Mr. Laird White reports

THE MARILYN DENIS SHOW AND THE LITTLE POTATO COMPANY PRESENT THE LITTLE CHEF CASTING CALL

BCE Inc.'s CTV has provided an update. Calling all little chefs: now is your chance to get creative with small potatoes and share your cooking skills on the The Marilyn Denis Show. CTV's The Marilyn Denis Show and Masterchef Canada's Michael Bonacini have partnered with the Little Potato Company to create The Little Chef casting call. Launching Monday, Sept. 21, it's a delectable opportunity for young cooks from across the country to have a chance to appear on CTV as well as win the culinary trip of a lifetime for their family to Paris, France.

The culinary contest is open to all Canadian children ages eight to 13. To enter the casting call, families must visit the Marilyn Denis website before Oct. 18 and submit a video of their little chef cooking an original recipe that includes small potatoes. Two finalists will go head to head on The Marilyn Denis Show to compete for the grand prize of a family adventure for three people in Paris, courtesy of the Little Potato Company, which includes airfare, accommodation, two-day park passes to an entertainment resort, and an ultimate culinary experience.

"This innovative partnership gives children the opportunity to showcase their cooking skills in front of one of Canada's top chefs, and the country," said Laird White, director, brand partnerships, Bell Media. "We look forward to presenting creative dishes to our audience with the help of an esteemed Canadian food company."

"Our Little Chef program makes it fun and easy for parents to cook with their kids, to help them learn about cooking and healthy food," said Angela Santiago, chief executive officer and co-founder, the Little Potato Company. "Kids and adults love the buttery taste, small child-friendly size and eye-catching colours and shapes of our creamers, so they're a fun and easy vegetable for families to cook with, and enjoy eating together."

Videos featuring kids cooking original recipes with small potatoes will be accepted for four weeks following the Sept. 21 launch date, until Oct. 18. After the initial call for entries, 10 finalists will be selected by a judging panel and Canadians will be able to vote for their favourite Little Chef at the Marilyn Denis website. Following the voting period, the judging panel will select the two finalists who will travel to Toronto with their families to appear in an episode of The Marilyn Denis Show to compete in a cook-off for a chance to win the grand prize. Details about top 10 and voting will be provided in early November. Viewers can visit the Marilyn Denis website for full rules and regulations.

The contest will be promoted and featured at major retailers across Canada and supported at store level with Little Chef program support material and promotional programs.

The Little Chef program provides tools and tips to help parents cook with their kids. The program includes Little Chef-approved recipes, age-appropriate tasks for kids ages five to six, eight to 10 and 11 to 13 years old, and information about the important skills they'll learn as their kitchen skills evolve. The Little Chef-approved recipes are popular not only with kids, but with adults, too. Recipes include smashed potato pizza and bacon-wrapped creamer potatoes, Little Chef potato skins and more.