Bentway Communal Picnic

Paella is often thought of as the Spanish national dish, but it is really a speciality of Valencia, though it has countless regional variations. This classic rice dish has five key ingredients: short-grain rice, saffron, pimentón (smoked paprika), olive oil and the large, shallow paellera pan from which the dish gets its name. José Arato, owner and Head Chef of Pimentón, will be preparing his paella live on site in his giant 100 cm wide paellera!

Turkey has an ancient culinary tradition stretching back to the very beginnings of Western civilization. From these deep roots the Ottomans developed a sophisticated and aristocratic cuisine based on ingredients and influences pulled from an empire that stretched from North Africa across the Middle East and into Greece and the Balkans. The flavours of contemporary Turkish food emerge from this mix of cultures and traditions, and shine in Chef Tuba Tunç’s selection of traditional Turkish dishes.

Mexican culture has a profoundly long history, with settlements reaching back to 10,000 BCE, and a pre-Hispanic agricultural legacy contemporaneous with ancient Egyptians. This rich and ancient tradition, combined with centuries of Spanish colonial influence, has evolved into the full glory of contemporary Mexican cuisine. Tonight Chef Erika Araujo of Ixiim prepares a selection of classic Mexican dishes from Puebla, Veracruz and Mexico City, a colourful and flavourful picnic perfect for a warm summer night.

The food of the Philippines is complex, as diverse as the more than 100 ethnic groups that populate its 7600+ islands, and overlaid with centuries of Chinese, Southeast Asian, Spanish, and American influences. Tonight’s menu by Maria Polotan incorporates local ingredients into traditional Filippino recipes.

Chef Greg Couillard is best known for his unique and eclectic mix of Caribbean, Asian, Latin, and Indian flavours and ingredients. He has forged a reputation as a fearless culinary innovator, a kind of supercollider of food ideas, smashing them together with incredible force, producing novel and exotic new dishes for lucky diners to marvel at. Chef Greg’s 30+ year culinary legacy has left an indelible impression on fine dining in Toronto, opening eyes, minds & palates to the incredible culinary diversity of our city. For this dinner, Greg takes a journey down the old Silk Road, following the ancient trail of spices from Southeast Asia through India and Central Asia on their way to the Mediterranean and Europe.