This Wednesday night, Chef Rob Rossi will be competing against Chef Steve Gonzalez and Chef Nick auf der Mauer at Daily Bread’s Ultimate Food Challenge. Chef Rob Rossi gave us some insight as to what makes him tick in the kitchen.

My interest in the kitchen and everything food started in my kitchen at home at my mother’s side helping her make dinner for our family. At the young age of 16 my interest for the kitchen had become reality after applying to a local restaurant north of Toronto.

Being a chef has always been my dream. I always knew that I would be a chef. My training in Toronto and abroad has given me a strong sense of the classic French kitchen. My cooking style lies in the ability to take great ingredients and apply good technique to them. Not overloading them and allowing the simplicity and quality of the product to come through on the plate.

The most important thing to me as a chef is taste. My motto is always happy but never satisfied!

I am currently the Executive Chef and Co-Owner of Bestellen Restaurant in downtown Toronto.

You can see what Chef Rob Rossi creates in the kitchen first-hand at the Ultimate Food Challenge on May 2^nd at the George Brown Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts (Adelaide Street East and Jarvis) starting from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.  Enjoy fabulous food, cocktails, a silent auction, entertainment and desserts. Tickets are $150. To buy tickets or find out more information about this great event, click here.

Spring came out in all its glory in April and especially while Torontonians marked Easter, Passover or just enjoyed a holiday weekend.  Fortunately, many people opted to stay indoors at our warehouse to help sort the food donated during our Spring Drive.  Once again, Toronto showed its generous side by organizing food drives, special events and other activities to raise food and funds to help people who rely on the food distributed through Daily Bread’s city-wide network of member food banks.

One such generous local citizen is Reshma Ramjattan at TD Securities, who spurred her colleagues in four of the downtown TD Towers to organize collections of food and funds.  In just one day, Reshma had fired off emails, put up posters, and organized 10 drop-off locations.

TD Securities has been a loyal supporter of Daily Bread Food Bank for many years with corporate donations and volunteer days.  Reshma’s drive is yet another example of how TD’s support permeates all levels of the organization.

“I came to Daily Bread with my team to sort food as a volunteer,” says Reshma.  “I’ve also volunteered with my friends and family, and I feel a real connection.  It’s easy to see what a difference just a few hours, a few pounds of food, or a few dollars can make.”  Reshma’s contribution was more than a few dollars.  By asking others to join her in supporting our cause, Reshma and the TD Securities team collected more than 500 pounds of food and $1,700 in less than three days!

Thanks go out to everyone at TD who joined Reshma. Your community spirit will help us distribute another 88 hampers to people who otherwise wouldn’t have enough to eat.

At the end of March, over 150 people came together for Daily Bread’s annual agency conference. This year, the theme of food security and food access in Toronto was at the forefront of the conference, called ‘Toronto’s Food Evolution: Bringing New Ideas to the Table’. This conference brought together a range of idea-makers and food policy movers and shakers to the table to share their ideas and inspire everyone to come up with their own.

An inspiring keynote speech by activist chef Joshna Maharaj kicked off the day, followed by several thought-provoking workshops as well as a showcase of innovative programs run by Daily Bread’s member agencies including The Stop Community Food Centre, Eva’s Phoenix and Metropolitan United Church.

Many of the conference attendees agreed that a major highlight were the two in-depth work sessions facilitated by Linsey MacPhee and Nico Koenig of Toronto’s Drop-In Network.  These sessions allowed participants to examine food security in Toronto and explore thoughts and ideas for new programming.  The purpose of these discussions was to look at ways to improve how food is distributed in Toronto and how food programs can be improved, keeping in mind the limited resources non-profits have. Across the wide range of knowledge and experience in the room, many common themes emerged: interest in implementing cooking demonstrations so that people have a better understanding of how to prepare and cook different types of food, desires to increase cultural awareness and distribution of culturally-specific foods, and ways to increase not only community engagement but discussion around how to engage people who are already coming to access food programs.

Campbell Canada’s Corporate Chef, Bob Villeneuve

As Campbell Canada’s corporate chef, Bob Villeneuve has been creating recipes for Canadians that are tasty and good for you. At Daily Bread’s Ultimate Food Challenge, Chef Bob will be putting his taste buds to the test with some creative and tasty dishes from three different chefs, including Chef Rob Rossi of Bestellen restaurant.Thank you to Campbell’s for generously supporting this event as presenting sponsor.

What made you decide to be a part of Daily Bread’s Ultimate Food Challenge event?  

Over the past few years I have had a few opportunities to work with the students and teachers of the food service training program on several occasions and I believe it is truly a wonderful program.  The heart and soul that comes from the students is truly touching.  I am honored any time I can play a small part in continuing this amazing work.

What does giving back mean to you? 

Giving back is about doing what you can do.  I am a chef, it is what I am and what I do.  Giving back means sharing my skills, passion, time and knowledge at any opportunity I get in a way which positively impacts other.

What are you expecting from the chefs at the Ultimate Food Challenge?

Creative, innovative and inspired food. I think that for an event like this risks have to be taken and new things have to be tried.  I expect that some of the items prepared may not work out perfectly, but with no risk there is no reward!

If you had to make dinner for anyone (rich, famous, dead, or alive), who would it be and why?

If I could cook for any one it would be my parents.  They are both passed and more than anything I miss sitting around the dinner table with them.

What’s in your fridge right now?

Left over roast pork, eggs, apples, pears, chicken broth, half a can of Pea Soup, cheese,

What do people need to eat more of?

Food they cook themselves.

What would your last meal on earth be?

Crispy Roast chicken, new potatoes with butter and kosher salt, corn on the cob, fresh peas from the garden.

If you have to give the chefs some last-minute advice for the Challenge, what would it be?

Playing it safe will not get the win!

Chef Bob Villeneuve will be judging dishes from Chefs Rob Rossi, Steve Gonzalez and Nick auf der Mauer at the Ultimate Food Challenge on May 2^nd at the George Brown Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts (Adelaide Street East and Jarvis) starting from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.  Enjoy fabulous food, cocktails, a silent auction, entertainment and desserts. Tickets are $150. To buy tickets or find out more information about this great event, click here.

Ultimate Food Challenge judge and Toronto Star food editor Jennifer Bain will be tasting her way through some amazing dishes on May 2 at Daily Bread's Ultimate Food Challenge.

What’s a chef competition without some judges? We have some amazing ones lined up for the Ultimate Food Challenge and first up is Jennifer Bain, Toronto Star food editor, who writes about her eating and drinking adventures as Saucy Lady. Jennifer will be tasting her way through dishes on May 2^nd at the Ultimate Food Challenge to determine which chef will be crowned the Ultimate Food Challenge Champion.

What made you decide to be a part of Daily Bread’s Ultimate Food Challenge event?

I believe everybody is entitled to good food and that you can make inspiring meals from the simplest of ingredients (like the garlic-lentil soup I made this weekend).

What are you expecting from the chefs at the Ultimate Food Challenge?

Extreme deliciousness.

If you had to make dinner for anyone (rich, famous, dead, or alive), who would it be and why?

I would bring back my dad (a fellow carnivore) and make him a bison rib-eye in a cast-iron skillet. He died in 2001 and never got to meet my husband, who owns a bison ranch in Alberta.

What’s in your fridge right now?

It’s stuffed with leftovers from a six-day photo shoot for my Toronto Star cookbook.

What do people need to eat more of?

Speaking only for myself, dark, leafy greens.

What would your last meal on earth be?

Prime rib (medium rare, lots of fat) and my husband’s apple pie. He grates his apples and uses lard in his pie crust.

You can find Jennifer Bain on Twitter www.twitter.com/thesaucylady, and Facebook www.facebook.com/thesaucylady and at the Ultimate Food Challenge on May 2^nd at the George Brown Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts (Adelaide Street East and Jarvis) starting from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.  Enjoy fabulous food, cocktails, a silent auction, entertainment and desserts. Tickets are $150. To buy tickets or find out more information about this great event, click here.

Chef Steve Gonzalez, from Top Chef Canada's first season, will be competing at Daily Bread's chef event, the Ultimate Food Challenge on May 2nd.

Chef Steve Gonzalez was in the first season of Top Chef Canada, and is originally from Toronto. Steve is competing at next week’s Ultimate Food Challenge to raise money for Daily Bread because he believes in “trying to give back to a place that gives so much”. We asked Steve some questions this week about being a chef and what we can expect to see from him next week as he competes in the kitchen using some of our most-needed food items to create dishes to tempt our panel of expert judges,

What’s your signature dish?

‘Fire and ice’ Albacore tuna with passion fruit, jalapenos and lulo snow.

In 5 words or less, what can people expect from you at the Upcoming Food Challenge?

High-energy street food.

What’s in your fridge right now?

Fresh box of Jamaican beef patties, sliced bread, cheese, salumi,  grape Fanta, sparkling water, pickles, mustard, miso, curry paste, hot sauces, yuzu vinaigrette and some other randoms.

What’s your most prized kitchen utensil in your arsenal?

All my knives in my toolkit are my favourite, but I’ve got some bad boys. Some [knives] I’ve had for over 15 years.

What advice would you offer aspiring chefs?

To aspiring chefs – taste, taste, taste.

If your culinary style was a person, who would it be and why?

I am my food style. Straight up Latin, kitchen gangster with some in your face flavour and spice.

You can watch Chef Steve Gonzalez compete against Chef Nick auf der Mauer and Chef Rob Rossi  on May 2^nd at the George Brown Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts (Adelaide Street East and Jarvis) starting from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.  Enjoy fabulous food, cocktails, a silent auction, entertainment and desserts. Tickets are $150. To buy tickets or find out more information about this great event, click here.

Chef Nick auf der Mauer, owner of Porchetta & Co., will be competing at Daily Bread's chef event, the Ultimate Food Challenge on May 2nd.

If you’ve ever walked down Dundas West past Palmerston Avenue and stopped at a little place to have one of the most amazing sandwiches you’ve ever had, chances are you were in Porchetta & Co. Chef and owner, Nick auf der Mauer, can now also add Daily Bread Food Bank to his gastronomic resume.

“[I] wanted to be a part of something that can help people that are less fortunate”, said Nick, who will be competing against chefs Rob Rossi and Steve Gonzalez on May 2 in the first-ever Ultimate Food Challenge to help raise money for Daily Bread.

Inspired to become a chef by cooking with his mom while growing up, Nick’s advice to other aspiring chefs is to never serve anything you wouldn’t eat yourself. The Ultimate Food Challenge will be a great place for him to show off his culinary skills in front of an audience. People will have an opportunity to watch all of the chefs prepare food made from items commonly found in food hamper boxes, such as canned tuna, Kraft Dinner, canned peaches, canned chickpeas, potatoes and yoghurt.

You can watch Chef Nick auf der Mauer in action on May 2^nd at the George Brown Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts (Adelaide Street East and Jarvis) starting from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.  Enjoy fabulous food, cocktails, a silent auction, entertainment and desserts. Tickets are $150. To buy tickets or find out more information about this great event, click here.

Thank you to everyone who donated! Our donors stepped up to help us meet a higher goal than previous years with an impressive 90% of our financial target ($270K) and 120,000 pounds of food.  Still not enough to stock our shelves for the entire summer, so we will be asking our supporters to join us for Hunger Awareness Week (May 7-11) and events like the Ultimate Food Challenge on May 2^nd to help make sure healthy, nutritious food is getting out to those who need it most. Poverty and hunger are problems that affect families 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year so we need your help to fight hunger all year long.

National Volunteer Week (NVW) pays tribute to the millions of Canadian volunteers who graciously donate their time and energy. This year’s 68th annual NVW takes place the week of April 15^th to 21^st. It is Canada’s largest celebration of volunteers, volunteerism, and civic participation.  Throughout this special week we will be profiling a new Daily Bread volunteer from various departments.

Happy National Volunteer Week and a HUGE thank you to all of the volunteers who are so very important in helping us do the work that we do, fighting hunger in our communities!  

Featured Volunteers:

Friday

Andrea Kuzmyn, volunteering since January 2011.

Andrea is an excellent volunteer that has gone above and beyond in terms of assisting the New Toronto Street Food Bank and for the Agency Relations Department. Not only is she a consistent volunteer, but she is trained in all positions in the food bank and is very flexible. She treats all of our clients with professionalism, care and respect. She has assisted incredibly in the community garden and she has now included Agency Support and Advocacy to her many volunteer roles here at Daily Bread. She offers excellent ideas in terms of process, she easily follows direction, she asks for assistance when needed but can also make intelligent decisions based on our anti-oppression framework.

Andrea is a wonderful volunteer and we are proud to work alongside her.

Thursday

Valmond Fournier, volunteering since March 2009.

The Warehouse Team has been fortunate enough to work with Valmond.  He has been our volunteer for the last few years working in Production and the Warehouse. He is a quick learner and does his work thoroughly with a smile. He is pleasant to work with and gets along well with all staff and volunteers.  A volunteer is someone who gives time and energy to something they are passionate about. Valmond feels strongly about the food banks and shows this in his volunteer time, three times a week. He is dedicated to his work at DBFB.

Wednesday

Leslie Forstner, volunteering since November 2009.

Leslie has been a faithful volunteer in the kitchen since Nov/09.  She volunteers twice each week and shows up for each shift with enthusiasm and eagerness.  Leslie greets everyone with a smile and is always interested in what you have to say.  Leslie takes pride in her work, be it setting up or cleaning up the cafeteria, prepping vegetables for production, or helping with the dishes.  She has rarely missed a shift in her time at Daily Bread and gives lots of notice when she is unable to come in and help. The Kitchen is very proud of Leslie!

Tuesday

Jeff Jare, volunteering since October 2010.

Jeff has made considerable contributions to this department (Advocacy) as well as to the Welcome Centre.  Jeff has made the transition from his previous role in the Welcome Centre to becoming one of our cherished volunteers in the Advocacy department.  He can consistently change gears and assist upon a moment’s notice and pitch in whenever and whatever the need arises! 

Jeff has demonstrated his commitment to the organization in various ways:  Involvement with the Pride Parade, many public sorts, hooking up our computer network during our temporary move to the Kraft Hall, and day-to-day by way of his attention to detail and new fresh ideas.

Monday

Barbara Willsher, volunteering since January 2008.

Barbara is our top box maker at Daily Bread. She is a familiar face at our box making machine in the south east corner of the sorting floor. You can always count on her to say hi and will always give her honest opinion on the flavour of the lunch. Barbara will not hesitate to call you out on something or give a staff member advice on how to improve the box making machine. She has been known to put a cardboard sign on her chair to reserve it for when she returns to volunteer. She truly believes in Daily Bread’s mission and is here for no other reason than to help out.

The Spring Drive is now at 100,000 pounds of food and $236,000 raised. You can donate online by clicking here, or drop off nutritious, non-perishable food donations at any local fire hall. Most needed food items include canned or dried beans and lentils, pasta, tomato sauce, rice, canned fruits and vegetables, baby formula and food and peanut butter.