Best Meal for your Money in Toronto

There are no shortage of amazing places to have dinner in this lovely city of ours and at times even trying to make a decision on where to go for dinner can be overwhelming. But in my very humble opinion, one of the best places to get the best value for your dollar is The Depanneur. Every month they hold a couple of fantastic supper clubs where they invite different chefs to create amazing multiple course meals. These meals are served family style giving you the chance to meet other like minded food lovers.

Last month clients at our kitchen, M&T Food Services were the guest chefs and they created a menu inspired by the food of the Ottoman Palace. Dish after dish of traditional food was served and it was such a success that it sold out almost faster than a Rolling Stones concert and a second night was added ;).

If you weren't lucky enough to snag tickets to this amazing supper club, you can still try Murat and Tolga's amazing food by ordering meal delivery from their web site. And if you want to experience one of the great supper clubs at The Depanneur you can sign up for their newsletter and be among the first to know which chef will be appearing next. I can tell you that the next supper club will be both a meal and a magic show. Tell me where else you can get that for $40 a person.

But right here, right now for one very lucky person,  I am giving away a $50 gift certificate to M&T Food Services website. Tell me why you love the local food movement and you could be the winner. (Available only to those who live in the GTA).

Family Style Preserving Day with Not Far From the Tree

Toronto Food Collaboration Offers Family Style Preserving Manning Canning, The Depanneur, Not Far From The Tree Partnership Highlights Food Talent in Toronto

TORONTO, Ontario, July 21, 2013 –  Beyond Toronto’s new food buzz around restaurant openings, bloggers and food trucks,  a wave of food-focused partnerships built on local cooperation and social innovation are emerging. A great example is a new partnership between newcomer to the Toronto canning and preserving scene, Christine Manning, The Depanneur, Not Far From The Tree and Chef Cheryl Torrance formerly of the Daily Bread Food Bank. The group will come together for an afternoon workshop of family style preserving on Monday, August 5^th hosted by The Depanneur.

“I heard Laura Reinsborough, the Founder of Not Far From The Tree, speak during TEDxToronto in September 2012 and their great work immediately caught my attention,” said Christine Manning, of Manning Canning. “I knew I wanted to create an opportunity to partner with them to explore how the beautiful local fruit they harvest could find its way into my jars.”

Christine has been involved with The Depanneur – both as a diner and as a workshop instructor for Manning Canning – for over a year now. This day of family style preserving represents the continuing evolution of this community partnership. “We will spend the afternoon turning an amazing harvest of fruit picked by Not Far From The Tree into preserves using recipes developed by Manning Canning and Chef Cheryl Torrance just for this event” said Len Senater of The Dep.

Each person in attendance at this family-friendly event, will take home the recipe, and have the option of buying jars of preserves (depending on overall yield) at a discounted price. Kids are encouraged to participate, whether it be prepping fruit or drawing custom labels for the jars of preserves. Not Far From the Tree will also receive a portion of the production to help with their fundraising efforts.

“This is a chance to talk to families about food – get them excited about homemade over store-bought,” said Chef Torrance. The workshop is an opportunity to spend time with your kids, learn a new skill, take home a delicious, local & organic treat, and help out amazing local organizations, and the partnership is likely one of many to come for these local food enthusiasts and entrepreneurs.

Adults: $40 +HST
Kids (up to 12 years): $20 +HST
Family (2 Adults+any # of kids): $100 +HST
Jars of preserves at the end of the day: $5 ea.

Monday, Aug. 5^th, 2013 at 1 pm

The Depanneur, 1033 College Street in Toronto

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Manning Canning makes a selection of jams, jellies, preserves, pickles and other products from locally sourced produce. Christine also teaches the craft of preserving in a variety of in class settings, including at The Depanneur in Toronto, and can be found participating in a number of local farmers’ markets. Each jar of Manning Canning product is made by hand.

About Manning Canning: /

The Depanneur, located at 1033 College Street in Toronto, exists to showcase culinary talent, promote innovation in the good food sector and collaborate with food entrepreneurs to expand the horizons for food in Toronto. It is located on College Street in Toronto and will be celebrating it’s 2^nd anniversary on the Toronto food scene this August.

About The Depanneur: http://thedepanneur.ca/

Not Far From The Tree puts Toronto’s fruit to use by picking and sharing locally. When a homeowner can’t keep up with harvest produced by their tree, Not Far From The Tree mobilizes volunteers to help. The harvest is split three ways: 1/3 is offered to the tree owner, 1/3 is shared among the volunteers, and 1/3 is delivered by bicycle to be donated to food banks, shelters, and community kitchens in Toronto neighbourhoods.

About Not Far From The Tree: http://www.notfarfromthetree.org/

Cheryl Torrance is a Toronto-based chef and community food organization expert. With over 15 years of experience in food management and services, she has created recipes and menus for shelters, drop-ins, in-store sales, catered events, and has extensive experience working in small and large scale production kitchens. She feels strongly about supporting sustainable food systems and finding ways to address systemic poverty, as well as forging new relationships within Toronto’s food community.

Happy Anniversary to The Depanneur

I first became acquainted with The Depanneur (or ‘The Dep’ as it has become to be known) this past winter when my husband and I signed up to become a member of The Rusholme Park Supper Club (Family Style dinner parties hosted by a rotating cast of chefs) and joined them for an evening with the Pork Ninja’s. It was an intimate gathering of food lover’s; amazing food was consumed and the Pork Ninja’s have since become Thursday night regulars. If you have never tasted their delicious competition grade BBQ pulled pork you have no idea what you are missing. But Pork Ninja’s aside, if you have never been to The Depanneur you really need to change that. They have been awarded with the 2012 Award for ‘Spicy New Venture’ by Food Forward and have really created something new and exciting for our fair city. You can drop in for dinner and try food from all over the world, prepared by some of the city’s best kept secrets. They serve it up from 6pm until the food sells out. Plus they have commercial kitchen space that they rent out to food entrepreneurs such as myself. Overall just an amazing concept and the food served never fails to delight.

It is for this and many more reasons, that I am so excited to blog about the fact that Manning Canning is partnering with The Dep to offer its customers a series of preserving classing in September and October. If you have ever wanted to learn how to preserve the freshness of all of those amazing summer fruits and vegetables so that you can enjoy summer even in winter, well now is your chance! Over a series of 4 classes, I will walk participants through safe canning practices and basics of making jam and pickles and preserving fruit. All students will take home one jar of the product made in class that day, along with a print out of the recipe and be armed with the knowledge required to can safely at home.

The classes run from 6:30pm-9:30pm on the dates outlined below and take place at The Dep, which is located at 1033a College Street. To register for the classes, just click right here.

SEPT 12 - CLASS 1 – Fresh Pears with Ginger

In the first class of the series we will cover the basics principles of safe canning and as a group work together to preserve Pears with Ginger

SEPT 26 - CLASS 2 – Tomato Jam

There is more to tomatoes than tomato sauce. Learn how to turn tomatoes into a delicious tomato jam that can be used as a spread in sandwiches, as a substitute for ketchup or as an accompaniment to a delicious cheese plate

OCT 10 - CLASS 3 – Getting Pickled 

Pickled Carrots and Pickled Cauliflower. We will explore how different combinations of vinegar and spices can drastically change the flavour of what you pickle

OCT 24 - CLASS 4 – Canning with Wine or Beer 

The addition or beer or wine to your canning recipe can have some pretty fabulous results and in this class we will explore their benefits in preserving

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Workshops are $40+HST each and includes a jar of whatever is made.

Attend all 4 Preserving Workshops and save $20!

4 Workshops for $140+HST

I look forward to passing on my love of preserving with everyone in the class and hope to see you soon!