Posted by Greg Clow in events, events upcoming on November 14, 2008 at 7:51 am

If you've seen any episodes of Gordon Ramsay's UK TV series The F-Word, you'll know his wife, Tana, as the one who complains about the crazy schemes that Gordon comes up with to raise various animals in their back garden. But she's also a chef and cookbook author in her own right, and her tour to promote her third book, Home Made, brings her to Toronto next Wednesday for a live Q&A at Heliconian Hall with Amy Verner of the Globe & Mail.

Also coming up in the next seven days are a couple of opportunities for the deep-pocketed to help out some good causes, with swank benefit dinners supporting Bloorview Kids Rehab, featuring food by chefs from Splendido, Scaramouche, and other top restaurants; and the Ontario Association of Food Banks, with a talk by Jessica Jackley Flannery, co-founder of micro-loan organisation Kiva.org.

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.

Posted by Sheryl Kirby in event reviews, events, events upcoming, exhibits, farm to table on November 10, 2008 at 8:02 am

Once again, it’s time for the country to come to the city. The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair is in town until November 16th. Now in its 86th year, the Royal is the largest combined indoor agricultural fair and international equestrian competition in the world, and sees over 300,000 people come through its doors each November.

And since the majority of agriculture is food-related, the fair is a great place for foodies to check out new local products, admire prize-winning produce, and see up close the chickens, pigs, cows and sheep that will eventually end up on their dinner tables.

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.

Posted by Sheryl Kirby in events, events upcoming, italian on November 6, 2008 at 7:29 am

As we revel in the seasonal autumn produce of Ontario, it’s easy to forget that it’s harvest time in other parts of the world as well.

In Italy, they’re enjoying tomatoes, root vegetables and cabbage just as we are, but there’s also the addition of fragrant truffles, plump buffala mozzarella, chestnuts, seasonal fish and game meats on the plate.

To celebrate the delights of the autumn season, the Italian Trade Commission and twenty-one Italian restaurants in the Toronto area are putting together special tasting menus that highlight the very best of fall in Italy as part of the Autunno Italian Seasons Festival.

Posted by Sheryl Kirby in books, events, exhibits on November 3, 2008 at 8:05 am

Waste not, want not: Toronto Public Library (TRL)

In an era when restaurants and food shops come and go, it’s difficult to remember food trends from even a couple of years ago, let alone decades or centuries. But everybody eats – preferably three times a day – and over the years, the changes that have taken place in terms of food in Toronto are vast.

Until January 11th, 2009, the Toronto Reference Library (TRL) is offering a peek into the history of food in Toronto through an exhibit in their gallery space called Local Flavour: Eating in Toronto, 1830-1955.

Curated by librarian Sheila Carleton of the Special Collections, Genealogy & Maps Centre, the idea for the exhibit came about because of the opportunity to restore some historical cookbooks in the TRL’s collection. “In 2006, the Toronto Reference Library was invited to apply for a grant from the Culinary Trust for restoration of up to 4 historical cookbooks in our collection,” explains Carleton. “Our application was accepted and two local conservators were commissioned to carry out the work. As it is an honour to be invited to apply for the grant, we thought that the public would be interested in seeing these and other cookbooks in our collection.”

Posted by Greg Clow in events, events upcoming on October 31, 2008 at 7:45 am

Many of Toronto's top chefs are well known for having a charitable streak a mile wide, and one charity that receives a good portion of their time and attention - and most deservedly so - is The Stop Community Food Centre. For over 25 years, they've been one of Toronto's most important grassroots community organisations, and they'll be both celebrated and supported at the annual What's On The Table fundraising gala next Wednesday at the Palais Royale, with food provided by a who's who of the local restaurant scene.

Other fundraising events in the coming week include Vino della Vita, an Italian wine tasting gala at Roy Thomson Hall in support of the Heart and Stroke Foundation, and a Bone China Tea for Osteoporosis Canada at The Boulevard Club.

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.

Posted by Sheryl Kirby in SOLE food, events, events upcoming, farm to table on October 24, 2008 at 3:14 pm

When most people think of the Palais Royale Ballroom, they think of, well... dancing. Or the bands that have graced the famous stage. Maybe if they’ve attended a wedding or other event where they were served a meal, they’re aware that the Palais actually turns out some pretty great food.

Executive Chef Steffan Howard has worked in Paris, New York and at some of the top restaurants in Toronto (Truffles, JOV Bistro, AGO) but he also has a background in agriculture, having spent three years working on an organic farm as a product developer and initiating an organic catering company. He was also the chairman of the 15th annual Feast of Fields event.

So how does a chef with a background in organic farming bring his love of organic and local produce to a venue where most of his work is for weddings or corporate events? By opening the doors for a local food lunch, that’s how.

Posted by Greg Clow in events, events upcoming on October 24, 2008 at 7:54 am

Foodies and local history buffs alike will be interested in "Local Flavour: Eating in Toronto, 1830-1955", an exhibit that opens this weekend at the Toronto Reference Library. As the name suggests, the exhibit will present 125 years of Toronto's culinary history in the form of cookbooks (including a copy of The Cook not Mad, or, Rational Cookery, the first English language cookbook published in Canada in 1831), restaurant menus, archival photos, food labels, catalogues, and much more.

This weekend also features the last half of the Planet In Focus environmental film festival, which this year features a spotlight series of food, with screenings at various locations throughout the city. And drinkers will be gathering at the Convention Centre tonight for Whiskey Live, and at an assortment of wine events taking place at assorted restaurants and venues over the next seven days.

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.

Posted by Sheryl Kirby in events, events upcoming, films on October 20, 2008 at 8:02 am

Every year, the Planet in Focus film festival includes a number of films about food, but this year 15 titles have been selected as part of a series entitled Food: The Big Picture. Running from October 22nd to 26th, the series looks at food from every angle.

On October 23rd, Norman Lofts’ film Michael Schmidt: Organic Hero or Bioterrorist (Canada, 2008) launches the spotlight program, followed by a panel discussion - In the Name of the Public Good? Food Policy & Food Security in Ontario. The International and Canadian Eco-Hero Awards will also be given out that evening. Slow food pioneer and Italian author Carlo Petrini will be awarded the International Eco-Hero Award; author and long-time sustainable food policy advocate Wayne Roberts will be given the Canadian Eco-Hero Award.

On Friday, October 24th, food films dominate the evening at two screening locations. The Beggars in Addis Ababa (Denmark 2007) runs at 9pm at Innis Town Hall. Jakob Gottschau's documentary poignantly personalizes the stories of millions facing hunger and displacement in the developing world. At 7pm, Tableland (Canada, 2007), a film about sustainable small-scale artisanal food producers, screens at the Gardiner.

Posted by Greg Clow in events, events upcoming on October 17, 2008 at 9:14 am

If you're a fan of craft-brewed beer, then this is the weekend for you, as Volo Cask Days returns for its fourth annual instalment. This celebration of cask-conditioned ales has expanded to three full days this year, with two tasting sessions taking place each day from today through Sunday.

Also this weekend, the Beer Lovers Tour Company is loading up the bus for an Ontario Fall Colours Beer Tour out through Grey and Wellington Counties, with stops at several breweries and dinner at the Woolwich Arms in Guelph. North of the city, the Muskoka Boat & Heritage Centre in Gravenhurst is hosting "Aromas & Blends", a tasting of various Ontario beers and wines.

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.

Posted by Greg Clow in events, events upcoming on October 10, 2008 at 10:14 am

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! If you're looking to get your gobble on this weekend, plenty of places are offering up turkey dinners and brunches for the holiday, including EPIC Restaurant, Allen's, Black Creek Pioneer Village, Casa Loma, Palais Royale, and probably lots of other places that we don't know about.

If turkey ain't your thing, the Abbot on the Hill is hosting an Oktoberfest celebration all weekend, with proceeds to members of Canada's Olympic teams, who will also be benefiting from next Thursday's Gold Medal Plates gala at the Royal York. The coming week also features the final prix fixe dinner in the Harvest Wednesdays series at the Gladstone, a few wine dinners, and the start of Chocolate Fest '08.

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.

Posted by Sheryl Kirby in event reviews, events, indie food artisan, products on October 9, 2008 at 7:27 am

One of the truly fun parts of this job is being able to attend trade shows to check out new and upcoming products before they hit the shelves. There are a few of these throughout the year and the most recent was the Ethnic and Specialty Food Expo held this past weekend at the International Centre.

As the name suggests, the Ethnic and Specialty Food Expo is designed to promote various ethnic foods, as well as specialty products, both local and imported, and these trade and media events are a way for companies, many of which are small, independent business, to promote their products to the media as well as make contact with potential wholesale customers.

Posted by Sheryl Kirby in beverages, caribbean, event reviews, events, spirits on October 3, 2008 at 4:35 pm

The Caribbean is known for its gorgeous beaches, laid back atmosphere and beautiful scenery. But food and drink connoisseurs might be more familiar with the other hilights of the Caribbean islands – particularly rum.

September 24th to 26th was Caribbean Week here in Toronto. Designed to promote travel and industry in the 32 Caribbean islands, the festival also featured an evening of Rum and Rhythm at the Harbourcastle Westin, where guests listened to the sounds of the Caribbean while sampling rum from the islands and culinary offerings from some of the Caribbean’s top chefs. Guests could sample a variety of rum and rum-based cocktails, and a buffet-style selection of Caribbean cuisine that included everything from salt fish to bread pudding.

We wisely filled up on some of the fabulous edible offerings first before hitting the rum and cocktail samples.

Posted by Greg Clow in events, events upcoming on October 3, 2008 at 8:48 am

The biggest thing happening in Toronto this weekend is obviously Nuit Blanche, where three big chunks of downtown will be transformed into multimedia extravaganzas of art in various forms. Aside from a few bars and restaurants staying open late, food and drink doesn't play a very big role in Nuit Blanche, but there are a couple of exhibits with an edible theme, including a heritage apple tasting at the Cookbook Store, a post-modern dinner party called "Appetite" at St. Lawrence Market, and video installation "Organiclicious!!!" at Fresh on Crawford.

More exciting to foodies, perhaps, will be next Wednesday's interview/Q&A at Isabel Bader Theatre with renowned chef Ferran Adrià (pictured). The $95 ticket price is pretty spendy, but it includes a copy of the new book "A Day at elBulli: An Insight into the Ideas, Methods and Creativity of Ferran Adrià".

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.

Posted by Sheryl Kirby in events, events upcoming, farm to table, fruit and vegetables on September 29, 2008 at 7:39 am

We all know the phrase about comparing apples and oranges. We tell someone they’re a peach if we think they’re especially kind, and plum good is better than just plain good any day.

But what of the lowly pear? The average Canadian eats a mere 2 pounds of pears a year; they tend to be overlooked at harvest time when the other more extroverted fruit take centre stage. Yet pears are not only great eaten out of hand, they can be a versatile ingredient in both sweet and savoury dishes, and make delicious wine and cider.