Weekly Eater: Toronto food events for October 29 to November 4

Thomas Keller appears at the Isabel Bader Theatre on Tuesday to promote his new book Bouchon Bakery (Image: Toby Canham/Getty Images Entertainment)

Monday October 29

• 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: Sample Muskoka Harvest Ale while you carve up a pumpkin for the jack-o-lantern contest. 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 »
• Burger Mondays: Enjoy $5 burgers and $5 pints on Mondays, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Gladstone Melody Bar. Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. W., 416-531-4635. Find out more »
• The “F” Word Revisited: Few chefs are more skilled at simple elegance and pure flavours than Gordon Ramsay. Explore some of his more approachable recipes with chef Angie MacRae. No yelling or throwing pots involved. Dish Cooking Studio, 390 Dupont St., 416-920-5559. Find out more »
• Harvest Fermentation—Kraut and Kimchi Variations with Kate Lienweber: Start fermenting the way your grandmother did. Also learn the holistic health benefits of home fermentation that have been a part of food culture for generations. The Depanneur, 1033 College St., 416-828-1990. Find out more »

Tuesday October 30

• Hooked On Soup: Prepare for the cold weather with rich and delicious seafood soups. Learn technique, great recipes, sustainable fish choices, and take home a brag jar of what you’ve just created. Hooked, 888 Queen St. E., 416-828-1861. Find out more »
• Mario Batali’s Fall Classics: Learn the basics for great Italian meals, like tomato and grilled zucchini stacks, Batali-inspired tomato sauce from scratch, perfect pasta and wild mushroom risotto. The Chef Upstairs, 516 Mount Pleasant Rd., 416-544-9221. Find out more »
• French Canadian Harvest—Reclaiming Canadian Cuisine: Indulge in an evening of French Canadian comfort foods revisited and revamped by chef Jenelle Regnier-Davies. Highlights include fresh baked gougères stuffed with triple cream French-Canadian cheese and apple butter. Dish Cooking Studio, 390 Dupont St., 416-920-5559. Find out more »
• Learn to Make Parisian Macarons: Discover the secrets behind no-fail macarons, and make two different flavours and colours of the Parisian treat, each with its own ganache filling. Le Dolci, 1006 Dundas St. W., 416-262-3400. Find out more »
• Thai Flavours: Chef Brenda Kwong Hing gives a lesson on the ingredients, techniques and five flavour groups of Thai cuisine with a menu of coconut chicken soup, crispy calamari with spicy dipping sauce, green curry chicken with sticky rice and stir-fried pomelo with crispy shallots. Kingsway LCBO, 2946 Bloor St. W., 416-239-3065. Find out more »
• Comfort Zone—Warming Braises: Chef Matthew Kennedy demonstrates make-ahead comforting braises to keep you warm all season. Examples include braised root vegetable salad with fior di latte, aged balsamic, and watercress and crispy duck confit with silky mashed potatoes. LCBO Summerhill, 10 Scrivener Sq., 416-922-0403. Find out more »
• Book Launch—Bouchon Bakery by Thomas Keller: The Cookbook Store hosts an onstage interview followed by a Q&A and book signing for the much-anticipated new book by this well-known pastry chef. Isabel Bader Theatre, 93 Charles St. W., 416-920-2665. Find out more »

Wednesday October 31

• Food Truck Eats Presents—Dia De Los Muertos Pop-Up Festival: A host of food vendors offer everything from traditional Mexican street food to Asian-inspired tacos, to the best in night market fare from across the globe.  There will also be Day of the Dead décor, traditional Mexican sugar skulls for sale, a mariachi band and a few additional surprises. Steam Whistle Brewery, 255 Bremner Blvd. Find out more » This event has been cancelled.
• 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 »
• Bordeaux’s Hidden Gems: Old World classics don’t have to be expensive to be good—an expert consultant proves just that with an impressive selection of delicious and budget-conscious bottles of 2009 Bordeaux. LCBO Summerhill, 10 Scrivener Sq., 416-922-0403. Find out more »

Thursday November 1

• The Winemaker’s Dinner—Ontario vs. Burgundy: Quatrefoil hosts a special tasting dinner in partnership with Tawse Winery. A six-course tasting menu by chef Fraser Macfarlane will be served alongside pairings by Tawse winemaker Paul Pender, featuring Tawse  as well as acclaimed Burgundies under the recently launched Marchand and Tawse label. Quatrefoil, 16 Sydenham St., Dundas, 905-628-7800. 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 »
• CalciYUM: Marni Wasserman teaches you how to create fresh, delicious meals with alternative sources of calcium. Menu includes arame citrus salad, red quinoa broccoli pilaf, sesame miso tempeh, carob frozen fudge and more. Marni’s Kitchen, 26 Lauderdale Dr., 647-477-8131. Find out more »
• Introduction to Single Malts: From the highlands to the lowlands, from Islay to Campbeltown, each single malt–producing area is distinctive and unique. Discover your favourite at this showcase of Scotland’s “water of life.” Kingsway LCBO, 2946 Bloor St. W., 416-239-3065. Find out more »
• Green Bites Workshop—Traditional Cantonese/Chinese Cuisine with a Modern Twist: Take a “wok” with Win-Lai Wong and experience how this ancient cooking vessel can be incorporated into your everyday cooking with ease and versatility. Learn to make crispy chow mein noodles, steam the perfect piece of fish and cook garlic baby bok choy all from one pot. Evergreen Brick Works, 550 Bayview Ave. Find out more »

Friday November 2

• Date Night—Route 66:. Take your taste buds on a road trip through classic American cuisine with chef Maggie Grant. Menu includes L.A. Korean short rib tacos, Texan gorditas with chorizo, southwest tequila chicken with hush puppies cornbread and blackberry cobbler with frozen custard. Dish Cooking Studio, 390 Dupont St., 416-920-5559. Find out more »

Saturday November 3

• 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 »
• Soups to Warm the Belly: Learn the secrets behind some of Dish Studio’s favourite fall soups with chef Erin Featherston, including minestrone with chicken and parmesan meatballs, vegan chipotle wheatberry stew and thai red curry butternut squash soup. Dish Cooking Studio, 390 Dupont St., 416-920-5559. Find out more »
• Bellwoods Brewery Pop-up shop:The retail shop still isn’t running, so the semi-regular pop-ups continue. Drop by at 2 p.m. (and expect a lineup) to choose from a selection of four one-of-a-kind brews. 126 Ossington Ave., 416-535-4586. Find out more »
• Ice, Wine and Dine: It’s still not too late to enjoy a drink on a patio (though you’ll probably want to bundle up). Elm Street’s restaurants, including Barberian’s Steakhouse and Adega Restaurant will be offering $5 sample menus for this annual event, while stilt walkers, fire performers and a DJ will provide the entertainment. Still cold? Grab a drink at the Martini Ice Lounge. Elm Street, between Bay and Yonge, 416-597-0255. Find out more »

Sunday November 4

• 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 »
• Foodies On Foot Favourites Food Tour: Toronto foodies take you on a tour, starting at a secret meeting point, of hidden gems that only a local industry insider would know about. Visit five to seven gourmet and specialty food shops in neighbourhoods around the city. Find out more »
• Introduction To Cake Decorating: Learn a variety of simple cake decorating techniques, as well as how to colour fondant and cover a cake at this beginners’ workshop. Bonnie Gordon College, 868 Eglinton Ave. W., 416-440-0333. Find out more »
• Supper Club—From Bosnia With Love: Ksenija Hotic, a life-long foodie and regular participant in the Toronto Underground Market, combines her love for cooking with her family’s heritage for this dinner of traditional Bosnian recipes. The Depanneur, 1033 College St., 416-828-1990. 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.
• East York Farmers’ Market: Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. 850 Coxwell Ave.
• Trinity Bellwoods Farmers’ Market: Tuesday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Northwest corner of Trinity Bellwoods Park near Dundas St. W. and Shaw 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.