BC Chefs Team up with B2E to Tout the Benefits of Safe, Efficient and Delicious Induction Cooking

To demonstrate their support for the precise, energy-efficient technology, Chefs Angus An (Maenam, Fat Mao); Ken Nakano (Aura at Inn at Laurel Point); Claire Lassam (Livia Sweets); Michael Varga (Vancouver Firefighter Charities’ “Fire in Your Kitchen,” and Chopped Canada contestant); and Ying Ying Gao (Riley’s Steak and Fish) have each contributed to a recipe book of induction-specific dishes.

“I have long loved the precise temperature control you get through induction, so much so that it’s what we use at the restaurant,” says Chef Lassam, Owner and Executive Chef at Livia Sweets. “It’s the perfect thing for savoury applications, like frying, and for finicky pastry items, like custards and jams. Baking is about control, and induction gives me that.”

“Induction Eats: Kitchen Inspirations from Five Gourmet Chefs” is a digital recipe book created just for the precise, lightning-fast technology used for induction cooking. The recipes are sure to inspire at-home chefs to recreate popular chef-made restaurant dishes, including Potato Gnocchi and Confit Tomato Sauce; Chiang Mai Curried Chicken and Noodle Soup; Yarrow Meadows Duck Breast with Sunchokes + Carrots and a Kale Honey Miso; Salt Baked Cornish Hen with Arugula Salad; and Chocolate Budino with Sesame Brittle. Chef Varga thinks home cooks will enjoy the experience as much as he does. “I’m a big fan of induction cooking,” he says. “The precision and even heating is next level. Even better: the induction surface stays cool for when my kids are cooking with me!”

To download the Induction Eats recipe book, visit: https://b2electrification.org/induction-eats

This recipe book builds awareness to the numerous benefits of adopting induction cooking and is just one of the many initiatives led by B2E, a BC-based member-driven coalition that unites government and industry in its pursuit to reduce emissions from buildings through electrification. In addition to the participating chefs, other partners in the development of the cookbook include BC Hydro, the City of Vancouver, and the City of Victoria.

“At B2E, we are working with partners across the building sector to make buildings greener through electrification,” says Mariko Michasiw, B2E Program Manager, ZEIC. “Induction cooktops and ranges are powered by clean electricity and are modernizing kitchens with safer and more efficient technology. In the transition away from using fossil fuels, induction cooking can play a key role in improving indoor air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from homes in B.C.”

Key benefits of induction cooking and cooktops include:

• Enhanced Safety: In induction cooking, the heat is created within the cookware instead of on the element. When the pan is removed or the cooktop is turned off, the heat transfer ceases immediately meaning the surface is cool to the touch.
• More Climate-Friendly: Induction cooktops utilize clean energy and electromagnetism for the cooking process, and do not emit harmful gases into the atmosphere. Thanks to BC Hydro’s low-carbon electrical supply, induction cooking has an extremely low carbon footprint in British Columbia.
• Precision Cooking: The technology behind induction enables even heat transfer and heat distribution to the cooking pan, meaning a more controlled and precise cook-time.
• High Efficiency: With induction cooktops, up to 90 percent of energy consumed is transferred to the food, compared to about 70-75 percent for traditional electric cooktops and as low as 40 percent for gas cooktops.
• Easy-to-Clean: Because the smooth glass of induction cooktops stays cool, spills and debris don’t have the opportunity to burn or stick to the cooktop, making post-cooking clean-up much easier.