TASTE OF TORONTO RETURNS TO FORT YORK (JUNE 15-18)

Me last year at Taste of Toronto!

Me last year at Taste of Toronto!

Toronto is officially buzzing with activities now that summer is here! With the warm weather comes numerous events and festivals in and around the city and so I wanted to share one of my favourite events of the summer with you, Taste of Toronto! Can you feel your inner foodie getting excited already!?

If you have never been to Taste of Toronto it is one of Toronto’s biggest annual food festivals and this year they are going all out for Canada’s 150! For the 4th edition of Taste of Toronto the festival will return to Garrison Common at Fort York and featuring only the best of the best of Toronto’s chef! New addition to this years line up include Momofuku Noodle Bar, Bar Buca, Cafe Boulud, and Bar Isabel! Just like last year you do need to buy entry tickets for this event and pay for food once on the premises but in addition to the 100 taster sized dishes from 25 of Toronto’s top restaurant chefs there will also be cooking demos, interactive masterclasses sponsored by Metro (I did this last year it was so much fun), intimate Q&A’s with master chefs, mixology classes, and food and drink samples from over 60 exhibitors! With 6 sessions to choose from and a limited number of tickets per session I implore you to plan ahead with this festival because they can easily sell out!

Chefs you can expect to see:

Rob Bragagnolo from Carver and Camp Food Hall - Remember my Carver video?
Elia Herrera from Los Colibris
Trevor Lui from Kampai Snack Bar
Victor Berry from Piano Piano
Ivana Racafrom Raca Cafe & Bar
David Lee from Nota Bene
Carl Heinrich from Richmond Station
Ted Corrado and Alexandra Feswick from The Drake Hotel
Sonia Mondino from Pray Tell
Mark McEwan from The McEwan Group

TASTE OF TORONTO

Sessions:

So there are 6 sessions as mentioned which means a general admission ticket is only good for the session you choose - here are the times for each session.

Thursday June 15th - 5:30pm - 10:00pm
Friday June 16th - 11:30am - 4:00pm, 5:30pm - 10:00pm
Saturday June 17th - 11:30am - 4:00pm, 5:30pm - 10:00pm
Sunday June 18th- 12:00pm - 5:00pm

Tickets:

I will include the price for general admission tickets below but if you buy in bulk or a weekend pass I do believe they get cheaper!

Thursday and Friday $17.00 each
Saturday and Sunday $21.00 each
Youth $10.00 each

CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS

****Please note that Cash will not be accepted to purchase food only Credit Cards and Debit Cards

So this year they are doing some things a little different. Last year they had these cards you had to fill up with ‘crowns’ which essentially would be used to purchase those tasty bites. This year things are changing and you will no longer need to get the card but instead pay at each vendor using your credit or debit cards (cash will not be accepted).

Are you as exited as I am? Im probably going to be there everyday so come say ‘HI!” if you spot me and cheers to the freakin' weekend!

The Calamari Po'Boy with a Black Sesame Bun from Mark McEwan at last years Taste of Toronto

The Calamari Po'Boy with a Black Sesame Bun from Mark McEwan at last years Taste of Toronto


 

 

 

LINGUINI MARINARA WITH CLAMS

I recently made this dish for a family dinner and I had to share! It was so delicious and quick to make - its honestly the perfect seafood dish to add to a meal. The sauce is light yet flavorful so you can still taste those delicate clams. I went for a thicker linguini noodle so as to get more sauce with each bite. If you are into Italian food you gotta try this recipe! It will be having your guest asking to take home leftovers...that's if there is any!

Makes Pasta for 5 People

INGREDIENTS:

3 TBSP of Olive Oil
2 -3 Shallots (minced)
2 Garlic Cloves (minced)
1 TSP of Dried Basil
1 TSP of Dried Oregano
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Cans of San Marzano Tomatos (Drained and Chopped)*
3/4 Cup of White Wine
50 Clams (I used Little Neck Clams and washed them to remove any sand or dirt on the shell)
750 grams of Linguini (usually 150 grams per person is good)
A handful of fresh Italian Parsley (for garnish)

*Keep the juice just in case you want to add it in later for an even lighter sauce

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oil on medium in a nice big sauce pan. Add in your shallots, turn your heat down to low/medium and let those shallots sweat a little.

Once your shallots are starting to become translucent add in your garlic followed by the dried basil, oregano and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Once garlic has released its flavor into the mixture add in your strained and chopped tomatoes. Mix well and let the water in the pan evaporate a little before adding in the wine.

In a separate pot bring water to boil, add salt followed by your linguini.

Once you add in the wine let that sit for a while to reduce before adding in the clams. As the clams open up they release the flavor of sea water so the dish may need to thicken up a little bit but you also need to cover the dish so to properly steam the clams to open.

Once clams are fully open, add your cooked linguine, garnish with fresh Italian parsley and you are ready to serve!

ENJOY!!!

I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Bon Appetite!!!

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#FOODIEFRIDAYS EPISODE 3 - CHEF HAROLD'S SMOKED DUCK

For episode 3 of #FoodieFridays I teamed up with Summerhill Market and Chef Harold to show you how to make delicious smoked chicken duck sandwiches using his smoked product available at Summerhill Market.

For all of you who are not familiar with Chef Harold he makes fabulous smoked products that he sells directly to restaurants and high end grocery stores here in Toronto and Montreal. To check out his full range of products click -> HERE

Again I also would like to reiterate that creating this YouTube series has long been a dream of mine and I am a true believer in giving thanks where it's due so,... Thanks again to everyone who helped make it possible. Also thank you everyone who showed me love and support over my first year blogging! You guys rock!

#FOODIEFRIDAYS EPISODE 2 - @CHEZLAVELLE'S PAN SEARED WILD BC SALMON

To kick of episode 2 of #FoodieFridays I teamed up with Executive Chef Romain Avril of Lavelle Toronto to show you have to make the delicious Pan Seared Wild BC Salmon of his fall menu.

For all of you who are not familiar with Lavelle they are an awesome contemporary restaurant located on the top floor of 627 King Street West in Toronto (Portland and King) with a beautiful patio area and pool. For more info on what else is on their menu and to make a reservation click -> HERE

If you haven't already read my restaurant review on Lavelle you can check it out -> HERE

I also would like to reiterate that creating this YouTube series has long been a dream of mine so I would like to again thank everyone who helped make it possible. Also thank you everyone who showed me love and support over my first year blogging! You guys rock!

 

#FOODIEFRIDAYS YOUTUBE SERIES PREMIERE! @CARVER.TO - THE MAKING OF THEIR ROASTED CHICKEN SANDWICH

To kick off my new YouTube series #FoodieFridays I teamed up with Rob Brangagnolo - owner of Carver Toronto - to show you how he makes his famous 'Roasted Chicken Sandwich'.

For all of you who are not familiar with Carver - they are an awesome sandwich and salad shop at 101 Peter Street (Peter and Adelaide!) For more info on how to get a hold of one of these sandwiches and more juicy Instagram pics of items on their menu click -> HERE

Lastly creating this YouTube series has long been a dream of mine so I would like to thank everyone who helped make it possible. Also thank you everyone who showed me love and support over my first year blogging! You guys rock!