I was very excited when Toronto Life Magazine ask me to produce a dish for
their special 2011 Holiday dinner ‘Outsourced’ section.

I said to myself,  ‘ Finally, I get the change to showcase our Venezuelan traditional Christmas dish’, the Hallaca.

This is the first time a South America Christmas dish is been featured on the Food
& Drink section of Toronto Life!!

The Hallaca by Ryan Szulc Photography

Fresh hallaca with chayote relish

Hallacas are similar to tamales, but they are steamed in banana leaves instead
of corn husks. The white corn masa [harina Pan]which is gluten free, is colored
yellow with annato oil and we add water or chicken stock and salt. The stuffing
consists of a stew made with pork, beef and chicken with olives and raisins.
Depending on the family recipe, you can add peppers, cooked eggs. etc. etc. . .
Every family has their own variation.

The Hallaca by Ryan Szulc Photography

The hallaca represents Venezuela’s mestizo heritage. Cooking in a banana
leaf was a technique brought by African slaves. When talking about hallacas in
Venezuela everyone will say “Las mejores hallacas son las de mi mamá” which
translates to “my mom makes the best hallacas”.

Ready to eat!

The Hallaca by Ryan Szulc Photography

The hallacas is usually serve with Pan de Jamon [ham bread] Ensalada de
Gallina [chicken salad] Torta Navideña and Ponche Crema [eggnog].

Pan de Jamon with chicken salad.

I am offering 3 to 7 courses tasting menus of these tasty Venezuelan delights from $35 to $75 per person.

Call or email me if you are interested on having a Venezuelan dinner on
this Holiday season.

Yours, celebrating  food and culture.

Carlos

This past Sunday on our way to Foodstock my good friend Heather and I we got in to what was the meaning of the event for us? We both cook for a living and we have a good understating of what this really means.

The message is simple…. Save The Land That Feeds Us….

Please take a look  at TVO and  Blog T.O. for more information about the event.

With fellow Chef Heather Baker as we arrived to the event!

It was cold and rainy, but people were keep showing up, an estimated 28.OOO came up to support the event!

Helping up chef Christopher Palik and his team from Paese Restaurant.

Checking out chef Michael Stadtlander pumpkin soup bowl. It was really cool!

Yours from Foodstock!

What an amazing event it was. Thank you to the organizers, chefs, farmers and volunteers who help to make the event a reality!

Carlos

Join me on Thursday, October 13th, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at Summerhill LCBO

10 Scrivener Square

For more info please call 416. 922.0403.

On the menu

***

Arepitas de Reina Pepiada

Classic Venezuelan cornmeal patties stuffed with avocado and chicken salad

Sopa de Palmito

Ecuadorian-style hearts of palm soup

Carapulcra Peruno

Peruvian-style pork and dried potato stew

Docinhos de Amendoim

Brazilian sweet peanut croquettes

Yours celebrating Latino American food and Culture

Carlos

Hola To You all,

If you’re going to be at the Distillery tomorrow night as part of Nuit Blanche , you’re going to get hungry.

Good thing. I’m going to be there from 6 pm until 4am Sunday morning as part of the Food Truck Movement, championed by foodie, writer and bon vivant Suresh Doss

Read about his visionary project elevating Toronto’s street food here. The food trucks movement

Altogether, there will be 12 food trucks and 12 Chefs celebrating good, healthy street food.

My contribution:

Venezuelan Arepitas [Natural white cornmeal pockets filled with fillings]

Riena Pepiada AKA The Curvy Queen

[cumin, chicken, red onion, mayo and avocado salsa]

La Local AKA The Local

[Local queso fresco, caramelized onions, tomatoes & thyme]

On the sweet side, I’ve got alfajores with dulce de leche, [Almond & vanilla short bread cookies held together w/South America's signature caramel sauce]

We’re also helping Second Harvest with sales during the VIP hour at 7pm for a $10 donation.

Come by and say Hola!

Yours on Great Street Food with the Food Trucks @ Nuit Blanche

Carlos

Ryan Donovan [ex Healty Butcher and CowBell] and now head butcher at Marben restaurant came out with a brilliant marketing idea: Let’s get 12 chefs who they are known for their sausages making skills and let’s have a Sausage League. Complete with a first round, playoffs and a championship final, which will take place on Wednesday , September 21st @ Marben resto.

The winner gets a week end in Chicago with all expenses pay. Nice!

The great thing about this event is that people get the change to meet the chefs, a bonus to all the chefs and restaurants that are participating.
The competition started back in May, and this is how it’s been going down:

May 11th with Cory Vitello of The Harbord Room restaurant bar vs Anthony Rose of The Drake hotel

Wednesday May 25th Ted Corrado of C5 v. Eran Moram of Marron Bistro
Wednesday June 8th Brook Kavanagh of La Palette v. Matty Matheson of Parts & Labour
Wednesday June 22nd Chris Brown of The Stop Community Food Centre v. John Sinopoli of Table 17
Wednesday July 6th David Meli of The Healthy Butcher v. Jesse Vallins of Trevor Kitchen

Wednesday July 27th Luis Valenzuela of Torito v. Rocco Agostino of Pizzeria Libretto / Enoteca Sociale.

The playoffs started on Wednesday August 10th, which was the night I when to check out the battle between Chris Brown of TSFC and HBR Cory Vitiello. For $25 dollars I got to taste some great sausages and a bottle of Steamwhistle Pilsner. Then diners get a voting ballot, to choose which sausage was the best, and a chef is eliminated from the competition.

I started with the Alex’s pork empanadas with chocolate mole, tomatillo salsa and sour cream. I really liked the stuffing of the empanadas, I thought the dough needed something, but it was good altogether

Them I tried Cory Vitiellos’ chicken, panchetta and apple sausage. Severed in a bed of corn crema and garnish with queso seco*[ Spanish for dry cheese].I really liked this one specially the corn crema brought me some good memories of my childhood in Venezuela. In Venezuela we make something similar, but we cook the corn crema in hot Budare or iron pan and they become cachapas. We serve them with queso fresco. Cory’s plate was delicious.

Cory in the kitcken @ Marben

” After that” I tried Chris Brown’s lamb Finochieta, which was made with lamb, pork and fennel. He served it on a brioche bun with pickle vegetables, roasted beets, plum ketchup and sauerkraut pommery mustard. It was good, but to be honest I really enjoyed Cory’s plate better.

Chef Chris Brown waiting for his last order.

I ran into fellow chef John Lee and spotlightcity blogger Suresh Doss. We had a great discussion about proper sausages seasoning and how it can make a difference in the final product.

With John Lee[ back], Chris Brown[center] and me in Marben’s kitchen

There are two more Wednesday’s Sausage League challenges:
Wednesday Sept 21st playoff night, and the Championship Match on Wednesday, September 28th.
Best of luck for the finals, I will try to be there for the final sausage challenge.

Special thanks to Brayn Donvan for letting me to be in the kitchen during the services to take the pictures. It was fun being in there!

From Marben, linking the sausage makers to you,

Carlos

Hola To you all.

Happy Summer!!

This simple but beautiful dish was inspired by Stephanie Ortenzi and it has become one of my best and successful one. The salsa is made with avocado,  apples, cucumber and lemon juice and I dust the scallop with Annatto powder before searing them. It makes a great summer dish. I usually recommend a Pinot-Gris or Chenin Blanc, either wine goes well with the scallops and the salsa.

Yours with a great summer recipe!

Carlos

Hola To You All,

Today I’m celebrating 5 years in business and I would like to thank my dear Family, Clients, my crew and business alliance for your love and support through out the years. It’s been five great years with ups and downs, but I truly believe, that working hard and loving what we do it does pay off. I’m very thankful for my blessing every day.

A very special thanks to Stephanie Ortenzi of Pistachio and Joseph Ortenzi for your help on making Sabrosito a success. You are always in thoughts.

Yours truly
Carlos

Here are few pictures from the last five years of doing business, charity events, private parties and friends.

Cooking at Arepa Cafe with my good friend Heather Baker[February 2011]

Just getting ready for a client’s wedding[ February 2011]

Finish up the salads

Cream Caramel with berries

Cooking at Arepa Cafe for my good friends[ from right to left] AGO Adrian Marquez, Elizabeth Rivas-Plata, Ruth Mora, Arepa Cafe owners Marc Lukacz and Eduardo Lee

With Good food revolution editor Malcolm Jolley  at this year’s Terroir symposium at the Hard House

With Fellow chefs Andrew Hunter[center] John Lee to my left @ Terroir

With Mildred’s Temple Kitchen chef-owner Donna Dooher @ Terroir

With The Batos! Latino chefs Angel Martinez and Steven Gonzales[ Oringin resto & Top Chef Canada]

Roasted calabaza squash, caramelized onions & Manchego cheese

Segovia’s Spanish style chorizo w/ chick peas, white sweet potato & tomato stew

Chifa style shrimp dumplings w/ Aji rojo & chayote salsa

Sweet plantain empanaditas stuffed w/ dulce de leche & vanilla ice cream

Cooking at one of my client’s kitchen

With chef Andrew Hunter at salsa battle @ the Drake Hotel. We have allot fun

Cooking Parrilla Argentina w/ real Gauchos in King City

Mmmm Parrillada….!

Some of my local proscuitto @ charity event.

With some of the best Latino chefs in the city

Front Row- L-R: Steve Gonzalez, Liz Rumebe and me.

Back Row L-R: Jose Hadad, Luis Valenzuela  Mario Cassini, Marina Queirolo and my good friends Mary Luz Mejia, her husband Mario Stojanac and Sommelier Drew Innes at Cajü restaurant Celebrating the Day of the Dead.

Yours in good memories!!

I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. Muchas Gracias

Carlos