A Burst of Flavour at the One of a Kind Christmas Show & Sale
It is that time of the year again. The festive cheer is in the air, and, we turn our sight to Christmas and the holidays. It is also the time of year that one of our favourite shows returns to Toronto, the One of a Kind Christmas Show & Sale. It has become a tradition that we attend this show, and, we are not alone. The first day turn out was phenomenal. It was great chatting and meeting so many people that make it a tradition to attend the show with loved ones every year.
This year, we were fortunate to be able to attend the media breakfast and get a crack at the show from the get go. In keeping with the spirit of supporting artisans, the breakfast was provided by none other than Ashley Jacot De Boinod from Glory Hole Doughnuts (http://www.gloryholedoughnuts.com/, @GHoleDoughnuts), a staple on many of our own food tours and a talent that provides the best artisanal doughnuts in Toronto.
All of the best doughnuts were served, including the lemon meringue and Elvis with marshmallow (two of our personal favourites). Ashley also created two doughnuts to represent two of the artisans at the show, Kelly Grace and Celine Fafard. I tried the Celine Farard doughnut, which was a take on a Boston creme, filled with custard, and, as always, it was a home run. Wonder if we will be seeing that on the Glory Hole Doughnut menu soon?
Being foodies, we first set out to cover the “Flavours” section. Several bags full of food, clothes, and leather goods shopping later, we can report that the show does not disappoint. In fact, it is bigger and better than ever.
The Flavours section this year was a good mix of returning favourites with fantastic new booths, several of which made it on to our “Tasty List”. If you are attending the show, we recommend dropping a visit to the following food artisans:
Odile Chocolat (http://www.odilechocolat.com/, @odilechocolat) – Booth G-27
All of Odile’s chocolates are hand made using only the highest quality of ingredients. You must try the Origin Chocolate Collection, some of her Canadian collection, or, if you are more daring, her chocolate with spices and raspberry vinegar. Delicious! We actually feature Odile on many of our tours, and, it was several years ago at the One of a Kind Christmas Show that we first found her delicious chocolates and fell in love. She is also selling creative gift certificates in reusable tins this year.
Cassis Monna & Filles (http://www.cassismonna.com/) – Booth G-62
It seems that some of the best new food artisans came from the Quebec City region this year. Plan to spend a lot of time at this adorable booth. In fact, the food was so good that we forgot to even take pictures our first time around, as, our thoughts were solely focused on the delicious goodies they make from black current. Those who know us, and how much we love to take pictures, will testify that the food here must have been quite amazing to make us forget snapping a picture or two of this adorable booth. Thankfully, we took a few pictures on our return visit.
Anne Monna-Lamarre is the woman behind this great product. Spend some time chatting with her and discover more about this delicious fruit. Black current is the main ingredient in all of their super healthy, anti-oxidant packed foods. Their offerings run the gamut and include wine jellies, onion jam, mustards, and the most delicious black currant syrup which transforms water into a sweet nectar.
They also have award winning wines and creme de cassis which they cannot sell here in Toronto, but, convinced us to start planning a visit to their farm and store just outside of Quebec City.
Our must tries include the 4 berry jam, marinated olives with black current tea, cassis mustard (drool), and black currant onion jam. Do not miss this booth!
Sweet Truth (http://www.sweettruthcandy.com/candy/hom2.html) – Booth G-36
We always love to hear a good story behind a business, and, Diane does not disappoint. Having worked as a social worker in the past, and, taking the recipe of her grandmother, she perfected the making of flavoured toffee. Trust us, we are not generally huge fans of toffee, but, this converted us. We tried the lemon and licorice toffees, and, were floored by the quality and perfect amount of flavour. As an added bonus, you get a little “sweet truth” (a quote to make you think about life…the social worker background carries over to her current craft) in each tin.
Tealish – (http://www.tealish.com/, @tealish_teas) – Booth G-51
Stories like Michael Rachmel’s are those that we always look for when creating our food tours and events. We have seen Tealish numerous times as we crossed the city on our various tours, and, have wanted to visit for some time, but, it took this amazing show to finally bring us together. A great “mom and pop” operation that started on a side street off of Queen, and, has steadily grown since, through hard work and having a great product. They mix all of their own teas, and, generally try to keep it to three main “active” ingredients per tea, while providing a variety of teas to satisfy your every need. From detox to help sleeping, they have a tea for everything. Check out their great Christmas Tea for the holidays. Just boiling it will get your into the Christmas spirit. Stop by for a sample and discover a new favourite tea.
Nutra-Fruit Canneberge (http://nutra-fruit.com/, @nutrafruit) – Booth I-59
Another new addition to the show, and, another reason to plan a trip to Quebec City, the delicious cranberry based goodies of Jean-Francois Veilleux. Try cranberry based food like you have never experienced before. He has the most plump dried cranberries (you will see what we mean). You must also try the cranberries with orange essence. Delicious!
Saigon Soul Food (http://www.saigonsoulfood.com/) – Booth H-62
They purport to have the best spring rolls on the planet. Well, let us tell you they are delicious. Tam fled from Vietnam to Canada when she was eight years old and learned to cook from her mother. Today, she rolls more spring rolls and specialty food by hand they one could imagine. Carried in many stores across the province, there is nothing greater than having the chance to meet the person behind the food. Stop by this booth and sample her delicious goodies. They will even store them for you in their freezer to pick up at the end of the show.
La Nougaterie (http://www.nougateriequebec.com/francais/accueil/) – Booth F-58
The third of the new “don’t miss” food artisans at the show, and, the third from the Quebec City region. Do we see a trend here? With several flavours of nougat available, this caught our attention quick. Torrone has always been a Christmas staple for Steven. Nougat, the softer cousin of torrone, often gets left behind, but, not with the flavours from this gem. We tried the lavender and Christmas blend and were hooked. Perfect texture and just the right amount of flavour infused. If you are fan of nougat, this booth is for you.
Pepper Brew (http://pepperbrew.com/, @PepperBrew) – Booth F-33
We first came across this product earlier this year at the Garlic Festival and were excited to see them again at the One of a Kind Christmas Show. Plain and simple, they carry 3 amazing sauces. There are a lot of sauces out there, and, truth be told, many of them are not that good. Pepper Brew is amazing. Not too hot that it overwhelms your taste-buds yet, still has the right amount of kick. These sauces can be utilized for anything from simply serving them with cheese to grilling shrimp. Versatile and flavourful. Give them a taste. One of our favourite finds this year.
The Bean Ladies (http://www.beanladies.com/, @TheBeanLadies) – Booth G-48
Always fun to see on the trade show circuit, twin sisters Julie Ryder and Jamie Miles are adorable, full of energy, good fun, and have a delicious product. More flavours than you can imagine for soybean snacks that are GMO free (as we know how soybeans are one of the most genetically modified foods). You can sample all of their flavours and find your favourite snack for the road.
Marianne Chenard Ceramiste (www.mariannechenard.com) – Booth Z-17
Ceramics played a large part in the show this year. Numerous artisans put forward amazing ceramic tableware, but, these maple syrup bottles from Marianne Chenard really stuck out as unique and original.
Crumb Designs (www.crumbdesigns.com, @CrumbDesigns) – Booth X-61
A great gift idea is a matching set of aprons for mom and daughter, or, father and son. Jennifer Lucas, the owner of Crumb Designs, has put together a collection of creative, colourful, and fun aprons for the entire family. Check out this booth for a great gift idea for the cooks in your family.
Tremblay Mills (www.peppermilltremblay.com, @TremblayMills) – Booth W-34
Bar none, the most creative mills we have seen. Stately silhouettes fish, industrial….they have a mill for everyone.
We could go on and on, but, by now, you must be salivating, so, we will cut off our list here. While we are foodies, let us tell you, this show has something for everyone. A one stop shop for all of your Christmas needs (other than Foodies on Foot gift certificates, of course, which you can order from our web-site). In addition to the great food we picked up, we also visited one of our favourite fashion designers, Dinh Ba Design (http://www.dinhbadesign.com/) – Booth R-43, and, leather goods favourites Paul Aude – Booth S-54 and Matteo Mio (http://www.matteomio.com/) – Booth U-04.
Before we forget, for all those men that do not like to shop, Fido and the One of a Kind Show have created the Man Cave for you. A place to chill, learn about Fido, and, watch some television or hit a few putts on the putting mat.
As for us, just try to stop us from shopping. We plan to go back several times before the end of show to keep discovering the amazing artisans that make this one of the best shows in Toronto.
For more information about the One of a Kind Christmas Show, please visit: http://www.oneofakindshow.com/toronto/index.php