Wabi Sabi: Imperfect Food In The Age Of Instagram In traditional Japanese aesthetics, wabi-sabi is a concept that embraces and celebrates imperfection, whereas in our contemporary food culture, we are bombarded with lascivious #foodporn on Instagram while we discard tons of perfectly good food because it does not meet certain aesthetic criteria. Join chef and […]
Eating healthy is important to many of us, but contemporary ideas about what is considered nutritious food have emerged only relatively recently. In a time before calories, vitamins, and nutrients, what foods were considered healthiest, and why, tells a fascinating story about our complicated relationship to what we eat. Historian of nutrition, food, and science […]
Maize, the staple grain of many pre-Colombian civilizations, is now one of the most widely cultivated crops on Earth. But along the way, so much of what made corn culturally central and sacred is under threat of being erased by the soulless commodity products flooding the global market. Artisanal producers like Iván Wadgymar are returning […]
Trends, Supply, and The New Future Food and Story are the most powerful tools we have to change the world. Climate change demands an unprecedented transformation in how we eat, what we eat, and our understanding of this very thing that unites all people. Join teacher, consultant and inventor Grayson Bass for a unique perspective […]
Chef Luciano Schipano, President of Slow Food Toronto, will be talking about the principles at the heart of the Slow Food International movement, a key force in the global transformation of attitudes towards local and sustainable agriculture and culinary culture. Slow Food began in Italy in 1986 to resist the opening of a McDonald’s in […]
Since 2015, The Dep’s Table Talks have showcased the myriad ideas that intersect with the world of food, with more than 65 speakers reflecting the incredible diversity of knowledge and expertise in Toronto’s culinary community. Now The Dep leaps into the virtual with our first online Table Talk, featuring short presentations, a panel discussion, and […]
The Jewish tradition, both religious and secular, offers an incredibly rich, varied and diverse body of musical expression. From ancient sacred melodies, tothe myriad syncretic hybrids that emerged wherever the Jewish diaspora set foot, Jewish musical sensibilities have had a profound influence on the development of Western music from classical to jazz, avant garde to pop, and beyond. So tonight, as Jewish communities the world over celebrate Hanukkah with candles, fried foods and family, I have invited two acquaintances, both deeply connected to Jewish music, to engage in a fun and fascinating conversation exploring the the further reaches of music and Jewish identity.
Join author, radio and TV host Capri S. Cafaro for a behind-the-scenes conversation about her new PBS television series, America The Bountiful. An in-depth look at American regional foodways, the show explores the cultures and histories that weaves a diverse tapestry of flavours across the USA, and how this food landscape fits in the wider context of North America. A self-proclaimed "Canadian groupie", Capri is also working on a special series of episodes of her podcast and radio show, Eat Your Heartland Out focusing on Canadian regional foodways. She'll be discussing how American Midwestern and Canadian food culture are both often overlooked and misunderstood... and why that needs to change.
Genevieve Sartor is a remarkable polymath that I met on a chance encounter in 2020 while travelling back from Kenora, ON. From pursuing a PhD on James Joyce at Trinity College, to opening a sourdough bakery on Manitoulin Island, every turn of that late-night fireside conversation held a new surprise. We've remained friends, orbiting each other's paths in unconventional restaurateurship as we investigate our relationship to the world and people around us through food. I'm delighted to have her at The Dep for this Table Talk where she will explore the concept of terroir in Ontario, with a particular focus on Northern Ontario. It will delve into the notion of a Canadian food scene in relation to immigrant, francophone and Indigenous cultures to open up a discussion about what Canadian food really means. We are currently scheming on how to do a collaborative Dep culinary excursion to Manitoulin this summer... come by and find out more about it!
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 and cultural history of garlic's journey from Central Asia to Ontario that weaves archival research with stories and anecdotes from farmers, gardeners, chefs and scientists. […]
