Profile - Yoshi Chubachi, Executive Chef, The Rimrock Resort Hotel

Procuring quality produce is a lot more difficult in Alberta, Canada than in California, as Chef Yoshi Chubachi learned when he attended Citrus Célébré, held at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, California in February.

"I had no idea that there are so many Sunkist citrus products. Living in Canada is different than the U.S. west coast. Here quality -- or lack of quality -- is a big issue. Sunkist is top quality. The fruit is gorgeous. I'm jealous," says the executive chef of the Rimrock Resort Hotel. Chef Chubachi supervises three restaurants, as well as conference center catering, at this AAA four-diamond resort located in Banff National Park.

After graduating from culinary school near Mt. Fuji in Shizuoka, Japan, Chubachi worked at the Grand Palace Hotel in Tokyo. At the age of 24, he went to Geneva to study French cuisine for a year and then worked at a Michelen two-star restaurant in Arbois near the Swiss border in the Jura wine region of eastern France. After that, he migrated to Canada, working in Montreal, Winnipeg and now Banff.

To Chubachi, cooking is like art, with color playing an essential role. "Taste is first, color coordination second. The food of Japan, where I grew up, is all about color coordination," he says. Using sushi as an example, he explains how the different hues of various fish compose a color palette on the plate. Food should be a work of art, he believes.

Although his training is in classic French cuisine, Chubachi says that it forms the basis for food that can be

created in many ways. He gets new menu ideas from the internet, from cookbooks and from culinary competitions. Between 1980 and 2000, he was a regular participant in Canadian and international competitions, as the captain of his regional team and a member of the Canadian national team. In 1992 his national team won the world championship in Germany. "We beat the U.S.," he proudly remembers. Competitions opened his mind to new ideas from chefs around the world. Claiming he's too old to compete, he now gets ideas from his hotel chefs who continue to participate in various events.

As for citrus, Chubachi feels it adds excitement and lightness to the menu and is particularly appreciated by his hotel guests, who come to the national park for hiking and skiing and look for healthy food. He uses the fruit for juices, as a garnish and in sauces. Fresh lobster poached with citrus butter is an item always popular with guests. Putting together the summer menu, Chubachi is working on figuring out how to better incorporate citrus in salads and soups. His latest creation: cold soup with citrus.