Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Eat Well Culinary Workshop: WORLD OF BBQ

Last tuesday, I had the opportunity to attend the WORLD OF BBQ event co-hosted by Chef Matt Basile. I knew I was in for a treat, having already experienced delicious eats from his Fidel Gastros food truck and his Queen West gastropub, Lisa Marie! This was part of a series of Eat Well Culinary Workshops, where guests enjoyed different FARM TO FOOD experiences, with a focus on Canola Oil and Canola growers in Canada.
The event was actually in the form of a private backyard BBQ at the backyard of Dine Alone Records in downtown Toronto. The backyard, which is used for parking, was transformed into a farm themed BBQ. Guests were dressed in plaid, sitting on stacks of hay and wearing “I Love Canola” trucker hats! We had a chance to speak with and learn from Canola experts from Manitoba, including Canola Farmers and members of the Manitoba Canola Growers Association. I had no idea where Canola oil came from before and guests had the chance to make some Canola Oil during the “Canola Crush” activity. The Canola seeds don’t feel oily at all on the outside, but are filled with oil, which you can obtain by crushing individual seeds.

As we drank and mingled, Chef Matt Basile put together a 4 Country BBQ Feast with Canola Oil at the heart of each dish. The food was crazy good, with mountains of delicious BBQ meat and sides all brought out at once. He brought a giant trailer with a built in kitchen and 2 charcoal barbecues, for that extra delicious charcoal sear! Chef Matt explained how Canola Oil is especially good to use on a barbecue because of its high tolerance to heat compared to other types of oils. He also did a Chimicurri and Grilling Demo with canola oil- one of the best dishes of the night! “Chimichurri is meant to have spice, but not be spicy.”


Chef Matt Basile’s 4 Country BBQ Menu (Fidel Gastros/ Lisa Marie) 

Argentina- Chimicurri Miami Beef Ribs 

Phillipines- Adobo Grilled Tomahawk Pork Chops 

Texas- Cowboy Tacos & BBQ Sauce 

Portugal- Churrasco Smoked Chicken Wings with Hot Sauce 

Sides- Roasted Corn with Salsa Verde, Kale Salad with Crumbs, Lemon, Capers and Parmesan

The BBQ took place at Dine Alone Records, who are also involved in the food business in the form of Dine Alone Foods. They have a line of Dine Alone BBQ sauce and Dine Alone 100% Organic Ontario Rye, a collaboration they did with Toronto Distillery Co.. Guests at the event enjoyed a refreshing ginger beer cocktail made with the Dine Alone Rye. These guys started off in music, but their love of food and drink has them branching out further. We also got to enjoy a Dine Alone branded Beau’s Lug-Tread beer... can’t go wrong with Lug-Tread! Traynor Vineyard wines were featured and the Traynor Sauvignon Blanc was a nice easy to drink wine with all the heavy BBQ food. 

I had a great time at this event, while learning about Canola Oil and eating delicious food cooked with Canola Oil aka Canada’s Oil. Visit www.canolaeatwell.com for more info about why you should use Canola oil in the kitchen. Canola Eat Well is a joint partnership between Alberta Canola and Manitoba Canola Growers. Special thanks to the teams from Dine Alone Records, Dine Alone Foods, Fidel Gastros, Traynor Vineyard, Canola Eat Well, + Branding and Buzzing. Here’s some cool facts about Canola Oil: 
-Canola Growers across Canada plant on average 20 million acres of canola each spring 
-Good source of Vitamin E, K and Omega 3 fats 
-Canola Oil contains half the amount of saturated fats compared to Olive Oil
-Canola oil is great for BBQ because it has a high heat tolerance (up to 242C/ 468F) 
-Canola is Canadian! Choose Canola Oil because it's local, healthy, versatile!

Photo Credits: Jeffrey Chan