Cooking with Cognac?

I’m a huge visual person, hence my job: a Graphic Designer. So, when I’m looking to create new recipes in the kitchen, I would like to know exactly what it is that I’m trying to replicate, rather than reading the ingredients and imagining it in my head. Doesn’t work.

Any cook book that has images for every recipe, is definitely a , which is why Kristin from Iowa Girl Eats is my favorite go-to website for cooking. (Nerd alert: I was a little star-struck when I met her at BlogHer11 last year!! She knew who *I* was too. Get out of town!!).

Back to business…

Have you got a bit of talent in the kitchen, and are from Ontario, Canada?

If so, I’d like to invite you to create a culinary masterpiece that incorporates Courvoisier cognac and submit it on Courvoisier Collective by August 24. While I didn’t participate in the Courvoisier Collective challenge, I thought I’d share this all with you, in case one of you wanted to whip up a little somethin’ and maybe win a prize!?

Some of the recipes featured on the site may end up getting selected at an exclusive tasting even in Toronto this fall. Sounds delicious, can I come?

I promise I won’t drink all this before I arrive. Heh heh…

Here are some more details about it:

• July 3^rd to August 24^th – Users can submit recipes and vote for their favorites
• August 24^th – September 7^th: The chef judging panel (you can learn more about them on the site) review each recipe.
• September 7^th: 6 finalists are contacted and invited to attend an exclusive tasting event in October where their dish will be recreated and sampled.

Some rules and regulations (more found online)

• Must fall under the category of soup, salad, hors d’oeuvres, or entrée
• Must be an original recipe, ingredient list, cooking instructions and photograph of the completed Recipe only, photos of anything else may not be accepted as an eligible Entry
• Must be submitted by a resident of Ontario who is 19 years of age or older with an authorized Facebook account

Prizes:

Finalists: Six Finalists will be awarded: A Visa gift card valued at $500 for Finalist to use toward a trip to Toronto, including accommodations (if necessary) to attend the Courvoisier Collective event on October 17, 2012. Finalists will have the opportunity to work with a team of elite chefs to recreate their recipe and have it served at the Courvoisier Collective event. Finalist Prize requires entrant to attend the event on October 17, 2012 in Toronto.

Grand Prize: Two of the Finalists (one (1) from the Student Finalists and one (1) from the amateur Finalists, described above) will be awarded $1,000. The winners will be selected at the event based on criteria listed in Rule 4 Round two Judging. The Prizes consist only of items specified herein. Dollar amounts are expressed in Canadian currency.

If you do end up entering the Courvoisier Collective challenge, be sure to come back here and let me know what recipe you posted so we can all vote for you!