Photo: Stephen Chu
2026 Taste Canada Cooks the Books Presented by Canada Beef
Cooks the Books centres Canadian food literature as a catalyst for cultural dialogue, learning and mentorship. By connecting emerging culinary talent with established Canadian food authors, the program gives authors meaningful leadership roles while inviting students to interpret literary narratives of culture, heritage and identity through hands-on creation. In doing so, the program expands the reach of Canadian authors and introduces their work to new and diverse generations.
Meet the Competition
Taste Canada is proud to support the next generation of culinary talent through Cooks the Books, our annual student cooking competition presented by Canada Beef! This high-energy event brings together culinary students from across the country to compete for the title of Canada’s Best New Student Chefs. We’re excited to announce the Canadian culinary schools selected for this year’s competition. We can’t wait to see what they’ll cook up!
Meet the 2026 Cooks The Book Host
We are thrilled to have Chef Dwight Smith as host of the 2026 Taste Canada Cooks the Books student cooking competition presented by Canada Beef!
Red Seal chef, CBC Life contributor, guest judge on Top Chef Canada and permanent judge on Food Network Canada’s Bake Master Battle, every recipe he shares is infused with passion and artistry and makes gourmet cooking accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
Meet the Judges
Introducing the esteemed judges panel for the 2026 Cooks the Books student cooking competition! After scoring each team's written recipe, carefully watching them cook in the kitchen arena, and then meticulously sampling each final dish, it is up to this panel to determine which team is named Taste Canada's Best New Student Chefs for 2026!
Dominique Rioux
Dominique is an award-winning butcher, bestselling author and educator. A 2026 Taste Canada Awards Shortlisted author and senior member of Butchery Team Canada, she is dedicated to making the art of butchery modern, creative and accessible. | Butchery Team Canada
Jonathan Cheung
Chef and owner of Montreal’s Appetite for Books, Jonathan has been sharing his passion for cookbooks, international cuisine and seasonal home cooking for over 20 years. He is also a CBC Radio One food correspondent, co-author of Montreal Cooks and a familiar face on national food and lifestyle programs. | Appetite for Books
Mathieu Paré
As a Professional Cooking Program graduate and recipient of Canada’s Governor General Medal for Academic Achievement, Mathieu is keen to share his passion for hospitality, foodservice and his most recent experience working in education, promotion and marketing on behalf of Canada’s local beef farmers and ranchers. | Canadian Beef Centre of Excellence
Irene Matys
Irene Matys is author of the bestselling cookbook My Cypriot Table, which has also won a World Gourmand Award and is shortlisted for the 2026 Taste Canada. Irene is a food stylist, photographer and on-air food expert passionate about celebrating Cypriot cuisine and culture. | My Cypriot Table
Ozoz Sokoh
A geologist turned gastronomist and food and tourism studies educator, Ozoz was the 2026 James Beard Emerging Voice in Books winner for her cookbook, Chop
Chop. The book also won a 2026 Gold Nautilus Award and is shortlisted for a 2026 Taste Canada Award. | Kitchen Butterfly
Ryan Marquis
A culinary industry veteran, Ryan now serves as National Sales Manager and Corporate Chef for Tabasco Foodservice Canada and CW Shasky & Associates. Named Canada’s Chef of the Year in 2016, he is also the former President of the Culinary Federation of Canada and a Worldchefs Certified Judge. | CW Shasky and Associates
Explore. Inspire. Cook.
Each competing Cooks the Books team has been challenged to develop a unique recipe with this year’s theme of “Global Flavours Grow in Canada” to explore the rich tapestry of global cuisines and cultural influences that have shaped their culinary journeys.
All recipes will include a cut of AAA Canadian Beef as centre-of-plate, a variety of Lactalis Canada Foodservice dairy products, as well as Dainty Rice. To ensure that the majority of the ingredients in each recipe are grown, produced and/or raised in Canada, the students were invited to use the What’s in Season section of the Canadian Food Focus website as their helpful resource. Thank you to Prince Edward Island Certified Beef for generously providing the Cooks the Books teams with high-quality Canadian beef to develop, practice and present their recipes.
Educational Resource Hub
The Taste Canada Cooks the Books Educational Resource Hub for Canadian Culinary Students and Food Professionals is loaded with valuable information. Learn about food trends, agricultural practices, food writing, nutrition and more from Taste Canada’s partners and notable industry experts.
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