Tabasco sauce we all know it. Tabasco is on the table at
your favorite restaurant, in your fridge and on every grocery shelf across the
nation. So when I was invited to attend a Tabasco sauce tasting, featuring
custom recipes designed by some of Toronto’s hottest Chefs’ I was more than pleased
to oblige.
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| Fabulous Faith arriving at the Feed Your Original Event for Tabasco Sauce |
The theme of the event was Avery Island, a salt dome best
known as the source of Tabasco sauce, located in the state of Louisiana (US.) The Chefs were lucky enough to visit Avery
Island and get a first-hand view of the lifestyle, cuisine and culture along
with a personal tour of the Tabasco facilities.
Fresh back and filled with inspiration, the Chefs created dishes using this
Cajun influence along with their own personal styles.
I guess first thing I spotted was the “salt dome” Citizen’s
catering presented. Wild boar (or as I
jokingly referred to as fancy wild pig to their discontent) cooked in a salt
crust, served with a cabbage slaw atop a traditional southern biscuit with
white gravy. I interpreted this as the
ultimate sausage and biscuit, mild flavours suitable even for breakfast.
As I approached the next booth, the air was scented with soy
and as I walked over I was greeted by Chef Nick Liu of DaiLo who spoke to me
about his Lobster boudin, which was a perfect texture, topped with a spicy Tabasco
and tomato dashi. The Tabasco-Tomato
Dashi was a rich and flavourful fusion broth, although still gentle enough to
allow the flavour of the lobster to come through while enhancing the Tabasco
flavour. He adorned the plates
beautifully with pickled honey mushrooms and wasabi garden peas.
Next I saw a familiar face, Chef Dustin Gallagher of the
Peoples Eatery. He was definitely the
most ambitious creating a dessert featuring Tabasco sauce. Chef Dusty fused Tabasco and Caramel to
create a salted spicy popcorn he served along with an olive oil corn cake and
corn sorbet. At first bite the mildly
flavoured ice cream is surprising but then balanced by the richness in the
olive oil cake. The Tabasco caramel corn
adds crunchy texture and sweetness which quickly turns into a sharp burst of
heat. Shocking, yet utterly addictive.
The Tempered Chef who hails from France showed off his
pastry skills bringing along mountains of traditional mini croissants. He created a croissant po-boy filled with
pulled chicken topped with an apple remoulade and sauced with a Tabasco chipotle
sauce. The soft croissants were so
delicious I had to take one along with me and a card for my carb friendly days.
Chef Steve Gonzalez of Latino 5 Spice presented “Un Cesar
Con Garniture” a Latin Cesar in a bowl. Tabasco
tomato sauce, 5 spice guacamole, whole clams and a giant snow crab claw so you
could get your hands messy. Every scoop
was packed with rich Tabasco flavour and fused beautifully with Latin flavours
to give the sauce different dimensions.
After all of this flavour and I mean flavour, I needed a
drink, this event was not for weak palates, although if you can’t handle a
little kick, you are probably no fun anyways LOL! Luckily there were plenty of refreshments; Bacardi
presented a series of Tabasco infused cocktails demonstrating further the endless
possibilities for Tabasco sauce. My
favorite was the “Bayou Juice” Bacardi spiced rum, maple syrup and cranberry
juice with a splash of beer. Totally familiar Canadian flavours with a hint of
spice and a shot of love.
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| Fabulous Faith sampling Tabasco sauce recipes! |
But wait there was still more food! So I grabbed a glass of wine and headed off
to meet the next Chef. I could see that
he had collard greens so he had me before hello! Chef Scott Vivian of Beast restaurant also
had Boudin Balls with Tabasco sauce, essentially perfect southern style Arancini
(those rice balls you love) fused with Tabasco delicately placed on top of
those perfectly cooked greens I just mentioned with some pickled celery topped
with aioli. It was like going to dinner
at your grandma’s house, except you had two perfect grandmas one from Louisiana
and one from Sicily. I would eat there every day.
Finally (and mostly because there was a line-up the whole
time) I met the Chef from Canoe who I found out works with my Chef-Crush Robert
and then that they were married and I had no chance. So obviously their food was awful and they had
the worst stand ever. Ok that’s not true….. They had a perfect gumbo and they
have handsome men so I am going to see if maybe they need an extra Chef over
there ;) just kidding.
Chef Anthony Walsh from Canoe, who works alongside those
dream crushers, prepared Gumbo highlighting Canadian Fogo Island Crab which has
a firmer more lobster like texture. Along
with duck and salted tabasco okra finished with corn bits definitely a fancier
gumbo than I am used to but I am into that. Ok so you know at holidays when the
collard green gravy soaks into the cornbread and you get that little bite of smoked
meat all in one bite and it’s perfect?
It’s like that with the best piece of crab you have ever tried. If you don’t get those tasty things at
holidays, I am sad for you but at least you can try and imagine.
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| Fabulous Faith and the 7 Chefs |
So we had: Italian fusion, French Fusion, Latin Fusion,
Canadian Fusion, Asian Fusion, Dessert, Cocktails all with one thing in common,
Tabasco Sauce. I guess that’s why it’s
everywhere, it should be everywhere and put into the right hands the outcome
can be quite miraculous.
Luckily for you readers I
have a large quantity of Tabasco sauce products (Thanks!!!) and I will
be working on some of my own magic recipes!
Special thank you to Tabasco Canada for such a lovely event! What a wonderful idea for a culinary adventure! They are even so kind as to offer you the chance to win a trip to Avery Island and goodies like mine, check out the details here and get cooking with Tabasco Sauce http://www.tabascosauce.ca/feedyouroriginal/
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| Fabulous Faith & Mr. & Mrs. Glaysher of Tabasco Canada |
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