Gourmet Food & Wine Expo in Toronto



 

Finally, the time has come for my favourite event of the year! The Gourmet Food & Wine Expo is an annual event that attracts a unique crowd of food and wine enthusiasts every year in Toronto. It offers an interactive and educational approach to the field of gastronomy. My favourite part of the experience is sampling award winning wines by the glass and being able to interact with the ambassadors at each booth. Last year there were several Canadian wineries as well as international brands and even port makers from Porto in Portugal, which I happen to be a huge fan of.

 

The atmosphere is very busy and the experience is very hands on, so come prepared.

Here are some tips if this is your first time attending the expo:

 

1. Bring a pen so you can write down the wines you enjoyed or restaurants you sampled. You may think you will remember everything, but after a few glasses of wine...you won't.

 

2. If you work in the industry, it is a great networking event as well so bring business cards.

 

3. Eat before you come. The samples are, well, samples. And you will be able to handle more drinks on a full stomach.

 

4. Look at the list of exhibitors before you go. Once you have established the must-visit booths, it will be easier to navigate across the crowded show floor.

 

5. Get out of your comfort zone. Don't go for the usual Riesling that you buy every weekend. Instead, try a vintage blend that you've never had before (or never purchased because of the price). If you had ever contemplated the risks of buying a $80 bottle of wine, worried that you won't enjoy the taste, this is the time to try that $3 sample and make a note of what you liked and disliked.

 

5. Finally, bring FRIENDS! It is always more fun in a group- make sure you coordinate a meeting point if you split up. Last year my phone battery died from taking too many pictures and I spent a long time trying to find my group in the end.



Food, Art, Wine and Friends





Live Chef Demo



 



Wine Tastings



Niagara and International Wineries





Maritime Lobster

 

 

For more information and tickets click HERE.

 

I will be attending the event, so if you would like to see pictures and updates, follow me on Twitter : @katiakhaddadine

 



Berries and Cream with a twist.

 

One of my favourite summer deserts. Simple to make, just like every recipe I post, and not too bad on the calories.

 

 

 

Please forgive my presentation- I do need to work on my piping skills.

 

All you need is:

 

Strawberries

Chocolate sauce

Creme Cheese

Whipped Cream

 

Wash the berries and cut out the stem

 

 

Cut the base so that they stay up straight

 

 

 

 

 

Fill a piping bag with a mixture of cream cheese and whipping cream. I usUally add more cream cheese than whipped but if you want a fluffier consistency do the opposite.

 

 

Make an X cut in the top of the strawberry and pipe the filling in slowly.

 

 

 

Repeat with all the berries and after arranging them on a platter, drizzle chocolate sauce and cool in the fridge over night or for a few hours.

Takes about 30 minutes to make and can be served in an hour of chilling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cloudy with a chance of...Meatballs

Finally, I have tasted the savoury cheesy meatballs that have been popping up in every NYC food bloggers' Instagram posts.

 Located in Greenwich Village, NYC: 510 Sixth Ave. nr. 13th and 14th

This magical take out window is less than a year old, but already has a large fan following...and now I am one too- OBSESSED. 

The homemade sauce is simple but delicious, the cheese melts beautifully and the foccaccia bread is so fresh that I ended up getting 2 pieces. 

So, if you are ever starving in NYC: pick up a double meatball in a cup ($7) with extra cheese and you won't regret it!