I had been looking forward to attending Recipe For Change for weeks because it’s really my ideal event. How many opportunities do you get to be in one space with so many chefs, making so much good food, surrounded by other people who value and appreciate good food, all in support of good food for kids?!?! Bottom line about this event: It was truly awesmazing.
I got to check in at the media table which was really fun, and I met Mary Luz for the first time (we’ve tweeted a lot over the years, but have never been in the same place at the same time!) and she gave me my own Media Badge and a big folder of information on FoodShare, which I’ve now read. After reading it, and having the night I did at Recipe For Change, I really, really want to get involved and help out! Since I’m a kid myself, I would like to help other kids learn more about appreciating food than I already do, so I think FoodShare can help me, and I can help them too!
Recipe for Change is basically one big tapas meal prepared by various chefs from around the city. There were 30 chefs, all on a mission to create a dish to share with everyone there. There were also 30 wines, and 9 beers, which, of course, I didn’t try. They give you real plates, cutlery, glasses and even cloth napkins, so there was no garbage from pointless packaging/utensils. You go around and get to ask the chefs what they prepared and learn more about the food, and take some if you’d like. The best storyteller award goes out to Chef Luis from Torito, who spent the time to explain about the dates that he was using in his dish and how they had grown for 80 years. It was the first time that I realized how long some things take to grow and that people plant and grow stuff for future generations.
It turns out that the first few dishes that I tried for the night were my favourites at the end of the night. I can, without hesitation, name the top 5 dishes I indulged in:
1. Torito Tapas Bar & Monforte Dairy: Dates stuffed with toscano sheep’s milk cheese and roasted almonds, wrapped in double smoked bacon
2. Bashir Munye (My Little Dumplings): Vegan Squash and Green Curry Dumplings
3. Rocco Agostino from Pizzeria Libretto/Enoteca Sociale: Warm Ribollita Salad with Beans, Beets, Carrot, Kale, Fennel and Potato
4. Cruda Cafe: Raw, Vegan Truffle, Shiitake and Porcini Mushroom Tartlettes in a Spinach, Zuchhini and Flax dehydrated shell
5. Therese de Grace and Christopher Ennew from Ste. Anne’s Spa: Vegan Mushroom Ragout over peppered polenta with a tofu truffle ricotta
Although the food was really good, the people really made this evening special, too. Some of my most fun moments include:
1. Getting a media badge
2. Getting to talk to lots of real, amazing chefs
3. Seeing chefs that I already know all together in one room
4. Meeting Barbara Turnbull, she has a very inspirational story to tell!
5. Meeting Kristin from Hooked while she was shucking oysters, and had my second oyster ever (was great!)
6. Participating in my first silent auction and winning tickets to go up the CN Tower – I wrote on instagram that this was supporting two good causes – mine and FoodShare’s!
7. Meeting Brad Long – he called me out for writing him up for serving Heinz Ketchup at his restaurant, Cafe Belong (that is my biggest pet peeve, as I told View the Vibe)! I do have to say that I did love his “Faux Pho” noodle and veggie soup he was serving at Recipe For Change, and there was NO Heinz to be found there!
8. Meeting so many people from the FoodShare team because they were all so, so nice – and there are a lot of them working on their programs!
Recipe for Change is really for everyone. There was a lot of vegan, vegetarian and items that were free of allergens. I loved how much was true, good food, but next time, it would be great if the event set an example of being as organic as possible, at least GMO free.
Overall, I am so thrilled and fortunate to have gotten the opportunity to be at Recipe For Change! Thanks for the awesome experience FoodShare!!
