After the Beaujolais Wine and BBQ luncheon, Nick and I headed to the Shangri-La Hotel for the media launch and preview of the 2nd annual Kampai Toronto Sake Festival being tomorrow on May 30th at the Fermenting Cellar in the Distillery District. “Kampai” which stands for cheers in English, is the largest sake festival in Canada. The event is hosted by The Sake Institute of Ontario which is a non-profit organization that brings together sake distributors and producers in Ontario…
On a beautiful, warm Wednesday afternoon, Nick and I attended the Acadia Restaurant in little Italy for Beaujolais Wine Council’s wine tasting and luncheon. We tasted 12 different wines paired with a five course meal courtesy of Acadia Restaurant. We started with the white wine – Château des Jacques, Beaujolais, Grand Clos de Loyse, 2010(#1). It was fruity and delicate with a dry finish. I enjoyed drinking it on its own. First course: Creole Shrimp on top of Anson Mills…
On an unusually hot evening in April, we got invited to attend the Cutco Foodie Forever Event. Upon arrival, we were welcomed by the friendly ladies from Cutco. We took no hesitation of trying the hors d’oeuvres as we mixed and mingled with food bloggers. The main event of the evening included cooking a healthy dinner along with simple knife lessons from Cutco. Everyone was grouped into small teams and taken into the kitchen. For dinner we tossed up some…
The biggest cocktail competition in Canada came and went on Monday, March 25th, where the top sixteen finalists in Toronto competed for the MadeWithLove National Mixology Competition at the Fermenting Cellar in the Distillery District. This event originated in Old Montreal in 2009, and within three years it has gained huge popularity across Canada and has become an international phenomenon. This year, the top local sixteen contestants created their own cocktails inspired by the neighbourhoods in the city of Toronto…
Photography by Flora Tran There is a new craze in the culinary world, many call it molecular cuisine. It is experimental cooking that focuses on the physical and chemical transformations of ingredients. Fortunately, Flora and I had the privilege to experience this modern method of cooking with Chef John Placko on October 24 at one of Nella Cucina’s culinary workshop sessions. Molecular cuisine is all about manipulating the senses. Familiar food is presented in an unfamiliar and unexpected way so…
Do you have a passion for food? Ever wonder what it would be like to be a star in the kitchen? Take on the Chef’s Challenge and allow me to invite you to Chef John Cirillo’s Culinary Academy for a cooking lesson for aspiring cooks at any level and experience! Chef Cirillo lead a group of cooking enthusiasts at his own Culinary Academy on September 20th for the first in a series of this year’s Chef’s Challenge pre-events around the…