Toronto Social Review: Toronto Taste 2012

Toronto Social Review: Toronto Taste 2012: Join us for the most coveted culinary event of the year - Toronto Taste ! Presented by The Daniels Corporation , indulge your senses!

Second Harvest rescues perishable food from trade shows, restaurants, grocery stores, and distributors that would otherwise so to waste and delivers it to social services agencies in Toronto like soup kitchens and shelters. 40% of the recipients of Second Harvest's food are children.

Please go. There is no better food event in Toronto, truly.

Omakase at Yuzu

This is a super belated post about the breathtaking omakase I had in late April with mom at my favourite restaurant, Yuzu, at Adelaide and Duncan. The nine courses below were an impossible $70/person, which included two servings of toro each. How is this possible?


First Course: Oyster shooter with ponzu, quail egg, and uni. This is much less scarier than it seems. It tastes like the ocean.


Second Course: Okra stuffed with sea bream, rapini wrapped with napa cabbage, and miso duck breast. Like little savoury petit fours.


Third Course: Chawanmushi. Smooth and comforting.


Fourth Course: Toro and sea bream. The gold foil was perfectly a propos.


Fifth Course: Clear seafood soup. Beautifully clean with generous amounts of seafood.


Sixth Course: Breaded lamb. We were encouraged to pick it up by the tin-foiled handle and gnaw the meat off the bone.


Seventh Course: Sushi. I can't remember the two on the left, but the two on the right are amaebi and toro (again!).


Eighth Course: Gindara black cod with miso on magnolia leaf.


Ninth Course: Sake cheesecake. This was fantastic. I ate mine and most of mom's.

Yuzu is just too good to be true. I could eat there every day. For the omakase, make reservations at least one day in advance; otherwise, you can usually just walk in.

We ate everything on the menu at Amuse-Bouche

After hearing the sad news that Amuse-Bouche is closing, we immediately booked a table for Tapas Tuesday. Our seating was early (6PM)—good thing because the evening turned into a decadent 3-hour long feast where we got to sample every single item on the menu. We hadn't planned it that way, but just before diving into the arduous task of deciding what to eat, the waiter saved us by suggesting we share some multi-course tasting menus in order to have a little of all sixteen dishes. Who could say no? This is what we ate:

Ham and wild leek croquette with smoked apple compote—a wonderful, crispy start

Baby beet salad, fried capers, Baco Noir reduction—fresh and spring-like

Ontario beef carpaccio with truffle vinaigrette—Liana's favourite

House–smoked salmon tartare with potato confit—creamy and decadent

Bajan fish cakes with Amuse-Bouche tartar sauce and black Hungarian pepper sauce—hearty, satisfying, and conveniently portioned for the five of us

Ricotta and carrot gnocchi with Uncle John's parmesan hollandaise and baby vegetables—so smooth and delicious; my favourite

Duck confit poutine with house pickles—Darryl's favourite

Homemade duck and lamb chorizo with crispy polenta—lots of meaty texture

Garlic and nori–encrusted salmon—I ate the lion's share of this; yum!

BC prawn ravioli in lobster bisque—rich shrimp and lobster flavours

Wild garlic–encrusted BC herring with lemon aioli—delicious little fried fish

Pan–seared Qualicum scallop with fennel and orange confit—light and tasty

Giggie's pan–seared rainbow trout with Savoy cabbage and carrot emulsion—great crispy crust

Butter-poached Nova Scotia haddock with leek fondue and beurre blanc—velvety sauce with fresh fish

Ontario Yorkshire pork tenderloin with mushroom fricassee—generous amount of tender pork; loved the straw mushrooms

Cumbrae's grilled bavette with beurre maitre d'hotel and 100km potato—lovely, rare beef with crispy on the outside; soft on the inside potatoes

Everspring Farm roasted duck breast with spaetzle—generous amount of high quality duck

Pecorino Toscano and Brie—sharp, hard Toscano with mild, soft Brie

Front row (L-R): Flourless chocolate cake with candied orange, hazelnut chocolate mousse, berry mousse, macaron with chocolate. Back row (L-R): Gianduja parfait, white chocolate and apple crumble, lime and apricot panna cotta, creme brulee—everything fantastic, especially the Gianduja

The whole experience was magnificent. Even though we didn't tell the waiter it was a birthday dinner, he noticed the cards and gifts on the table and put candles in the dessert. So sweet. And the cost of all this luxurious food (for five people) plus one glass of wine each?: $270 before tip.

Last Chance to Amuse-Bouche

I was disappointed to read in Toronto Life's Daily Dish that Amuse-Bouche Restaurant will be closing at the end of May after five years in the King West neighbourhood. I met chef Bertrand Alépée and maître d' Sarah Lyons last summer at Luminato while covering 1000 Tastes of Toronto for Torontoist, and I had a chance to try their awesome pulled pork sandwiches with chocolate chipotle barbecue sauce. The restaurant is very close to my office, so I walked by at lunch and saw the big FOR LEASE signs plastered on the quaint facade—makes me sad.

I'm going next week for Tapas Tuesday, which sounds incredible. Savoury plates are $10, cheeses are $5, desserts are $5, and wine by the glass is $5. They also have 5, 7, and 10-course tasting menus for $40, $55, and $70, respectively. And they are one of the few restaurants who reliably take reservations through email (mail@amuseboucherestaurant.com). Amuse-Bouche closes on May 31.

Best Pho Restaurant Name Ever

I made Russell pull over so I could take a picture of this place in Cambridge. Why haven't I seen a pho restaurant with this name until now? Love it. http://www.phoshizzle.ca/

Halifax Donair & Pizza in Milton, Ontario

After hearing so much about this place for well over a year, we finally drove out to Milton to try Halifax Donair & Pizza, the place we heard is run by guys who used to work at King of Donair in Halifax.

This tiny shop on charming Main Street is clean and bright with an open kitchen, allowing customers to watch in anticipation as the food is lovingly prepared.

Just like King of Donair, Sicilian, and European Food Shop in Halifax, the menu consists of donairs (Halifax-style only, which is like a gyros but with a sweet sauce made of evaporated milk, vinegar, and sugar), subs (with donair meat and otherwise), pizza (again, donair and otherwise), and some other odds and ends. We ordered donairs (only $3.99 for a small) and garlic fingers (pizza crust topped with garlic butter and cheese, sliced into strips and served with donair sauce for dipping).

During the time we were there, lots of people came in, including several hydro workers in orange coveralls and two guys in tuxedos who must have been in a wedding. Halifax donairs are pretty different from other middle eastern fare in the GTA due to the sweet sauce (that I remember disliking as a kid, growing up in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia), so I'm glad to see so many locals enjoying them. The three guys working there, who I suspect are the co-owners, also treat everyone wonderfully.

We drove all the way to Cambridge (4o agonizing minutes) with our goodies to share them with more friends, so it was all a bit cold by the time we ate it (I forgot to take food photos!), but it was definitely the real deal. The experience was just as I remember from home. It's so wet and sloppy that you can't actually eat it as a wrap; you just eat the insides until the point where you can attempt to pick up the soaked pita while the sauce drips down your arms. I know that sounds awful, but it's really good.

I'll miss you, Ayngelina!

Tomorrow, my friend and Torontoist partner-in-crime Ayngelina will be taking off for a 12-15 month long trip of a lifetime to Central and South America. She's been saving and planning for well over a year, and I can truthfully say I've never seen anyone so prepared. I know she's going to have an amazing time. (If you'd like to follow her on her journey, she created a blog, aptly named Bacon Is Magic, and her Twitter handle is @ayngelina.)

Ayngelina and I met back in 1998 when we were both unfortunate co-op students at the communications department of the Canadian Space Agency (heard of it? It's our NASA) on the south shore of Montreal. We're both from Nova Scotia, so we got together a couple of times in Halifax, but we pretty much lost touch until around 2008 when we both coincidentally started blogging about food in Toronto.

In February 2009, I started writing for Torontoist and quickly realized my mad point-and-shoot skills weren't going to meet their lofty photography standards. So, even before she was officially on staff herself, Ayngelina enthusiastically made herself available and accompanied me to fancy store openings in Rosedale, flavour-tripping Miracle Berry tastings in Parkdale, and everything in between. Not only did she take amazing photographs, but she knew so much about food and PR, which made everything easier for me. Since she did such an fantastic job, Torontoist hired her in June of the same year. I'll miss our collaboration very much.

Since I'm such a sentimental sap, I thought I'd compile a list of my favourite posts we did together over the past year along with a few behind-the-scenes details.

Enough Already with the Bathrooms, Says Mildred - February 2010
Despite the exhausting media circus that surrounded Mildred's Temple Kitchen before Valentine's Day (click the title link to find out more), co-owner Kevin Gallagher graciously spent close to an hour on a busy Friday evening filling me in on his side of the story. Something that I felt was lost in all the hoopla is Mildred's has the most incredible food (Veda's Choice at brunch; there are no words). So, the morning after the interview, Ayngelina, her boyfriend Geof, and I went to the restaurant and she took some of the most beautiful food shots I've ever seen. It all tasted as good as it looked.

501 Queen Car Goes Splitsville - October 2009
On a beautiful day in late October, Ayngelina and I rode the 24-km Queen streetcar route from end to end to test the TTC's experiment of splitting the city-spanning route into two (in the hopes of improving service consistency). We met after work at Yonge and Queen at the height of rush hour and spent the better part of three hours negotiating transfers, picking out landmarks to photograph, and desperately trying to get Ayngelina and her camera as close as possible to an open window. By the time we reached Long Branch (in the shadow of Mississauga), it was pitch dark and Ayngelina had to travel all the way home to Yonge and Eglinton before editing dozens of photos for me.

Oh l'amour - September 2009
Ayngelina was 100% responsible for seeking out this amazing photography exhibit called Thirty in Twenty: An Exhibition of Photography, Food, and Wine. Over 25 years ago, Toni and Ria Harting embarked on what sounds to me like the most romantic trip. Toni had inherited some money from his mother who wanted him to enjoy it, not save it. So, they decided to spend it all dining at ten 3-star Michelin restaurants in France while travelling in a rented van and camping to save on expenses. Toni took photographs of the entire journey and they saved the menus (some of them handwritten!) from all the restaurants. The couple themselves were at the opening and they were the loveliest people. Their sense of adventure is something they have in common with Ayngelina.

Miracle on Queen Street - August 2009
On a hot, sticky August day, we received a last-minute invitation to a small, exclusive Miracle Berry (exotic fruit that make everything eaten afterward taste sweet) tasting at the home of a Parkdale couple who had just started berry distribution business. We were already booked that night to cover the fabulous SummerWorks Performance Gallery at the Gladstone (see below), but we squeezed in a short visit, during which we ate the berries then filled our poor stomachs with tequila, vinegar, sour candy, and lemons (oooo...the heartburn). We felt fortunate to be there as our party companions were all from the Globe and Mail, Toronto Life, CBC, and the Toronto Star. No one else's photos were as nice though.

Night at the Performance Gallery - August 2009
We arrived late due to the Miracle Berry party (see above), so some of the performances we wanted to see were already done for the night. But happily, several of the performers offered to stay and do extra shows just for us. I fell in love with haunting opera singer Anthony Bergamin in Quietness and beautiful Hannah Cheesman in My German Lollipop. The performances took place in the small rooms on the 2nd floor, so Ayngelina took many of the photos while lying on the floor to get a good angle. These dark, moody images captured them perfectly.

Toronto Tastes Great - June 2009
The great people at Second Harvest very generously invited Ayngelina and I to attend and cover their swanky fundraiser, Toronto Taste, in Yorkville. We dressed up in our best and tenaciously interviewed some of Toronto's most famous chefs and Food Network personalities (Michael Smith, Laura Calder, Bob Blumer). Needless to say, I was scared to death and Ayngelina provided much needed moral support. All of the food photos she took were glossy magazine quality, but I think my favourite was of chef Marc Thuet. We couldn't get close enough to interview him during the event, so we gave up and started making our way to the subway. Then, all of a sudden, there he was—leaning against a nearby building, taking a smoke break with one of his cooks. We scooted over, chatted for a bit (he was so sweet), and Ayngelina took his picture. He's the most physically majestic person I've ever seen (not unlike a lion), and I think this comes across really well in Ayngelina's photo.

Small Boxes at Summerhill - June 2009
Thanks to my wonderful and talented friend Olivia Bolano (head chef at All the Best Fine Foods), I get invited quite often to events at the Five Thieves, a group of well-respected and long-standing gourmet food shops in Rosedale. The 19th-century era buildings have been undergoing lengthy restoration and renovation, so back in June, Woodcliffe (their landlord) held a press event to unveil of the first four shops to be completed. The stores were beautiful, especially Pisces Gourmet who had a stunning array of exotic fish on display. Funnily enough, even though there were tonnes of "press" in attendance, we were the only ones actually working that night. Some of the shops owners told us at the after-party that no one else took any photos or asked questions. And we didn't see any other articles about it in the following days. Score one for Torontoist!

The Original Fifteen - June 2009
"The Original Fifteen" is the nickname we gave to the Basic Culinary Skills Training program at the YMCA because they've been helping people on social assistance learn to become working professional cooks decades before Jamie Oliver. Ayngelina and I got up at the crack of dawn and visited them at their training facility before going to work. I can barely put into words how wonderful the whole endeavour is. The chef instructors are kind and caring, but serious, and they are always thinking about how to make the program better in order to get their cooks into stable and enjoyable employment. I've never seen anything better in my life.

Shang to Shang in Thirty-Six Hours - April 2009
This was a such a fun piece. Back in April of last year, Susur Lee had just opened his New York restaurant, Shang, on the Lower East Side. Since many people here were curious about the food being served there, Susur simultaneously offered a sampling of the same dishes at his Toronto restaurant, Madeline's. Coincidentally, I had a weekend trip to NYC planned at the same time, so within two days, I dined at both Madeline's (with Ayngelina and my friend Marcelo) and Shang. I was so nervous taking pictures that would be laid side-by-side with Ayngelina's!

The streetcar went by like I wasn't there - April 2009
I've been a big fan of Toronto textile artist Yasmine Louis for years. I cherish a dark (now faded) grey hoodie I bought years ago that has what might be my favourite line written by anyone screenprinted on it: "The streetcar went by like I wasn't there." It's vulnerable and sad; I love it so much. I was so happy to finally meet and interview her for Torontoist. Ayngelina and I visited her in her sunny, peaceful Queen West studio and had so much fun talking about her work and travels. Yasmine only sells through shows like the One of a Kind Show, so it gives her ample time to take long, adventurous trips to exotic places; much like Ayngelina!

Have a fun and safe trip, Ayngelina, and thanks for all the photos! I'll miss you!

Photo by Yasmine Louis.

Love Studio Brillantine in Parkdale

Yesterday, on my way home, I needed to pick up some birthday cards so I popped into Studio Brillantine at 1518 Queen West at Fuller (near Sorauren). They used to be located further east near Dovercourt, but have been at the new premises for some time now.

A few years back, my sister and I went in because we couldn't find the David Kaye Gallery. We spent close to an hour looking at the cards and asphxiating because we were laughing so hard, especially at the fomato ones. This was my absolute favourite.

Aside from cards, the shop is full of amazing little everyday objects, exceptionally designed. It reminds me of the Japanese design exhibit I went to see at the Design Exchange all those years ago. They also have great kitsch things, like Barbapapa paraphernalia. Ferdinand Suzara, who I think is the owner and curator, is the sweetest. If you need a gift, card, or a little pick-me-up present for yourself, it's the perfect place.

Sunday Dinner: Jamie Oliver's Pan-Fried Chicken with a Delicate Pearl Barley, Pea and Lettuce Stew

I didn't go see Jamie Oliver today at Roy Thomson Hall, but we (Darcy actually) coincidentally made an Oliver recipe for dinner. We saw Jamie make it on the Food Network this morning and I couldn't think about anything else. It was called "Pan-Fried Game with a Delicate Pearl Barley, Pea and Lettuce Stew," but we didn't have access to partridges, so we used chicken (legs and breast) and it was amazing. The pan-fried poultry is served on top of a kind of barley and pea risotto with fresh lettuce mixed in at the last minute. So good. You can fin the recipe here.

If You Tweet It, He Will Come

My post about how Toronto comedian Bob Kerr used Twitter and Facebook to convince LA comedian Paul F. Tompkins to perform in Hogtown for the first time ever is up on Torontoist.

This is, without a doubt, my favourite post. I didn't initially plan on writing about this at all. I heard about Bob's campaign to get PFT here, but I thought it wasn't a necessarily "Toronto" story. I attended the show and completely fell in love with Paul within mere seconds. It was one of the best comedy shows I've ever seen, and I would put him right alongside Louis C.K. As the weeks went by after the show, all these new copycat Facebook groups started popping up, trying to do the same thing. At last count there were over thirty cities, mostly in North America, but also some as far as Sweden and Scotland! This was fast turning into something really big and it all started in our little city.

But, more than that, I was so happy for Bob. I feel like it must have taken so much courage to engage Paul, convince him to perform in Toronto, and take on the responsibility of making sure the audience showed up. It turned out better than he could have hoped and he even got to hang out with Paul after the show. I wish both Bob and Paul every success.

Save the Last Deli

Photo by Marcelo Ithurralde.

My post about David Sax's excellent book, Save the Deli finally went up today on Torontoist. I wrote the first draft last week, but my editor rightly asked me to give it another looking over, at which point I realized it was awful. So, I started again from scratch and also asked one of Torontoist's illustrators, Sasha Plotnikova, to do an original illustration, which I think came out beautifully. David Sax himself even found the post just a few hours after it went up and re-posted it on his blog (yay!).

I read this book in one weekend and I was amazed by how much research and legwork went into it. I can't imagine doing that many interviews, let alone ones with people who are running busy delis and don't have much time to talk. His stamina continues to amaze me as I follow his blog, describing his exhausting book tour.

Everyone seems to be fixated on the book as a deli travel guide, but I think the best part of it is the historical details of Jews in North America that lend context to the current situation—the disappearance of traditional Jewish delis. The point that stuck with me was that the source of this cuisine was all but extinguished during the Holocaust. As Sax says in his book, "Delis are cooking from the fading memories of a time and place that no longer exist."

Live-blogging Nuit Blanche for Torontoist

Last night, I had my first live-blogging experience as my star photographer friend Ayngelina and I tried to faithfully record the weird and wonderful things we saw throughout the night at Nuit Blanche: http://torontoist.com/2009/10/blanche_slate_nuit_blanche_live.php. A note to anyone trying to do this in the future, you cannot count on free wifi, or even paid services like Boingo. I ended up texting my editor instead.

Not only did my editor, David Topping, put together the post on the site as the night unfolded, but pieces of it were also projected on a big, blank outer wall of the AGO. We got there at about 1AM. My friends patiently waited as I stood poised with my camera, waiting for one of mine to come up.

Nuit Blanche always sounds really good on paper, but more times than not, the execution lacks something. "Dance of the Cranes," a piece where construction cranes were supposed to move in tandem to music was just two cranes with monotone blue Christmas lights spinning slowly on their axes. And the "Wild Ride," which was two midway rides located in the middle of the Financial District and staffed by carnies in suits to represent the "wild ride" workers in banking have had this year, didn't put any emphasis on the dressed up operators and just looked like a regular carnival ride with hordes of people waiting to get on.

I think the coolest thing was the "plane" that flew across the ceiling inside the 24 hour grocery store in Liberty Village. People are shopping, everything is as usual, then the sound of a jumbo jet fills the store and the immense shadow of a plane crawls across the ceiling...then it's gone. Loved it.

I think Nuit Blanche needs an injection of theatre, performance, and people. How cool would it have been to see Cirque du Soleil-type acrobats crawling over those slow-moving cranes? And really making those Bay Street carnies standout with crisp suits and Venetian masks.

Oh, l'amour

On Friday, Ayngelina and I had so much fun at the public opening for Thirty in Twenty, which I wrote about for Torontoist. I had such a hard time composing this post because I was overwhelmed by the richness of Toni and Ria Harting's story and how refreshingly real and sweet they were. Seeing them in the room, alongside the precious photos that chronicle their French culinary adventure from almost 40 years ago, made me well up. The photos capture the essence of youth, adventure, fun, and love.

The show is curated by another beautiful couple, Johanna Reynolds and Zach Kellum, who have such wonderful taste and styled the room perfectly for the show.

If you're in Toronto, don't miss it. It's free and runs until September 26.

Photo by Toni Harting.

Miracle on Queen Street

So, thanks to my Torontoist editor David Topping, who is a friend of Tyler Clark Burke, Ayngelina and I were able to attend a "miracle fruit" tasting last Thursday and we posted about it on Monday. Many high profile media people were there (Toronto Life, Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, CBC) as well as little old us. We were crammed together on a tiny back patio and it was really fun.

Due to my own mix-up, we were double-booked that night and had to go to the Performance Gallery at The Gladstone as well, which we were slightly late for. After having some berries (which make everything eaten afterwards taste sweet) and scarfing down too much of the test foods (lemons, salt-and-vingear chips, sour candy, hot peppers, vinegar, tequila), we made a hasty exit and had just 45 minutes to see all of the gallery's performances.

At one point, we were watching a fabulous performance called German Lollipop that took place in the bathroom on the second floor. The night's performances were supposed to be over already, but since we were media, they did an extra one for us. In the show, Hannah Cheesman played a German wife who was being gradually driven to madness by her husband. It was a creepy, powerful performance and it was fantastic. I loved it, but the door was shut and it was a million degrees in there and my stomach was super mad that I filled it with dietary acid at the party. Word of caution: do not make plans to do anything after a "flavour-tripping" party.

Photo by Ayngelina Brogan.

Theatre Buff

With all this writing for Torontoist, my own blog is getting terribly neglected. Between the Pride Parade and now, I've had the amazing opportunity to review plays for the Toronto Fringe and SummerWorks. I've always loved theatre and see quite a bit of it usually, but this is the first time I've written any formal reviews.

During the Fringe, I went to see about 16 plays, mostly with Marcelo, and loved every minute of it (well, the vast majority). I couldn't get enough. Even at lunchtime, I snuck away to the Factory Theatre (just down the street from my office) and squeezed in an extra play.

As for SummerWorks, so far, I've seen only three traditional SummerWorks plays, one SummerWalk, and one visit to the awesome Performance Gallery. I simply fell in love with Quietness by Anthony Bergamin. I am a sucker for opera or any singing really.

So, belatedly, here are the posts I wrote for the Fringe and SummerWorks (to date) for Torontoist:

• First Class Baggage (review of Baggage)


• Bert and Eye (review of Bert and I)


• #FringeTO (collection of tweets by Fringe performers)


• It's in the Bag (review of BAGS: Obsessions of a Hoardaholic)


• Night at the Performance Gallery


• Remember Lola Lita (SummerWalk walking tour)

Proud Crowds

Yesterday, Torontoist photographer Andrew Louis and I were so lucky to march in the 29th Annual Pride Parade with Heterosexuals for Same-Sex Equality. To do something a bit different, we took photos of the crowd instead of the floats to shine the spotlight on all the amazing people who came to show their support.

It was my very first time at the parade and I was overwhelmed. Everyone there was smiling, dancing, laughing, and cheering. Makes me tear up to think about it. Happy Pride to everyone!

Toronto a la Cart's First Thirty Days

My post on the hard-working Toronto a la Cart street food vendors is now up on Torontoist. I had originally thought I'd write about the food they were offering, but when interviewing them they told me so many exasperated stories about working with the City that I changed tack to focus on that.

These vendors are working incredibly hard. Young Jin Kim and her son, Simon, are downtown at 9 a.m. every day to pick up the cart. By ten, they're at Yonge and Eglinton and they stay until 9 p.m., after which Kim goes to her restaurant to do the dishes and prepare for the next day. These guys deserve all the help they can get. Please support them.

Toronto Taste in USA Today

I'm so excited that USA Today linked to our post on Torontoist about Toronto Taste! And they pulled the closing quote by Mark McEwan out as well for their quotes page. It was a great quote. Mark McEwan is awesome.

Toronto Tastes Great

My post about Toronto Taste, Second Harvest's biggest yearly fundraiser, went up on Torontoist this morning, and happily just got linked in the Globe & Mail.

It was a star-studded event with many celebrity chefs and Food Network personalities, including Mark McEwan (Second Harvest's ambassador), Marc Thuet, Michael Smith, Laura Calder, Bob Blumer, Brad Long, and Donna Dooher. My girl, Olivia Bolano, was also there making her debut at Toronto Taste as Executive Chef of All the Best Fine Foods.

I was so intimidated to talk to Mark McEwan and Marc Thuet, but they were both extremely accomodating. McEwan talked to me at length about how devoted he is to Second Harvest, and how he does everything he can to help them, using his incredible influence in the industry.

We almost didn't talk to Marc Thuet, but as we were leaving we caught him having a cigarette with one of his cooks outside the grounds. In real life, he is as magnificent as a lion, and I think Ayngelina captured that so well in her photograph (see the post).

Debra Hubner from Second Harvest told us that 1200 people were in attendance that night, making over $250,000 for the charity.

The Original Fifteen

My post about the Basic Culinary Skills Training program at the YMCA on Charles Street went up today on Torontoist. It's an amazing job skills program that helps people on social assistance learn how to cook professionally and find jobs in the hospitality industry.

To research this piece, I spent several hours at their bustling kitchen in the basement of the YMCA, talking to the director, Kelvin Ramjattan, and instructors. All of them are former restaurant cooks and two of them, Dan Prewer and Adam Lariviere, left restaurants less than two years ago to begin teaching. What blew me away was how much they care about their students and mentor them to not only cook, but also cope with working and life in general. They help them figure out how to deal with conflicts, stress, gossip, language barriers, money, and countless other things.

Seeing these chefs run this kind of program day in and day out for 25 years is one of the most hopeful sights I've ever witnessed.