Comments Off on Nov 14th: It’s Your Moment in support of Look Good Feel Better
On Nov 14th, It’s Your Moment will be a glamorous night out to raise money for Look Good Feel Better, which encourages women with cancer to feel beautiful about the way they look through workshops and seminars. This fun 19+ evening will feature a jewelry fashion show hosted by Stella & Dot, light hors d’oeurves, live music, a dance performance by Amy Adams, beauty vendors, hair stylists and more. There will also be a raffle and auction.
It’s only $20 general admission and $10 for students. You can get your tickets at the door or in advance with Hanna Sunderani at 416.319.8387. Advanced ticket purchasers will receive a free raffle ticket for the auction!
Launched in 1992 by a charitable foundation of the Canadian Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association (CCTFA), Look Good Feel Better is Canada’s only cancer charity dedicated to empowering women to manage the effects that cancer and its treatment have on their appearance, and often on their morale. Over 130,000 women have been helped through our workshop. For more information visit www.lgfb.ca
Comments Off on Chef’s Challenge Pre-event with Chef Mark McEwan
Simmie Antflick and Chef Mark McEwan
Selected guests were invited to attend the 2nd Chef’s Challenge Pre-event with celebrity Chef Mark McEwan at Sub-Zero and Wolf. As the reigning champ of last year’s Chef Challenge, McEwan talked about how he was going to make his team work really hard to defend his title for this year’s Chef’s Challenge on December 1st at Fairmont Royal York Hotel. When asked what his tip for his potential team members in the audience, he joked “don’t cut yourself!” So the battle will be intense but if you’re a serious aspiring chef, you can still register at www.chefschallengeforacure.com. A minimum donation of $2,500 allows you to watch the battle unfold live on Dec 1st. If you make it to the list of the top 50 fundraisers, you will be in the heat of this great culinary battle elbow-to-elbow with one of the celebrity chefs: Lynn Crawford, Chuck Hughes, Mark McEwan, David Rocco, and Michael Smith.
Chef Mark McEwan speaking to guests about the upcoming Chef’s Challenge on December 1st
Auxiliary President Karen Goldlist with Chef Mark McEwan
Guests watching the video from Guy Fieri about the upcoming Chef’s Challenge
A remarkable kitchen stadium sets the tone for a true culinary mêlée as celebrity chefs lead fundraisers into the epicurean battle of their lives, all for the opportunity to oust Mark McEwan, who led his team to victory in 2011.
To attend this exclusive culinary fundraising event, participants must raise a minimum of $2,500 to watch the battle unfold. Guy Fieri will craft a five-course epicurean dinner—but keep your keen culinary skills handy throughout the meal—members of the audience will be called upon to complete tableside challenges for Guy!
The top 50 fundraisers earn the privilege to test their culinary talent live on stage alongside their team and celebrity chef, all while under the watchful eye of Guy Fieri.
Comments Off on Steampunk: Yesterday’s Future, an ISES Toronto Gala
As described in wikipedia, Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction that typically features steam-powered machinery, especially in a setting inspired by industrialized Western civilization during the 19th century, or a post apocalyptic environment. We really enjoy this pseudo-Victorian mechanical “steampunk” style because it makes for beautiful visuals that stand out from cookie-cutter events.
We were intrigued by the idea of a Steampunk-themed gala and also, who puts on better events than a community of professional event planners? This was definitely an event we didn’t want to miss! The ISES (International Special Events Society of Toronto) chapter annual gala gathered members and friends for a jam-packed evening full of entertainment from live performances, some magic, and great music.
The evening started with a reception of cocktails and hors d’oeurves, a set of violin renditions of popular music by Grenville Pinto.
Guests were then greeted into the dining area by the evening’s host, Michael Coombs, of Michael Coombs Entertainment, with ISES Toronto Annual Leadership Awards, mixed with a vast array of entertainment from aerial performances by A2D2, a great musical performance by Devah Quartet, a magic show by Mental Floss Sideshow, dancing by Dragonfly Belly Dance group, and Well Rounded Hoops. Our favourite performance was Devah Quartet, four young ladies who had great costumes and electrifying string music. They were like a refreshing version of Apocalyptica. Definitely check them out when you get the next chance!
The amazing Devah Quartet
Award recipients included:
Bryan Bell at Decor & More for the ISES Toronto Supplier of the Year Award
Larry Cuthbertson for the ISES Toronto Dedication Award
This annual event was planned and prepared by Eclectic Events International, who have been ISES Toronto members for years. We first met them at the recent Atlantis Pavilion open-house which was also a great event with many impressive attractions to enjoy.
The amazing DeVah Quartet
Mental Floss Sideshow
Julie Danaylov, President of ISES Toronto and Michael Coombs, MC and host of the evening
Photo: Eclectic Events International
Mental Floss Sideshow
DeVah Quartet
Thanks very much to Eclectic Events for having us and putting on a great ISES Toronto gala for the special events community!
The International Special Events Society was founded in 1987 to foster enlightened performance through education while promoting ethical conduct. ISES works to join professionals to focus on the “event as a whole” rather than its individual parts.
ISES’s worldwide membership has grown to involve over 5,000 members active in 35 countries throughout the world. Membership brings together professionals from a variety of special events disciplines including caterers, meeting planners, decorators, event planners, audio-visual technicians, party and convention coordinators, educators, journalists, hotel sales managers and many more professional disciplines.
Comments Off on An evening of hands-on molecular cuisine
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 that our senses do not know what to expect. For example, coconut water is usually enjoyed as refreshing beverage on a hot summer day. Another familiar food, caviar, basically salt-cured fish-eggs, is commonly served on sushi. So how do these two foods relate?
That is when molecular cooking comes into play. Coconut caviar infuses the refreshing coconut water with delicate roe. Here are the ingredients:
Caviar mix
2 tbsp icing sugar
3 level spoons easy alginate
½ cup water
½ cup coconut milk
Setting Bath
2 heaped spoons calcium chloride
2 cups water
Add water and all of the ingredients into a blender on low speed and strain the mixture. Place the mix into a squeeze bottle. Then drip caviar mix into the setting bath mix. Rinse the caviar in cold water and it is ready to serve! Check out my video of this to see it in action!
Chef John Placko adds a teaspoon of the coconut pearls into a chilled glass of horchata paired with dried rice cracker and hummus. And a delightful snack is served.
The main event is a demonstration of how molecular cuisine works in the kitchen.
Starter: Walnut crusted salmon on sushi rice cakes with black rice salad and snowflakes.
Starter: Walnut crusted salmon on sushi rice cakes with black rice salad and snowflakes.
The surprise factor of this dish is the white puffy snowflakes on the side. It plays an interesting spin on flavour. Snowflakes in my memory are tasteless just like water. However, the aroma and flavour of the snowflakes here reminds me of nutty sesame seeds as it melts away in on my tongue. This is one form of manipulation that takes place in molecular cuisine.
Main: Seafood Stir-fry on Texmati Rice
Main: Seafood Stir-fry on Texmati Rice
This stir-fry tastes as delicious as it looks. Though I do not believe molecular cooking is used in this dish.
Dessert: White Chocolate Arancini with Puffed Rice Rocher and Raspberry Butter Sauce
Dessert: White Chocolate Arancini with Puffed Rice Rocher and Raspberry Butter Sauce
See the strawberries on the plate? They are frozen strawberries that fizzle in your mouth, much like drinking soda! The secret is carbonation; a recognizable technique in molecular cooking. Take a cream whipper and add strawberries. Then charge it twice with and leave it in the fridge to cool for two hours. After the cooling the fruits are ready to serve. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4HDfTJjzhU)
As the evening went on, I concluded that molecular cooking is all about creating unfamiliar sensation to the palate. The modern cuisine redesigns the texture, flavour, smell, and colour of food in ways that we have never experienced before. The element of surprise in molecular cuisine is key for entertaining an audience. Surly it does not disappoint, this food in science fiction is setting a brand new stage for modern cooking.
A special thanks goes to Jessica from FayeClack Communications Inc., Chef John Placko, Chef Brianne Nash, and the wonderful staff at Nella Cucina for such an amazing event!
About Chef John Placko
Chef John Placko has worked in Canada over the past 17 years in corporate food and restaurant organizations. Prior to Canada, he worked in Australia and Mexico, mainly in hotels and restaurants.
John’s culinary competition activity spans multiple countries; Australia, Germany, Canada and France, where he competed in the Bocuse d’Or competition. His passion lies in the culinary evolution most commonly known as molecular cuisine or molecular gastronomy. Over the past 6 years he has been invited to present, demonstrate and teach this modern cuisine to numerous culinary groups at GFTC, Humber College, George Brown College, The Cookbook Store and Nella Cucina.
You can register for molecular cuisine workshops at Nella Cucina by clicking here.
Chef John Placko showing the puffed long grain rice rice rocher on a baking sheet to be used for the dessert
Comments Off on Panda Ball for the World Wildlife Fund
Panda Ball at the Aria room at the Four Seasons Hotel
The Panda Ball is an evening of celebrating the place that connects us all, Earth. This 2nd annual fundraising gala for the World Wildlife Fund brought together key philanthropists and business visionaries who want to make positive changes in the conservation of the universe’s only known living planet. The work that the WWF does is so vital, dealing with issues that impact everyone on a global scale in a changing climate, melting Arctic, health of our oceans, rivers and the preservation of wildlife and endangered species.
It was our first time at the new luxurious Four Seasons Hotel in Yorkville. We had the pleasure of meeting The Bachelor Canada’s one and only Brad C. Smith who had heaps of fun facial expressions to share with us. Thanks for the photo ops!
Following the reception, guests were gathered into the thoughtfully decorated Aria banquet room with elegant dining table settings. The gold panda pins at each seat were a nice touch. The charismatic Ziya Tong, co-host of Daily Planet, did a great job as Master of Ceremonies for the evening and she made inspirational speeches about the importance of environmental issues and our planet Earth.
Environmental Leader Awards were given out to Greg Kiessling, co-founder of Bullfrog Power, for “Leader for Conservation”, followed by the award for “Partner in Conservation”, accepted by Coca-Cola Canada President, Nicola Kettlitz, and the “Living Planet Legacy” was awarded to Annette Verschuren who highlighted her work as President of Home Depot Canada.
Feist rounded out the evening with unique renditions of her hits such as “My Moon My Man”.
At the end of the evening everyone enjoyed choosing their own WWF stuffed animal species to take home and adopt. So many great ones to choose from! Check out all these great stuffed animals you can choose from that would make great Christmas gifts. You’ll also be eligible to receive a tax receipt while also supporting WWF’s conservation efforts.
We wish the best success to the WWF in it’s fundraising efforts.
ABOUT WWF (World Wildlife Fund)
WWF (World Wildlife Fund) is Canada’s largest international conservation organization with the active support of more than 150,000 Canadians. We connect the power of a strong global network to on-the-ground conservation efforts across Canada, with offices in Vancouver, Prince Rupert,Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax, St. John’s, and a growing presence in the Arctic. For more information visit wwf.ca
Brad C Smith, Bachelor Canada, and Arlene Dickinson of Dragon’s Den at the VIP reception
Auctioneer, Jay Mandarino with guests at the VIP reception
Dinner setting for Panda Ball at the new Four Seasons Hotel in Yorkville, Toronto
Ziya Tong, co-host of Daily Planet and Master of Ceremonies at Panda Ball 2012
Annette Verschuren, O.C. accepting an Environmental Leader Award: Living Planet Legacy
Feist performing at Panda Ball 2012
Feist performing at Panda Ball 2012
Dessert at Panda Ball: Caramelized pear Pavlova, vanilla brulee with Cointreau Chantilly
Wonderful WWF ladies giving out stuffed animals to each guest
Lindt chocolate teddy bears for a sweet ending to the evening
Auctioneer, Jay Mandarino with guests
Lindt chocolate teddy bears for a sweet ending to the evening
WWF ladies giving out stuffed animals to each guest
Feist performing at Panda Ball 2012
Feist performing at Panda Ball 2012
Annette Verschuren, O.C. accepting an Environmental Leader Award: Living Planet Legacy
Ziya Tong, co-host of Daily Planet and Master of Ceremonies at Panda Ball 2012
Panda Ball at the Aria room at the Four Seasons Hotel
Dinner setting for Panda Ball at the new Four Seasons Hotel in Yorkville, Toronto
Brad C Smith, Bachelor Canada, and Arlene Dickinson of Dragon’s Den
