Hoping to whisk their way into culinary history books, chefs from around the world gather every four years in a quest for greatness. This year, IKA (Internationale Kochkunst Ausstellung) — the World Culinary Olympics — attracted more than 50 nations and 2,000 chefs. “It’s the biggest number of participants ever, and the level of skill is very high,” says Ragnar Fridriksson, director, World Association of Chefs Societies of the event in Erfurt, Germany where nearly 10,000 competition menus were prepared in October.

With a string of hit restaurants under their belts, Peter Oliver and Michael Bonacini are quitely building an empire.

In 2005, after graduating from Manhattan’s Institute of Culinary Education, Jody Eddy’s cooking career followed an atypical trajectory for a budding apprentice. “I bounced around doing stages at places such as Fat Duck, Jean Georges and Tabla,” she says, “but soon realized I was not up to the pace. It’s a gruelling profession.”

Karen Gelbart, co-chair of the Taste Canada Awards, speaks about the upcoming Awards Gala taking place in Toronto.