The Stella Supper Club is the Stella Artois x HYR Live Collaboration We've All Been Waiting For!

There are many different clubs out there in the world. The night club where you dance the night away. The book club where you can get lost in an imaginary universe. Or just a school club where you join not always because you’re interested in it, but because all your friends are there (been there, done that!). Now where is the club for foodies? The club for learning by interacting with seasoned professionals? Well folks, I’m here to invite you to the best foodie club there is. It’s called the Stella Supper Club and it just might be the club you’ve all been waiting and searching for to join!

Stella Artois and HYR Live have partnered together to create The Stella Supper Club, where it brings a variety of all-inclusive live and on-demand cooking classes with Canada’s top Chefs right into your kitchen. All of the ingredients are then delivered straight to your door within the Stella Supper Club meal kit to make this interactive cooking class as stress-free and easy as possible. All you need is an internet connection, some basic cooking utensils, maybe one or two kitchen helpers, and just an appetite to not only feed your stomach but also your mind as you learn from some of the very best chefs in our country.

With great skill in eating a diverse range of food, but not so much in the actual creation of it, I was very excited in getting a chance to take part in one of these live cooking classes. I mean I need all the help I can get when it comes to the kitchen, and who better to teach me then acclaimed Chef Nuit Regular from the highly acclaimed Thai restaurant Pai Northern Kitchen in Toronto!

In preparation for my live cooking tutorial, Stella Artois also sent me a beautiful Home Chef essentials kit to give me a taste of what was to come. Within this package was a beautiful leather Stella Artois apron, a marble charcuterie board, and a couple of their iconic chalices to go along with a 6-pack of beer. As you can see, it was a perfect way to spend a day out on the balcony with some delicious charcuterie and a cold glass of Stella Artois.

As the much anticipated day of the cooking class finally arrived, I had a knock on my door and a fresh delivery of produce and ingredients was dropped off at my doorstep thanks to Chefdrop. For anyone that signs up for a Stella Supper Club experience, you’ll not only get all the required ingredients to make your dishes that night, everyone will also receive a 6 pack of Stella Artois and two Stella Artois chalices. It’s safe to say you can never have enough of those beautiful chalices in your home. Such a simple way to elevate your kitchen!

Once your box of ingredients arrives that morning/afternoon, open it up and refrigerate any items in your box right before the event starts that evening. On the menu for me that evening with Chef Nuit Regular was getting to turn up the heat inside by learning how to make her signature Thai Red Curry Chicken (Gaeng Phed Gai), complemented by her bold Thai Green Papaya Salad (Som Tum Thai). Two dishes that I loved ordering whenever I visited her restaurant, so being able to make it at home was absolutely incredible!

Once it was 7PM it was time to go! I laid out all the necessary ingredients in front of me, hooked up my laptop and laid it out on the kitchen counter, opened up the email link that contained the direct link to the cooking class, and voila - class was in session! It was a seamless process with Hyr’s interactive chat and video capabilities making it super easy to ask any questions live to Chef Nuit Regular whenever I needed any clarification to a step. I also loved the fact that they really seemed to care about the participants who signed up for the class as they called out and thanked individuals by name who was part of the class which I think was a very nice touch.

The first part of the class was learning how to make the Red Curry and man oh man if you guys could smell the aromas in the kitchen when this was being cooked on the stove top. The scent of the red curry paste, thai basil mixed in with the Chinese eggplant, coconut milk, and fresh red spur chili was phenomenal! It really was a restaurant quality dish being made at home. And then to top it off with the homemade Papaya Salad was just a great way to end the night as the sweetness and sourness of the signature Pai salad dressing perfectly cut the heat of the spicy red curry. At the end of the night I just kept repeating to myself…. “I can’t believe I made this!”

One of my favourite parts of The Stella Supper Club is after the class is over, you can then watch the entire class all over again. On-Demand. Stream anytime, anywhere. It’s so convenient to have that capability because if you decide to re-create the dish at a later time on your own, you can easily pull up the video again of the cooking class you attended and follow along once more.

The Stella Supper Club is something I would highly recommend anyone to join, because not only do you get to learn from some of the very best chefs in the country, it’s also a great excuse to start downing some Stella Artois beers because hey… it’s all part of the cooking experience!

To see all the upcoming cooking classes and to register for one of their live tutorials, please visit the website here. Cheers!

Fuel Foods

It's almost been four years since I've gone on this journey to become a food blogger/digital content creator, and what I've realized in doing so is this job comes with a blessing a curse. The blessing is I get to indulge in all of the incredibly delicious food on a weekly basis, and the curse is....I get to indulge in all of the incredibly delicious food on a weekly basis. One of the most common questions now I get asked all the time is "How are you still not fat?" A valid question because part of my job now is essentially eating things whether they are healthy or not. The notion of "It's For the Gram" is for better or worse part of my life now, and in coming to this realization over the past year I've learned to put my body and health first above all else.

It started with a total revamp of my lunch diet where portion control, salads, and fruits became the daily norm. Going to the gym consistently started do become a new lifestyle, and just being more mindful of what I'm putting in my body especially when I have control over it at home needs to be the new mentality. So of course when Fuel Foods reached out to me to try their nutritious meal options designed for people looking to live their best and most healthy life I was all on board. I need as much help as I can get!

Fuel Foods is a Toronto based company made up by Health, Wellness, and Nutrition professionals combining over 30 years experience, with an additional 20 years in the kitchen. They are a meal delivery service that understands the importance of readily-available, convenient nutrition that many of us working unfortunately just can't find the time or have the know-how on preparing meals that strike a healthy well-balanced lifestyle.

I tried one of their meal boxes that was delivered right to my door step which consisted of nutritious main entrees, breakfast items, snacks, and even a cold-pressed juice to help get my eating schedule on track for the next few days. One of my favourite parts of their delivery process was that you receive text messages the day of the delivery that notifies you around what time you should be receiving your package. My text message said it would arrive in about 17 minutes and so it did!

Upon opening up the box, all the meals and snacks are well-portioned to ensure you are not over-eating, but still gaining all the nutrients one requires per day. Each meal is very clearly labelled on the front for complete transparency into how many calories, protein, carbs, and fat are in each meal/snack. For the main entrees it also explicitly states the exact date the food was cooked, and in my case it was cooked for me on Sunday and delivered on Sunday. Definetly made fresh to order!

Below you will find exactly what my meal box consisted of.

Thai Green Curry Thighs

Middle Eastern Ground Beef

AAA Sirloin with Pesto Barley

Gremolata Whitefish

Protein Pancake Roll

Bliss Bowl

Chocolate Coconut Protein Bites

Date Blueberry Protein Muffin

Protein Cookie

Arouse

Having all these meals cooked, pre-portioned, and ready-to-eat saved me so much time after work each day which allowed me to do other things I enjoy. Not having to worry or think about what to make for my next meal was amazing, especially with the added bonus in knowing that what I was consuming through Fuel Foods was healthy and good for my body. If you struggle like me to strike a healthy lifestyle balance, I would highly encourage you all to give Fuel Foods a shot and let them help us reach our dietary and fitness goals in our daily routines. We only have one body so lets take care of it and make sure we fuel it up the right way.

Sudio Sweden

Fond memories of my latest summer's trip to Europe included a stop at the city where the headquarters of this consumer electronic's company is based in. I'm talking about the beautiful city of Stockholm. Sudio Sweden is a lifestyle brand that makes elegant earphones with both studio quality sound and exquisite quality. For people in the food industry like myself, the wireless, hands-free earphones are great to use when in the kitchen.

Their latest, premium model is called Vasa Blå which is a light-weight, wireless, and stunningly crafted headphone with amazing sound quality. They come in 4 different colours (Black, White, Blue, Pink) along with two colour accents (Gold, Rose Gold).

Each headset comes with an exclusive leather carrying case along with its built-in microphone. It's made compatible with all bluetooth devices with up to 8 hours of wireless freedom.

To get your hands on your very own Sudio Sweden headset such as the Vasa Blå, please visit HERE. To all our loyal followers, use the exclusive promo code theeverydayfoodie at check out to receive 15% off your purchase! Sudio Sweden always offers tax-free purchases as well as fast and free worldwide delivery.

6 Tips On How To Host An Epic Party

As the Toronto Catering Showcase is slowly approaching on October 16th, we have teamed up with a couple of the top catering companies in Toronto to provide you with the best tips and tricks on how to host an epic party for your friends and family to enjoy. As seasoned catering companies, both Elle Cuisine and Parts and Labour Catering have both been in the catering industry for many, many years. They will both be serving up delicious food to hungry guests among ten other catering companies at this year's Toronto Catering Showcase held at The Bram & Bluma Appel Salon (Toronto Reference Library).

If you want inspiration on how to plan your next big party or event, this is the place to be! For $65 you will receive an all-access pass to the showcase of caterers giving you complete accessibility to the food, craft beers, music, and wines for an afternoon of pure epicurean indulgence. This is an exceptional catered experience like no other, a party held for you, planned and prepared by the best in the business.

However, not everyone is a professional caterer or party planner like these well established companies, so with the help from Elle Cuisine and Parts and Labour Catering, we have put together some helpful tips to hopefully let you be the host/hostess with the mostess.

Here are a few key tips for stress-free hosting.

Have a Welcome Drink Ready

When a guest comes to your door it's a nice treat right off the bat for them to have a drink in hand allowing your guests to let loose right away. No one will be complaining when you are starting the alcohol off early! 

Prep in Advance

Make sure to get as much food prep done in advance as possible. In the professional food world, this is what is called "mise en place." All your chopping, measuring of ingredients, etc. can be done hours if not days in advance. You can pre-cook most of your menu items so that finishing/re-heating them won't require as much of your time and attention when guests are over. This will help reduce your sense of urgency the night of, and will make you look like you're a superman/woman in the kitchen.

Choose Your Menu Wisely

It's important to plan the menu according to your kitchen set up (appliance availability, counter space, number of burners), your skill set, and your schedule for the evening. For example, if you only have one oven and need to cook a roast at 425, you should be sure that the sides for the same dish can go in at the same temperature, or that there is an alternative way of heating them simultaneously. The more organized you are, the less stressed you will become throughout the night.

Don't Forget to Account for Allergies/Food Restrictions

Make sure you know your guests dietary restrictions. The worst thing is for a guest to arrive and to not be able to eat! It makes for an awkward and uncomfortable time for the guest and for yourself.

Make Use of Rentals

Rentals will keep your night and clean up stress-free! Being a great host means you enjoy the evening along with your guests. If you're worrying about clean up as you go, you'll never be fully relaxed. Most people wont have enough glassware for their guests to keep drinking all night long. Rent glassware and china/cutlery so that you don't have to worry about the constant clean up or a huge pile of dishes at the end of the night.

Interactive Food Stations

The hottest trend in catering and parties right now is interactive food stations! This is where guests are engaged with the creation of their own food. Gone are the days where only chefs prepare food in a hidden kitchen. The whole aspect of seeing and knowing what is going on is more fun, so where you allow your guests to interact with you in the process of making their own food, another level of enjoyment and excitement is unlocked. S'mores station anyone?

If you want to see these 6 catering/hosting tips put in action, the Toronto Catering Showcase is where you will want to be next month. As stated previously, top catering companies like Elle Cuisine and Parts and Labour Catering will be there. The other 10 catering companies putting together this exceptional culinary experience include 10tation Event Catering, Food Dudes, Presidential Gourmet, Encore Catering, Eatertainment, en Ville, L-eat Catering, Toben, Kiss the Cook Catering, and Daniel et Daniel.

To purchase your tickets, please visit HERE. Limited quantities are available so make sure you get them before they sell out!

Real Brewed Moments with Pure Leaf Tea

Lets be real. We all want a drink that is going to quench our thirst. A drink that does not only taste good, but is also healthy and nutritious. In order for this drink to be good for our bodies, it needs to have no artificial sweeteners, no preservatives, and no added colours. A drink I can get behind is a drink made with real ingredients, and that is why I love Pure Leaf Tea so much. They are passionate about realness as their tea experts pick real tea leaves and real ingredients, that are purposefully crafted and carefully brewed, to deliver a genuine tea experience.

I'm here to celebrate real moments with Pure Leaf Tea because it's real brewed tea, made from real tea leaves, and the best way to celebrate these real moments is to just be yourself in your natural environments and state of mind. Drinking Pure Leaf Tea is nothing fancy for me because I've incorporated their teas into my daily life, and I'm here to share with you all some of my daily and weekly rituals I take on. Whether it's drinking their Unsweetened Lemon, Green Tea with Honey, or Peach flavour, I know it's going to be a good day whenever I can grab a bottle of any of their flavours and take it with me.

Here are just a few of my real moments with Pure Leaf Tea.

Netflix and Chill

There is nothing better than relaxing at home, watching one of my favourite shows on Netflix, and sipping on some Pure Leaf Tea. The goal here is to try not to drink it down too quickly because I want the bottle to last for the entire duration of the episode. It's a hard thing to do. Trust me.

Running Errands

It has been scorching hot lately in Toronto, so to beat the heat while I'm driving around town doing my errands I make sure I have a cold bottle of Pure Leaf Tea sitting snug in my cup holder beside me. Pro Tip: crank up the a/c in your car to keep it nice and cool for as long as possible.

Video Games (Seriously)

I've waited almost 5 years to play the next installment of my favourite video game series, and now that it's finally out I need some much needed energy while I'm glued to the couch and playing hours on end. It doesn't get any more real than that folks.