60 Top Toronto Chefs Raise Funds for Breast Cancer at Eat to the Beat 2015

This year marked the the 20th anniversary of one of my favourite culinary experiences in the city-  Eat to the Beat. While I find most food events tend to be dominated by male chefs, Eat to the Beat is all about the ladies.

The annual fundraising gala is perfect for urban foodies looking for a great night out while helping support a cause so many of us hold near and dear to our hearts. All the funds raised go to the non-profit organization Willow Breast & Hereditary Cancer Support, a not for profit offering peer support for patients and families dealing with breast cancer. Women supporting women AND doing it with amazing food? Yes please.

While the promise of unlimited eats from 60 different top female chefs was certainly enticing enough, breast cancer survivors were also on site modeling food-inspired corsets. Food at its sexiest!

Check out some of my favourite bites from the night.

Eat to the Beat Eats!

Karen Rachlin- Bite Catering

Roasted organic beet and lemon Italian orzo with goat’s feta, baked kale and cranberries in a dijon mustard vinaigrette

Tara Lee- Bar Hop

Chicharron tostada with cucumber slaw

Emma Beqaj -Emma’s Eatery Catering

Mini lobster roll, lemon aioli, chopped chives

Anna Janes- Cocomira Confections

Peanut butter crunch made with European milk chocolate, all butter toffee and freshly roasted peanuts

Bonnie Gordon- Bonnie Gordon College of Confectionary Arts

Assorted mini cookies – chocolate chip, red velvet, s’mores, ginger molasses, pink lemonade, double chocolate, oatmeal raisin and sprinkle

Renee Bellefeuille- Art Gallery of Ontario

Beer braised lamb cornish pasty, piccalilli

Carmen Jeffrey- President’s Choice Cooking School

Butter chicken served with PC Traditional Naan Dippers Flatbreads

Sweet crepes with mascarpone cheese topped with PC Black Label Ontario Montmorency Sour Cherry Fruit Spread

Brianne Nash- Nella Cucina

Beet shortbread with Gorgonzola mousse and crispy shallots

Jacqueline Lo- Ruelo Patisserie

Petite fours: macaron, cookies, choux

Vanessa Le Page- The Cake Lady- Edible Art

Double chocolate chestnut cupcakes

Elaine Wong- The Omni King Edward Hotel

Autumnal apple and onion galette with cider braised pork and plum chutney

Lili Sullivan- Waupoos Winery

Pit smoked brisket sliders with caramelized onions and Snakebite Ale mustard

Meghan Van Horne- The Regent Café

Lemon infused meatball stuffed with chevre and drizzled with beet and saffron sauces

Chef Veronique- Crepes a GoGo Spadina

Assorted Crepes

Angela Panigas- The Sultan’s Tent & Café Moroc

Moroccan hummus cones

Jennifer Perusini- BerBer Social

Moroccan spiced meatballs

Andrea Poirier- Inn on the Twenty

Maple pumpkin tart, gingered apple chutney, Cave Spring Riesling Icewine cream

Tamara Green- The Living Kitchen

Baked sweet potato chickpea falafels

Nuit Regular- Pai Northern Thai Kitchen, Sabai Sabai Kitchen and Bar, Sukhothai Restaurant

Miang Kung betel leaf

Tiiu Christie & Tysa Christie- Marigolds and Onions

Beetroot salmon blini: beet essence and gin marinated smoked salmon with spiced labneh and balsamic pearls

Prosciutto and pear rolls: thinly sliced Prosciutto di Parma, fresh pear and Gorgonzola cheese

Anne Yarymowich & Jeanne Da Silva- George Brown College Chef School

“Squashing It”

Lauren Mozer- Elle Cuisine

Duck confit ravioli

Karen Viva-Haynes- Viva Tastings

Savoury dijon ice cream with organic house cured gravlaks served with a rye toast crip

Barbara Rotberg- Lollicakes

Chocolate and vanilla mini cupcakes with a hand-painted chocolate on top

Catherine O’Donnell- Willow Cakes & Pastries

Turtle cheesecake

Joan Monfaredi-Park Hyatt Hotel

Skewered lamb & veal meatball, tomato basil sauce, Parmesan Regiano

Kimberly Humby- East & Main Bistro

Smoked water buffalo brisket, creamy herb and cheddar polenta

Arvinda Chauhan & Preena Chauhan- Arvinda’s

Organic kale savoury Indian-style mini pancakes topped with spicy-sweet tomato curry leaf chutney

Dominique Dufour & Alison Ferland- Patria

Torta carne pintxos

Mali Fernandez- Xola Mexican Food

Tostaditas de Minilla a la Veracruzana (fish tostadas Veracruz style)

Alexandra Feswick & Amberlynne Plourde- The Drake Hotel

Red curried salmon poke bowl with lime compressed cucumbers, chai pickled grapes and spicy hazelnuts

Gauravi Shah- Tilde

Chipotle BBQ pork belly on a soft taco with peach chutney and roasted garlic crema

Jayne Dunsmore- Jayne’s Gourmet Catering

Black olive and fig tuile with beet mousse and goat’s cheese – candied pistachio garnish with organic sprouts

Wanda Beaver- Wanda’s Pie in the Sky

Apple almond streusel bars

Joanne Lusted- Dish Do-Over

Sweet potato macaroni & cheese

Vanessa Yeung- Aphrodite Cooks

Moroccan spiced lamb meatballs with smoky tomato yogurt sauce and cilantro pesto

Michelle Edgar- The Sweet Escape Patisserie

Opera cake

Rossy Earle- Ryerson University

Crabapple brown butter squash, Chilean pebre and queso fresco tartlets

Lynn Mendelson- Lynn Mendelson Catering

Million dollar bars

Sandra Abballe- Succulent Chocolates and Sweets

An assortment of hand-crafted chocolates and confections

Erin Marcus- Ace Bakery

The “Let’s Beet Breast Cancer” Slider

Cathy Beneway- Creative Catering by Cathy

Baby romaine wraps with an Asian slaw

Dulce de leche cream filled chocolate with a breast cancer logo

Emily Richards- Professional Home Economist

Rapini frittata

Dufflet Rosenberg- Dufflet Pastries

Chocolate s’mores cup

Kyla Eaglesham & Winlai Wong- Madeleines

Traditional orange sweet madeleines

Jennifer Moores & Chris Brown- Citizen Catering

King Cole smoked duck breast, savoury pumpkin pie, black walnut, whisky maple glaze

Donna Dooher & Michael Leary- Mildred’s Temple Kitchen

“Waffle and Lox”

Bronwen Clark- Rodney’s Oyster House

Oysters on the half shell with a special “Eat to the Beat” mignonette

Alida Solomon- Tutti Matti

Pulled brisket sandwiches on brioche buns

Erin Featherston- Baker and Scone

Mini chicken pot pie topped with a baby scone

With each year that passes, the event seems to get bigger and better. Altogether, over 20 years, Eat to the Beat has raised over $3.7 million for Willow.   If you missed it this year, you’ll definitely want to get in on the great food for a great cause next year. For more information check out their website here.

Contribution by Maria Enache

Disclaimer: this event was complimentary, however, as always, all opinions are genuine.