Eat to the Beat - 60 women chefs kick butt in the kitchen for Breast Cancer

 EAT TO THE BEAT

60 Female Chefs in Toronto come together to kick ass in the kitchen for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.  It's usually the male chefs that get all the attention in the culinary world so it was great to celebrate all the great female chefs we have right here in Toronto.  Some very highly skilled and very creative women who can match their male counterparts anytime.  It was interesting that an American Celebrity Journalist Chef was just down the street commanding a huge amount of money just to hear him talk, while the same amount of money for a ticket to Eat to the Beat would give you an endless supply of food and drink and help raise funds for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and help people living with Cancer and for research to save people's lives.  HMMM.. just sayin.

Eat to the Beat celebrates it's 21st year.  It would be nice to not have to raise money for Cancer one day and just have this event for something else.

A few of the familiar faces cooking up a storm at Eat to the Beat were Emily Richards, Home Economist and cookbook author and tv personality, Donna Dooher, owner of Mildred's Temple Kitchen and Vanessa Yeung of Aphrodite Cooks.

Some of the food included fancy grilled cheese, gougeres, duck, soup, ceviche, pear, cupcakes, chicken and waffles, noodles and so many things that I can't even list them all.  Imagine 60 different items to sample.  It's impossible to try them all.  I got through 3/4 of the savoury bites and then maybe had 2 desserts and I was done.  I scooped up some cookies to take home because I really wanted to try more sweets but just couldn't fit any more food in my gob.

Other fun things at the event were the requisite fun photo prop step and repeat and of course I took photos with 2 of my friends.  It's now a thing. I remember the events I go to that way.

There was also a silent auction with some amazing Kitchen Aid products, they were the main sponsor. There were special goodie bags for purchase and raffle tickets.

There was a female musical entertainer and also lively DJ music.

Then there were the ladies in special corsettes who represented the women going through Cancer treatments.  Some very fun costumes as you can see from the photo above and also on Cake Lady Vendor Vanessa Le Page.  She had a different outfit the last time I was there a couple of years ago.

Vanessa Le Page - The Cake Lady

 You know it's a great event when you bump into foodies every time you grab a bite and you also know a bunch of the volunteers too.  We all know what the best and most fun events are.

I really love this one for so many reasons.  The food is plentiful and amazing,  it's all women chefs who need to get recognized and above all it's all done for a great cause and will help a lot of people.   And it's just a whole lot of fun.  It is my pleasure to write about events like this because it's a win win event for everyone.

I thought it was funny that in the same building that I spend time in during TIFF there was this cool chocolate treat at the Succulent chocolate booth.  Nice touch.

For more info about Eat to the Beat check their website and make sure you get a ticket next year.

http://www.eattothebeat.ca/about-cbcf/

For More info on the Canadian Breast Cancer foundation and how you can donate:

http://www.cbcf.org/ontario/Pages/default.aspx

Eat to the Beat 2016 - 60 Female Chefs - 1 Great Event

EAT TO THE BEAT

TORONTO’S TOP CULINARY FUNDRAISER IN SUPPORT OF CBCF

Tuesday, November 1, 2016 | 7 pm – 10 pm | Roy Thomson Hall

The countdown is on to one of the hottest food events in Toronto! Join us for the 21^st annual Eat to the Beat presented by KitchenAid, a fundraiser for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (CBCF) that features 60 female chefs supporting people living with breast cancer.

Emily Richards - photo provided by Eat to the Beat

Eat to the Beat guests have the opportunity to enjoy specially prepared savoury and sweet dishes at 60 stations, along with wine, beer and a selection of non alcoholic beverages set up around Roy Thomson Hall’s outer lobby.

In addition to food and drink, colourful and whimsical one-of-a-kind corsets, inspired by food and created and modelled by breast cancer survivors, have become an integral part of Eat to the Beat.

photo provided by Eat to the Beat

Started 21 years ago by sisters Lisa and Abby Slater, Eat to the Beat has raised more than $3.9 million since its inception. Funds raised at Eat to the Beat will support the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation – dedicated to funding relevant and innovative research, supporting and advocating for the breast cancer community, and providing credible, unbiased information to help empower those affected by breast cancer or at increased genetic risk of developing the disease.

The 60 Participating chefs and select menu items that will be featured at this year’s Eat to the Beat include:

·         Sandra Abballe, Succulent Chocolates and Sweets
·         Vanessa Baudanza and Isabelle Loiacono, The Rolling Pin
·         Wanda Beaver, Wanda's Pie in the Sky - Grand Marnier Nanaimo bars
·         Renee Bellefeuille, Art Gallery of Ontario - cured whitefish, rye toast, tarragon crème fraiche and        pickled caperberry goat cheese and artichoke puff
·         Cathy Beneway, Creative Catering by Cathy
·         Emma Beqaj, Emma's Eatery Catering - lobster grilled cheese
·         Arvinda Chauhan and Preena Chauhan, Arvinda’s - spicy curry leaf infused chick pea dip with            tomato purée served on cucumber and zucchini rounds and garnished with noodles and curry leaf
·         Tiiu Christie and Tysa Christie, Marigolds and Onions
·         Felicia Derose Colette Grand Café
·         Donna Dooher and Michael Leary, Mildred's Temple Kitchen
·         Kyla Eaglesham, Madeleines
·         Rossy Earle, SupiCucu
·         Michelle Edgar, The Sweet Escape Patisserie
·         Alison Ferland, Byblos
·         Mali Fernandez, Xola Mexican Food
·         Alexandra Feswick, The Drake Hotel - Adobo pulled pork steam buns with daikon pickle
·         Trish Gill, The Emmet Ray
·         Bonnie Gordon, Bonnie Gordon College of Confectionary Arts - Macaron in a variety of flavours,          homemade chocolates, and langues de chat
·         Tamara Green, The Living Kitchen
·         Kimberly Humby, East & Main Bistro
·         Anna Janes, Cocomira Confections
·         Vanessa Le Page, Cake Lady - Edible Art - The Shortbread 
·         Tara Lee, Bar Hop - mini pork and ricotta meatballs with a tomato cream sauce
·         Jacqueline Lo, Ruelo Patisserie
·         Erin Marcus, Ace Bakery
·         Lynn Mendelson, Lynn Mendelson Catering - million $ bars
·         Joan Monfaredi, Park Hyatt Hotel - tuna tartar wonton tacos with pea shoots
·         Jennifer Mooers and Chris Brown, Citizen Catering
·         Lauren Mozer, Elle Cuisine
·         Catherine O’Donnell, Willow Cakes and Pastries
·         Christine Ostiguy, Yorkshire Pudding Catering
·         Angela Panigas, The Sultan's Tent & Café Moroc
·         Chef Véronique Perez, Crêpes à GoGo Spadina and Limonana
·         Jennifer Perusini, BerBer Social
·         Andrea Poirier, Inn on the Twenty
·         Karen Rachlin, Bite Catering
·         Regular Nuit, Pai Northern Thai Kitchen, Sabai Sabai Kitchen and Bar and Sukhothai Restaurant -     "Mee kra ti" – stir fried rice vermicelli with coconut milk and tofu
·         Caroline Reid, Scaramouche - house-cured duck pastrami with celery root salad, hazelnut purée 
·         Emily Richards, Professional Home Economist - balsamic roasted pear wedges wrapped in                prosciutto with gorgonzola dip
·         Dufflet Rosenberg, Dufflet Pastries - cookie bar
·         Barbara Rotberg, Lollicakes 
·         Gauravi Shah, Tilde - chorizo meatballs with lime aioli and grilled pineapple salsa, bean vegballs          with roasted tomato salsa and cilantro gremolata
·         Trista Sheen, Bar Begonia
·         Alida Solomon, Tutti Matti
·         Lili Sullivan, Waupoos Winery - cider braised lamb in a filo cup with spiked apple
·         Meghan Van Horne, Public Schoolhouse @ Jackson’s Falls - polenta crisp with smoked trout,              chèvre, wild spinach and walnut pesto
·         Karen Viva-Haynes, Viva Tastings
·         Elaine Wong, The Omni King Edward Hotel
·         Winlai Wong, The Badminton and Racquet Club of Toronto
·         Jeanne Da Silva, George Brown College Chef School - edamame falafels with a cultured                      vegetable slaw on whole wheat tortilla cups and vegetarian BLT with coconut bacon, roasted                tomatoes and a spicy avocado purée on whole grain baguette
·         Vanessa Yeung, Aphrodite Cooks
·         Eden Hertzog, New Moon Kitchen
·         Leyla Kizilirmak, Art Square Gallery and Café - organic and fair trade dark chocolate boobs
·         Carmen Jeffrey, President’s Choice Cooking School

Eat to the Beat at a Glance:

DATE:              Tuesday, November 1, 2016

TIME:                7 pm – 10 pm

VENUE:            Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe Street, Toronto (St. Andrew subway station) 

COST:  General Admission Ticket: $189 (a tax receipt will be issued for the maximum allowable amount) Tickets include dishes at 60 stations along with wine, beer and a selection of non-alcoholic beverages.

DRESS:            Smart Casual

CONTACT:        eattothebeat@cbcf.org or call 1 (800) 387-9816

FACEBOOK:     www.facebook.com/cbcf.ettb 

TWITTER:         @EattotheBeat_TO

HASHTAG:        #EattotheBeat

About the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation:

The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (CBCF) is a national community-driven charity. As the largest charitable funder of breast cancer research in Canada, CBCF’s vision is to create a future without breast cancer. Since its inception in 1986, the Foundation has invested over $360 million in breast cancer research, funding more than 1,400 scientific and community grants.CBCF’s investments in vital research, education, health promotion, support and information programs have led to progress in breast cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care. For more information, visit cbcf.org.

Culinary Challenge 2015 Fundraising Launch

I got an invitation to go to the launch for the (CBCF) Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation's annual Culinary Showdown a Cook for the Cure event and then my friend sent me an email saying he wanted to go.  I have been to many of their events in the past and they are always fun but now that I don't have a car going to Cirillo's Academy is very out of the way to get to by TTC so I had to think about it.  The friend that asked me if I would go has never gone to these events so I thought it would be great for him to go so I agreed to take the TTC and meet him there along with another mutual friend of ours.  A couple of my food blogger friends also told me they were going so I was happy about that and one of them offered to give me a ride.  Even better I could skip the hour plus TTC ride.

The Culinary Showdown will be held on Saturday November 4th, 2015 at the Westin Harbourcastle Hotel.

On the day of the event I sent my original friend a text and then he told me he wasn't going.  Thanks for letting me know.  Now if I was only going with him I probably wouldn't have bothered to go because I know how the events are and wasn't planning on signing up for this year.   But because my other friends were going and I was getting a ride I ended up going.   CBCF does a series of cocktail nights at different locations just before the Culinary Showdown to get people to sign up to start fundraising and get them inspired and excited.  The night starts out with appetizers and drinks.

Chef's like Lynn Crawford might host one at her restaurant and Cirillo's Academy is always a supporter so other chefs will host their cocktail nights there.  It was Chef Corbin Tomaczeski who was the host last night.  Chef Corbin is very motivated to participate in fundraising for Breast Cancer research as he has a personal connection to this disease with 2 close friends.   He also had a 6 degrees of separation moment with a women at the event who was connected by where they live and a couple of other unusual circumstances.  This connection almost moved Chef Corbin to tears.  The woman had just lost her mother to cancer in April and has become the top fundraiser so far earning her a spot at the Culinary Showdown, she has raised over $8000 so far.
It is always emotional and fun event because there is always someone there who has gone through cancer and the Chefs always have a personal story to tell as to why they became involved.

Everyone knows someone that has been touched by Breast Cancer or other cancers.  I have lost many family members to cancer and have had a few friends go through cancer treatments.

After all of the sad stories and inspirational stories comes the fun part at these events.  This time there was a cooking box challenge with 5 teams.  I was on one team with my friend Mary (Mary's Happy Belly) and my friend Jenny (Ice Cream and Knishes) was on another team.
Our team was called team ambitious although it changed a couple of times and we were given a box with limited ingredients that we had to turn into a Chef worthy dish.
We had peas, green beans, pork tenderloin, polenta and rosemary.  We only had 15 minutes to create our dish.  Every team had a different box of ingredients resulting in a varied assortment of dishes to judge.  Our dish looked really nice but our polenta didn't have enough time to cook and it was too think.

My friend Jenny's team 1 had meatballs and wontons and they called their dish wonton nipples or something crazy like that.  It cracked Chef Corbin up when Jenny described the dish.

Unfortunately both of our teams didn't win but they chose 2 out of the 5 teams and Chef Corbin offered to pay for the registration of the teams.

The incentive to sign up that night was if you won Chef Corbin paid the fee but if you paid for yourself it was half price at $40 and they also gave you 2 tickets to the Taste of Toronto festival which are worth $50.  Normally the registration is $75 so I decided to sign up because just getting the Taste of Toronto tickets made it worth it even before trying to raise any money.

I participated in fundraising 2 years ago and only was able to raise $200 and some of that came by selling cookies.  I raised enough to get an apron but not enough to participate in the Culinary Showdown.  So this time I need YOUR HELP to raise at least $1000 to get me to the Showdown and if I raise $2500 I get to participate in cooking with the Celebrity Chefs.
There is also a cooking academy in the morning for the Top 50 fundraisers at the Showdown.

If you would like to participate in the Showdown or would like to donate to me or someone else that is participating in fundraising check out details on their website:  http://culinaryshowdown.ca/

My goal is to reach $2500 this year so that I can participate and join some great Celebrity chefs and cook up a storm.  If you would like to help get me in the game here is the direct link to my Page to Donate to help me reach my goal.

CLICK HERE to DONATE to my Personal PAGE:

Sharpening up my Knife Skills

Not long ago I went to a launch event for the Culinary Showdown, the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation's Cook for the Cure Event.  They were trying to recruit foodies and food bloggers to sign up to join the Culinary Showdown by raising funds that go towards the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.   The event was held at Cirillo's Culinary Academy, a beautiful cooking space that is used for events, classes and team building.  If you signed up that night for the Showdown you got a free Knife Skills Workshop at Cirillo's, so I signed up because I thought if nothing else at least I can say I actually took a Knife Skills Class.   Tonight was the night for the class.  There was about 25-30 people there, all comprised of people that signed up and have started fundraising.   Unfortunately I am nowhere near my goal of $2500 to be able to participate in the showdown but I am trying to raise as much money as I can.  If you want to help me out and DONATE a bit of money to the cause here is the link to my page: DONATE HERE

When we arrived we sample a bunch of tasty bites and beverages that they had ready for us to try and get warmed up and ready for the Class.

The owner of Cirillo's talked about the importance of sharp knives and how to sharpen them and did a couple of quick demo's of how to cut an onion and zucchini, herbs and mushrooms properly.  I think the Knife Skills class is more of a pre emptive safety class before some people compete in the Showdown because he told a couple of stories about how a couple of people got hurt at the showdown from lack of experience and I think a lack of common sense and skill.  I think it's in their best interest to have everyone have at least basic knife skills and then the rest is up to the Celebrity Chefs.

It was a really fun night.  After the quick demo we hit our own stations to cut up some vegetables.  The 2 girls at my station were really good and according to the chefs we were the pros.  I took my time because the last time I went to a Cutco event I actually cut myself because I wasn't used to the knives.  I made sure I didn't repeat that again.  One of my station mates is also a Gastroposter and I think we recruited the third person into becoming a future Gastroposter as well.

And Here are the results of our labour:

I would totally recommend going to an Event or Class at Cirillo's on Dundas St. West at Islington Ave. It's a beautiful place and you can learn a thing or two and have a great time.

Everyone should learn basic Knife Skills and in fact basic Cooking Skills never hurts anyone.

Go cut and cook... and don't forget to sponsor me for the Culinary Showdown....