Eat to the Beat 2013 at Roy Thomson Hall – Best Food Event Ever!

For the eighteenth year, Eat to the Beat, has celebrated the accomplishments of Canada’s finest female chefs: 60 female chefs, one worthy cause! This annual fundraising gala was held on October 22, 2013 at Roy Thomson Hall for Willow Breast Cancer Support which provides free programs and services across Canada. There were bits and bites for every type of food connoisseur! A couple of soups were offered: the Cream of Poblano Peppers with olive oil aioli by Xola! Mexican Food had flavours that would make Iron Chef Bobby Flay proud. The freshest of the salads was a roasted tomato salsa served in a cucumber cup by Nella Cucina. The Inca red quinoa salad with toasted pumpkin seeds by Fair Trade was a nice respite from the richness of the other dishes. A couple of varieties of Arancini were available, one with truffle and blue cheese accompanied by a spinach and walnut pesto by All The Best Fine Foods‘ Chef Nicole Rumball, and another by Pomodoro Trattoria‘s Chef Joanne Grice, made with lamb, smoked water buffalo cheddar, served with a green tomato chutney. Judging from the line up, the Thai noodle salad with chicken and mango from Sabai Sabai Kitchen and Bar‘s Chef Nuit Regular, was a crowd pleaser. My personal favourite however was the melt in your mouth gnudi with cream, mushrooms and peas from Chef Alexandra Feswick of the Samuel J. Moore restaurant. Conveniently located in the adjacent booth, my favourite dessert, valrhona araguani chocolate tart whipped dulcey ganache, with sesame snap and caramelized banana from the pastry Chef of the well-known restaurant Scaramouche, Lindsay Haddock. Another sweet pleasure was the ice wine cheesecake balls which used a reduction of the liquor as its base. The increasingly fashionable macarons made an appearance as well by Ruelo Patisserie, and The Sweet Escape Patisserie. Although some would prefer wine to accompany all these tasty treats, I choose two delicious cocktails – one with Bulldog Dry Gin and grapefruit juice and the other with Tito’s Homemade Vodka and Pama Pomegranate Liqueur.  And just when I thought I couldn’t eat any more, who says you can’t end a ‘meal’ with a freshly PEI oyster shucked by Jennifer Mooers of Hooked with a spicy jalapeño sauce?

For more information about these chefs, their restaurants and the event, please visit the website:http://www.eattothebeat.ca/