Posted by Greg Clow in events, events upcoming on November 7, 2008 at 8:34 am
While their commercial this year is rather odd, those looking for something to do this weekend shouldn't let that dissuade them from checking out the opening of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. As we noted last year, the Royal is packed with lots of fun stuff for foodies, from butter sculpture to rare pears to cows and pigs and other cute (and yeah, OK, tasty) animals. Check it out at the Direct Energy Centre in Exhibition Place.
Also this weekend, Harbourfront goes south of the border (or south of two borders, more accurately) with a celebration of Mexico's Day of the Dead, featuring plenty of good Mexican eats along with traditional music, arts and crafts, and more. And as we mentioned yesterday, the Autunno Italian Seasons Festival starts today and runs until November 22nd at a bunch of Italian restaurants all over the city.
The full list of happenings for the next week follows below, and as always, our Events page has more information on these and many other upcoming events in Toronto and area.
continuing until Sun, Jan 11, 2009
Local Flavour: Eating in Toronto, 1830 to 1955
Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge Street
free admission
This exhibit traces 125 years of culinary history in Toronto from the publication of early cookbooks, the development of household appliances, the rise of manufactured and convenience foods, grocery shops, dining out, victory gardens and rationing during the war years and the growing sophistication of an urban palate.
[more info]
Fri, Nov 07, 2008 -- Sun, Nov 16, 2008
The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair
Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place
various times
various ticket prices
The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair is a unique event that takes place every November in the City of Toronto. The Royal is the largest combined indoor agricultural fair and international equestrian competition in the world. Where Canadian and International breeders, growers and exhibitors are declared champions and where hundreds of thousands of attendees come to learn, compete, shop and have a great time with friends and family.
[more info]
Fri, Nov 07, 2008
The Camera & The Gourmet: Malta - Fortress to Playground
lecture: Royal Ontario Museum (Education Classrooms, Level 1), 100 Queen’s Park
dinner: Courtyard Restaurant, 121 Yorkville Avenue
6:00 PM to 10:30 PM
$90 ($80 for ROM members) for single lecture/dinner - $315 ($280 for ROM members) for full 4-week series
Enjoy four evenings of photography, travel and food. Each session begins at the ROM with a talk on the basics of how to take better photographs followed by a fascinating slide presentation about the country featured that evening. Each evening culminates with a gourmet meal at a fine Toronto restaurant. This week, photography topics include: use of filters, special techniques and basics of digital photography.
[more info]
Fri, Nov 07, 2008
Harvest of Memories: Mexican Days of the Dead
University of Toronto Alumni Hall, Victoria College, 91 Charles Street West
5:30 PM to 7:00 PM
free - preregister via Gardiner Museum events page
Learn more about Days of the Dead, the Mexican view of the cycle of life, and harvest issues including the future of Ontario's contract farm labour policy and sustainable agriculture in Canada and Mexico. Speakers will include Carlos Monsiváis, Mexico’s leading cultural critic and an honoured author and commentator on contemporary Mexican life and popular culture, and Claudio Lomnitz, anthropologist and Director of the Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race at Columbia University, New York. Organized in partnership with the Latin American Studies programme at UofT’s Munk Centre and the Consulate General of Mexico in Toronto.
[more info]
Fri, Nov 07, 2008 -- Sat, Nov 22, 2008
Italian Seasons Festival Autunno/Fall
various restaurants
various times
various prices
The Italian Seasons Festival presented by the Italian Trade Commission celebrates the season with an exclusive Fall inspired menu at Toronto's top restaurants. Local dishes are transformed with the best Italian olive oil, Prosciutto di Parma, Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena, Porcini mushrooms and Italian cheeses. From a classic Italian menu to a light dinner alongside some of the most exciting wines you'll find anywhere, you're invited to tour Italy's regions and recipes this Fall by visiting one of the over twenty participating restaurants. For reservations and menu details please see the website linked below.
[more info]
Sat, Nov 08, 2008
Food for Thought: Mexican Agricultural Workers in Canada
Gardiner Museum, 111 Queen’s Park
2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
free - preregister via Gardiner Museum events page
A roundtable discussion inviting audience participation.
[more info]
Sat, Nov 08, 2008
Winemaker's Dinner featuring Reif Winery
The Little Inn of Bayfield, 26 Main Street North, Bayfield
7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
$100 - call 800.565.1832 to reserve
Indulge at The Little Inn with a gourmet wine tasting dinner designed to showcase select vintages from Reif Winery. Sharing his intimate knowledge of wine with our chef, the winemaker helps create a menu that reflects the notes of the wine in the taste of the food. Acting as host for the evening, the winemaker then creates an atmosphere of wine appreciation, heightening wine knowledge for his guests and explaining the intricacies of each glass
[more info]
Sat, Nov 08, 2008 -- Sun, Nov 09, 2008
Day of the Dead Festival
Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay West
free admission
Harbourfront Centre and the Consulate General of Mexico present the annual traditional Mexican celebration Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos). This ancient Mesoamerican festival and prominent Mexican holiday remembers ancestors by bringing their memories to life through a vast array of family-oriented activities and spiritual festivities. The site will be filled with Mexican music, dance, visual arts and film, as well as traditional food and drink.
[more info]
Sun, Nov 09, 2008
Christmas Cupcake Decorating Class
Montgomery's Inn Museum, 4709 Dundas Street West
2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
$20 - call 416-394-8113 for details
Master baker Monica Paradi will prepare you for Christmas with this hands-on workshop. Learn to decorate seasonal cupcakes like a pro, and leave the workshop with half a dozen decorated cupcakes, recipes for icing and a template to design your own cupcakes!
[more info]
Sun, Nov 09, 2008
Rituals and Victuals of a Proper English Afternoon Tea
Toronto Antiques on King, 276 King Street West
2:00 PM
free - contact cathy@torontoantiquesonking.com or info@splendidafternoonteas.com to reserve
Marilyn Mirabelli, owner of Simply Splendid Victorian Afternoon Teas, is pleased to join with Cynthia Findlay, owner of Toronto Antiques on King, to present a seminar on the rituals of a proper tea table, pouring tea and serving food for an authentic English afternoon tea.
[more info]
Mon, Nov 10, 2008
Ontario Culinary Tourism Summit
Royal Winter Fair Grounds, Exhibition Place
registration at 7:30 AM
$75
Presented by the Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance in partnership with Local Food Plus and Savour Ontario Dining, this one-day summit will bring together growers and producers, chefs and restaurateurs, educators, destination marketing organizations and media to enhance and develop culinary tourism offerings in the province.
[more info]
Mon, Nov 10, 2008
Zin in the City
Alice Fazooli's, 294 Adelaide St W
6:30 PM to 9:30 PM
$59 for Society for American Wines members - $74 for guests
Join the Society for American Wines for a casual and fun evening exploring Zinfandel, the robust red wine that has so much history. We will feature different styles of zins and zin blends from Cline, Rosenblum, Ridge, Ravenswood, Duckhorn and Deloach, including single vineyard offerings. Tapas style food specially prepared by Fazooli's chef will accompany the wines.
[more info]
Tue, Nov 11, 2008
It's All About Cheese
Faculty Club, University of Toronto, 41 Willcocks St
6:30 PM to 9:00 PM
$55
Julia Rogers has an extensive knowledge of food and food lore. Years of tasting as well as encounters with cheese makers have given her a thorough understanding of cheese history, flavours and production. Julia will provide an introduction to the principles and practice of cheese and wine pairing from a variety of perspectives, followed by presentation of 5 to 7 cheeses from diverse families, including Old World classics and local artisan and farmstead wares. South African Wine Society cellar master Jon Whitteker has selected five wines - a crisp white, an oaked white, 2 reds, and a dessert wine - to accompany the cheeses.
[more info]
Tue, Nov 11, 2008
Introduction to Wine
Crush Wine Bar, 455 King Street West
6:30 PM
$200 for four-week course (Tuesdays, Oct 21 to Nov 11)
Introduction to Wine is a class for all wine lovers to expand their wine knowledge and entice their wine palates. The course is aimed at those who wish to gain a good grasp of the basics of wine by exploring their knowledge of countries, regions, aromas and flavours. Learn the five steps of wine tasting - colour, swirl, smell, taste and savour. From the Cabernet grape of Chile, Australia, Lebanon, Southern California and France, to the Malbec grape of Argentina and Chile, your tastebuds will be treated to a mini wine tour.
[more info]
Tue, Nov 11, 2008
Easy Entertaining Cooking Class
Culinarium, 705 Mount Pleasant Road
7:30 PM to 9:30 PM
$75 - call (647) 430-7004 to register
Everyone loves a cocktail party! And with the "green theme" ringing strong this season, why not host one that's delicious, nutritious, and good for the planet. This workshop, lead by Daily Apple's Chris Trussell and Lesley Stoyan, will show you how to throw a terrific party with a natural twist.
[more info]
Wed, Nov 12, 2008
Le Sommelier Portfolio Tasting
Niagara Street Cafe, 169 Niagara Street
5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
$40 - call 416.603.7026 or email vinfo@lesommelier.com to reserve
Come join us for a fun evening of gastronomic delights. Sample some of our new wines made by winemakers with a passion to provide the best quality in international wines. The Le Sommelier team will be on hand to help you discover each of the wines, in an informative and relaxed tasting experience. Niagara Street Cafe will be providing a sampling of their mostly organic menu to be enjoyed with our wine selections.
[more info]
Wed, Nov 12, 2008
Crush's Top Ten Class
Crush Wine Bar, 455 King Street West
6:30 PM
$35
Every month Jamieson Kerr and Eric Gennaro of Crush Wine Bar will work together to source and compile their favourite cutting-edge wines in Crush's Top Ten Class. Each of the featured wines are available exclusively through Crush's private wine agents. For both die-hard fanatics and novices, this class helps expand one's wine knowledge. An added bonus will be meeting the wine agent from various vineyards.
[more info]
Wed, Nov 12, 2008
Local Lunch at Palais Royale
Palais Royale, 1601 Lake Shore Blvd West
12:00 noon to 3:00 PM
admission by donation - proceeds to The Dancing Classrooms Project and Evergreen
Chef Steffan Howard will be purchasing locally grown products every Wednesday at the new Evergreen Brickworks Chef's Market. Created in partnership with the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation, this new market will connect local farmers with chefs in Toronto. The market will provide our chefs with easy access to locally grown food, to simplify distribution channels, and to strengthen networks between chefs and local growers. To show support for this great initiative by Evergreen, Steffan will be preparing a totally Ontario grown lunch for Palais Royale staff on Wednesdays in October and November, and we want to invite you into our kitchen, meet our staff and have lunch with us. We can inform you about buying and cooking locally and at the same time get to know our neighbours.
[more info]
Wed, Nov 12, 2008
Genetic Engineering in Your Food - Things You Need to Know
U of T Conference Centre, St. David's Room, 89 Chestnut Street
7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
free - email ccarstens@dynamic.ca or 416-761-1533 for more details
What in the world are we eating? As we shop the grocery store aisles or peruse the menu at a restaurant, we are becoming more and more aware that we really don't always know what we're eating. A big unknown is whether or not our food has been genetically engineered. Over and over again, polls show that consumers would dearly love to have genetically engineered food labelled, but governments have backed away from mandating labels. So what's a consumer to do? This diverse and knowledgeable panel - Ann Slater, organic farmer, President, Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario and COG member; Lucy Sharratt, Coordinator, Canadian Biotechnology Action Network; and Julie Daniluk, registered nutritional consultant at The Big Carrot - will help clarify the muddy waters around genetic engineering.
Wed, Nov 12, 2008
Taste Matters
Design Exchange, 234 Bay Street
6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
$100 - tickets available at events@evas.ca or 416-977-4497 ext. 124
Sip and taste samples from 20 top wineries and restaurants. Meet The Wine Enthusiasts, Angela Aiello and Paxton Allewell, founders of iYellow Wine Club - Toronto's hottest social wine club. Enjoy fantastic music by Club Django. Bid on one-of-a-kind travel packages. This winning combination of wine, food, music and auction items benefits the 2,300 homeless youth who stay in shelters operated by Eva's Initiatives for Homeless Youth every year.
[more info]
Thu, Nov 13, 2008
Hart House Wine Series 2008: I Just Bought an '05 Chateau de Beaucastel, Now What?
Hart House Music Room, 7 Hart House Circle
7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
$35 per tasting - $120 for all four tastings - reserve at (416) 978-8849 or uofttix.ca
So you're looking to invest in some serious wines but don't know where to start? This evening will be guided by Konrad Edjbich as he tells us what factors to consider when purchasing wines to age. Konrad writes for CityBites Magazine, Decanter and Wine Spectator. He's also a regular on CBC Radio and has written a Guide to Ontario Wines.
[more info]
Thu, Nov 13, 2008
Wine & Cheese Month: Part One - Ooey Gooey TWO-ee!
Vineyards Estate Wines, 228 Queens Quay West
7:00 PM
$20 for single seminar - $64 for series of four
Wine & Cheese Month is a series of four wine and cheese tasting seminars presented by sommelier Glen Siegel. Part one: Ooey Gooey TWO-ee promises to make tastebuds melt as near-liquid fermented curds are matched with fermented grape juices. Get messy and pay for the privilege!
[more info]
Fri, Nov 14, 2008 -- Sun, Nov 16, 2008
Whole Life Expo
Metro Toronto Convention Centre, 255 Front Street West
various times
$15 admission to exhibits and lectures - $8 admission for exhibits only
Whole Life Expo us Canada's largest showcase of natural health, alternative medicine, and eco-friendly lifestyles. With 60 speakers and over 200 exhibitors, Whole Life Expo brings you the most comprehensive array of natural health products and services ever gathered under one roof.
[more info]
Fri, Nov 14, 2008
Edible Action Book Launch
Centre for Social Innovation, 215 Spadina Avenue
5:30 to 7:30 PM
free
rabble.ca, Local Food Plus, Fernwood Publishing present the launch of Sally Miller's new book, Edible Action: Food Activism and Alternative Economics. Hunger is up, obesity is up, food-borne illness is up, farmers face challenging economic times; the food system fails growing numbers of people across the world every day. Yet if we adjust our lens, we see ubiquitous commitments to change: food movements and enterprises dedicated to making the world a better place to eat and to live. Food initiatives - from farmers' markets to fair trade coffee - offer a pattern of powerful alternatives to conventional food economics.
[more info]
Fri, Nov 14, 2008
Blue Covenant: Maude Barlow on the Global Water Crisis
Great Hall at Hart House, 7 Hart House Circle
7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
free for students - $10 for the general public - tickets available through UofTtix
The Blue Covenant Lecture features Maude Barlow speaking on the global water crisis and the coming battle for the right to water. Barlow has just been appointed as the United Nation's first senior adviser on water issues, a role she hopes to use to establish water as a human right and to convince Canada to "change its shameful position" on the issue. She is the National Chairperson of the Council of Canadians, Canada's largest public advocacy organization and the co-founder of the Blue Planet Project, working internationally for the right to water.
[more info]
