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Home chef showdown

Sudburians Mike Sipos and Sandra Beites will strap on their aprons and go plate to plate later this month at Cook for Me Sudbury's live finale event. The competitors are the finalists in a culinary showdown, featuring the city's best home chefs.
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Ready to duke it out — culinarily speaking — in the Oct. 24 finale of Sudbury Living Magazine's home chef contest and web show, Cook For Me Sudbury, are Mike Sipos and Sandra Beites. Photo by Jim Gray

Sudburians Mike Sipos and Sandra Beites will strap on their aprons and go plate to plate later this month at Cook for Me Sudbury's live finale event. 


The competitors are the finalists in a culinary showdown, featuring the city's best home chefs. It was turned into three webisodes that aired over the summer online at cookformesudbury.com and on Eastlink TV.

The competition, hosted by Sudbury Living Magazine, Northern Life's sister publication, wraps up at the Caruso Club starting at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 24, and the public is invited to watch — and eat.

Those attending the event get a chance to taste Sipos' lambchetta (a lamb dish seasoned with local honey) and Beites' traditional Portuguese dish of clams, pork and potatoes called Carne Alentejana.

Afterwards, the crowd votes to help judges choose the winner.

The panel of judges includes Mark Gregorini (owner of Ristorante Verdicchio), Stephanie Piché (owner of Legacy Catering), Simon Le Hénaff (chef and professor for College Boréal’s Culinary Arts program) and special guest judge Marida Mohammed (Masterchef Canada runner-up).

Beites said she grew up watching her family cooking, and developed a passion for the culinary arts — especially for recipes from her family's native Portugal — at a young age.

She said she's enjoyed participating in Cook for Me Sudbury.

“It's been fun,” Beites said.

Sipos — whose background is Hungarian — said he also grew up cooking with his family. He hasn't stuck with Hungarian recipes, though, and enjoys “trying new combinations and new ingredients,” and especially barbecuing.

“The competition, it was a blast, actually,” Sipos said. “I met a lot of really good cooks from Sudbury and got inspired from some of their dishes as well.”

Sudbury Living Magazine marketing director Brandi Braithwaite said the dishes entered by Sipos and Beites — and all of the Cook for Me Sudbury competitors — speak to Sudbury's cultural diversity.

The two finalists' entries “are exceptional dishes that are really unique,” she said.

If you're not a fan of clams or lamb, though, don't fear — you can still attend the finale and come home full.

The Caruso Club will have some of their famous pasta and chicken dinners on hand, along with a vegetarian option.

The event also features prizes and a performance by the Bluez Brotherz.

Tickets are $75 and can be purchased online at cookformesudbury.com or by phoning 705-673-5667, ext. 336.

Partial proceeds from ticket sales will be going to the Elgin Street Mission.


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Heidi Ulrichsen

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