The Chef Flynn film will inspire you to step up your cooking skills.

CHEF FLYNN Documentary

Last year I had a chance to watch the Chef Flynn documentary and I was blown away by the focus and talent of such a young chef.  I know many adults that can't do half of what he can do including myself.  Chef Flynn is now 18 and has his own restaurant in New York City.  See how Flynn goes from his mothers home to running his own NYC restaurant.

You can read my original review on a previous blog post here:  
Chef Flynn Skips boyhood for Chefhood

The film returns to Toronto for a limited engagement of a week at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema at Bloor and Bathurst.  

I highly recommend that you get your butt off your couch in the chilly month of January and make your way down to the the Bloor Cinema to see this HOT movie.  Plan a dinner after the movie because you will be hungry.

If you have any budding mini chefs in your household bring them to see this movie because Chef Flynn is the ultimate professional role model for young budding chefs.

Follow Chef Flynn Mc Garry on Twitter @diningwithflynn  

CHEF FLYNN
Directed by Cameron Yates

One-Week Engagement Begins January 25, 2019Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema

Chef Flynn McGarry was 10-years-old when he opened a supper club in the living room of his California home, using his classmates as line cooks and serving a seasonal foraged tasting menu to wide-eyed Los Angelenos. 

As the years pass, Flynn grows both as a chef, and a teenager, eventually outgrowing his family kitchen, and his mother's camera. 

Featuring over 18 years of personal archival footage as well as intimate vérité, this feature documentary portrait is not only the study of a rising star thrown into the media spotlight at an early age, but also a reflection on motherhood and what it means to give up one's own identity in furtherance of a child's passion.

Director Cameron Yates (The Canal Street Madam) captures lightning-in-a-bottle to reveal Flynn’s singular drive and passion as he navigates the often-cutthroat world of fine dining. 

Chef Flynn had its Canadian premiere at Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, and also screened at Sundance, Berlinale, SXSW, in 2018.

The Heat: A Kitchen (R)evolution

Suzanne Barr - The Gladstone Hotel

The Heat

A Kitchen (R)evolution

A documentary film by Maya Gallus

It takes a bold personality to ascend the ranks of the male dominated restaurant industry.Meet seven female chefs at the vanguard of change.

The Heat takes viewers behind-the-scenes to meet pioneers who broke through the glass ceiling, including Michelin-starred chefs Anne-Sophie Pic  (a.k.a. the “Queen of French Cuisine”) of Maison Pic in Valence, France; beloved UK star Angela Hartnett (and Gordon Ramsay’s former protégé) of Murano; and award-winning New York chef Anita Lo (who closes her iconic New York restaurant Annisa after 17 years).

We’ll also meet the hungry talents of a new generation, including Amanda Cohen of the trendy vegetarian restaurant, Dirt Candy in New York’s Lower East Side; Victoria Blamey of the famed Greenwich Village Chumley’s in New York; Suzanne Barr of Toronto’s trendy Saturday Dinette, who is diversifying her kitchens one restaurant at a time; and renegade chef Charlotte Langley, who has done away with traditional brick and mortar to host elaborate dinners off the grid.

Ivy Knight- Food Writer (86'd)

I have been lucky to have seen Toronto's Ivy Knight, Charlotte Langley and Susanne Barr in action at various pop ups around town and I can tell you that doing these pop ups are no joke.  It's a lot of work in a short amount of time and the difference is that they have to haul their stuff to events unlike the set kitchen environment.

Charlotte Langley

Ivy Knight who is now a food writer and host of the Drake's 86'd events is a vocal champion for women's rights in the kitchen and I can tell you that the government of Ontario is trying to make harassment in the workplace a priority to change the culture and make it more equitable and respectful.  I have a friend that worked in a few kitchens and she couldn't handle the misogyny and most of the female chefs generally try and deal with it if they want to work in certain kitchens.  I found watching the film similar to the way it is in the Film Industry.  Hot Docs has really stepped up and equalled the playing field with 50 percent of this years films being directed by women filmmakers but it wasn't always that way.  Try and name 10 top female directors in Hollywood today.  From my experience women are not taken as seriously and they are not propped up the same way as their male counterparts.  I have seen some amazing female chefs and I have also worked with female directors who have all given up on the industry because of financial reasons, myself included.

I was familiar with Anita Lo from watching her on one of the Top Chef shows and she is very focused and extremely professional but I bet I wouldn't know who she is if she didn't appear on a Food Network Show.  

Anita Lo

The film shows 3 Michelin Chefs who are trying to change the way things are done in the Professional Kitchens but the male chefs seem to get all the attention from the media.  

We must support them and praise Chefs based on their skills and not their gender or age.

If you are an aspiring female chef I recommend that you see this film to see what the experience has been for these 7 chefs in various types of kitchens.  Male chefs should see this too so they can understand how the boys club affects the whole industry.

The last screening at Hot Docs is Sunday, May 6th at 3:30pm the the Isabel Bader Theatre but the tickets have already gone RUSH so you may have to take your chance to try and get in or wait until it gets distribution into the theatres.

www.hotdocs.ca

www.redqueenproductions@sympatico.ca

www.redqueenproductions.com

@redqueenrules    

©redqueenproductions

Chef Flynn skips boyhood for Chefhood

CHEF FLYNN

The Hot Docs film festival is celebrating it's 25 years as a top documentary film festival.  That's is a lot longer than Flynn McGarry, the subject of the same named documentary has been alive.  Chef Flynn took over his mom's California kitchen after she lost interest in cooking while going through a depression after her divorce.  Her son grew tired of her limited cooking ability and took matters into his own hands by teaching himself how to be a professional cook.  He read cookbooks, watched cooking shows and studied whatever he can on the Internet and with the single focus of food and cooking taking over his life with the help of his extremely supportive mother. 

He started cooking at 10 but don't call him a chef prodigy or culinary Doogie Howser because he has dedicated all of his time to learn his craft and takes it very seriously and before long and with the help of his mother they filled their home with diners and started with friends and it grew to friends of friends and so on until it became a popular pop up destination called EUREKA.  Flynn concentrated on the food while his mother took care of the business side and the front of the house side.  Barely into his teens he was replicating and recreating French Laundry recipes. With his perfectionist mind he took it all very seriously as if it was the only thing that mattered in his life.

Maybe it was how he was able to deal with his parents divorce with the single focus and obsession but with his whole life devoted to only food from the age of 10 he skipped years ahead of what most accomplish in the food world even when they are twice his age.  The New York Times did a profile on him and it was both a blessing, a curse and a big life lesson.  He learned how to shake off people's biased and short sited opinions of his success and just keep focused on his goal of opening a restaurant in New York.  The film is part home movie with his former filmmaker mother filming his progress since he was a kid and then with the addition of a professional film crew documenting his rise in the the restaurant industry through a series of pop up events.  Even if you don't really care about fancy restaurant food you will enjoy the dynamic of the mother and son in this film and which this is what the film is ultimately about, the journey of both of them to achieve Chef Flynn's dream of becoming a New York restaurateur.

The film is funny, beautiful, awkward and very entertaining to watch and you will fall in love with this mother and son duo.

TIP:  eat a fantastic dinner before going to see it or make reservations at a great restaurant afterward because you will be drooling over the beautiful food throughout the movie.

You can follow Chef Flynn's creations on Instagram @diningwithFlynn and follow the film at @chefflynnfilm

for more info on Hot Docs visit their website:  www.hotdocs.ca

HOT DOCS SCREENINGS:

Sun, Apr 29 10:45 AM TBLB* there is a brunch component but it is Sold Out
Sat, May 5 1:15 PM BADER

Tastemakers New Curated Food Festival Debuts in Toronto

INTRODUCING TASTEMAKER: A CURATED, IMMERSIVE FOOD FESTIVAL 

Tastemaker, an immersive food festival debuting in Toronto in May 2018. Building on the foundation of its world-renowned Taste Festivals series, IMG’s new Tastemaker festival is a highly curated experience purpose-built for a North American audience that appreciates unexpected collaborations and new food experiences. Designed by the team behind Taste of Toronto, Tastemaker will see renowned chefs from the city’s favourite culinary hot spots collaborating for the first time to create unique dishes exclusive to the festival itself.
Some of Toronto's Top Chefs will be there going head to head to create some fantastic dishes just for the festival.

The inaugural Tastemaker event will take place in Toronto on May 18 and 19, 2018 at Evergreen Brickworks. 

Toronto offers gastronomic experiences for every palette.
Following its Toronto debut, Tastemaker will take place in Chicago on August 17 and 18 at Revel Fulton Market and is planned to expand across North America.

Tastemaker will feature a delectable selection of food and drink from local and national chefs and unique entertainment to enrich the entire experience. Guests will enjoy a true ‘food hall’ environment in an open concept space, with rows of communal seating and sampling booths.

Chefs at the inaugural Tastemaker Toronto will include:

• Afrim Pristine • Alida Solomon • Brad Smith 
• Elia Herrera • Grant Van Gameren • Ivana Raca 
• Matt Dean Pettit • Michael Hunter • Patrick Kriss 
• Rob Gentile • Victor Barry • Vikram Vij

Tastemaker Toronto will feature three sessions on May 18 and 19 in the newly transformed historic Kiln building at Evergreen Brickworks.

• Friday, May 18, 7:00 - 11:00 PM 
Chef Collaborations: Afrim Pristine (Cheese Boutique) & Alida Solomon (Tutti Matti)
Michael Hunter (Antler Kitchen & Bar) & Vikram Vij (Vij’s)

• Saturday, May 19, 1:00 – 5:00 PM
Chef Collaborations: Rob Gentile (Buca Osteria & Enoteca) & Patrick Kriss (Alo) Grant Van Gameren (Bar Isabel, Bar Raval) & Victor Barry (Piano Piano, Café Cancan)

• Saturday, May 19, 7:00 – 11:00 PM  
Chef Collaborations: Elia Herrera (Los Colibris) & Matt Dean Pettit (Matty's Seafood Co.)
Ivana Raca (Resto Boemo) & Brad Smith (Resto Boemo)

Tastemaker tickets are now on sale from CDN $60 through Eventbrite.
There are 3 different Toronto Sessions:

• Friday May 18th 7:00-11pm
• Saturday May 19th 1:00-5:00pm
• Saturday May 19th 7:00-11:00pm

Each all-inclusive ticket allows guests access to all programming and events on a session-based entry. This event is legal drinking age only (19+/21+).

 For more information, visit: Facebook: @tastemakertour Instagram: @tastemaker Twitter: @tastemaker_tour

Website: www.thetastemakertour.com 

Hashtag #TastemakerToronto

Restaurants Canada Show 2018

Restaurants Canada Show - RC Show

Enercare Centre Toronto

Feb 25-27, 2018

www.rcshow.com

#RCShow18

Twitter@RestaurantsCA

Insta/Facebook@RestaurantsCanada

The Restaurants Canada Show has been rebranded to the RC Show since 2017 and I have been attending it for the past few years.  I was excited to attend again this year and wonder around the huge Enercare Centre with my fellow blogger friends and try and check out as many of the booths as we could.  It's a huge trade show that brings over 16,000 Food Industry professionals together under one roof.  It's pretty spectacular how many different moving parts there are to owning and running a business and this show speaks to and shows them all.  From the uniforms to the big industrial machines to the time saving food products, there is a lot to see and learn about at this show.

There are demos, panels, and all kinds of interactive and educational things at the show. And then there are the food samples.  Personally that's my favourite part.  It is a 3 day show and I wish I had time to go everyday and pace myself to be able to try it all but I have found a way to strategically do as much as I can.  Because I have gone to a lot of food related shows I am always looking for new things that I haven't tried before.  The first year I went I got hung up on the first aisle of massive quantities of cheese and was too full to try anything else.  Now I just choose cheeses I haven't seen before to try and only eat things that call my name.  Drool worthy foods that you know are going to make you happy.   

Here are 3 of the things I tried and absolutely loved.  This soft goat cheese, these amazing salami's, and the authentic pizza oven freshly made literally right out of the oven Margherita Pizza.

   

There were also panels of interesting speakers and topics.  I sat in on 2 at the speakers stage.  The morning one was from Kitchen to Print about cookbook publishing.  The moderator was from Figure 1 Publishing and on the panel was Greta Podleski from Looney Spoons, a fellow blogger Isabelle Boucher who is also a recipe developer, Joel McCharles who is ablogger turned cookbook author of the cookbook Batch and there was also a cookbook photographer named Ryan Szulic.  This was a very informative panel from independent publishing to blogging to dealing with a large publisher and what it takes to get a cookbook off the ground.

The last panel of the day had Branding and Buzzing PR's head honcho Sean Beckingham as the moderator.  The topic was Social Media and Sean is very knowledgeable in this area as he speaks about this subject a lot and knows many of the top restaurants owners in Toronto.  On the panel was Overbudget Inc's Meg McNabb, Executive Chef Sean MacDonald and Lisa Richler the editor of Canada's Best 100 restaurants.  An interesting of mixed perspectives from Chef to community manager to publication and all the different needs and practices of each one.

There were plenty of well known Chefs wondering around the show and my friend Jenny (IceCream and Knishes) loves to chat with them and had a great chat with both Chef Brad Long of Cafe Belong on the left and Former Dragon Vikram Vij of Vij's in Vancouver and he is also an entrepreneur and Chopped Canada judge.  He recently went to India with Justin Trudeau to showcase Canadian Food with his Indian heritage but it wasn't seen as a good thing by the Canadian press unfortunately.

 

In the middle of the show literally were all the industry machines and tools like this huge Hobart mixer. Can you imagine how much bread and cakes this thing can mix.  Another cool professional machine was this spinning grill.  It smelled so good with the grilled chicken on it.  Outdoor food indoors, yum.

Some of the trends in the foods we tried included loads of Pizza.  This pizza that dissapeared in about 5 seconds was a General Tao pizza. It was a meal on a pizza and was surprisingly good.  There were so many pizza ovens around the show but we chose probably the 2 best pizzas to taste.

There was spices, mixes, toppings, snacks and sprinkles and all sorts of condiments to try.

      

We really liked this natural peanut butter,  I really liked the hazelnut one and want to see it in stores soon.

     

      

     

Oh the desserts were everywhere but I was good,  I gravitated towards the gelato and tried 2 of them. I really loved the Smores Gelato that I tasted.  Once of the more interesting gelato's was the Unicorn flavour as you can see below.  I didn't try it but I bet kids would flock to that one.

       

This year it didn't seem like there were any mind blowing new things but more of things that are popular done well or with slight twists. 

My favourite thing about this show besides the delicious samples and the amazing talks is running into all the food writers, chefs and industry people that I have come to know over the past few years as a food blogger.  It's really a great place for the Industry to connect with different services and just great ways to learn and collaborate.  If you are looking to start up a restaurant business this is the best place to start at to learn what you will be getting yourself into and be prepared before you start.

I will be back as they say because it's a whole lot of fun and delicious too.

Hawksworth Young Chef competition

Event:  Hawksworth Young Chef Competition

Date:

Location:

Website: http://hawksworthscholarship.com/about/dates/

I was invited to join my friend Mary at an interesting event in Toronto where Chef David Hawksworh from the Restaurant Hawksworth in Vancouver, BC created a non-profit  Foundation in culinary arts  to recognize and inspire young Canadian chefs.  It was the finals for the Hawksworth Young Chef Competition. 

The goal was to lift young Canadian talent in the culinary industry and give them a great opportunity to work in some of Canada's top restaurants and to grow and elevate to a higher level of excellence in the food industry.

The winner of the Hawksworth Young Chef Scholarship competition will receive $10,000, and a stage at a selected top international restaurant – giving them the inspiration and opportunity needed to develop their professional skills.

Hawksworth Young Chef Competition 

The winner of the Hawksworth Young Chef Competition 2017 was awarded to Connor Sterling from Vancouver, BC at the Awards presentation in Toronto.

Leanne and Dennis Prescott, me and Mary Tang

We had a great time chatting with Chef and Instagram celeb and his wife Leanne who works for World Vision where they both work on fundraising projects together by hosting dinners and travelling to Countries in need.

The appetizers were catered by Oliver an Bonnacini and they were all fantastic.  I especially enjoyed the mini Empanadas and the sliders were fantastic too.

I can't wait to see what all of these young chefs do in the coming years.

Congrats to all for your fabulous work.

20th Anniversary - Taste Canada Awards

Taste Canada Awards - 20 years of Canadian culinary writing. Taste Canada Awards / Les Lauréats des Saveurs du Canada drew 82 book submissions, and 65 Blog submissions this year, a brilliant snapshot of the vibrancy and diversity of Canadian culinary writing and publishing.   The winners will be announced at the Award Ceremony and Gala Reception on Monday, October 30th, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Toronto. Hosted by the Food Network Canada's Noah Cappe. The Gala is a one-of-a-kind gastronomic celebration with more than a dozen chef-led food stations and Red Carpet. Taste Canada Awards will also name this year’s Hall of Fame Award inductees (living and posthumous) sponsored by The Culinary Historians of Canada, and the winner of Cooks the Books, a culinary student competition. The 2017 Shortlist  Taste Canada Awards celebrates Canada’s food culture and world-class culinary writers of books and blogs in English and French. Read who's on the shortlist here.

2017 Cooks the Books on October 29th. Join the pre-gala Student Chef Battle!

Hot Summer Night at St. Lawrence Market

Event:          Summer Series Season 2
Location:     St. Lawrence Market
Date:           July 20, 2017
Tickets:        $30
Website:      www.stlawrencemarket.com


It's not often that you will hear me say that an event went off without a hitch.  It almost never happens.  But I can honestly say that the stars aligned for the Summer Series at St. Lawrence Market.

Because it's held on the Patio on the Upper Level of the St. Lawrence Market the success of the event is really contingent on the weather cooperating.  After a quick rain around lunch time the weather cleared up and the sun came out just in time for this spectacular event.  I think it would have been a very different outcome it had happened during the lunch hour.

The Summer Series is a way to celebrate the St. Lawrence Market vendors with help from the Food Dudes caterers.  The Food Dudes are quickly becoming caterers who do full entertainment events like this one.  It's all about Food, Music, Art, and interactive entertainment.

This event got so many things right that I need to really highlight them.

1.  Amazing FOOD,  a great variety of really fresh food for everyone.  From fresh Ceviche to Vegan Ice Cream and things that anyone could eat and it was all fantastically delicious.  Healthy and light dishes like Jhal Muri to decadent Banquet burgers and Paella.

2.  Music and Entertainment,  there were live artists who were great and didn't overpower the conversations people around them were having but still noticeable to people interested in listening to them.  There was also a DJ and the music really complimented the chill patio vibes. There were also a couple of stilt walkers wandering around and posing for pictures.

3.  The Art,  I really loved the live artists painting huge mural paintings as people strolled by.  There was also a guy doing body painting on some models.  There were some sand creations and lovely touches of artistic decor.

4.  Decor,  It was beautiful.  They rented a nice mix of couches, high tops and tables so that people could be comfortably seated in groups, or couples or singles.  I am sure someone carefully thought about the placement of the decor because there was a nice flow.  It made the normally picnic table studded patio look elegant.

5.  The STAFF,  fantastic staff all around.  I have been noticing this a lot lately and everyone delivered in spades.  The food vendors were on top of things and served quickly.  The clean up staff were on top of things.  The security were present but not overbearing.  The check in staff were very efficient.

6.  The TICKETING,  The invites went through Eventbrite which made it pretty quick to get in.  I entered and checked in with the media desk quickly and was presented with a lanyard with tickets for food and drink tucked into the plastic lanyard.  This was a really smart way to do it.  No fumbling with where you put your tickets.  I wish everyone would adopt this system.  It's so much simpler.

7.  DRINKS,  this was really important for me.  They had many large iced self serve water dispensers on the many bar stations with cups beside it for people to quickly help themselves.  There were great bar servers providing an assortment of alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks.   Not the standard just beer and wine and maybe some soda.  I really loved the Kahlua and Hennessy Iced Coffee.  That really did it for me.

8.  PRICE,  I thought the $30 price was really reasonable for the amount of entertainment that was provided and the quality of the space and the food.

9.  EXTRAS - A couple of excellent extras were the lovely Fun Flower Stand girls handing out flowered hair clips and hair bands.  Even some of the boys got in on this little cute touch.   There was also an amazing woman doing Henna tattoos on peoples hands.  Two of my friends did this.  It was a long line to get it done because she was really good at it.

10.  PEOPLE and VIBE - There was a really great mix of people.  Not the same people that go to every event but people who enjoy a night out with friends.  From young professionals to old friends.  My 3 blogger friends and I were the only bloggers there and the Instagram invasion were nowhere in site and it really made it more about hanging out and enjoying the food and the people you were with.  We really enjoyed it because it's rare that we can all attend the same event and just hang out and not be rushed to just get photos for our blog content.  It was one of my friends birthday the day before and another the week before so it was a great way to hang out and celebrate their birthdays.  We had a really great time and the fantastic weather really made the whole thing really pleasant and enjoyable.

I had 4 food tickets and a few drink tickets so with my food tickets I got the Ravioli with meat sauce and pesto and alfredo sauce.  This is one of my favourite things at the market on a usual day.  We all went crazy for the Sea bass ceviche on a tostada.  They were perfection.  One thing I have been wanting to make and find around the city and was really happy to see was the Indian spiced Jhal Muri, a mix of freshly diced vegetables like onions, cucumbers and tomatoes mixed with spiced crunchy chickpeas and lentils, puffed rice and a few other things served in a cone.  Super portable for an event like this and it was light and refreshing with loads of textures.  There was a big smokey lineup for the Banquet Burgers.  It was the first thing I tried and probably the most filling.  Nice and juicy and great flavour.  I also tried my friends Polenta fries and Buffalo Cauliflower.  I was too full to try the Paella and arepas, the oysters, the Brie Quesadillas and the Vegan ice cream sandwiches and the frozen yoghurt and a few other things but my friends tried everything I think.   I also sampled the sweet bbq ribs that were being passed around.  

My favourite thing of all was really as I mentioned above was the Booze infused Iced Coffee.  it was dessert, coffee and refreshing at the same time.  It really was the finish to all of the great food I enjoyed at the Summer Series

Have to give a shoutout to all of the vendors and food providers:

Menu

Items prepared by The Food Dudes:

Banquet Burger
Brown Brothers Meats prime beef, Olympic Cheese sharp cheddar,
Enjoy with a selection of Kozlik's Canadian Mustard

Buffalo Cauliflower
Fried cauliflower, buffalo tahini, pickled carrot & celery, black sesame, mint scallions from Urban Fresh Produce.

Ceviche Toastada
St. Lawrence Fish Market sea bass, avocado puree, pickled watermelon, grilled corn, yuzu chili aioli. Fresh produce from Urban Fresh Produce.

Jhal Muri Salad
Rube's Rice crispy rice, cucumbers, tomatoes, pickled ginger, shallots, cilantro, thai basil, smoked peanuts, puffed lentils, tamarind. Fresh product from Ponesse Foods.

Di Liso's Smoked Chicken Quesadilla
Di Liso's Fine Meats chicken smoked Al Pastor, aged cheddar, pineapple relish, sambal crema, crispy leeks. Fresh produce from Ponesse Foods. Johnny Di Benedetto, Olympic Cheese Brie & Mango Quesadilla - Fresh produce from Urban Fresh Produce.

Polenta Fries
Semolina, Parmesan, aged cheddar, caramelized garlic, San Marzano sauce, pickled chilies, basil puree, pea shoots. Ingredients from Olympic Cheese @ Domino Foods.

Oli's Froyo
Grapefruit vanilla frozen yogurt, grapefruit caramel, shortbread crumble. Fresh dairy from Sheldon Creek Dairy, grapefruit from Ponesse Foods.

BBQ Ribs - Carnicero's  

Spicy Salmon Sliders - Mike's Fish Market 

St. Lawrence Market merchant prepared items:

PIZZA - Scheffler's Delicatessen & Cheese barbecued pizza featuring Black Cow cheddar and with samples of Black Cow vodka.

Vegan gnocchi carbonara & raw vegan tarts. - CrudaCafe 

Everyday Gourmet Coffee Roasters "The Founder" iced latte with Hennessey & Coffee Liquer. Also serving hot & iced espresso based beverages.

Traditional Spanish Paella (seafood & vegetarian) and Arepas  & agua de jamyca

Manotas Organics & Specialty Foods at The St. Lawrence Market 

Fresh Pasta - St. Lawrence Pizza & Pasta

St. Lawrence Fish Market - Freshly shucked oysters

It was a fantastic event.  The only thing I think I would add would be some lighting to the vendors stations for when the sun went down to make it sparkle a bit.  Because it was a beautiful night there was a huge turnout so it got pretty busy most of the night and people did stay and chat so the tables were all full so we did a lot of standing but that shows the success of the event that it completely filled the space.

Congratulations to the organizers.  I almost don't want to share this for fear of it getting too big for me to attend again in the future.   We need more summer events like this were people can connect and enjoy some great food and entertainment.

Thanks very much for all of the attention to detail. 

There is another one coming up in August and I am sure the tickets will go fast.

Toronto Taste 2017 - A feast for Second Harvest

I was really fortunate this year to be able to attend the TORONTO TASTE Charity Event at Corus Quay on Sunday, June 4, 2017.  A culinary event where the proceeds go to Second Harvest.

Tickets were $260 for all you can eat and drink and lot's of entertainment.

This 27th edition with the help of many Chefs, top restaurants and over 400 volunteers they were able to raise $925,000 for Second Harvest, Canada’s largest food rescue charity. Funds raised will provide 1.8 million fresh and healthy meals to people facing hunger across Toronto. It accounts for 20% of Second Harvest's annual revenue to help provide meals to those in need in our ever growing city.

Guests sampled spectacular dishes and drinks from over 90 of the most sought-after restaurants and beverage purveyors, including Baro, Lavelle, McEwan Group, Antler, Hawthorne Food & Drink, Kanpai Snack Bar, Bar Reyna and Ufficio.

Michelle Jobin, John Catucci and Eric Chong - Masterchef Canada winner.

This year Top chefs Guy Rawlings (Montgomery’s), Anne Sorrenti (The Oakwood Hardware Food & Drink and Chopped Canada winner) and Eric Chong (R&D and MasterChef Canada winner) entertained guests in the Chef Challenge.  Guy Rawlings was crowned the winner.

At the live auction, attendees could bid on chef dinner packages, such as dinner at Bob Blumer’s LA home or the opportunity to join Chef Roger Mooking for an action-packed food tour of New Orleans. The exclusive live auction chef packages from Michael Smith, Michael Hunter, Roger Mooking and Bob Blumer raised a total of $46,000. Notably, Bob Blumer, Second Harvest Ambassador, raised $165,000 towards the purchase of a truck for Second Harvest and an anonymous donor came forward to top up his fundraising. With a long history of supporting Second Harvest, Purolator Inc. stepped forward to donate an additional truck, a valuable asset as Second Harvest transports food to hundreds of social service agencies across the GTA daily.

There were so many fantastic dishes that I tried to eat my way through the large outdoor tented event by the lake, but I think I probably only tried about half of the food before getting really full.

One of the favourite dishes for me and my foodie friends was the Scallop crudo from Buca.  They are one of the top restaurants in Toronto for good reason.

(left, Michael Hunter - Antler - r?

El Cabalito's Elia Herrera made a great pulled pork slider.  Hawthorne food and drink made their signature Schmaltz Carbonara.  Michael Hunter from Antler made really flavourful Duck skewers.

Trevor Lui - Kanpai Snack Bar

Pork Belly

It's great to see Chefs you know having some fun and creating great dishes at the same time.  Trevor Lui from Kanpai Snack Bar having a little fun with us and he created an amazing crispy pork belly dish with a slaw on the side.

Ivana Raca - Ufficio

All of the Top Chefs in Toronto were there and Bob Blumer from the West Coast and Michael Smith from the East Coast.  

They all really like this festival because it's organized really well and they are all fairly close together and they can do something they don't always have time to do because they work crazy hours,  something most of us take for granted.  Social time.  Yes they get to catch up with their peers and see what's new and actually try their food sometimes.  The Chefs in Toronto are mostly a tight knit group of very generous and hard working people.  I know this because I have gotten to know a lot of them at a lot  of these events and they are long days standing in the heat mostly.  I know that I don't have the stamina to do this everyday for a living.  So I have a lot of respect for their hard work and for pitching in their time and creativity to raise funds for Second Harvest and other local charities.

They got really lucky with the weather this year.  It was perfect.  The sun was out and the temperature was perfect by the lake.  Everyone was in a great mood and there was lot's of musical entertainment with live music inside Corus Quay.

This was only my 3rd time attending Toronto Taste.  The first time I was a volunteer and I can tell you that they couldn't do this event without volunteers.  The second time was years ago when I was writing event listings for B Magazine.  It was more about the overall event then.  This time with the knowledge of many years working on my Blog and getting to know who most of these chefs are and what kind of food they make I can honestly say I really enjoyed every minute of it and the best part was that I was able to spend the time with my 2 fellow blogger buddies (Cooking Quidnunc & Mary's Happy Belly)  so it made it that much more fun to run around and sample and compare dishes and hopefully between the 3 of us were were able to taste almost all of the different dishes.

I hope to be able to go back for more again next year.  I hope you can attend or at least try and donate to Second Harvest or buy raffle tickets or bid on one of their auction items and help them to keep doing great work.

Disclaimer*  The ticket was complimentary but the photos and comments are my own.  Some information was provided by Second Harvest.