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
]]>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
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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
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
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
]]>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
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
]]>Monday, March 28th
*Wine pairing by Sommelier Adrian Marquez from
Restaurant Frank, AGO
Welcome cocktail
Mill Street Organic Chelada
Canapes
* Torrontés accuro – Mendoza – 2009
Mini Arepas trio (reina pepiada; pork; octopus)
Shrimp Dumpling a la Chifa
Carlos Fuenmayor – Sabrosito
*Anacardo-merey
Blood Sausage & cashew croquette, with passion fruit coulis
Luis Manuel Cordoba – Arepa Café
Dinner
*Don Nicanor – Bordeaux Blend – Argentina – 2007
Pabellon Oriental with cod-fish, and sweet plantain
Luis Manuel Cordoba – Arepa Café
**
Corvina Ceviche
Andrés Macas – Que Pasa
**
Granité of beet & red hibiscus
Francisco Alejandri – Agave y Aguacate
**
*Morande Reserva – Pinot Noir – 2007 – Chile
Lamb seco creole Humita with fresh fennel and onion salsa
Elizabeth Rivasplata – AGO
**
Salpicón de Res with pumpkin seed purée
Francisco Alejandrii – Agave y Aguacate
**
Dessert
Avocado mousse and architectural guava heart, aguardiente
& dark chocolate beam
José Arato – Pimenton
***
Tickets are available at Arepa Cafe
$95 per ticket, tax & wine included
490 Queen Street West, 416. 362. 4111 or info@arepacafe.ca
Don’t miss out is going to be fun!
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Eduardo mentioned he was hosting an exhibition with the works of
Carlos Raul Villanueva. Villanueva was one of the most influential
Venezuelan architects of the 20th century. Influenced by the
Modernist movement, he played a major part in the development and modernization of Caracas and other cities around Venezuela .
The exhibition was named ‘An Extraordinary Alien‘, after the American
visa ‘O’ which is granted to people with “Extraordinary ability in the
fields of science, education, business or athletics”. As far as the
law was concerned, Villanueva was indeed an extraordinary alien. The
evening of the opening I met fellow Venezuelans and exhibition
curators Ruth Mora and Gaston Soucy. Both Ruth and Gaston are architects who were influenced by Villanueva’s work and now they live and work in
Toronto. They had acquired a collection of photographs that showcased
Villanuevas’s work but had nowhere to exhibit them. They met Eduardo
and a new exhibit was born.
You can check out the exhibition at Arepa Cafe, runs until March 29 .
Eduardo and I were so exited about the turn out of the exhibit
opening, that we decided to do something about it.
I said: let’s organized an event to celebrated our roots, art, design
and food from latino America and he loved the idea.
I got on the phone the next day, I called a few Latino chefs that I
know and they all said ” Claro que si” — Let’s do it.
So we had a few food and wine tastings to come up with a great menu.
That’s is how my friends Elizabeth RivasPlata from the [AGO], Francisco Alejandri [ Agave & Aguacate] Luis Manuel Cordoba [ Arepa Cafe] Andés Macas [ Que Pasa] Jose Arato [Pimenton] and I we will be cooking at Arepa Cafe on Monday, March 28th
Adrain Marquez from the [AGO] will be pairing the wines for the evening.
Music by Latino American Choir Cantemos
Reservations, please call 416-362.4111
Or email; info@arepacafe.ca
Proceeds will be used to support local Latin creative and artistic efforts within the GTA.
Don’t miss out is going to be fun.
Yours celebrating roots, art, design and food from the Americas
Carlos
Roasted vanilla pears, fresh cheese, orange wild flower honey & pistachios
Join me on Tuesday, February 22th, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at Summerhill LCBO
10 Scrivener Square
For more info please call 416. 922.0403.
On the menu
***
Feijoada de pulvo [Brazil]
Octopus stew
Croquetas de pollo con salsa picante [Colombia]
Chicken croquettes with sweet pepper sauce
Bolas de masa de camarones ala chifa [Peru]
Peruvian style shrimp dumplings
Crepas con cajeta y pacanas[ Mexico]
Crépes w/ caramelized goat’s milk and pecans
Annato pan seared scallop w/ avocado, apple, cucumber & mint relish
Yours celebrating Latino American food and Culture
Carlos
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