“Food Fight” was conceived by three foodies – chef Eric Hanson, just back from a long leisurely jaunt around southeast Asia, Get Cooking cooking school owner/hospitality activist Kathryn Joel, and, showing a human side, Greenpeace anti-oilsands spokesperson Mike Hudema.

They are fans of the “gritty reality” TV cooking shows like Knife Fight or Cutthroat Kitchen. As they talked, they figured Edmontonians would pay to enjoy a good, intense, well-produced show-biz cooking competition featuring local chefs with strong personalities. 

By the third Food Fight, the production was gaining credibility. Food Fight IV took place at the wildly successful Porkapalooza BBQ festival, attended by over 40,000 people at the east-end Borden Park.

Food Fight V happened last Sunday, July 19, staged in the Sip ‘N’ Savour tent at Taste of Edmonton in Churchill Square.

All the contestants had actually finished second in the previous four Food Fights. So this was a wild-card evening. Whoever won– Spencer Thompson of Toast Fine Catering, Christine Sandford of Acme Meats and food collective Staff Meal, big-bearded Mark Bellows of the Local Omnivore food truck (and soon the Local Omnivore meat delicatessen) and finally Sage Restaurant’s often-brilliant Shane Chartrand - would be the fifth finalist in a Food Fight finale, date to be determined.

Those who bought tickets to the sold-out show  arrived between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. were given a few drink tickets for good local craft beers and good wines, and enjoyed tasty small plates being made to the side of the main event by other chef friends of the three partners.

The four contestants worked in a fully-equipped cooking area on equipment trucked in from Get Cooking. They had access to all the cooking supplies - hardware and digestible - needed.

Three mystery ingredients were the essence of the evening – a slab of pork fat, a whole skinned and gutted rabbit, and zucchini flowers. 

The chefs had 10 minutes to plan what they’d make with the three main ingredients, whether they would do two or three dishes each, then away they went – with 50 minutes to get their two or three dishes before the judges -  Paul Shufelt (leaving Century Hospitality Group as executive chef after many years to open his own restaurant The Workshop Eatery), Rostizaro/Tres Carnales partner Danny Braun, Sonic Radio mid-day host Taylor Smith, and yours truly.

It was all rock ‘n’ roll-y, loud music, TV cameras moving around as the show was being live-cast on several website, and a pumped-up jumping bean of a host, 91.7 The Bounce's Mike Chalut who made up in energy what he lacked in substance. (Any communicator using "awesome" too often should have their vocal chords removed.)   

The energy might have been a tad contrived – three of the four competing chefs were very Canadian, very quiet and focused on the task at hand. Chartrand, on the other hand, was a dancing dynamo, using rhythm and motion to maximize his efficiency.

After 15 minutes of hard-core cookin’, the dishes began to roll out – Chartrand’s ground rabbit meatballs (delicious) and zucchini flower fritters, Sandford’s zucchini flowers and sour cream, then rabbit medallions in a lovely green sauce, Bellow’s rabbit on a soft taco/pancake mush, Spencer’s rabbit creation served in mason jars.

In most judging I have done, there's usually an obvious winner. Such was not the case at Food Fight V. Between Chartrand and Sandford as the easily-agreed-up two finalists, there wasn’t so much as a point or two of difference. Each had beautiful features, each had a few items they’d likely would have changed. But when the scores were added up, Sandford went home the evening’s winner.

Good on the three producers – Joel, Hanson and Hudema – who obviously poured time and effort and not a small amount of financial investment into the Food Fight series. Plus Food Fight is very much a communal affair, all kinds of culinary friends pitching in to make the evening a success. 

Thanks to the sponsors who were also crucial to making the evening work – Alberta Pork Producers, Fresh Forward, Knifeware, Nissan and Taste of Edmonton. 

Food Fight VI will be a vegan affair, a late August date to be announced at the Get Cooking cooking school in McEwan University. A vegan cooking competition would have to be the most laid back of affairs. Will the background music be all soft, the lighting by candles?