Strawberry pistachio baked Alaska | Sweet Sammies

With 30 chefs, 4 wineries, and 2 breweries, this year’s Recipe for Change event was a food lovers’ dream. Held at the St. Lawrence Market North Market on February 26, attendees had three hours to wine and dine, all in support of FoodShare‘s programs to raise food literacy and boost healthy food in schools.

This year’s edition of this annual fundraising event is called Party for the Future of Food, and what a party it was. With so many dishes to sample, it was impossible to try them all, so it was great to chat with the friendly, enthusiastic guests who happily recommended their favourites. From the savoury side, my own favourites were the oysters from Hooked Inc, the beef and celery dumplings from Bernardin, and the buffalo chicken with chicharron in a black pepper biscuit from the Omni King Edward Hotel.

Other memorable eats were the chicken tagine with seven vegetable couscous from Annona, which brought back happy memories from my trip to Morocco, and the very unique presentation of the Great Lakes whitefish profiterole from Palais Royale, complete with a mini-baster containing Niagara peach tea syrup.

For dessert, I gravitated to Sweet Sammies‘ booth where strawberry pistachio baked Alaskas were being assembled and finished on the spot. Just beside them, I had a macchiato from Propeller Coffee Co; I only wish I had come a little bit earlier to order an affogato – they were unfortunately out of ice cream by the time I visited their booth. Another dessert I liked was the chewy pecan macaron with praline cream and candied hazelnut from Tempered Room.

For drinks, I enjoyed the sparkling wine from Château des Charmes, and the Pinot Gris from Prince Edward Vineyards and Estate Winery. Beer from Beau’s All Natural Brewing Co. and Black Oak Brewing Company were also being served.

If you wanted to take a moment to digest, there was live music to enjoy (what’s a party without music?). And of course you can peruse some of the items in the silent auction. There was a diverse selection up for bidding like kitchen appliances, sports memorabilia, tickets to shows, and even a couple of beautiful bicycles, to name a few. All proceeds from the auction, and ticket sales for this event go directly to fund FoodShare’s programs.

The food and drink tonight had a focus on healthy eating, sustainable production, and support of local sources, appropriately keeping in theme with what FoodShare is all about. The programs that FoodShare employs include those highlighting student nutrition, running urban market gardens in schools, serving healthy cafeteria food, and sourcing the fresh vegetables and fruits at schools from the Ontario food terminal and local family farms.

Congratulations to FoodShare, all of the amazing chefs, wineries, breweries, and volunteers for hosting another great event!

For more information:
www.foodshare.net/recipeforchange
Twitter: @FoodShareTO #RecipeForChange
Instagram: @FoodShareTO #RecipeForChange
Facebook: FoodShareTO

In Photos: Dragon Ball 2015 for the Yee Hong Foundation
ZEDD, Calvin Harris and more big names to headline Exodus Festival in Las Vegas

John Tan

John is an avid traveller, but equally loves being a tourist in his own city. With camera in hand, he enjoys discovering the sights, sounds, tastes, and everything else that Toronto has to offer. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram (@iam_johntan) to see what he's been up to lately.