Maple–glazed salmon fillets with seared rosemary
By ANTHONY SEDLAK

Growing up in North Vancouver Anthony Sedlak got his start in restaurants at age 13 when – motivated by a free snowboarding pass – he got a job bussing at the Grouse Mountain cafeteria. Quickly promoted to the main kitchen, there Sedlak developed a passion for food. After completing an apprenticeship program at Vancouver Community College 20-year-old Sedlak joined the team at La Trompette in West London. Sedlak returned home to the position of sous-chef at The Observatory and recently entered and won FoodTV’s Superstar Chef Challenge II. After the win he left The Observatory to shoot his own cooking show for Food Network Canada, The Main.

Sedlak is an accomplished, charming and charismatic chef – a natural on camera. Each episode of The Main is based on one main ingredient, like mushrooms or clams. It’s a non-scripted instructional show and Sedlak provides plenty of helpful chef’s tips. This is his first cookbook.

MAPLE-GLAZED SALMON FILLETS WITH SEARED ROSEMARY
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1 rosemary sprig, crushed to release oils
four 6 oz salmon fillets, each sliced lengthwise into 3 strips
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
In a small ceramic dish large enough to hold the salmon, combine maple syrup, soy sauce, cider vinegar, black pepper, and rosemary sprig. Add salmon and let marinate for 2 hours in the refrigerator. In a medium cast iron skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add salmon and cook 20 to 30 seconds per side, or until fish is cooked to medium doneness.

BACON BARLEY
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 strips bacon, chopped
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 sprig rosemary, leaves only
1 cup white wine
2 cups cooked barley, cooked according to package directions
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add bacon and cook 4 to 6 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Add onion and cook 5 more minutes, or until soft and translucent. Add garlic and rosemary leaves. Stir to combine. Add white wine to deglaze pan. Add barley and stir to combine.

SAUTÉED SWISS CHARD
1 bunch Swiss chard
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup corn, fresh or frozen
2 Tbsp white wine or chicken stock
Clean Swiss chard and remove stems. Cut stems into 1-inch pieces and tear greens into bite-sized pieces. Keep stems and greens separate. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add Swiss chard stems and corn and cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until tender. Add white wine or stock and let liquid reduce slightly, another 3 to 4 minutes. Add greens and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until wilted.

MAPLE BACON
4 strips bacon
1/3 cup maple syrup
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place bacon on a baking sheet and put into oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Brush maple syrup onto bacon and return to oven. Baste bacon with maple syrup every 5 to 10 minutes, or until bacon is golden and crispy, for a total of 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool and break into pieces.