Saturday, December 12, 2015

Ford X Actinolite Sustainability Feast

Written by Anderson Leung (Good Food Toronto guest writer)

I was invited to a Sustainability Feast hosted by Ford (the motor company) and Toronto based restaurant Actinolite. At first these two could not be any more different from the outside. Actinolite is a restaurant that features freshness, seasonal, local, and sustainable food. Current ingredients available are what causes the menu to change weekly and seasonally. When I think Ford I see big inefficient American Cars that scream pollution. As the night progressed, I learned why this event was taking place and how these two came to collaborate. Ford has been using and is researching more natural ingredients to use in the vehicles. Whether it be the fibers to use in a seatbelt or foam materials in a car seat, Ford can reduce weight and costs by using readily available materials straight from nature. 

A 7 course meal showcased a certain ingredient per course. Chef Justin Cournoyer of Actinolite and a Ford representative in the research side explained what each ingredient themed course meant to them. The ingredients were, and in order, Tomato, Wheat, Soy, Bamboo, Corn, Rice, Cane Sugar, Birch, and Coconut. Each dish being simple and straight to the point with each ingredient. Nothing fancy, just raw taste and focus. 


Tomato|Algae 
This appetizer was Tomato three ways. One of them was dusted in algae (also another ingredient Ford is researching) and the tomato flavour. There wasn’t an explanation of this dish until later but it was overall really good. 


Soy|Milk 
Everything in this dish was Soy based. The Soy Custard on the bottom, covered fried soy crumb, topped off with soy foam. All the different textures of the dish was best enjoyed in one bite. Soy is used in the foam materials in cars. 


Wheat|Beer 
This was an interesting dish. In a mini La Creuset pot came a tiny loaf of bread for two to share. The chef explained how he used the spent wheat from Burdock Brewery (Toronto) and created something edible. The whey butter that went with this dish was unreal, but the bread itself I was definitely not used to. 


Bamboo|Shiitake|Kelp 
Showcasing Bamboo, the chef used mushrooms and kelp to make a dashi like broth that intensified the natural flavours of each ingredient. The broth was quite oily, but If you like kelp and shiitake, it’s like a flavour punch to the face. 


Corn|Crab|Tarragon 
Probably my favourite dish of the night, the layers and textures of this stack just worked perfectly. Starting from the bottom with hot stewed corn, to a soft crab salad, a room temperature crunchy corn crisp, topped with a cold scoop of corn sorbet and tarragon. The intensity of the corn flavour off of this was amazing and the different textures and temperatures of this stack just made the dish more interesting. 


Rice| Barley| Parsley 
At the top was popped wild rice, a turnip and kelp flake, and pickled seaweed, over a bed of barley in parsley juice. This dish was surprisingly acidic and contrary to the presentation, kind of boring. It didn’t work for me.


Cane Sugar|Beef|Broccoli|Garlic 
All local ingredients but the cane sugar, the caramel glazed organic and local beef short-rib was extremely tasty. The chef kept saying the word “beefy” to describe the flavour. There was no other word to describe it. I’ve never had beef taste so natural and intense ever. There was local broccoli and garlic on the side which were both also extremely flavourful. It was so simple, not much was added, but the taste was so amazing. This dish would convince people to go organic and locally sourced.


Birch|Pear|Chocolate 
First dessert came out topped with a leaf you would see in any fall neighbourhood in Ontario. The story behind this is what made the dish so special. The leaves were from the chef’s childhood planted tree, where he dried and candied them for the dessert. From the bottom was pebble looking chocolate crumble, roasted pear in birch leaves, pear sorbet, and then the candied birch leaf. I tried the birch leaf first and it tasted a bit bitter but full of tea flavour. The dessert just looked so natural and was tasty from top to bottom. 


Coconut|Lichen 
I’m not sure what lichen should taste like so I couldn’t exactly find if it made this dish better or not. These were a white chocolate fudge ball dusted in coconut and reindeer lichen. The fudge was not too sweet, very creamy, and full of white chocolate flavour. Actinolite was a great experience where I personally learned more about ingredients than I think I would through just eating. Ford’s science behind using natural ingredients were interesting and looks like they’re stepping in a positive direction for vehicles in the future. The dishes showcased each ingredient extremely well and I would go back if I had the chance to see what Actinolite has each season.

Friday, December 11, 2015

Krispy Kreme- Day of Dozens Deal

Here is a pretty sweet BOGO deal for Krispy Kreme doughnuts! In the world of Krispy Kreme, December 12 is known as Day of the Dozens (12-12), an annual holiday celebration of doughnuts that began on December 12, 2012 (12-12-12).  On Day of the Dozens, when you purchase one dozen Original Glazed dougnuts, you get a second dozen free! Just show the coupon in this post at any Krispy Kreme Canada location this coming Saturday (Dec. 12) to get the deal. They also have some holiday flavours available right now including a chocolate filled santa doughnut, a red velvet cream cheese doughnut and a holiday sprinkles doughnut.  The holiday doughnuts are nice but the original Krispy Kremes will always be my favourite. Check out the coupon below with a super cool and tasty barcode! #dayofthedozens

GTA Locations:
Toronto  – 164 McCaul St. And 215 Harbord St.

Mississauga – 5920 Mavis Rd.

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Terra Restaurant: Fine Dining Gem in North Toronto

Terra Restaurant is a well known spot in the north Toronto area with a reputation for great Italian food and steaks! I was recently invited to dine at Terra for their 20th anniversary celebration and had a chance to taste some of the favourite menu items with my good friends Jess and Flo.

Our server, Patrick was very knowledgeable and his delectable descriptions of the food made me want to order every dish. For appetizers, we started off with the Bison Carpaccio- a delicious combination of thinly sliced raw bison meat, pesto, pine nuts, arugula, truffle oil, caper berries, lemon and slice of Grana Padano.


We also shared the Grilled Day Boat Scallops that came with crispy house smoked pork belly. The grilled scallops were paired with grilled corn, roasted sweet pepper, pea succotash, basil seedlings and covered in a pommery mustard cream sauce. I loved how they use so many ingredients for each dish, ensuring that each bite of food was filled with tons of flavour. We also devoured one of their specials, a cold foie gras dish served with ice wine jelly that added some sweetness to meal. For salad, I suggest the tasty Imported Burrata Cheese and Heirloom Tomato Salad. This was just the appetizers. 

Terra has quite an extensive menu of delicious food and after getting some recommendations from our server, we decided on the Seafood Spaghettini Aglio Olio, Grilled Ostrich Fan and a 12 oz “USDA Prime” Rib Eye steak! Before our mains were brought out, we were given a scoop of Lime Sorbet to cleanse our palate- very nice touch. If you like seafood, the Seafood Spaghettini is loaded with a bit of everything- a grilled Nova Scotia lobster tail, prawns, scallops, Alaskan king crab, BC Salt Island spring mussels. The key to this dish was the simple olive oil pasta sauce, which brought together the seafood flavours very well. 
The Grilled Ostrich Fan consisted of ostrich meat served medium rare and sliced. The meat was juicy, lean and had no gaminess. This was served with a red wine sauce on top of truffled honey mushroom risotto. We also feasted on a delicious 12 oz Rib Eye steak that was perfectly cooked to rare. Very quality cut of meat, and I really enjoyed the contrasting strong beef flavour from the USDA Prime Rib Eye cut compared to the ostrich meat I had eaten earlier. We also enjoyed a few different wines throughout the meal to pair with the great food.
We were feeling quite satisfied, but there is always room for dessert! We ended off our meal with a Creme Brulee, a Flourless Chocolate Torte and a Pecan Cheesecake. They also carry an interesting selection of asian teas, which helped us digest our luxurious meal.
Terra is a great fine dining option in the north Toronto area, perfect for those looking for something outside of the downtown area, with same or better quality of service. We really enjoyed the amazing service, delicious food and we’re looking forward to trying the Terra’s affiliated restaurants including Sarpa in Richmond Hill, Rusty’s in Blue Mountain and Francobollo Posto Italiano in North Toronto. All part of the Substance Food Group.

Terra Restaurant 
8199 Yonge St, Thornhill, ON 
L3T 2C6 
(905) 731-6161 

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Taste of Peru: Celebrating the Pan Am Games Handover to Lima 2019


Written by Henry Truong aka @foodhubtoronto (Good Food Toronto guest writer)

The Taste of Peru Private reception hosted at the Stirling room was an amazing event of sorts. The event was held to celebrate the handover of the Pan Am Games from Toronto to Lima, Peru, where the next Pan Am Games will be held in 2019!

Chef Dennis Palma Cedeño and Chef Giancarlo Colombaro were on site to prepare delicious peruvian dishes/ Hord`oeurvres such as: Ceviche, Huacatay marinated lamb chops, Cocoa-macastriploin medallions, Peruvian quinoa prawns with ajipanca aioli, and Mango & Chia mousse.  The drinks were another wonderful addition - Pisco Punch and Pisco Sour were extremely popular amongst the crowd at the Stirling Room.

Approximiately 200 people were in attendance, including Pan-Am athletes and dignitaries from Peru it provided a very welcoming and fun experience. Thank you Mark S. for the invitation to this great event!  The Pan Am and Para Pan Am Games were a huge success in Toronto, so we're expecting great things in Peru in 2019!

Friday, September 25, 2015

Lobstahpalooza 2015

Lobstahpalooza 2015 is happening this Sunday! Chef Matt Dean Pettit and Samuel Adams Beer will be hosting the giant Lobster Boil party in Kensington Market, behind El Gordos Food Market on Sept 27, 1-8 pm.  If you haven't met Matt before, he is the big boss at Rock Lobster, Matty's Seafood Brand and also a die hard Blue Jays fan (playoffs here we come)! I had a chance to attend the media preview and it was lobster madness.



Tickets for Lobstahpalooza 2015 are $50 each and guests at Lobstahpalooza 2015 will be enjoying a tasty seafood feast, including oysters at the raw bar and a full East Coast lobster boil, with delicious sides. Rock Lobster Ceasars, Samuel Adams Beer and Thomas Lavers Ginger Beer will be available to wash down all the lobster. Tickets include 2 beer tickets!  There will also be live bands, DJs, and a 50/50 Charity draw to support The Stop Community Food Centre.


The media preview I attended was a small outdoor dinner where we enjoyed a lobsters cooked by Matt himself.  We devoured an entire lobster boil meal that consisted of a whole market lobster, fresh buns from Blackbird Baking Co. and mom's potato salad- possibly the most impressive potato salad I have seen.  We also had a chance to try some retail packaged Lobster Rolls from Matty's Seafood Brand.  These were delicious, especially considering they are ready to serve and readily available at Sobey's Supermarkets. The meal was quite messy, but more than satisfying!  Special thanks to Matt for teaching me how to take apart my lobster- my lobster shucking skills have improved greatly since!
Photo Credits: Rey Pan, EatNMingle.com
Tickets be purchased at: https://lobstahpalooza2015.eventbrite.com

LobstahPalooza 2015 #saminhand 
Sept 27, 2015
1-8PM
214 Augusta Ave, Kensington Market 
Behind El Gordos Market


Thursday, September 10, 2015

Introducing: McDonald's Mighty Angus Burger

The first item on the Mcdonald’s menu in 1967 was a hamburger and since then, McDonald’s has served over 300 billion burgers to hungry customers worldwide! I have seen McDonald’s Canada introduce new items in recent years including different wraps and salads, but it’s safe to say that burgers are their “bread and butter.” This year marks the launch of the new Mighty Angus...a big, badass, beefy burger created with beef lovers in mind. 

I was invited to attend the launch of the Mighty Angus at McDonald’s Head Office in Toronto, along with a handful of other bloggers and McDonald’s fans. The party took place at their head office’s in-house McDonald’s restaurant, where new items are created and where staff can grab food at work! A giant version of the Mighty Angus was available for guests to take pictures with and there was even a light box station with a perfectly stylized Mighty Angus for those looking for the perfect Instagram picture. 

The Mighty Angus is McDonald’s Canada’s most recent addition to the permanent menu. It consists of a third-pound 100% Angus beef patty, sourced from Canadian farms. Quality of beef was taken very seriously when creating the Mighty Angus and a Canadian Beef Grading Agency representative is on hand every time McDonald’s makes Angus patties. I had a great time learning about the new burger and jumped at the opportunity to make my own Mighty Angus in their kitchen! I tried to sneak two Angus beef patties into my burger to create the Ultimate Mighty Angus, but unfortunately, it was removed during the quality control stage.

The Mighty Angus sits in between a sesame & poppy seed bun, topped with smoky Angus aioli, smoked bacon pieces, leaf lettuce, tomato, cheddar cheese and grilled onions. It’s quite a hefty burger, loaded with the taste of beefiness and smokiness in each bite. It’s one of my current favourites from McDonald’s and I’m happy to see McDonald’s sticking to what they do best...burgers.

#certifiedmighty

Cooking with Graham Elliot and Walmart


Written by Janice Choi aka @bluntfoodreview (Good Food Toronto guest writer)

On May 20th I had the (probably once in a lifetime) opportunity to cook with chef Graham Elliot! Graham Elliot is a host on Masterchef US and Masterchef Junior, and was awarded two Michelin stars for his restaurant in Chicago – only one of fifteen in the US to have that distinction!

I arrived at Nella Cucina at 4:30pm, a stunning kitchen store with a kitchen and demonstration area in the upper level. I was quickly welcomed with a drink and found a station with 4 other ladies.

The event was hosted by Walmart to promote their fresh food offering. As the event started, we were given an introduction to Walmart and their fresh food department, which has been around for 8 years. They make all their bread in store every day, and are planning to offer fresh sushi at their stores!

Time to start cooking!! On the menu was Striploin Steak with Creamed Spinach, and Pan-Seared Salmon with Cabbage slaw and Whole-Grained Mustard. We were given beautiful Angus steaks and an assortment of pre-measured ingredients.

Graham Elliot was so friendly and down to earth. He came around to every station and chatted with us, gave a quick explanation and some tips on what we should do. Our team members were clearly not the greatest chefs so he came around and actually showed us how to shape and season our steaks.

While my other teammates worked on the creamed spinach (which was a bit of a disaster), I went up to the front to grill the steaks.

Once our steaks were almost done, we brought our creamed spinach up to plate and admired Chef Graham’s steak cutting skills. Cutting the steaks will allow your guests to see the how beautifully it’s cooked… unfortunately ours was slightly overcooked, but still very tasty!

Sadly we were nearing the end of the event and were running out of time for the salmon dish. We quickly mixed the slaw while Chef Graham pan-seared the salmon. In my opinion it was probably better that we didn’t cook this dish, it gave us the opportunity to taste Chef Graham’s cooking first hand.  No doubt it was a perfectly balanced and mouth-watering dish!

Overall a very fun event and one I’ll never forget. I think my cooking skills may have improved just a little bit! Hoping to be able to visit Chicago and pay a visit to Graham Elliot’s restaurant Graham Elliot Bistro sometime in the near future!