Category Food Events & Food Trucks, Caterers

Food Events:

The Shop For All Reasons will be hosting a Chocolate Tasting this Sunday November 3rd 2013, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. What a great opportunity to discover some top-quality lines of finely crafted chocolate, including Olivia (from Quebec), Tcho (San Francisco), Amedei (Italy), Rogers (Victoria), and M Thompson (Toronto). Owner John Viola has built up an impressive gourmet section in this lovely Streetsville gift shop. John is passionate about the gourmet lines he carries and happy to share his knowledge of them with you. Think about stocking up on some gourmet chocolate for Christmas baking or gifts.

Food Trucks:

Curb Your Appetite Food Truck Wednesdays will deliver gourmet food trucks to the curb of CIT Financial, 5035 South Service Road, near Appleby Line, Burlington. Running the next three Wednesday nights from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., November 6th, 13th, and 20th 2013. Visit Ontario Food Trucks website for more info: www.ontariofoodtrucks.com.

Farm Market Finds:

Springridge Farm will be hosting an Author Meet & Greet Book Signing event, featuring celebrity chef Ricardo and his new cookbook, Slow Cooker Favourites. Sunday November 3rd 2013, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. **RSVP: [email protected]**

Restaurant News:

Renovations have been completed and The Host restaurant in Mississauga has recently reopened, with a new modern look and new menu. The Host serves fine Indian cuisine. Please note that The Host is reserved for a private corporate dinner event on Thursday November 7, 2013.

Happy Diwali! I love watching the colourful fireworks bursting over the Streetsville horizon during the festival of lights.

I often think of the women of my church as the Divas Who Dish Divinely. After countless bake sales, church luncheons, and casseroles for friends in need, years of practice have perfected their “from-scratch” recipes and turned them into best-in-show treasures.

The Divas Who Dish Divinely (AKA Streetsville United Church Women) will be dishing up some delicious food again at the 46^th annual Streetsville United Church Harvest of Crafts Sale, this Saturday October 26, 2013 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., at Streetsville United Church.

Olive the Streetsville United Church Harvest of Crafts Sale because it invites the surrounding community to come together under one roof. Our fundraising efforts help support various local outreach programs. And of course, the food is delicious.

Our all-day café offers you a spot to sit, chat, and replenish your shopping-weary soul. Several women make their own batches of chili con carne and chicken soup, then combine them all into one heavenly pot of chili and one ethereal pot of chicken soup. Sandwiches, salads, and homemade desserts are made with care.

Make the baking table your first stop: delectable pies, cakes, cookies, and squares are all made from scratch and sell out quickly. Our local harvest is preserved in pretty jars to enjoy throughout winter. The sale is brimming with creative and witty, inexpensive crafts made by the talented Streetsville United Church Women. Local artisans offer a variety of unique, handcrafted gifts. There is always a special find in the Attic Treasures collection of gently-used modern and vintage finds. Come and get your Christmas shopping done early.

After working all day at the craft show, while the aroma of simmering chili wafts from the kitchen, I come home tired and craving chili. Here is my recipe.

Chili Con Carne

This classic chili simmers for five hours but it is much more flavourful cooked slowly and lovingly on the stovetop than abandoned in a slow cooker. Start it early in the day, refrigerate overnight, and reheat gently the next day to further deepen the flavour. If you have two large pots, you can double the recipe and stock your freezer with chili to warm up the chilly months that lie ahead.

I learned this old Southern tip from my friend, Bill, (who learned it from his friend from Kansas City): gently stir in a tablespoon of peanut butter near the end of cooking to smooth out the acidity and round out the flavour of the chili. For years I made this recipe without the peanut butter and still loved it, so if there is a peanut-allergy concern, leave it out.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil

About 2 pounds (1kg) extra lean ground sirloin

2 yellow cooking onions, chopped

6 garlic cloves, finely minced

2 yellow or orange sweet bell peppers, cored, seeded, and chopped

4 celery stalks, chopped

1 28 fl oz/796 mL can diced tomatoes

1 19 oz / 540 mL can red kidney beans, drained, rinsed, drained again

1 28 fl oz/796 mL can crushed tomatoes

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1 teaspoon white sugar

2 tablespoons ground chili powder, to taste

½ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 bay leaves

Finish:

1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter

Freshly ground black pepper and coarse salt, to taste

Few dashes of hot sauce (such as Tabasco or Piri Piri), to taste

Optional Garnishes: shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, lime wedges, hot sauce, chopped avocado, fresh cilantro leaves, tortilla chips, or garlic bread.

Directions:

1. Heat a large heavy pot over medium heat; add onions and ground sirloin and brown, breaking up with a wooden spoon and stirring frequently, just until meat is no longer pink inside, about 10 minutes.
2. Add garlic; sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
3. Add remaining ingredients, except peanut butter; stir. Partially cover with a lid; simmer for 4 3/4 hours, stirring occasionally.
4. To finish, stir in peanut butter and simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 more minutes. Remove and discard bay leaves. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and hot sauce.
5. Let cool and then refrigerate overnight to allow flavours to mellow further. When ready to serve, reheat gently. Serve hot with your choice of optional garnishes.

Harvest of Crafts Sale Hours: Saturday October 26 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Free Admission. Appreciate your support.

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Weekly news tidbits too tasty not to share.

Food Events:

The Toronto Garlic Festival is this Sunday, Sept 22, 2013 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Evergreen Brick Works, Toronto.  If you can’t make it, why not visit Carl Laidlaw Orchards to pick up some locally grown garlic or Healthy Choice Farm for organic garlic.

Restaurant News:

If you are passing by Goodfellas Wood Oven Pizza Streetsville and the door is open, pop your head in and say hello. If co-owner Rocco Giovannelli is there, he may invite you in to show you around. I did just that yesterday and was thoroughly impressed by the beautiful interior taking shape – it looks like it should be splashed across the pages of an interior design magazine. Mr. Giovannelli has lots of wonderful surprises in store for Streetsville and is hoping to open by mid October, possibly earlier.

Grocery Store Finds:

Looking for an easy and impressive finale for your dinner party that may just make you the talk of the neighborhood? Check out the large variety of exotic ice creams available at Highland Farms’ Mississauga location. Red Diamond’s Pistachio & Saffron ice cream sounds enticing. Avocado, watermelon, cantaloupe, ginger, green tea, red bean, and mango ice cream from various suppliers all sound delicious too!

Sweet Notes:

If you need a sweet idea for a birthday party but have food sensitivities or allergies to consider, check out the cupcake decorating parties at Bakersville, in Streetsville.

Hot Off The Olive Press: Weekly news tidbits too tasty not to share.

Headline News:

Get ready for a foot-stompin’, heart-pumpin’, old-fashioned-Streetsville-good-time at the 3^rd annual Streetsville Ceilidh, held at Vic Johnston Community Centre. Reunite with old friends and make some new ones. Community fund-raiser. Good old down-home meal, live entertainment, dancing, auctions. Saturday September 21, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. Tickets on sale now www.streetsvilleceilidh.com. See you on centre ice!

St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market: Despite the recent fire that destroyed the main building, the outdoor market and Peddlar’s Village will continue to be open Thursdays and Saturdays. For more information, click here to visit the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market website.

Phase I of the redevelopment of Streetsville Village Square has been completed and Main Street has reopened. Phase II has been rescheduled to spring 2014. For more details, please click here to visit the City of Mississauga website.

Food Events:

Enjoy a Taste of Streetsville, September 9th through October 6th 2013. Order from the Taste of Streetsville  $25 prix fixe menus at participating restaurants and 50 cents from every meal will be donated to the redevelopment of the Emergency Department at Credit Valley Hospital. Visit the Taste of Streetsville website for more details and a list of participating restaurants. What a great way to try out the wonderful restaurants Streetsville has to offer and support the Credit Valley Hospital at the same time.

Restaurant News:

Goodfellas Wood Oven Pizza in Streetsville looks as though it’s getting closer and closer to opening day. Take a stroll by the restaurant and try to catch a glimpse of the beautiful interior taking shape.

Welcome to my newsletter that I will publish on Mondays, whenever I have enough news tidbits to share with you.

Headline News:

Unfortunately, I am starting off my first newsletter with very sad news. The main building at St. Jacob Farmers’ Market was destroyed by fire early this morning. Read the story here: www.cbc.ca.

Food Events:

There’s one day left to head over to Spencer Smith Park in Burlington, Ontario for the 18^th annual Canada’s Largest Ribfest, organized by the Rotary Club of Burlington Lakeshore. This year’s Ribfest will include a kids’ zone, live bands, crafters’ artisan fair and of course, 18 ribber teams from across North America competing for your vote for the best finger-lickin’-good ribs. August 30^th to September 2^nd, 2013  11 am to 11 pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 11am to 8 pm Monday. All the info you need to know is here: www.canadaslargestribfest.com

Restaurant News:

Cagney’s Restaurant & Wine Bar in Streetsville (home of the legendary Cagney’s caesar salad) is temporarily closed for renovations and is planning on reopening – with a fresh new look – around the last week of September/first week of October and will also be open on Sundays for brunch and dinner. Wonderful!

Tandoori Flame Grand Indian Buffet & Thekka ‘d Indian Bar plans to open this fall in the former location of Mother Tucker’s Market Place at Britannia Rd. and Mavis Rd. in Heartland Centre. Can’t wait to try it because olive Indian!

Grocery Store Finds:

Looking for Latin American grocery stores? Check out my post publishing this Thursday – Latin Love Affair: Olive’s Shrimp Tacos.

Sweet Notes:

End the summer holidays on a sweet note with Kawartha Dairy ice cream.

Pictured below: Raspberry Lemon-Lime Sherbet, Mint Chip, Blue Bubblegum, Creamy Orange, Chocolate and my favourites: Moose Tracks (vanilla ice cream with chocolate peanut butter cups swirled with Moose Tracks® fudge) and Crème Brulée (caramelized brown sugar sauce and Crème Brulée crunchy candy swirled in rich custard ice cream).

Click here to find Kawartha Dairy Ice Cream in your neighborhood. I counted 18 flavours at the Apple Factory.

Photo contributed by Charlotte Brehl.