Tell us a bit about your culinary background?

To say my culinary upbringing was a mixing pot of cultures and ethnicities would be an understatement. With my mother being from Dublin, Ireland and my father coming from East Africa, the culinary creations in our house were broad to say the least. If I were to attribute one person for my love of food, cooking and sharing ideas, it would not be so much from my parents, but from my Grandmother (also from East Africa). Not only was she creative, but she also cooked with such intense and bold flavors, you couldn’t help but be inspired.

Ireland & Africa eh!  Was Roddy Geoghegan on heavy rotation? 

Who is Roddy Goeghegan???  After being entrenched and intrigued with Italian and Greek culture and cuisine from 3 years of working in Jasper, Alberta, coupled with my parents' teachings, my Grandmother's passion and my upbringing in Newfoundland, it was time to get some formal training. I graduated with honours from Southern Alberta’s Institute of Technology Culinary Program in 2002 and received the “Chefs Top Hat Award”. I then took an entrepreneurial approach and opened up a small catering company that focused on small functions and busy families. The catering company took off but I was trying to fly on one wing, as I still needed to wrap my brain around the front-of-house operations. While operating as the Executive Chef for the catering company, I also spent 6 years climbing the ranks with the Keg Restaurant & Bar chain. When I thought I had the arsenal of info I needed, I opened up a small tapas lounge called Balance Lounge and Eatery.

Balance was based around sharing plates and my preferred culinary style, which is French-based modern cuisine. With the help and mentoring of a culinary genius I went to school with, we started making a great name for ourselves. Balance won numerous awards and acclamations, with my proudest moment being named EnRoute magazine's “Top 25 New Hotspots in Canada”….fond memories.

What was the first meal you remember cooking for someone?

My first recollection of making a meal for someone besides myself was a Mothers' Day breakfast in bed. I remember my brothers making fun of me as the eggs, toast and fried tomatoes were all burnt. By the time I got to my mother's bedside, they were all floating in orange juice to boot...I found my steady serving hands many years later :-)

My favorite HL product would have to be our 10/20 FAS scallops. When we were kids we used to have seafood "boil-ups" when we were camping, especially around May 24 when the lobster season was open. Besides them having a nostalgic place in my heart, I just truly love the flavor of our Scallops raw and/or cooked. When I do cook them up for friends and family, it is usually a very basic concoction of sauteed onions, garlic, a big nub of real butter and de-glazed with some white wine....a true crowd pleaser every time :-)

Karam Badurdin is part of a team of seafood specialist in the west region of Canada.  Is your establishment in need of some seafood renovations?  Drop us a comment below or send an email to info@highlinerfoodservice.com and we will be happy to assist.