On Thursday, April 25^th, 2024 the Junior League of Toronto held the 4^th JLT Chef’s Showcase Fundraiser at the George Brown Centre for Hospitality & Culinary Arts.

Eleven of Toronto’s chefs and caterers, plus a chocolate sommelier, enticed our appetites and delighted our taste buds, feeding over 300 guests.

ROSA & VITO MARINUZZI (7 Numbers) – Warm Polenta Cake on Tomato Sauce topped with house-made Barese Sausage, Goat Cheese & Basil Oil

JENNIFER BROOKER (Silver Lakes Gold & Country Club) – Braciole – Stuffed Flank Steak with Sundried Tomatoes, Peppers, Prosciutto & Parmigiana served on Polenta

SHIRLEY LUM (Chocolate Sommelier) – A Taste of Canadian Chocolate

MICHELE POLLACK (Luxe Cooking Studio) – Tostadas de ceviche de pulpo (octopus)

GURTH PRETTY (Lakeview Cheese Galore) – Broiled Raclette Cheese & Venison Salumi Canapés

NUIT REGULAR (PAI & Kiin) – Khanom Jeeb Nok / Steamed Bird-Shaped Dumpling – Handmade steamed bird-shaped dumpling made with a chicken and shrimp filling

DUFFLET ROSENBERG (Dufflet Pastries) – Two Bite French Lemon Tart & a Bite Size Black Forest Cake

VANESSA YEUNG (Aphrodite Cooks) – Steamed Soup Dumplings with Pork, Truffles and Chinese Black Mushrooms with a Caramelized Shallot and Chili Sesame Oil

EMILY RICHARDS (Food Network Canada’s series Canadian Living Cooks) – Lentil Citrus Salad – Wild Rice, Lentils & Quinoa with Sweet Currants, Fresh Citrus Zest & Fruit with a Spiced Up Dressing & Toasted Almonds & Fresh Herbs

CHRISTINE OSTIGUY & CARLY CHIASSON (Yorkshire Pudding Catering) – Grilled Heirloom Carrot Salad, Scallion Chevre, Cider Gastrique, Seeds, Mint & Cilantro

ALANNA FLEISCHER & BRIAN CHENG (The Edible Story) – Salmon Crudo with Zaatar, Lemon, Chili and Labneh

MAGGIE FRITH (The Magpie Cakery) – Mini Cupcakes with Buttercream Flowers – Chocolate Cupcake filled with Salted Caramel & Vanilla Cupcake filled with Sumac-Lemon Curd

The delicious dishes were complimented with wines from Lacey Estates and Kacaba Vineyards, new sponsors of the event.

Other sponsors of the evening included George Brown Alumni Association (Gold), Starlight Investments (Silver), Lawrence Schafer Foundation (Silver), Canadian Living (Media), MobilBid (silent auction).

The evening saw the presentation of the 2^nd annual JLT Trailblazer Culinary Award to Bonnie Stern, founder of the Bonnie Stern School of Cooking and award winning cookbook author, as well as an inductee to the Culinary Historians of Canada Hall of Fame.  The award celebrates a Canadian woman who has made a significant contribution to the culinary landscape of the country and is meant to draw attention to the JLT Chef’s Showcase in the hospitality and food industry, helping us grow the event.

In addition to helping fund our volunteer work in the community, the event’s success allowed the League to double the number of JLT Culinary Scholarships for students in the Assistant Cook Extended Training (ACET) program at George Brown, which supports people with mental health or addiction.

. .

.