2008 High Lights Festival

[sf&m]

The announcements of the 2008 High Lights Festival should be coming up soon.

Anybody heard anything - pre-release?

[Lesley C]

I've read the pre-release, but I can't post it here until the last week of November. Sorry.

Looks good though. Many excellent TO chefs coming, save for Mark McKewan, who I thought would have made a good fit at the Casino.

[sf&m]

Well, I got the press release below off the web.

The 2008 Website for the festival is up. Details of the "Wine and Dine Experience" won't be posted until December 12 it seems.

http://www.montrealenlumiere.com/volets/ta...en_bref_en.aspx

I really enjoyed the festival last year, especially the Maremma event with Chef Cesare Casella.

So I'd like to get a heads up early for 2008 and check out the Toronto talent.

Any comments?

/gth

****Press Release****

Media Advisory: Toronto's Finest Chefs Spice up the 2008 Montreal High Lights Festival

Press Conference

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Nov. 23, 2007) -

Attention: News/Food/Lifestyle/Travel/Photo Editors, Tuesday, November 27, 2007

What: Toronto is the featured city for MONTREAL HIGH LIGHTS FESTIVAL Air

France WINE AND DINE EXPERIENCE presented by American Express,

February 21 to March 2, 2008.

Chef Susur Lee, honorary President, will lead a delegation of

Toronto chefs to the Festival, the largest culinary celebration in

Canada. Program details will be announced.

Fourteen Toronto chefs participating in the festival will be in

attendance.

When: Tuesday, November 27, 2007 at 12:00 noon

Where: Susur Restaurant, 601 King Street West, Toronto

Photo Opportunity:

Toronto's top Chefs participating in the Festival will be present:

Susur Lee, Susur

Marc Thuet, Bistro Bakery Thuet

Keith Froggett, Scaramouche

Anthony Walsh, Canoe

JP Challet, The Fifth Grill

Lorenzo Losetto, George

Bertrand Alepee & Jason Inniss, Amuse-Bouche

Jason Carter, Lee

Anne Yarymowich, AGO

David Chrystian, Chez Victor

Carlos Hernandez, Torito

Gabriele Paganelli, Romagna Mia

Christopher Brown, Perigee

[docsconz]

Here is a link to some hotel and culinary tour packages for the Highlights Festival.

[Lesley C]

Actually, there are some pretty cool chefs from Chile coming, definitely worth checking out.

[sf&m]

Chile, eh? Very interesting. At the November Ottowa Wine and food show there was a a great Chile booth presenting a huge range of vere nicely made Chilean wines. Goodby Bulk and Depaneur!!

And not a label critter in sight.

Chile can produce wine styles from Racy NZ like Sauvignon Blancs to Hot Syrahs. Some interesting Bourdeaux like reds made from a grape I don't recall at the moment.

Would be very interesting to see what Chilean Chefs can come up with and if they will feature some good Chilean wines.

Any pre-pointers where they will appear....??

[Lesley C]

Raza has a coupled lined up, as well as an event with Nuevo Latino master, Douglas Rodriguez.

[merlin]

Chile, eh? Very interesting. At the November Ottowa Wine and food show there ...Some interesting Bourdeaux like reds made from a grape I don't recall at the moment...

←

Carmenere perhaps?

[zapata]

Raza has a coupled lined up, as well as an event with Nuevo Latino master, Douglas Rodriguez.

←

Douglas Rodriguez, Alex Urena(Nyc) and Jose Aleyva(Spain) at Raza.

Matias Palomo and Rodolfo Guzman (Chile) at Madre.

[AlexForbes]

For the best coverage of the festival, be sure to read Lesley's story that is in today's Montreal Gazette.

The webpage has links to lots of fun stuff like a video showing guest chef Christopher Carpentier making a salmon tartare (actually, not my favourite recipe, too much going on to mask the taste of the fish, but anyways...).

Best of all is Lesley's piece on hot food trends with fun subtitles like "bunny is back" and "molecular madness".