As I mentioned in my previous post, I went to check out the first Inspired to Taste Canada event, hosted by Matt Basile, Hudson’s Bay and Taste Canada.
Before the start of the event, there were booths set up around the area for the event sponsors to share samples of their products, including Sawdust City Brewing Co. beer (poured in Spiegelau beer glasses), Lot No. 40 and Gooderham & Worts whisky, Flow Water, Healthy Crunch kale chips, Godiva chocolate-dipped strawberries and more.
I managed to get there a bit early, so spent some time catching up with Matt. Among the topics we discussed: his plans for a future cookbook, our favourite kitchen gadgets and comparing how long we each spent putting together IKEA kitchen cabinets.
The main event kicked off with a cooking demonstration by Matt of his popular Maple Sriracha Cauliflower (or as Matt likes to call them – vegetarian chicken wings) – the dish was super simple to make and while he was preparing the dish, Matt entertained the crowd with humourous anecdotes about his recipes, his cookbook and the tools and ingredients he was using. This guy is a natural on stage – he was fun, engaging and personable (and I’m not just saying that because I’ve known him for awhile now – he really is a great guy).
After the cooking demo, the crowd was treated to samples of the cauliflower, plus two other dishes that were prepared beforehand – Eggplant Meatballs (no meat involved) and Alabama Tailgaters (bacon-wrapped beef – to make up for the two vegetarian dishes).
As the crowd noshed on the food samples, Matt sat down and signed copies of his cookbook. As you can see from the crowd, this guy has fans of all ages.
If you missed this event with Matt, fear not! There are TWO more Inspired to Taste Canada events left in May and both sound like they will be just as entertaining and delicious!
(events run from 5:30pm-7:30m)
Thursday, May 19, 2016 – featuring Mairlyn Smith, author of ‘Homegrown’
Thursday, May 26, 2016 – featuring Derek Dammann & Chris Johns, authors of ‘True North’
CLICK HERE to RSVP to the Inspired to Taste Canada events (they’re free!)!
You can check out more photos from the event by checking out the hashtag #HBxTasteCanada on Twitter and Instagram!
Thanks again to the event organizers for inviting me to this event! I had a great time and look forward to the next two!
Disclosure: I was invited to attend this free event by the organizers. Additionally, I received a ‘swag bag’ filled with product samples from various sponsors of the event. I did not receive any other financial compensation for writing this post and the post was not reviewed by the event organizers prior to publication. All opinions expressed are my own. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.
