Top Chef Finalist Trevor Bird is known to have an innovative edge when it comes to his delicious creations at Fable Kitchens. Today, Trevor provides us with some insight into cooking one of Canada’s favourite meals, Thanksgiving Dinner.
What does Thanksgiving mean to you?
Thanksgiving, like most Canadians, signifies spending time with friends and family. And whether that includes watching football, playing board games or grocery shopping for the big day, it’s all about taking some time to relax with the people you care most about. And of course as a chef, the meal itself is a huge part of that too!
What advice would you give to someone who is cooking their first Thanksgiving dinner?
While I know it might be a daunting task, I think cooking Thanksgiving dinner is a simple meal to prepare, it just takes a little bit of planning beforehand and some key skills to pull it off. Whether you are a beginner or a pro at cooking Thanksgiving dinners, it’s really important to have a great set of knives. The better they are, the easier the food prep will be. And a lot of time goes into the preparation of the meal.
What are some qualities you look for when picking out a professional set of knives?
Some things to keep in mind when looking for a great set of knives are:
Sharpness- you really want to find a knife that is smooth and has a thin blade with an acute edge angle. If you want to retain the sharpness for long term, it’s all about the hardness of the steel. You want to buy a knife that has a high carbon content.
Durability- you want to find a knife that is going to last you a lifetime. The chances of this happening are better if you find a knife that is one piece and precision forged with corrosion-resistant steel that is tough.
And last but not least, it is important to find a knife that has been ergonomically designed so it’s comfortable to use over many hours. It should have a comfortable handle and bolster in addition to good weight distribution.
I personally would suggest Zwilling Five Star knives – as they are made out of a special formula of high performance “No Stain” German stainless steel and have an innovative design combined with comfort, balance and safety. You can pick them up now at Safeway stores
What is your favourite thing to cook for Thanksgiving dinner?
My all-time favourite Thanksgiving dish to cook is the turkey of course! A great addition is roasted spaghetti squash with brown butter vinaigrette. It’s a great twist on a traditional vegetable that is really simple to make but adds a special touch to dinner. It is always a real hit at any holiday function.
Trevor has graciously shared his famous roasted spaghetti squash recipe with us. Please see below for ingredients and directions.
To get your own set of ZWILLING Five Star Knives, you can head to Safeway to check out their latest in-store promotion where you can redeem stamps for ZWILLING knives and product. For more information, check out Safeway promotions here. Or, enter our contest to win the seven-piece set.
Contest
Enter to win a seven-piece set of ZWILLING knives. To enter simply retweet the following:
- Enter to win a set of ZWILLING knives via @VancityBuzz http://ow.ly/CrRtV RT to Enter!
Contest ends 11:59 pm on October 16, 2014. One winner will be selected at random.
Trevor Bird’s Whole Roasted Spaghetti Squash Recipe
Ingredients
- Spaghetti squash 1 ea.
- Butter 1/2 lb
- Sherry vinegar 75ml
- Toasted walnuts 1 cup
- Toasted pumpkin seeds 1 cup
- Raisins 1/2 cup
- Craisins 1/2 cup
- Salt pinch
- Parlsey, chives, thyme chopped
Cut the squash in half and remove seeds, Sprinkle with salt and olive oil, place face down on a baking tray and bake at 400F for 30 minutes until the squash is soft and supple
Brown the butter in a sauce pan remove from heat and cool slightly, add in all the other ingredients and mix.
Pour over hot squash and mix up the squash with a fork to really let the vinaigrette sink in.
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