Weekly Eater: Toronto food events for November 5 to 11

Foodies on Foot leads a culinary tour of Roncesvalles on Saturday (Image: Danielle Scott from the Torontolife.com Flickr pool)

Monday November 5

• The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair: A variety of exciting food and drink events will take place throughout the week as part of the 90th Annual Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, including a mixology competition on Monday. CNE grounds, 100 Princes’ Blvd. Find out more »
• Group of 7 Chefs—Dairy Dinner: Special guest chef Matt Jennings of Providence, Rhode Island’s Farmstead joins the 7 chefs as they take to the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair for a five-course tasting dinner with wine pairings. Heritage Court entrance of the CNE grounds, 100 Princes’ Blvd. Find out more »
• Monday Night Dinners at Local Kitchen and Wine Bar: Every Monday night, Local Kitchen serves a $40 prix fixe menu of Italian fare with half-price wine bottles and no corkage fee. 1710 Queen St. W., 416-534-6700. Find out more »
• 86’D with Ivy Knight: This week, a meatball potluck, with a buffet of samples from Le Select, Bestellen and The Drake. Dig in while you watch the classic film Meatballs (of course). The Drake, 1150 Queen St. W., 416-531-5042. Find out more »
• Piola’s Monday Night Mixer: Piola’s weekly aperitivo Italiano, with cocktail and beer specials and complimentary snacks. 1165 Queen St. W., 416-477-4652. Find out more »
• Grain Goodness: Learn how to prepare simple and inventive recipes with grains as the base. Menu includes mushroom barley soup, citrus wild rice, festive farro salad and apricot fig bars. Marni’s Kitchen, 26 Lauderdale Dr., 647-477-8131. Find out more »
• Workshop—Kids in the Kitchen: A series to help children aged 9-12 learn to cook, develop recipes and understand healthy food choices, run by holistic nutritionist Kate Leinweber. Session four is Food Intuition: Nourishing Creations From Local Vegetables. The Depanneur, 1033 College St., 416-828-1990. Find out more »
• Taste Canada: Hosted by Christine Cushing, The Food Writing Awards gala is a great opportunity to meet cookbook authors and sample creative food from Canadian chefs. The Arcadian Court, 401 Bay St., Simpson Tower. Find out more »

Tuesday November 6

• GE Café Chef Series—French Cuisine With Local Allure: A series of workshops connecting eaters to the unique terroir, chefs and food culture of southern Ontario. This week, chef Daniel Muia celebrates the flavours of France, exploring how classic French tradition and technique can translate to Toronto with a seasonal and locally sourced approach. Evergreen Brick Works, 550 Bayview Ave. Find out more »
• Dishcrawl Does Ossington: Experience the Ossington restaurant strip as you taste your way through four restaurants with the Dishcrawl crew. Find out more »
• Soups and Stews for Entertaining: Learn to make easy, comforting soups and stews like carrot, ginger and lemon soup and Armenian spiced lamb stew. Kingsway LCBO, 2946 Bloor St. W., 416-239-3065. Find out more »
• Chocolicious: Learn how to add chocolate to both sweet and savoury dishes with delicious results. Menu includes turkey breasts in a chocolate mole sauce, chocolate layer cake with chocolate buttercream icing and chocolate mascarpone pots de crème. LCBO Summerhill, 10 Scrivener Sq., 416-922-0403. Find out more »
• Tastes of Ayurveda: Amrita Sondhi gives a talk about her new book, The Tastes of Ayurveda, discussing the ancient Indian tradition of healing and wellness and how it works with modern living and cuisine. Hosted by The Cookbook Store. Kitchen Studio beside The Cookbook Store, 1 Yorkville Ave., 416-920-2665. Find out more »

Wednesday November 7

• What’s on the Table: The eighth annual benefit for The Stop Community Food Centre, featuring an all-star lineup of Toronto’s most innovative chefs and the best wines Niagara has to offer. Wychwood Barns, 601 Christie St., 416-652-7867 ext. 222. Find out more »
• A Chef’s Tour of Little Italy: Join the Culinary Adventure Company on a behind-the-scenes tour of Little Italy’s finest kitchens. 416-565-1730. Find out more »
• Learn to Make Parisian Macarons: Discover the secrets to making no-fail macarons using everyday kitchen items. Make two different flavours and colours of maracon, each with its own ganache filling. Le Dolci, 1006 Dundas St. W., 416-262-3400. Find out more »
• Vintages Sneak Peak: An expert product consultant presents a selection of fine wines for sampling from the upcoming Vintages release. Kingsway LCBO, 2946 Bloor St. W., 416-239-3065. Find out more »
• California’s Boutique Wineries: Made in limited quantity with a winemaker’s passion, boutique wines are sought after for their individual approach and unique flavours. Experience some of California’s best and latest boutique releases of the season. LCBO Summerhill, 10 Scrivener Sq., 416-922-0403. Find out more »

Thursday November 8

• Foodies on Foot Childhood Favourite Supper Club: Join chef Robyn Goorevitch of Dining in Chez Vous for a meal of childhood favourites updated with an adult twist. Highlights include mini grilled cheese with crab, avocado and gruyere and “PB & J” foie gras with red wine grape reduction on garlic baguette. Foodies on Foot Studio, 75 Portland St., 416-826-1997. Find out more »
• Little India Food and Cultural Walking Tour: Learn about Indian culture and explore the restaurants, markets and food shops of this neighbourhood with the Culinary Adventure Company. 416-565-1730. Find out more »
• Japanese Comfort Food: Prepare for the cold months to come with flavourful, comforting winter dishes like udon noodles with egg broth and ginger, bacon-rolled enokitake mushrooms and oden hotpot with pork and root vegetables. Dish Cooking Studio, 390 Dupont St., 416-920-5559. Find out more »
• Croissant Class: Learn to make the classic French pastry. Le Dolci, 1006 Dundas St. W., 416-262-3400. Find out more »
• St. Lawrence Mmmarket Night: The Market’s biggest food event yet is an epic, all-you-can-eat evening. Fifty per cent of the ticket price will be donated to FoodShare to help deliver healthy food and build food literacy in Toronto communities. St. Lawrence Market, 92 Front St. E., 416-392-7120. Find out more »
• The Coffee Cup 2012: Watch your favourite baristas duke it out in a one-night battle royale, featuring a series of high skill competitions.The coffee is followed by $3 drinks and food by Hot Buns. Te Aro Coffee Roasters, 983 Queen St. E., 416-465-2006. Find out more »

Friday November 9

• Drop-in Dinner: Matt van Trigt prepares a fat, tasty burrito filled with sweet potato, black beans and roasted corn. The Depanneur, 1033 College St., 416-828-1990. Find out more »

Saturday November 10

• Roncesvalles Food Tour: Spend an afternoon in one of Toronto’s hippest neighbourhoods with a guided tour by Foodies on Foot, featuring visits to historical points of interest and tastings in shops. Find out more »
• Stop Market Café: Enjoy a weekly meal sourced from ingredients found at the adjacent farmers’ market. Proceeds from sales at the café are reinvested in The Stop’s programs. 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Green Barn, 601 Christie St. Find out more »
• Hands in the Bowl: The Evergreen Brick Works invites children (ages four to seven) and their caregivers to roll up their sleeves and learn how to mix, grate, mash and then eat their delicious creations—using only their hands. Evergreen Brick Works, 550 Bayview Ave. Find out more »
• Discover Greektown on the Danforth Walking Tour: Explore this quickly changing neighbourhood with the Culinary Adventure Company. Sample some Greek mezethes, indulge in Greek wine tasting and find the perfect addition to your kitchen while gourmet shopping. Culinary Adventure Co., 416-565-1730.  Find out more »
• Chocolate and Cheese Crawl: Why choose one when you can have both? ChowBella Culinary Experiences hosts a chocolate and cheese tour of Queen and King West’s food shops. Find out more »
• Discover West Coat Seafood: Join guest chef Dan Hayes of The London Chef cooking school in Victoria, B.C. for an interactive demonstration of the flavours of the west coast. Menu includes Moroccan squid salad with toasted cumin seed and preserved lemon and seared tataki of line caught Albacore runa with crisp asian slaw. Dish Cooking Studio, 390 Dupont St., 416-920-5559. Find out more »
• Vintage Cupcake Decorating: Learn to make dainty, vintage-inspired cupcakes in this class that teaches advanced techniques including how to work with fondant, professional food colouring and more. Le Dolci, 1006 Dundas St. W., 416-262-3400. Find out more »
• Culture.Licious Presents Vietnamese Cooking with Minh: Raised in Ho-Chi Minh City, Minh will explore Southern Vietnamese cuisine, demonstrating important flavour combinations. Dishes include lemongrass pork chops and authentic fresh shrimp rolls. Whole Foods Market Square One, 155 Square One Dr., Mississauga, 416-571-5864. Find out more»

Sunday November 11

• Lettuce Wrap Night at Chantecler: Chantecler is offering lettuce wraps with meats, assorted pickles and condiments for $19 per person until 1 a.m.—or until the food runs out. Chantecler, 1320 Queen St. W., 416-628-3586. Find out more »
• Introduction to Truffle Making: Learn the art of making scrumptious truffles by hand, including the basics of ganache and proper truffle hand rolling techniques, as well as how to develop recipes and add different types of flavoring. Le Dolci, 1006 Dundas St. W., 416-262-3400. Find out more »
• Cake Design From Start to Finish: Join award-winning cake designer Susan Trianos and learn to decorate a beautiful, intricate cake from start to finish. Bonnie Gordon College, 868 Eglinton Ave. W., 416-440-0333. Find out more »
• Supper Club—Classic Colombian Food: Cookie Martinez brings some of her family’s favourite dishes to the table in this classic Colombian dinner featuring green plantain tostadas topped with warm spiced shredded chicken, slow-roasted pork ribs seasoned with lime and Colombian homestyle rice pudding topped with cinnamon and sweet plantain. The Depanneur, 1033 College St., 416-828-1990. Find out more »
• Gluten-Free Garage: A one-day pop-up marketplace with a gluten-free twist. This inaugural event will be a tasty day of shopping, sampling and discovering what’s new and exciting in the gluten-free world. Artscape Wychwood Barns, 601 Christie St. Find out more »

Farmers’ Markets:

• Sorauren Farmers’ Market: Monday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the field house at Sorauren Park. 50 Wabash Ave.
• Withrow Farmers’ Market: Tuesday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Danforth Church. 60 Bowden St.
• Dufferin Grove Farmers’ Market: Thursday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. 873 Dufferin St. (in Dufferin Grove Park)
• St. Lawrence North Farmers’ Market: Saturday from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. 92 Front St. E.
• Evergreen Brick Works Farmers’ Market: Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 550 Bayview Ave.
• The Stop Farmers’ Market: Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Wychwood Barns, 601 Christie St.