Q-ing Fun With The Godfather of The Grill Chef Ted Reader...

And this happened ... What an opportunity to (meet again) and cook with the Grand Daddy of Canadian BBQ & Godfather of the Grill Chef Ted Reader @tedgrills and his bestie Chef Dale Mccarthy for a charity Golf For Good BBQ lunch event for 250, along with my amaZing Aussie foodie friend Vimla Hayman in town for the notable Rotary International Convention. #cookingforcharity #unisonfund #musiccounts #itbetasty

Canadian Ted Reader is an award-winning chef, food innovator and entertainer, product and recipe developer, caterer, a reknown cookbook author to 21+ books, the host/creator behind cooking show King of the Q and travels the world to share his passion for food on the grill. He curates a line of BBQ sauces (with new flavours always in the works) and even vegan burgers @whollyburgers. See here for more on this multi-talented and dynamic chef!

Humble Beginnings.... Over 15 years ago, I met Ted through his bestie Dale Mccarthy, a cooking instructor at George Brown College at the time where I was attending as a part-time Culinary Arts student. I had just left my job working for the Federal government and I had no idea where my love of food and cooking was going to take me. I just knew I was where I wanted to be. I feel so blessed to have encountered true food lovers and culinary educators early on such as Dale, Ted and my late friend and mentor Chef Frederick Bowden because they inspired that spark in me, that propelled my embarking on this fun, multi-faceted, adventurous culinary journey that lead me to where I am happily today. See here for a visual portfolio from my professional experiences.

Ted Reader and I met again at a gig over at Dish Cooking Studio in early 2000.

There's my friend Chef Dale! Looking sharp and readying beef burgers on mega planks for the hot grill.

Juicy beef burgers made more juicy with a basting of Chef Reader's sauce of Worcestershire
and fried onions. Here Ted is describing his new vegan burgers @whollyburgers, made with
portion-serving real veggies in each such as beets for red, cauliflower and turmeric for yellow
and broccoli and onions in green (not shown).

King-Size BBQs fit for the Ultimate King BBQuer!

What a gorgeous shot of my friend Vimla and I. In town for the Rotary International Convention, I was so lucky to finally meet my fellow Australian Food Revolution Ambassador where we connected. Although I am no longer part of the foundation, our love for food, cooking and educating, inspiring and helping others is deeply rooted in what we continue to do. More than 25,000 people attended Rotary's 109th international convention for four days in Toronto, Canada, including Princess Anne, Laura Bush and of course, PM Justin Trudeau. Rotary is about service and amongst the keynote issues, eradicating polio world-wide and promoting early childhood education were applauded for continued priorities. Vimla's sense of compassion, passion and giving back for helping to make the world a better place is Simply InSpiring & AmaZing!!!

Yay! Dale and I grillin' and chillin'... It's been a very long time mate- what a way to reconnect!

Chicken breasts basted in Ted's special barbecue sauce!

Oh my, peameal bacon to top those succulent beef burgers basted in its juice if you wish...

Here they come hungry- 250 of them #golfforgood...

We are ready...

Fully loaded peameal bacon topped beef burger...

Holy Smokes-- succulent luscious medium fatty whole smoked beef brisket!

Oh, and a little fun... for those who want it meatless... lol

Yay! It's been too long Ted! Hope to grill with you again!

Thanks for the invite Chefs Dale and Ted!!

And then..... Ted and Dale were hosting a BBQ event in the Country a few days later over at Dale's Everton Academy of Culinary Arts in Erin, one hour and a bit northwest of Toronto. I couldn't resist taking the fam bam even with rain in the forecast that evening. Heck, no rain was gonna stop us from BBQing and Eating to our hearts' content...🍖🔥 Smoked Beef Brisket, Crispy Pork Belly, Fire Roasted Chickens, Cedar-Planked Salmon Fillets Wrapped in Bacon, BBQ Ribs, Grilled Smoked Sausages, Chinese Char Siu BBQ Pork, Grilled Brie, Whole Cauliflowers, Sweet Potatoes and Garlic Bread with a whole slew of gorgeous deelish salads served anchored on log stacks...

OMG!!!

HOWEVER.... Dessert first cause it's Chefs Dale and Teds' birthdays 🎂!!-- mega-plank grilled then Jamaican rum-torched OveR-the-ToP Creme De Cacao basted homemade brownies smothered in "low cal" toppings of chocolate fudge, jam drizzle, marshmallows, caramel chocolates, smashed butter tarts & caramel sauce. Nummmm...

Here comes the torcher to seal and melt... And a little grass flambe to show who's BOSS...

Now, for the main event....

This is what ReAl old school BBQing looks like with Godfather of the Grill Ted. Mega Cedar-Planked Salmon Fillets wrapped with bacon cooked over the open fire pit! And sweet potatoes all around.

Everything was succulent-- roasted, grilled, smoked and cooked to perfection! I'm still thinking about the melt-in-my-mouth tender moist and crispy skinned pork belly!!!!!

Pork belly chopped up, thrown into a wok with olives and pickled veg
and served as a salad, cause why not?

A real Canadian party for 100!

Such gorgeous, colourful and fresh array of salads offered on stacked logs!

Here comes the rain and the dark....

Alex and Dale hard at work at the carving stations.

Golly.... Alex carving perfectly smoked beef brisket!

Grilled brie and garlic & herbs flat breads partner up on the grill with them meat.

My happy, full and entertained boyz with Chef Ted Reader @tedgrills... 🔥🍖🍗🍺 

#itbetasty #godfatherofthegrill #oldschoolnorules

Thorncliffe Public School VOICES Event and Moms Picnic In The Park...

With Ramadan over and school coming to an end, for me it all came down to this much anticipated event...! After school Tuesday, the TDSB Welcoming Communities Parent Engagement Culinary Group and I hosted a taster cocktail party to celebrate the achievements of both students and parents in the Thorncliffe Community where I have been teaching culinary classes to moms. The newcomer elementary students in the PALS program led by facilitator Ashima Suri at Thorncliffe Public school showcased their fantastic experiences in a beautiful artistic photo gallery exhibit- VOICES while my brigade of community kitchen moms prepared for the venue assorted appetizers, dips and sips- highlighting some of the best from our  sessions. Families happily ate, browsed their children's work and mingled with other parents and staff. What a perfect occasion to share and exchange the pride of work accomplished during this school year for both kids and their moms!... Thank you TDSB Community Services!

Here are the lovely mom volunteers and participants in my culinary program enjoying a year-end potluck picnic- a chance to share each other's homemade favourites, enjoy each others' company and to say "see you later"... But before this celebration, first things first....

Indeed a beaute of a day for a picnic!

Student hand-crafted invites to their families...

Our menu highlighting some of our favourite flavours, showcasing diversity, freshness and textures!

Preparing food for 100 people

This fridge was completely empty before I had my hands in it...

Buying, storing and schleping all of this solo was a big job let me tell ya'....

Quick smiles for the camera before heads down and grinding away for the next few...

Loving the bright fresh rainbow of colours!!!

Families were lined outside the gymnasium doors... the numbers in the crowd was just as anticipated--  What a great turn-out! YAY! It was a big blur for me, for real... trying to man the kitchen to get the food out on time plus trying to capture excellent photos and lots of it- wasn't going to happen! Food comes first and photos haphazard will have to do...

The tables were ready with veggies and dips, fruit and cheese and crackers platters so guests could settle in and get some regular nibbles before the featured appetizers came out in intervals.  

The build-your-own yogurt parfait station was a hit... kids could choose from strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, dried black currants, chocolate chips, shredded coconut, honey and two kinds of granola mixtures. Although I caught kids take just ingredients sans yogurt.

The exhibit everyone came to see was a collage series of photos, artwork and mementos produced and collected throughout the school year.

"The sun was reflecting off the water like stars without the darkness." 

More photos, and artistic expression with poetry sentiments by students in this creative display! Great work Ashima! 

Food keeps going out and making their rounds to feed the eager crowd...

From top left clockwise: Cheese and Cracker Platter, Spicy Shrimps with Avocado
on Rice Crackers, Shredded Chicken and Herbs Vietnamese-Style on Endive Leaves
and Sweet Corn, Black Bean and Pepper Salsa in Tortilla Scoops.

There was a lot of food and I prefer that than not having enough. The last appetizers to make their appearance were Cocktail Shrimps in Lemon Yogurt Dill on Cucumber Rounds and Baked Curry Mushroom Palmiers.

What an incredible event and experience for the community! I heard rave reviews on the food and the exhibit in general! And the cherry on top, is interest from parents who want to join my culinary program were we to run it again in the Fall! YAY! Ashima and I are so appreciative for the many volunteers including staff, parents and public health nurses that helped us pull this off together! Thank you everyone- we couldn't have done it without you!

Thorncliffe P.S. Appreciation Certificate and Flower Awards to Volunteers!

Finally, we get to kick back and relax with our homemade faves and just relish with our friends in laughter and conversations! Summer just started and what a way to mark it in our memories...

The totally delicious picnic spread under the afternoon sun with lots of Sri Lankan specialties, from chicken wraps and bun to chaplee chicken burgers, dahi pakori (lentil balls in yogurt sauce and tamarind), chicken biryani and my salad :).

I couldn't resist making this fun and refreshing Zucchini Noodle and Watermelon Salad in Lime Vinaigrette. 

It is becoming my summer salad-go-to!

Don't be shy, just dig in....

Now this is a true picnic with blankets and under a large tree for ample shade. 

I couldn't resist requesting a display of freshly painted Henna Art hands...

Wow, what gorgeous artistic expression on our most expressive body part-- H.A.N.D.S!

These cute momento jars were our token of appreciations to the moms!

Sweet treats for a sweet ending always....Delicious saucy fruit custard, fruit custard trifle with meringue, tiramisu and mini chocolate cupcakes with a Kit Kat bar (oh what fun!) from a mom who specializes in cakes and decorating.

Check out Fathima's gorgeous cakes and more on Succulent Cakes.

We are so proud of our accomplishments being the first year hosting a parent engagement culinary program... it's about making a difference, creating friendships, and inspiring to try something new... and we did it, by leading with our hearts! Congratulations to everyone!

We must be the change we wish to see in the world -  Gandhi