HAPPY PLANET SOUP REVEAL

A few months ago I was greeted with a mysterious package at my door from Happy Planet, Canada’s leading all natural food and juice company hailing from the coastal city of Vancouver, British Columbia. Unzipping the portable cooler bag they gave me, I found myself immersed in a slew of fresh, organic ingredients inside from mushrooms, carrots, bamboo shoots, Thai basil, lemon grass, and water chestnuts. I didn’t know at the time if these ingredients were of any significance or what it all meant, but I did find inside as well an invitation to a 3 course meal and cooking demo with Chef Brianne Nash (Chopped champion on Food Network Canada). Free food, a cooking demo, and a Chopped champion all at once? I’m in!

The event that Happy Planet was hosting was held at Nella Cucina in downtown Toronto. The unique thing about Nella Cucina is that not only is it a retail shop for the trendiest and most practical kitchenware for commercial and residential kitchens, it also runs a cooking school inside. 

As the night unfolded and a group of around 10 bloggers and media personalities assembled, we learned that the ingredients inside the cooler were not selected at random, but very specifically in fact for this event. They are all ingredients used in one of Happy Planet’s newest soup flavour they were unveiling, their new globally inspired Thai Chicken Soup.

Chef Brianne Nash would be preparing the 3 course soup-centric meal for all of us and this is how it all went down.

First Course

Roasted Beet & Grilled Fennel Salad with Feta and Lemon Dressing and Happy Planet’s Organic Pomegranate Blueberry Juice

Second Course

Happy Planet’s All Natural Thai Chicken Soup with Green Curry, Thai Basil, and Lemongrass

Third Course

Honey, Peanut, and Fig Pannacotta

With a flourishing trend of people striving to be more health conscious and being more mindful in what they put in their bodies, organic food is increasingly growing in demand. Happy Planet proves that just because you want to eat more healthy, doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice those taste buds of yours. Happy Planet’s Thai Chicken soup stayed true to its ethnic roots with its rich and bold flavours, but also practical to the everyday foodies on the go as its convenient packaging allows you to prepare this hearty soup in a matter of minutes over the stove or just by simply heating it up in the microwave. Simply put, it tastes like a restaurant quality soup but locked up inside a resealable bag. The preparation for this soup is literally dummy proof. It is also the first retail soup in Canada made with 100% organic chicken, a claim that no one else can make except for Happy Planet.

All of Happy Planet’s soups, smoothies, juices, and lemonades can be found in grocery stores across Toronto including Wholefoods, Metro, Loblaws, and Longos. Be sure to keep an eye out on them the next time you’re there by picking up some of these feel good foods!

Special Thanks

Happy Planet

Nella Cucina

Chef Brianne Nash

Talk Shop Media

KFC Sweet Chili Crunch (Exclusive Preview)

Starting tomorrow Monday, October 20th, 2014, KFC Canada will be launching a bold new flavour to their fried chicken line up that will only be available for a limited time (it will be gone by November 23rd, 2014).

KFC gave me an exclusive preview and hand delivered me their new Sweet Chili Crunch to my home before it launched and I have got to say I definitely preferred the taste of this new flavour over their original recipe chicken. The sweet chili sauce on top of the fried chicken is sweet but with a touch of heat and the skin is crispier and crunchier more than ever (think Popeyes) which I love!

The Sweet Chili Crunch will launch all across Canada tomorrow where 3 pieces and fries will only cost you $5.99. Go out to your local KFC and try it before it’s too late!

TASTING TwEAT Up - ESTRELLA & THE GOOD SON

You know what I always thought to be one of the coolest jobs out there? To be one of the judges on a cooking show where professional chef’s sole purpose is to cook the most delicious food just to impress you, and you get to taste it all! I can now say that I’ve been fortunate enough to experience something very similar to it thanks to my latest food event hosted by Top Chef Canada’s Vittorio Colacitti at his new restaurant The Good Son.

This Tasting TwEAT up program was designed to integrate the exclusive food-pairing beer Estrella Damm to this event where myself and 5 other lucky guests including Fashion, Food & Flair and EatnMingle had a night to remember. Although we were not judges of Vittorio’s culinary creations by any means, we were surely all very impressed. But before I go into the details, why don’t we delve in a little bit deeper on the two main stars of the night, Estrella Damm and Vittorio Colacitti’s The Good Son Restaurant.

Estrella Damm is a beer company hailing from Barcelona, Spain and has been recognized on numerous occasions with prestigious prizes such as Vienna 1904, London 1905, Munich 1906, Paris 1964, The World Beer Championship 1998 – Australia and The World Beer Championship 2004 – Chicago. The beer is brewed according to its original recipe back in 1876 where 100% of its ingredients are natural including malta, hops, and pearl rice, a very Mediterranean ingredient that characterizes Estrella’s flavour. They are actually one of the few breweries in the world that still produces all of its malt barley in its own malthouse.

On the other hand, Vittorio Colacitti appeared in the most recent season of Top Chef Canada (season 4) on the Food Network finishing fourth. Born in Toronto and with an Italian heritage he was always surrounded by food growing up. His grandfather on his dad’s side was a chef and a butcher and his grandparents on his mom’s side owned a farm just north of Burlington. His dad even today still owns a house in Italy that makes and sells their own olive oil. As you can imagine, his whole up bringing on both sides of the family was based on good food and naturally has developed in him a passion for cooking earning a culinary diploma in Thailand and having worked at restaurants across Canada and Italy. Vittorio’s mother always called him “A Good Son” and little that he know being a good son would be the catalyst of him opening up his very own restaurant in downtown Toronto and the location of this Tasting TwEATup event.

When I first walked in to The Good Son I was just in awe at how beautiful it was inside. There is this very large chandelier hanging from the ceiling that adds a great sense of prestige to the atmosphere, but another big trait of this restaurant is that you just feel like you’re at home. It has a very intimate and cozy vibe, pictures, clocks, and paintings hanging on the walls decorated almost exactly how any one of our grand parent’s house would look like. It is a very charming restaurant. You get a clear sense of where Vittorio comes from, his family and his Italian roots.

Now about 45 minutes into the night we finally settled at our table where a six course gourmet meal would await. The restaurant was actually closed so it was literally just us six foodies, a photographer, Vittorio and his sous chef for the entire night. It was a private affair! We were surely treated like honoured guests that evening and with hungry stomachs we were all eagerly waiting for what was to come.

Just like Top Chef, Vittorio would prepare each dish one by one throughout the night and as he brought it out to each one of us at the table he would then explain exactly what we would be eating. Here is how it all went down!

THE MENU

Course #1

Tomato Consomme with Heirloom Tomatoes from Ontario, Olive Oil, Shallot, Basil

Course #2

Poached Lobster and Yam Soup (Yam Purée with Thai Curry Paste, Apple, Cilantro, Coconut Milk, Lobster)

Course #3

Organic East Coast Salmon with Red & White Quinoa, Pea Tendrils, and Miso Gochujang Sauce.

Course #4

Strawberry Sorbet as the palette cleanser

Course #5

Quebec Seared Foie Gras with Red Lentil, Pea Puree, and Poached Plum Apple

Course #6

Dark Chocolate Brownie with Peanut Butter Gelato and Slated Caramel

I thoroughly enjoyed all six courses that Chef Colacitti cooked for us. Some of these dishes are not on The Good Son menu such as the foie gras which was specially prepared for us that night and the Salmon (although a Halibut variation is served at the restaurant instead). My favourite dish of the night that was also just recently added to The Good Son menu last week was the Yam and Poached Lobster soup. Vittorio actually made this soup for the Top Chef judges but instead of yam he used corn. The soup was so good then that it won the best dish of the night in that episode so believe me when I say this Yam and Poached Lobster Soup is heavenly! Do yourself all a favour and order this when you visit.

The Good Son was the first restaurant in Toronto to actually offer Estrella Damm on tap. With a light and refreshing taste to quench anyone’s thirst, its aroma of sweet malt really stands out. To me this beer was best paired with the East Coast Salmon on the menu as it complimented the texture of the crispy skin and soft undertones very well.

It was an incredible night filled with great company, beer, and food. Many thanks goes out to Vittorio Colacitti for being such a gracious host and taking time on his day off to cook for all of us at his restaurant. Thanks to Estrella Damm for being the official beverage of the night and giving us unlimited amounts of liquid gold and to Branding and Buzzing for organizing this event and making this all possible!

Below are some more photos from the night! Photo Credit: Mauricio Calero courtesy of Estrella Damn

AwesTRUCK 2014 Preview VIP Hour

If there is one food trend I love, it is food trucks! I often find that the most creative and unique dishes do not come out of the standard brick and mortar restaurant but from tiny kitchens on top of four moving wheels. For any food truck enthusiasts like me you are in luck as one of the largest food truck festivals is returning to Ontario: The 3rd Annual Food Truck Awards, AwesTRUCK 2014! This year it is being held at Celebration Square in Mississauga on September 5th and 6th, 2014.

For people who don’t know what AwesTruck is all about, it is a premier food event in the city where 30 Food Trucks will continue on the tradition of recognizing the best and brightest of local curbside cuisine. This year for the first time Spotlight City Events will be collaborating with this food truck festival that will not only bring some of the best street food this city has ever seen, but it will also bring the annual food truck awards ceremony at 6PM on September 6th. Seven awards will be handed out this year in the following categories:

• Best Menu Item
• Best Graphics
• Best New Truck
• Best Concept
• Best Pop-up
• Road Warrior
• People’s Choice

Last Saturday I was invited to take part in the AwesTRUCK 2014 Preview VIP Hour where selected media were able to get a sneak-peak into this food truck rally a full week before the actual event would take place in Mississauga. With the help from Matt Dean Pettit (of Rock Lobster and Boots & Bourbon) and Samuel Adams Brewery, they hosted a preview of this event at the parking lot of 495 Wellington Street West in Toronto that featured many of the contenders for this year’s awards along with past winners as well. This preview was great for the people who live in Toronto but would not be able to make it all the way down to Mississauga for the event since in the previous years this event was held at Fort York. I was able to get a private taste from three of the food trucks before the preview opened up to the general public along with downing some award winning beer at the very same time.

During the event I had the pleasure of meeting Matt Dean Pettit who would be hosting this preview. Matt is the owner and chef of one of the busiest restaurants in Toronto, Rock Lobster Food Co and also recently opened up a country themed restaurant filled with great music, line dancing, and even bull riding (yes, there’s actually a mechanical bull in this restaurant!) called Boots & Bourbon Saloon. He can also add author now to his credentials as his very first cookbook will be coming out this October called The Great Lobster Cookbook. The cookbook will include his favourite lobster recipes from lobster rolls, lobster eggs benny, lobster poutine, and even vanilla bean lobster ice cream. Although the cookbook will be sold in stores nationwide next month, you can already pre-order a copy today here. 

We started off with some craft beer samples from one of the sponsors and hosts Samuel Adams Brewery where we got to taste their Boston Lager and Latitude 48. The Boston Lager was awarded the Best Beer at the Great American Beer Festival, and has gone on to win more awards than any other brewery in the world. They were kind enough to always fill up our glasses as soon as they were empty while we walked around merrily eating and drinking away. We all certainly felt like VIP with a #Saminhand!

The first food truck we visited was Caribbean Provisions On Da Go Inc and they prepared for us the Jerk Chicken Wrap. Their secret sauce added a great flavour and heat to the wrap and the inclusion of plantain added a unique texture and crunch to it that makes it stand out from just your ordinary wrap. We were all transported to Jamaica just for a little bit while we indulged in some delicious jerk chicken.

Jerk Chicken, Rice, Beans, Plantains

Moving on to the second food truck, a “Corn Star” was waiting for us from Cornehcopia who prepared first their Mexican Elote Corn on the Cob. I have never experienced eating corn on the cob this way before so it was such a treat to try with all these flavours from the cojita cheese and zesty mayo exploding in my mouth. This certainly seemed like a fan favourite from all the media who attended.

Grilled Corn, Mexican Mayonnaise, Freshly Grated Cojita Cheese, Butter, Chilli, Lime

One of the downfalls that many people think of when eating corn on the cob is just how messy it is to eat it. Cornehcopia has literally solved this problem by creating a bowl form of their corn on the cob so the exact same dish pictured above where you would have to eat with your hands is now accessible cleanly with a spoon. Move over froyo, corn in a bowl with all the fixings could just be the next big thing!

Grilled Grated Corn in a Bowl, Mexican Mayonnaise, Freshly Grated Cojita Cheese, Butter, Chilli, Lime

Canadian Maple Corn in a Bowl, Maple Syrup, Dijon Mustard, Maple Butter

The third and last food truck we tried before the VIP hour was over was Curbalicious, a new food truck that started just a year ago. One of my favourite comfort foods (mac n’ cheese) were being served up here called the Cheezy Jalapeno Bites in the most unique and delicious way in bite size pieces of deep fried heaven!

Jalapeno Mac N’ Cheese Squares Breaded, then Deep Fried

They also did their own spin on nachos, but instead of using tortilla chips they used naan bread instead creating an Indian flare which was cleverly named as “Nanchos.”

Naan Bread topped with Butter Chicken, Cheese, Mango Lime Sauce, Crema, Cilantro

If you are free on these two days, I highly recommend you drop by Mississauga’s Celebration Square to indulge in what will be the biggest food truck festival this province or even country has ever seen. In the past years people who wanted to attend this festival had to pay an entrance fee but for the first time admission is absolutely free for everyone! When the festival first started 2 years ago, VIP tickets were $60 but as a thank you for the outpouring support from the hungry crowds who have attended this event, AwesTRUCK 2014 will allow you to enjoy all the food these vendors have to offer without letting you worry about what’s left in your wallet. Please remember that this is a cash only event with the exception of the food trucks using the Tab Payments app. This is one food event you do not want to miss!

Some more pictures below from the VIP Hour. Photo Credit to Mauricio Jose Calero courtesy of Samuel Adams.

AwesTRUCK 2014 Event Details

Date:  September 5th – 6th, 2014

Time:  5PM – 11PM, September 5th

6PM – 11PM, September 6th (Awards Ceremony)

Location:  Celebration Square, Mississauga

Ticket Price:  FREE

Special Thanks

Spotlight City Events

Samuel Adams Brewery

Matt Dean Pettit of Rock Lobster and Boots & Bourbon

Aimee Cook of Branding and Buzzing

Caribbean Provisions On Da Go Inc. Food Truck

Cornehcopia Food Truck

Curbalicious Food Truck

¡A HUEVO! POP UP BRUNCH

About a month ago I was invited by Alexander Stanojevic who is currently a 4th year student at Ryerson University in the Hospitality and Tourism Management program to his pop up brunch he was hosting at the Atlantic. This was the second event of its kind as he held the first one back in March. After spending the morning down at The Taste of the Danforth, I headed on over to check out some of his tacos and cocktails he was serving up this time. It’s great to see more local events like this popping up in our city, especially from just a guy following his passion for food, bartending, and event planning. I’m sure this won’t be the last we see from him!

“As Greedy As A Pig” Taco - Ancho braised pulled pork, grilled pineapples, fresh cheese, chicharones, salsa verde, arbol chile crema

Cocktail - Watermelon grapefruit lemonade, lime juice, tromba tequila, lemon ficks, topped off with tecate (Mexican lager)

Special Thanks:

Alexander Stanojevic