The Flex Tent Company / Event Labor Works

Click here to see our tents in action!!

1-800-994-0989 x 207.

Visit us online at

The Flex Tent Company or Event Labour Works

The Drake will host the official after party for Terroir on Monday, April 8th at 86’d, hosted by Ivy Knight.

The Drake Hotel is pleased to offer a preferred room rate to Terroir delegates – please use this code to make your hotel booking C-TERR at 416.531.5042 ext. 0

Toronto, ON. Terroir 7 (www.terroirsymposium.com) – Canada’s leading foodservice and hospitality symposium that brings together the elite of Canada’s culinary industry including influential chefs, food writers, wine and food experts and business leaders – is pleased to announce the call for entries for the second annual GE Monogram–Terroir Awards for Excellence in Hospitality. Jointly created to inspire, nurture and celebrate professional excellence, nominations are open to professionals working in Canada in the three categories of chef, beverage (sommelier, mixologist) and front-of-house. Details of the awards criteria may be found and nominations made online until March 20, 2013. This year, all voters are eligible to win a wine fridge courtesy of GE Appliances.

In the name of love… of food

The entries will be judged by the Terroir Advisory Committee, with prizes awarded including $1,000, all expenses to attend Terroir, and advertising and publicity support. Winners in each category will be based on total votes submitted and announced at the 7th annual event, held at Oliver & Bonacini’s Arcadian in Toronto on April 8, 2013. Entitled, For the Love of Food – stories, memories and culture, the day-long symposium features innovative, educational and hands-on programming led by renowned industry leaders from Canada and abroad.

“We’re proud to host the second annual GE Monogram-Terroir Awards, and this year we strongly encourage national entries to showcase our country’s world-class talent,” said Arlene Stein, Chair, Terroir Committee.

“The awards allow peers to recognize each other for their contributions, as well as innovation and creativity in the areas of service, beverage and culinary achievement. Our goal is to inspire young and emerging talent, elevate standards of professionalism and provide recognition for those deserving,” she added.

“The GE Monogram brand represents performance — delivering perfect service to our customers and consumers, and in the kitchen itself,” explained Philippe Meyersohn, general manager, marketing and training, GE Appliances Canada. “The GE Monogram-Terroir Awards celebrate the same qualities, as exemplified by the brightest lights in the country and we are proud to honour them.”

The gold standard in performance

Criteria for each award is as follows: the candidate must have a minimum of five years of experience in the industry; be currently employed in a restaurant in Canada that supports a regional culinary identity; adhere to standards of excellence and service in hospitality as observed by both industry and consumers; contribute to the industry through education, collaboration and mentorship; be recognized by peers for leadership and innovation and their contribution to the field of hospitality in Canada; and uphold standards of sustainability by supporting local producers, artisans and businesses.

Last year’s winners were Ryan Crawford, chef, Gastrohomestead (formerly of Stone Road Grille), Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON in the chef category; Will Predhomme, senior sommelier/senior manager, Canoe Restaurant & Bar, Toronto, ON in the beverage category; and Virgilio Vea, food & beverage director, Langdon Hall Country House Hotel & Spa, Cambridge, ON in the front-of-house category.

Wednesday April 10th, 2013

Langdon Hall will host an inspired experience featuring Terroir guests Alessandro Porcelli, Founder – Cook it Raw and Kobe Desramaults – In De Wulf, Belgium.

The evening is inspired by a unique dining experience that sees the world’s most exciting chefs come together to explore social, cultural and environmental issues through food. These events are known as “Cook it Raw”. They are normally reserved for a select number of guests, behind closed doors. On April 10th the book “Cook it Raw” will be available to the public, showing behind the scenes of these unique events. In celebration of these events and the newly released book, Chef de Cuisine David Sider and Pastry Chef Sarah Villamere present an evening of how they have been inspired by these experiences.

Cook it Raw Guests

Editor & Cook It Raw co-founder Alessandro Porcelli.
Chef Kobe Desramaults Cook It Raw – Poland event.

Terroir Package: For those registered & attending the Terroir Symposium a special overnight package price will be offered from $470.00 per couple, plus tax.

For more information and to make reservations, visit the Langdon Hall website.

Terroir 2012:

“There’s a new breed of chef and restaurateur forging a new regime in food. Well-educated and highly skilled individuals, they are constantly in pursuit of excellence. Many of these chefs have accreditations from the best culinary schools, but will still gladly work for free with the world’s top chefs. Their practices are ingrained in the principles of sustainable food production and local farming. They are collaborative, tactile, resourceful-types who are opening up shop in unassuming spaces serving Michelin-worthy fare. Less interested in what the establishment thinks; they have access to supportive communities with the tap of a finger and are business-minded hospitality professionals sharing knowledge and inspiration from their fellow colleagues. Their food is made from scratch and it’s delicious, honoring traditional and trusted techniques while delivering ingredients in a radical new way. They are the vanguard of modern cuisine.

In this year’s symposium we examine the people, ideas and principles within this movement, and what kind of impact they have had on hospitality. Join us on the journey.”

You can find photos from the event here:

Terroir Symposium 2012

If you have more to add to this list, please let us know in the comments below.

Wok and Roll-Riding the Rails of Chinese Canadian Cuisine

Curated by Ivy Knight
Cocktails by Dave Mitton

During the 19th century, thousands of Chinese immigrants were employed as labourers during the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Many who stayed in Canada after completion of the railroad, often with no training as chefs or cooks, opened small, inexpensive restaurants that featured items based on their traditional cuisine, but adapted to a Canadian tastes, and often available alongside the cuisine of other immigrants; Scandinavian loggers, mill workers from Eastern Europe. Thus was developed the Chinese smorgasbord; pot stickers beside pierogies, and sweet and sour chicken next to Swedish meatballs. These early restaurateurs were pioneers who by necessity, adaptation and innovation developed fare that, over successive generations, has come to be known as Canadian Chinese. Across Canada and the U.S., North American style Chinese Food is readily available and hugely popular, at buffet style restaurants and take out joints.

Inspired by the idea of innovation and working within contemporary culture, fifteen of our most esteemed chefs are preparing a feast featuring those traditional menu items but using only the finest ingredients available.

Matty Matheson 
Executive Chef, Parts & Labour; Noodle Bar
Scott Vivian
 Executive Chef & Owner, Beast Restaurant; Baby Bok Choy & Ribs
Christopher Brown
 Chef, The Stop Food Enterprise; Snow Crab
Alex Feswick
 Chef, The Brockton General; Swedish Meatballs
Graham Pratt 
Executive Chef, The Gabardine; Crispy Squid with Spicy Salt
Marc St. Jacques 
Executive Chef, 
Auberge du Pommier
; General Tsao Sweetbreads
Nick Liu
 Owner & Executive Chef, GwaiLo; Sweet & Sour Chicken Balls and Sweet & Sour Tofu Balls
Jeremy Charles
 Executive Chef & Owner, Raymonds, NFLD; Macaroni & Cheese
Kevin Gilmour Chef de Cuisine, 
The Drake Hotel; Pork Carving Station with Peanut-Ginger Slaw
Charlotte Langley 
Chef de Cuisine, Café Belong; Salt & Pepper Egg with Rising Sun Sauce
Jason Bangerter, Executive Chef, O&B Canteen, Luma; Spring Roll & Cold Roll
Aaron Bear Robe 
Executive Chef & Owner, Keriwa Café; Bison Perogies
David Givon
 Head Chef, The Bellevue; Crispy Beef with Honey, Garlic & Ginger
Christine Fancy 
Pastry Chef, The Gabardine; Fortune Cookies
Melanie Clancy
 Head Chef & Owner, Boreal Gelato Co.; Sundae Bar

You can see photos from this shoot in the following places:

FoodPr0n

Sifu Renka

If you missed the chance to see this fantastic film entitled Kobe and the Sea made by Johnny ABegg Films or would like to see it again, here it is! What an inspiration for cooking. Definitely a highlight of Terroir 2012.

Arlene Stein is the reason that many inhabitants of the upper echelons of the food world have any idea Toronto exists as more than just a possible stop on a book tour. Because of her top chefs, food writers, restaurateurs and winemakers from around the world have experienced more of this city than just their hotel rooms and the business end of a lectern. Her Terroir Symposium has grown through her tireless striving to enhance Toronto’s food scene, exposing it to the world, and as such has become the most important food program in this country.

That being said, I shouldn’t have been surprised at the phone call. We were on a road trip to Montreal for an eating tour of Joe Beef, Nora Gray, Lawrence, DNA and, of course, Schwartz’s. Arlene was driving so when her phone rang I answered for her.

A man’s voice, an accent I can’t place, “Hello, this is Rene. I’m calling for Arlene.”

“Rene? Just a minute.”

I looked at Arlene. Her eyes were wide as she began maneouvering off the highway to the shoulder. “That’s Rene Redzepi! From NOMA!” she mouthed at me. I almost threw the phone out the window with shock. But I regained some composure and said “she’s right here” and handed it over to Arlene as she put on the hazards.

In case you don’t know who Rene Redzepi is, let me lift up the rock you’re living under and hand you this copy of Time Magazine and a link to this article.

Hence, my spazzy behaviour.

Thundering Mack trucks shook the rental car as Rene spoke with Arlene about coming to Terroir for 2012. Although he wanted to he just wasn’t able to get away. He had an idea though, he suggested she come to him and shoot an interview that she could then play at Terroir. Arlene didn’t hesitate, she set a date and booked a flight to Copenhagen.

Arlene interviews Chef Matthew Orlando about the Saturday Night Projects

I tagged along to interview Rene for the Globe & Mail. Jeff Haynes flew in from Berlin to shoot the video and after a twenty- seven course lunch that changed our lives forever Arlene did her interview with Rene, we returned the next night to shoot his chefs in action during the Saturday Night Projects. Here’s the result:

The Saturday Night Projects With Rene Redzepi

Watch our site this Friday for another video post, in which Rene talks about possibly putting moss tacos on the menu and tells us about the only bar left in the world where you can still smoke inside.

P.S.- On the table behind Rene you’ll see a pine box, that box was made by Mike Paterson of Bonavista, Newfoundland. Inside the box, wrapped in a sealskin are a number of iconic Newfoundland ingredients, salt cod, Screech, hard bread and savoury, all packed by Jeremy Charles, Jeremy Bonia and the team at Raymonds in St.John’s. On top of the box are some Ontario treats I brought to Rene as a gift, these include Monforte cheese, Xococava truffles, Supicucu hot sauce, Rosewood Estates wildflower honey and a bottle of their barrel-aged mead. Beside these are some products from Quebec’s Societe L’Original.

Basically, that box behind Rene pretty much represents our country. 

                       Monday, April 8th, 2013

Arcadian Court, Toronto

 401 Bay Street, Simpson Tower, 9th Floor

Tickets on Sale $175 +HST

For the Love of Food: Stories, Memories & Culture

Everything we eat has a story. Food is the basis of our existence, but we can also craft narratives around it: stories of hunger and sharing, of bounty and blessing. The dishes we prepare embody the traditions and heritage of our cultures; the memories we create through the food we eat, help define us. Food reminds us where we come from and encourages us to go somewhere new.

For this edition of Terroir, our presenters will share stories of their most compelling food experiences, memories and inspirations.

PROGRAM  2013

Master of Ceremonies:

Max Valiquette,  Marketing and Culture Expert; Media Personality; Public Speaker; Author; Managing Director, Strategy, Bensimon Byrne

8:45AM – 5:30PM – Main Stage Presenters

This year we have an exciting list of local and international presenters who will share with you their stories about memories about their love of food.  Speakers will give 20 minutes presentation in the main room and they will be scheduled in one-hour segments.  This format will allow participants to come and go from our main stage presentations or sign up for a concurrent chef demonstration or workshop.

Opening Speaker: Peter Oliver, Oliver Bonacini Restaurants

Kate Krader, Food & Wine Magazine, New York, New York

Alison Fryer, The Cookbook Store, Toronto, Ontario

Nick Saul, CEO, Community Food Centers Canada

JP McMahon, Aniar Restaurant, Galway, Ireland 

CULTURE

Andrea Most, Associate Professor of English, American Literature & Jewish Studies, The University of Toronto

Trine Hanneman, Scandinavian Chef & Cookbook Author, Copenhagen, Denmark
Peter Tempelhoff, Executive Chef, The Collection by Liz McGrath, Cape Town, South Africa
Adam Mason, Winemaker, Mulderbosch, South Africa

TASTE
Anne Mendelson, Author, The Surprising Story of Milk through the Ages

Per-Anders & Lotta Jörgensen, Editors, FOOL Magazine, Malmo, Sweden
Magnus Nilsson, Executive Chef, Faviken, Jarpen, Sweden

MEMORY

Alessandro Porcelli, Founder & Director of Cook it Raw

Padraic Og Gallagher, Gallagher’s Boxty House, Dublin, Ireland
Kobe Desramaults, In de Wulf, Dranouter, Belgium

GROW(TH)

Gillian Files & Brent Preston, Farmers, The New Farm, Singhampton, Ontario
Joshna Maharaj, Chef & Activist, Toronto

Edward Pond, Food Photographer

GASTRONOMY

Trevor Gulliver, CEO, St. John, London, UK
Paul Rogalski, Executive Chef, Rouge, Calgary
Ingrid Fetell, Designer, The Aesthetics of Joy

Final Presentation

René Redzepi, Chef & Co-Owner, Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark

__________________________________________________________ 

10 a.m. – 5 p.m. – All day Hospitality Lounge

Featuring delicious snacks and beverages provided by:

Rossy Earle, Chef/Owner Supicucu with Grandview Valley Farms Empanadas

Sweet & Savory Snacks from Langdon Hall, Pastry Chef Sarah Villamere

Upper Canada Cheese

Monforte Cheese

Evelyn’s Crackers

Neal Brothers Foods

Rosewood Estates Honey

Belmonte Raw Organic Juice Bar

Collingwood Whiskey

Wines of South Africa

Beaus Beer

Merchants of Green Coffee

12:00PM – 1:00PM – The BIG Debate

Eating Our Own: Local Ingredients, Foreign Chefs, and the Question of Culinary Cannibalism

Moderator: Mitchell Davis, Executive Vice President, The James Beard Foundation
Panel:

Noah Bernamoff and Rae Bernamoff, Co-owners, Mile End Delicatessen, New York
Lesley Chesterman, Fine-Dining Critic, The Montreal Gazette
Tobey Nemeth, Co-Owner, Edulis, Toronto
Joe Warwick, Food Critic, The Guardian, Founder of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards, Author;Where Chefs Eat 

GE Monogram Chef Demonstrations

Select one of our interactive 45-minute Chef demonstrations.  Participation is limited to 20 delegates and delegates must pre-register.  

10:00AM – Jeremy Charles, Raymonds, Nfld

11:00AM – Marc Lepine, Atelier, Ottawa
2:00PM – Connie De Sousa & John Jackson, Charcut, Calgary

3:00PM – Dave Evans, Gordon Food Services

Workshops

We will be offering six, 1 ½ hour long workshops, that will run concurrently with the main stage presentations. These sessions will provide for more focused hands-on learning.  Participants will sign up on-line once they purchase their tickets.  Details will be confirmed closer to the date.

10:00AM – 11:30PM

Workshop #1 – Ontario Craft Beers with Steve Beauchesne

Workshop #2 –  How to Create a Cookbook and The Publishing Process; Guide: Mika Bareket, Owner, Good Egg, goodegg.ca  along with Jennifer McLagan, Chef and Award-Winning Food Writer, jennifermclagan.comand Naomi Duguid, Award-Winning Food Writer and Photographer, naomiduguid.com

Workshop #3 – Sustainable Growth  – Learn Why Sales flatline and the interdependant competencies of sustainable growth, Instructor: Jill McAbe, Certified Executive Coach with expertise in leadership development and operational design.

http://restaurantmgmtacademy.com/about-jill/

2:00PM – 3:30PM

Workshop #4 – South Africa’s Surprising “Great Whites”  Presenters: Adam Mason, Winemaker Mulderbosh Winery, South Africa, Norm Hardie, Winemaker, Naorm Hardie Wines, Prince Edward County, Jeremy Bonia, Owner and Sommelier, Raymonds, NFLD

Workshop #5 – Food on Film; an in-depth look at the technical and creative ingredients of capturing food on film. Presenters: Claudia Bianchi – Culinary Producer/Director, Food Stylist and Restaurateur & Rob Fiocca – Photographer/Director

Workshop #6 – Creative Cocktails  – Heads, Hearts & Tales,

Christina addresses our most fond (and foul) recollections of drinking culture and where it’s heading next.   Presenter: Christina Kuypers, Mixologist

1:00PM – 2:00PM –  The Lunch Counter

These chefs are coming together for the Terroir 2013 lunch to present their versions of classic sandwiches and sides. We all have a favourite sandwich – a Clubhouse, a BLT, a Croque Monsieur – and we all like them done a certain way – only iceberg on a BLT! A Club isn’t a Club without frilly toothpicks! The Monsieur must be done on brioche!

Dessert will include Fluffernutter Sandwiches by Prince Edward County’s Matt and Erin DeMille and a selection of iconic Canadian treats by Toronto’s Andrea Mut.

Participating Chefs

Scott Vivian, Beast Restaurant
Jeremy Charles, Raymonds, Nfld
Mathew Matheson, Parts & Labour
Ted Corrado, The Drake Hotel

James Roberts, Executive Chef at Park Country Club in Buffalo, NY

Bertrand Alépée, The Tempered Chef, Toronto, Ontario

Amanda Ray, Biff’s Bistro, Toronto, Ontario

Craig Deihl, Cypress, Charleston, South Carolina

Matt DeMille, Pomodoro, Wellington, Ontario

Erin DeMille, Royal Sugar, Wellington, Ontario

Andrea Mut, Andrea’s Gerrard Street Bakery, Toronto, Ontario

Curated by Ivy Knight, Swallow