Upcoming Event – Pan American Food Festival 2014

Pan Am Food Fest Director Daniel Garcia- Herreros introduced us to the 2nd Annual Pan American Food Festival, a festival that celebrates the best food of the Western Hemisphere, which for the first time will take place from August 8 to 10, 2014, at Daniels Spectrum in the newly developed Regent Park district of Toronto.

This free festival will include food demonstrations by international chefs, a vendors market and a large outdoor street fair.

The Festivals Culinary Director Mary Luz Mejia has brought in a feature chef from south Florida- Norman Van Aken, considered the founder of “fusion” and New World Cuisine.

Peru, this year’s Host Country, has brought in Roger Arakaki from Lima.

A friendly “food competition” will take place on Saturday August 9, 2014 at 6:30 pm called “Totalmente Tamales Competition” when the cities best tamale maker will be crowned!

A visual art exhibition will be running concurrently with the Pan American Food Festival at Daniels Spectrum.

Also new this year is a “Wine and Spirits Salon” where the tropical beverages from Latin America can be tasted.

Next year, this family friendly festival hopes to take place from July 10 -26, 2015, when the Pan American Games will be held in Toronto.

As a preview to the 2014 Pan American Food Festival, we were treated to restaurant Valdez’s empanadas (corn meal, beef and potato) as well as La Reina sandwiches (arepa, queso d’ hoja, and smoked chicken guacamole) as a teaser.

For more information about the Pan American Food Festival please visit their website: http://panamfoodfest.com