We’ve told you in the past about local chef Paul Natrall, a member of the Squamish Nation and the owner-operator of Vancouver's first Indigenous food truck, Mr. Bannock.

Now, we get to share that he’s an official judge for 9^th annual Hands-On Cook-Off contest. It’s an annual competition presented by Better Together BC, an online community forum designed to celebrate family meals, cooking, and trying new recipes.

Natrall first learned how to cook at home via his grandmother. He went on to complete the Aboriginal specialty culinary program at Vancouver Community College with the goal of sharing Indigenous food with the public. He’s also keen on helping younger generations understand the importance of learning how to cook and taking the time to enjoy meals with their nearest and dearest.

“Cooking with my family is one of my most loved activities,” Natrall said in a release. “We put on our favourite tunes, and let the kids have fun peeling, chopping, slicing, searing, grilling. This is how some of our best memories are made.”

Recent research published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior has shown that sitting down at the table together as a unit to eat leads to healthier food choices at home and having fewer meals in front of the TV.

Running until noon on May 16, the Hand-On Cook-Off works like this: groups of two or more people make a video three minutes long or less of them preparing a recipe together. There’s a category for youth under 18 and another for multiple generations. (There are categories for individuals and schools, too.)

New this year is a photo option, where people can enter a recipe with accompanying picture.

Participants can win cash prizes. and entries can be submitted online.

More info is at Better Together BC's Hands-On Cook-Off's website.