Thirty chefs. ENDLESS options!

FoodShare’s 9th Annual Recipe For Change event is going down at St. Lawrence Market on Thursday, February 22nd and will bring together some of Toronto’s finest chefs for a thoroughly memorable culinary experience that gives back. Recipe For Change is a truly special event that supports vital food literacy work in Toronto schools and school farm programs. If you are a socially minded foodie, you will not want to miss out!

Leading up to this must-do, must-eat event, we’re spotlighting various chefs featured at this year’s Recipe For Change. For this installment, we spoke to Chef Doris Fin of Feed Your Bliss.

SDTC: Is there a recipe that changed your life? What was it, and how did it alter your perspective or direction?

DF: During my ten years of travel, I stumbled across a raw food workshop in India, where I learned about creating food without cooking it. The menu included spiralized veggie pasta, chocolate brownies and cabbage tacos eaten raw, seasoned with aromatic spices and mixed in ways that tasted exactly like the traditional cooked versions. Ever since, my path of culinary art has changed for the better. Raw vegan “cheesecakes” and other decadent raw vegan desserts became my specialty and the magic of food creativity both cooked and raw has blossomed ever since. 

Why is supporting FoodShare so important to you? 

As a chef who has been educating people about food both verbally and hands-on in my interactive culinary classes, I believe everyone has the right to know (and remember) how to cook, especially with fresh produce, in a fun and creative way.

FoodShare provides food justice solutions to systemic issues through education, community projects, training and workshops. The youth get opportunities to understand where their food comes from and how to eat nutritionally balanced meals. They get to learn through cooking classes, by growing their own food and from various experts and farmers. I’m grateful that FoodShare exists to provide avenues for people to know what else exists to live a sustainable and healthy life.

What food experience excites you most and why?

I’ve been cooking since I was seven years old. I travelled the world for ten years and my favourite experiences with food overall have always been to create new recipes, feed people and teach people how to cook and prepare their own meals using local and real ingredients in a creative and fun way. Watching people’s facial expressions and hearing their delightful moans and hums when they smell the aromas and eat the food I prepare Feeds My Bliss! This is why I named my company Feed Your Bliss. 

For those who aren’t immersed in the Toronto food community, can you share something about it that you think makes it special?

Toronto, being one of the most diverse cities in the world, is also one of the top food capitals of the world. And not surprisingly, this is one of the highlights of what makes Toronto so special. You can find almost any worldly cuisine. Your palate is constantly tickled and educated with worldly delicious creations. It’s impossible to be bored in Toronto. Toronto’s farmer’s markets are quite spectacular, too! Scrumptious meals are made with local and seasonal ingredients and wow even the pickiest eater. Toronto is blessed.

What dishes of yours can guests expect at Recipe For Change?

I will be preparing Shockin’ Moroccan Stew with Cumin infused Basmati Rice, one of my signature dishes from my upcoming cookbook. I freshly grind the spices so that the aromas bring out a more authentic essence of Morocco and all veggies are freshly chopped, including the tomatoes and garlic. Fresh ingredients make a huge difference, not just to the tastebuds but more importantly to the way the body assimilates, absorbs and digests the food. I am excited to watch people taste my culinary art and hope they can taste the main ingredient in it…LOVE!

What philosophy currently guides your culinary journey?

No matter your diet, the lifestyle you live or beliefs you have, eat real food and prepare your own meals as often as possible. Include mostly plant-based foods and eat all the colours of the rainbow. Most importantly, have fun and enjoy the journey of preparing and eating the fruits of your labour.

Tickets for Recipe For Change are now on sale. The $135 ticket includes all-you-can-eat-and-drink access for the duration of the three-hour event. DO NOT PROCRASTINATE: THIS EVENT WILL SELL OUT! Get all the deets about the good that FoodShare does for our community here.