dinnerware and flatware.  Matching your motif and décor with your silver and dinnerware are paramount according to Laura.  And never forget a Fondue Pot when entertaining corporate company to help break the ice! Want to cook like your favorite chef on tv? Check out Williams Food Equipment for the best tool to be a superstar chef #13: Susur Lee Source Specialty: Entrepreneur.  Mr. Lee is beyond talented.  Starting humbly in the 70’s at the Peninsula Hotel as an apprentice, to today where Susur Lee manages and owns his own restaurant group, Susur Lee Restaurant Group in Toronto.  Chef Lee’s fine Asian and Chinese inspired dishes with French craftsmanship make Susur Lee on of the most admired and fascinating chefs of the 2000’s. Owner of five chic restaurants as well as being involved with nineteen other much publicized restaurants brands Chef lee as one of the best! TV Creds: With well over ten appearances on various shows such as Iron Chef, Chopped, and Top Chef (all of Canada) as well as Bizarre Foods and Iron Chef (of America) along with Restaurant Makeover (Dhaba Indian Experience) exhibits Susur Lee’s worldly skills in the kitchen as a culinary master.  “A Culinary Life” co-written with great Canadian Chef Jacob Richler is a must-have for any galley! How To Be Like Him: Knives!  You can not go from apprentice to master of a global restaurant empire in less than 50 years with inferior tools.  Asking Chef Lee what he likes, he stated “A good sharp knife”.  Luckily, we have the best in all Asian and European inspired cutlery.  A great knife slices with ease, and with purchasing a knife set, you can be assured sharp knives will be firmly in your grasp. Related: What Makes a Well-Equipped Kitchen for an Experienced Home Cook?   #14: Amanda Cohen Source Specialty: Vegetables.  Chef Amanda Cohen is one of the most skilled culinary artists in the vegetarian world.  A vegetarian herself once, Chef Cohen can create a multitude of textures from even a simple turnip.  Learning so much from Bobby Flay, Ms. Cohen set off solo opening Dirt Candy in NYC.  James Beard nominated and award winning are just a few words that describe Chef Amanda Cohen’s accomplishments. TV Creds: For the last couple of years, Amanda Cohen has been a featured chef on Iron Chef Canada.  Chef Cohen has appeared on The Today Show, Top Chef Canada, and CBS This Morning to name just a few highly viewed programs.  Amanda wasn’t left off this prestigious list when it came to author a classic cookbook.  Chef Cohen has written the now famous “Dirt Candy” cookbook. How To Be Like Her: Slice n’ Shred! If you want to be hip like Amanda, eating your veggies has to be beautiful.  Try on the Progressive Spiral Cutter yourself, or give as a gift to your favorite vegan.  You can’t go wrong with your healthy meal choice when using the Westmark Spiromat to create the prettiest apple dish your family has seen.  To break down the nutrients to their absolute best, a blender never hurt Chef Cohen, and we are sure one will look great in your kitchen also!  Looking for new kitchen tools? Williams Food Equipment has a wide selection for you to choose from   #15: Rob Rainford Source Specialty: Barbeque!  Being Jamaican, Rob knows his BBQ.  Moving to Canada, then attending George Brown College back in 1994, Rob realized his love of Canada and the ‘Que!  Working with critically acclaimed chef Ned Bell at Senses since 2000, Chef Rainford decided to return from the restaurant side for his passion of teaching.  Returning to George Brown to become a chef mentor and professor has made Robert the happiest he can be! TV Creds: Host of License to Grill since 2003 has fashioned Rob into a very famous Celebrity Chef throughout all of Canada. Cooking Moments on FNC has been watched by millions.  Rob has also popped in on The Marilyn Denis Show, The Mom Show, and Four Senses.  Rob’s comfortable, laid-back demeanor allows for some easy watching, Jamaican BBQ style!  Read “Rob Rainford’s Born To Grill” for many great tips and tricks!  How To Be Like Him: Know your temperature!  Barbequing requires the accurate time and precise temperatures for premium results. Grab a Maverick Pro-Temp Thermocouple to feel in control like Rob. Having a few Johnson-Rose Pocket Thermometers on hand are always great gifts for the guys, or just to be prepared at the next party.  The Taylor Thermometer is one of Chef Rob’s preferred measuring instrument choices.  Related: Food In Your Star   Now that you have the essentials to taking on the champs (in the safety of your own home, without them actually being there) go out of your way to impress family, friends, or even just yourself! You’ll be real surprised at how far utilizing the proper kitchen tools will take you. Remember, when looking for new inspiration, you can always turn to Williams Food Equipment, your kitchen supply store. Until then, happy cooking!