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Food & Drink

Here’s what it looks like when 10 top chefs work together for a one-night-only dinner service

By Caroline Aksich| Photography by Caroline Aksich
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For the third year in a row, Toronto’s top chefs have volunteered to cook together for a cause. The Chefs for Change series in support of Community Food Centres Canada—an organization that builds healthy food infrastructures in low-income areas—hosts five ticketed dinners at Propeller Coffee Co., the second of which took place on January 26. Each dinner sees a different group of chefs collaborate on a multi-course menu, with students from George Brown’s culinary school lending some helping hands. This year’s roster of chefs includes Alo’s Patrick Kriss, O&B’s Anthony Walsh, DaiLo’s Nick Liu and Montreal’s Antonio Park. To date, the initiative has raised $115,000. Here’s how the second night of the series went down.

Here's what it looks like when 10 top chefs work together for a one-night-only dinner service
All of the CFC dinners are communal affairs.

 

Here's what it looks like when 10 top chefs work together for a one-night-only dinner service
The place setting.

 

Here's what it looks like when 10 top chefs work together for a one-night-only dinner service
Propeller doesn’t have a full kitchen, so the chefs did most of cooking in this garage.

 

Here's what it looks like when 10 top chefs work together for a one-night-only dinner service

 

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Here's what it looks like when 10 top chefs work together for a one-night-only dinner service
Raca Café and Bar’s Ivana Raca (centre) serves appetizers to guests and CFCC president Nick Saul (centre left).

 

Here's what it looks like when 10 top chefs work together for a one-night-only dinner service
Chris Brown (Citizen Catering) whipped up these savoury crispy chicken skins bites topped with salt-cured trout.

 

Here's what it looks like when 10 top chefs work together for a one-night-only dinner service
George Brown students help to prep the first course.

 

Here's what it looks like when 10 top chefs work together for a one-night-only dinner service
Park’s Antonio Park (left) and George Brown’s Joel Roussel (right) put the finishing touches on the first course.

 

Here's what it looks like when 10 top chefs work together for a one-night-only dinner service
And Park torches salmon for it.

 

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Here's what it looks like when 10 top chefs work together for a one-night-only dinner service
The first course was a collaboration between Antonio Park, Joel Roussel and Chris Brown. The trio kicked the meal off with a hoedeopbap, which Park introduced as a “Korean poke bowl.” The 24-ingredient dish, with a base of brown rice, barley and beans, was crowned with heaps of veggies, swordfish tartare and torched New Zealand salmon.

 

Here's what it looks like when 10 top chefs work together for a one-night-only dinner service
For the second course, Buca’s Ryan Campbell and DaiLo’s Nick Liu made a Chinese New Year-themed plate in celebration of the Year of the Fire Rooster. They merged a stuffed pork trotter (zampone) with truffle rice noodles, black trumpet mushrooms and pickled sunchoke.

 

Here's what it looks like when 10 top chefs work together for a one-night-only dinner service
Liu presents his dish.

 

Here's what it looks like when 10 top chefs work together for a one-night-only dinner service
George Brown students help Chabrol’s Doug Penfold (centre left) and Le Séléct’s Albert Ponzo (centre right) plate the third course.

 

Here's what it looks like when 10 top chefs work together for a one-night-only dinner service
For the third course, Ponzo braised beef short rib in chocolate, while Penfold made a stew with hominy and hunks of fried cassava.

 

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Here's what it looks like when 10 top chefs work together for a one-night-only dinner service
Liu (centre) plays with fire, while Raca (right) plates the dessert course.

 

Here's what it looks like when 10 top chefs work together for a one-night-only dinner service
For dessert, Ivana Raca and Anthony Walsh (O&B) made a chocolate porter tart with caribou moss. Raca complemented the rich slice with a square of almond cake topped with lime crème fraîche and lavender honey.

 

Here's what it looks like when 10 top chefs work together for a one-night-only dinner service
The whole team.

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Caroline Aksich, a National Magazine Award recipient, is an ex-Montrealer who writes about Toronto’s ever-evolving food scene, real estate and culture for Toronto Life, Fodor’s, Designlines, Canadian Business, Glory Media and Post City. Her work ranges from features on octopus-hunting in the Adriatic to celebrity profiles.

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