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by Madelyn Miller

Michael Noble is the executive chef at The Metropolitan Hotel in Vancouver and its award-winning restaurant, Diva at the Met.  Within one year he was instrumental in propelling Diva into Vancouver's culinary spotlight, gaining recognition for the restaurant with a host of awards including TopTable for Vancouver from the prestigious Gourmet Magazine and Best New Restaurant from Vancouver Magazine.

Noble has been a serious competitor and impressive ambassador for Canada inreputed international culinary competitions.  He competed for Canada twice (1995, 1997) at the Bocuse d'Or World Cuisine Competition in Lyon, France where his standings represent the highest ever placements for a Canadian competitor at this biannual event.  In September of 1996, Michael helped Team Canada bring home three gold medals and three bronze medals from the World Culinary Olympics in Berlin.  When not competing himself, he contributes to Canada's chances for high medal standings and is currently coaching the next competitor to represent Canada in the 1999 Bocuse d'Or comptetion.

Amidst the intensity of preparation for these competitions, Michael found time to open Diva at the Met in June 1996, a 141-seat restaurant that has set a new trend for hotel dining in Vancouver.  Michael can be found performing regularly in Diva's Waldorf-style open kitchen bringing international flavours to the palates of his patrons. He is impassioned by the use of fresh and organic local ingredients as much as he is inspired by global finds, and practises a philosophy that ingredients should be balanced and uncomplicated to keep flavours honest.

Michael began his apprenticeship at the Hotel Vancouver under the guidance of Culinary Olympics chef Gerhard Pichler.  In the early stages of his career, he had the opportunity to gain valuable European experience in Bern, Switzerland at the Gasthof Maygut and at Loew's Monte Carlo in Monaco.  Prior to joining the Metropolitan Hotel in November, 1995, Michael was with the Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver where he held many positions during his eight year tenure, most recently as executive sous-chef.

Diva at the Met's
Stilton Cheesecake with Rhubarb Compote

Executive chef, Michael Noble, has astounded diners with this dessert and recently received GQ Magazine's TOP TASTE AWARD for 1997 from food writer Alan Richman.  Says the awarding food writer, " I salute Michael Noble, a Canadian, for creating a variation on cheesecake that tastes like cheese. Appropriately, Noble's slightly piquant, exceptionally creamy Stilton cheesecake pairs up wonderfully well with any young, powerful seet Port.

It pairs up even better with the barely peppery, not very sweet rhubarb compote that he serves with it."  This dessert effectively doubles as a dessert and a cheese course!  With the changing season and availability of fruits, a cranberry compote can be substituted for the rhubarb.

Makes 1 - 8" (200 mm) cheesecake
Shortbread base:

3 1/2 oz (100 gr) butter (room temperature)
1 1/2 oz (40 gr) sugar
5 1/2 oz (150 gr) flour

Place the ingredients in a mixer fitted with a paddle. Mix the ingredients until well combined. Do not overmix or the dough will become too soft. Press the dough into a greased 8" springform pan to cover the bottom. Bake the crust in the oven at 350 oF (165 oC) for approximately 8 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.

For the filling:

24 oz (660 gr) cream cheese
4 oz (115 gr) Stilton cheese
2 tsp (30 ml) vanilla extract
7 oz (200 gr) sugar
1 1/2 oz (40 gr) flour
3 eggs
7 1/2 oz (210 gr) sour cream

In a mixing bowl fitted with a paddle, blend together the cream cheese, Stilton and sugar. Add the flour and then the eggs one at a time until well combined. Add the sour cream last and mix until the filling is smooth. Pour the filling into the springform pan and bake in the oven at 300 oF (140 oC) for approximately 1 hour or until the center of the cake is firm to the touch. Remove the cheesecake from the oven, run a knife around the edge of the pan and let cool at room temperature. Chill the cheesecake until it is needed.

Rhubarb compote: (makes 2 cups)

3 cups (750 ml) rhubarb (diced)
1/4 - 1/2 c (75 - 150 ml) sugar (depending on the  sourness of the rhubarb)
12 pc pink peppercorns (dry) - crushed
1/4 c (75 ml) port wine

Boil the sugar with the peppercorns and the port and reduce the liquid by one half. Add the diced rhubarb and simmer until slightly soft. Adjust the sweetness if required. Chill the mixture.

To serve the cheesecake sprinkle the top with granulated sugar. Place the cake in the oven under the broiler element, until lightly brown, to caramelize the sugar or use a hand held blow torch. Let the sugar cool and then slice the cake into 14 or 16 portions. Serve on a plate with a spoonful of the rhubarb compote and a little berry coulis.

-Updated 2-18-98-
 

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