This Sunday in the heart of Toronto’s hipster land I had a magical dinning experience hosted by Les Esclaves de La Cuisine; a Toronto based food industry collective who has been raising awareness & money for a good causes related to their passion; food. Somewhere off Queen West, in probably one the coolest spaces known to man, I was fed by Charlotte Langley of Cafe Belong and Guy Rawlings of Lucien in a charity dinner in benefit of FoodShare. FoodShare is Canada’s largest community food security organization, who reach over 145,000 children and adults a month through subsidized fresh produce distribution, student nutrition programs, community gardening and cooking, classroom curriculum support amongst many other things. Pretty darn awesome people.
Les Esclaves de la Cusine “robb(ed) grocery stores, call(ed) in favours and scour(ed) dumpsters” tweeted Daniel Hadida one of the event’s organizers -all in favour in showing fellow bon vivants that deliciousness can be made from the left overs of others. The event underscored that over one third of available food in the world goes to waste, and what better way to bring light to this then by pushing culinary creativity and eating something you might have otherwise recognized as ‘trash’.
Behold the menu that was paired with Norman Hardie wines & Beau’s beer
Veggies & smoked fish in broth
Roasted onion, with eggplant and picked mayo
Crouton with olive tapenade, soft boiled egg, “almost rotten spinach” quote Charlotte, and fish gravy
Meat & Potatoes
The deconstructed apple crumble with beet sawwwce
Charlotte bringing out the “Meat & Potatoes” -including the much discussed lamb testicles
View of the space that had two communal dinning tables
Bathroom reading material
Thanks to all involved for a lovely time and tasty meal. I wonder how much was raised?
