Food Revolution Day Toronto 2014

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Day Global Day of Action just took place around the world on May 16th but there were year round events leading up to the big day and a week full of local Toronto Events including the 2 events I hosted for Food Revolution Day this year this is about the 1st of the 2 events.

This year I wanted to host a public Workshop Event where I could open it up to parents and their kids to learn how to make a complete meal from scratch.  Something that had simple ingredients and wasn't complicated to make but required a little time and patience.  I decided on Italian this year because it uses the freshest most simplest of ingredients with the biggest flavour impact and generally keeping in mind people's tight budgets these days.

I hosted my Italian Getaway Cooking from Scratch Workshop at the Depanneur in downtown Toronto and kids under 12 were able to attend at half price. 

With the help of fellow Ambassador Chef Mary Hubert and one of the Depanneur's resident chef's Emily Zimmerman and a couple of my friends Linda and Martina to help me get things set up and ready for an educational and fun night where I was able to teach a group of people how to make fresh Ricotta cheese, a classic Italian Tomato Sauce and Ricotta gnocchi which everyone participated in hand rolling to produce enough for everyone to sample with the tomato sauce.  I also showed them how to make a quick grilled asparagus side dish and options for making the asparagus.  And to complete the meal I set up a quick Cherry Amaretto dessert bar where everyone could make their own Cherry Amaretto Parfaits in Bernardin Mason Jars.

In a fast paced 3 hours everyone was able to learn how to make a complete meal and enjoy their efforts at the end of the Workshop.  I also had a raffle draw where a lucky winner received a basket of Jamie Oliver items and some things ready to take home to continue their culinary skills.  Each participant also took home a Jamie Oliver cookbook which was generously provided by Harper Collins Canada and there were also some kids packs that included Sarah Elton's cookbook Cooking from Scratch and some great little Sobey's aprons and measuring spoons that were provided by Sobeys. Everyone was also able to take home a Bernardin Mason jar of some freshly made Tomato Sauce and if they didn't eat their dessert on the spot they were able to take their Parfait's home as well.

Everyone had a great time and learned a few new culinary tricks as one participant said he wanted to learn.

They were very interested in attending more Culinary Events at the Depanneur in the future and I think some will take the recipes that were provided at the Workshop and continue to make them on their own at home for their families.   That's what Food Revolution Day is all about.  Getting inspired by food and learning new things and passing them on.  

The importance of Food Revolution Day.

I became involved in Food Revolution Day just over 3 years ago after I watched Jamie Oliver's Television series Food Revolution where he went to a town in the U.S. and tried to set up a pass it on movement to teach people where there food comes from and how to cook it to try and tackle their massive childhood obesity problem.   Jamie began his journey into this Food Revolution movement by trying to change the school lunches in the U.K. and found that there was a lot of resistance from the government, the schools and the kids in the schools at the beginning.  He managed to change a lot of things and the kids adjusted to the changes and their behaviour and learning in the schools improved.   This was just through the power of making some changes to the food that was being served to kids.  Jamie was on a mission.  What if he could spread this out all over the world to change what kids are eating and have people take control of what they are eating instead of relying on fast food nation.

The Food Revolution Global Day of Action began 3 years ago where Jamie and his Foundation's team recruited people like me to be Ambassadors to try and spread the word and try and get people involved.   This year Jamie wants to break a Guinness World Record to get schools around the Globe participating in making a Rainbow Wrap.  http://www.foodrevolutionday.com/rainbow-salad-wrap/
and he wants to get more people to spread the word and join in and attend an event or become an Ambassador or participate in some way in your area.

This overall mission is to "Get kids excited about food" so they will be inspired to learn all about it and learn how to cook and having cooking skills that will set them up for life.

This is my 3rd year participating as I mentioned at the beginning of this post.

The first year I held a dinner party at my home where I made a mostly vegetable dinner with very vegetable Lasagna, a huge mixed vegetable salad and meringues and strawberries for dessert.   Everyone loved the food and I was told by a few people that the lasagna was the best one they ever had.

Last year I wanted to expand it to be open to the public so I hosted a Mexican Fiesta at Aphrodite Cooks on Weston Rd.  It was a small group of people but we all had our hands on deck and created some great tacos/tostadas and non alcoholic margaritas and guacamole etc.   I set up a photo wall so we could all have a little fun with Sombrero's and props.

This year I am going to be teaching an Italian Cooking from Scratch Workshop on May 12th at The Depanneur on College Street in downtown Toronto.  I will teach adults and kids how to make a simple but delicious meal of handmade gnocchi, fresh tomato sauce, grilled asparagus side dish and a delicious cherry amaretto parfait for dessert.   Harper Collins Canada has generously donated some Jamie Oliver cookbooks as prizes and Sobeys has also generously provided the event with assistance and have donated some special kids packs to set up kids for future cooking skills.  Bernardin canning have provided Mason jars for guests to be able to take home a jar filled with some fresh tomato sauce and the dessert they create for themselves.

You can take part and join the Revolution by attending an event like mine or seeing how else you can Join in on the Food Revolution Website:  www.foodrevolutionday.com

It is my hope that I can teach someone that has never cooked before how easy it can be too cook a meal using simple ingredients that even kids can understand and manage in the hope that they will be inspired to learn the value of cooking and sharing food and eating healthy food.   Many kids don't know what they are eating or where it comes from.  Hopefully they will be inspired to find out more and try new things and change their future health.

Food Revolution Day Italian Getaway at the Depanneur

Things are coming together for my
FOOD Revolution DAY Italian Cooking Workshop
on Monday, May 12th, 2014 at 6:30pm

Join me for Food Revolution Day at the Depanneur on College Street in Toronto

for an Italian Getaway Hands On Cooking Workshop.

It's now available to BOOK ONLINE .  Space is limited.

Learn how to make Potato Gnocchi and Tomato Sauce from Scratch, 

Grilled Asparagus, and a Cherry Amaretto Mason Jar Parfait dessert!

 

There will be special gift packs for any kids that attend for 1/2 price when accompanied by their parents.

There will be a chance to take home some great PRIZES from 

SOBEYS,  Harper Collins Canada and BERNARDIN

Food Revolution Day 2014 - Italian Getaway Gnocchi from scratch Workshop

FOOD REVOLUTION DAY is coming May 2014

Join me for a Hands on Workshop on Monday May 12, 2014 

at The Depanneur at 1033a College St. in Toronto

Time:  6-9pm

Learn how to create an Italian meal the old fashioned way using fresh ingredients and traditional cooking methods. During this workshop, you will learn how to make homemade dough for gnocchi as well as a fresh tomato sauce using Roma tomatoes and fresh herbs. There will also be a grilled asparagus side dish and a fresh and easy dessert.

Tickets are $40 and include the workshop and  a chance to 

WIN a JAMIE OLIVER COOKBOOK!

Tickets will be available soon and will be available from The Depanneur.  Space is limited

FOOD REVOLUTION DAY around the World is May 16, 2014 but get a head start on learning how to cook an Italian Food Revolution Day dinner to share with your friends and family on May 12th.

The Jamie Oliver Foundation created Food Revolution Day as a way to bring people together to bring back food education for kids and to get families back in the kitchen cooking their meals again.

For more information on what you can do to participate in Food Revolution Day and what it's all about you can check out the website here:  www.foodrevolutionday.com  It will be fully updated early in April.

Tickets for the Workshop will be available soon from The Depanneur. http://thedepanneur.ca/  Check out their Facebook page as well and keep checking back on this Blog for any updates about the Workshop.

Feel free to Join the Toronto Facebook Group here's the link: https://www.facebook.com/FoodRevolutionDayToronto2013

Also follow our Toronto Twitter Feed at @FOODREVTORONTO

Tweet about us using the Hashtag #FRD2014