UPCOMING EVENTS
MASTERCLASS: Discovering Wild Foods by Dyson Forbes
CSI Spadina 192 Spadina Ave., Suite 501, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaWhat does it taste like to live in Ontario? Ontario is abundant with all manner of edible plants, mushrooms, herbs, nuts, fruits and vegetables, if you only know what to look for — and that is exactly what the Forbes family has been doing for decades. Dyson Forbes, following in the footsteps of his father Jonathan, have devoted themselves to making wild foraged native foodstuffs available to a broader Canadian audience through their company, Forbes Wild Foods. For this Masterclass, Dyson will be walking guests through a multi-course tasting session designed to showcase the unique flavours of a wide range of native foods, from teas, berries, and nuts to mushrooms, herbs, and seaweeds. These remarkable ingredients are available in variety of forms, from pickles and jams to powders and teas, making them available year-round. Dyson will speak to some of the overall considerations of Canadian foraging as well as sharing fascinating botanical, historical, nutritional and medicinal details of particular species.
SUPPER CLUB: Indigenous Food Lab by Chef Taylor Parker
CSI Spadina 192 Spadina Ave., Suite 501, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaChef Taylor's sophisticated tasting menus celebrate local and foraged ingredients, and a deep connection to First Nations foodways, to our land and our shared heritage. Each meal showcases a range of wild ingredients native to Ontario. Weather, timing, season, and the caprice of Mother Nature will determine exactly what will be shared with us. Whatever comes to the table, you can be assured that it will be crafted with remarkable skill and creativity of a veteran fine-dining chef.
COOKING CLASS: Ethiopian Injera by Asmait Merhatsion
CSI Spadina 192 Spadina Ave., Suite 501, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaIn this fun, hands-on workshop Asmait Merhatsion will introduce participants to the process of making injera, starting with preparing the batter using a special sourdough starter to kickstart the fermentation that gives it its airy, bubbly texture, and slightly tangy taste. Everyone will get a chance to make their own injera to take home on the mogogo, a traditional round griddle. Participants will also learn how to make shiro, a thick paste of chickpea flour cooked with a blend of spices, ginger, garlic, onion, and tomato. A light meal will be served with fresh injera along with shiro and another vegetarian stew for everyone to share. We will wrap up the class with a traditional Ethiopian coffee and a tasty teff cookie. Participants will leave with a small package of teff and sourdough starter to take home, as well as an opportunity to purchase additional homemade Eritrean products prepare by the chef.
TABLE TALK: Peter McClusky on Garlic
Peter McClusky is a local garlic producer and the driving force behind the Toronto Garlic Festival. His book, “Ontario Garlic: The Story from Farm to Festival” is a social, scientific […]
SUPPER CLUB: Feast of the Parsis by Niloufer Mavalvala
CSI Spadina 192 Spadina Ave., Suite 501, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaParsis are a Zoroastrian community descended from Persians who migrated from Persia around 7th century, with most settling on the west coast of India. Over the past 1300 years, while it has adopted many Indian culinary ingredients and techniques, Parsi food has remained a unique regional cuisine that still echos flavours and techniques from ancient Persia. Niloufer Mavalvala is the award-winning author of several books on Parsi cooking, and our guide this evening she shares a family style meal of traditional Parsi dishes, along with stories about the food and Parsi culture. This is a unique opportunity to dive into a rare and fascinating culinary tradition and learn about Parsi culture, traditions, customs, and heritage.
COOKING CLASS: Full-Day Croissants & Viennoiserie Intensive by Leo Baduria
CSI Spadina 192 Spadina Ave., Suite 501, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaJoin artisanal baker Leo Baduria for a full-day, in-depth exploration of the fundamentals of Viennoiserie, the magical butter-laminated pastry that is at the heart of croissants and many other classic European pastries from France to Denmark. Creating croissants from scratch is a somewhat complex, multi-day process, but Leo has expertly constructed a full-day workshop that will cover the all the steps so that you can begin making them at home. You’ll learn how to make your own brioche dough, and the processes of mixing, kneading, rolling, rising, laminating and shaping required to make Croissants, Pain au chocolat, Pain aux raisins, Kouign aman, Chaussons aux pommes, Palmiers and Brioches.
COOKING CLASS: Full-Day Breadmaking Intensive by Leo Baduria
Café ZuZu 555 Dundas Street East, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaJoin artisanal baker Leo Baduria for a full-day, in-depth exploration of the fundamentals of great bread. You’ll learn how to make your own sourdough starter, and how to prepare different types of dough, using various grains and flours. There will be hands-on practice of the techniques to folding, kneading and shaping dough to make focaccia/fougasse, baguettes, boules, batards and brioches, including challah braids.
SUPPER CLUB: Indigenous Food Lab by Chef Taylor Parker
CSI Spadina 192 Spadina Ave., Suite 501, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaChef Taylor's sophisticated tasting menus celebrate local and foraged ingredients, and a deep connection to First Nations foodways, to our land and our shared heritage. Each meal showcases a range of wild ingredients native to Ontario. Weather, timing, season, and the caprice of Mother Nature will determine exactly what will be shared with us. Whatever comes to the table, you can be assured that it will be crafted with remarkable skill and creativity of a veteran fine-dining chef.
COOKING CLASS: Intro to Whole Animal Butchery by Chef Taylor Parker
CSI Spadina 192 Spadina Ave., Suite 501, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaBreaking down a whole animal is not only more cost-effective than buying pre-cut parts, but it give you much more control over the resulting cuts, allowing you to optimize them for specific dishes. Join Chef Taylor Parker for an in-depth introduction to whole-animal butchery. This hands-on, day-long workshop will cover the techniques and cuts for three primary types of animal encountered in the kitchen: quadrupeds, fish and fowl.