Oaxaca cook accidentally puts Toronto on fire, steals prominence to Clinton, George Clooney

Pilar Cabrera all really wanted to do a little promotion of Oaxaca, and make a few dollars Canadian for one of the slowest months for tourism. But towards the end of four weeks Chef Pilar's visit to Toronto in September, which had established the local media and national fire - to the extent that coverage of his trip was in every restaurant, which was scheduled cooking is sold out, she had to refuse last-minute requests to work their culinary magic in more private dinners and cooking schools.

The stellar reviews throughout the trip held talks with life TasteTO.com Sheryl Kirby described his dinner at Frida Mexican restaurant widely praised as "one of the best meals of my life," then continued into account "the brilliance of 30-ingredient mole Cabrera authentic. "

Like many women of Oaxaca, Pilar learned to cook from her mother and grandmother. But when it came time to think seriously about his future, his path diverged from that of others. While living in Mexico City, earned a degree in food science and nutrition, and later worked in research and development of food giant Herdez, McCormick. He returned to Oaxaca to open the restaurant La Olla, and Casa de los Sabores Cooking School.

Pilar has appeared in such publications as Bon Appetit and The New York Times and praised by the likes of acclaimed restaurateur Rick Bayless, who regularly takes his staff to Oaxaca where they take their classes. Over the years he had been offered and rejected then the opportunity to teach and cook outside of Mexico. It was not until the spring of 2009, the promotion of this writer, and media and valuable industry contacts food culinary Toronto researcher and writer Mary Luz Mejia Communications Sizzling, the tour of Toronto became a reality.

A tour planned two weeks quickly became three restaurants and a cooking school prominent expressed immediate interest. The trip lasted four weeks, when Adriana Becerra - Serrano, community liaison for public affairs at the Consulate General of Mexico learned Pilar trip and asked him to represent Mexico at the Toronto Harbourfront Centre Festival and the International Hot Spicy food - Pilar was a judge in the competition emerging chefs, and fought against Louisiana in the case of Iron Chef principal.

Throughout September, the variety of dishes prepared Pilar was matched only by the wide range of restaurants and schools where she plied her trade - as honored guest chef and instructor. At the top was Frank, the 120-seat dining room at the Art Gallery of Ontario, with a menu that included tiger shrimp skewers with mango mezcal soup, fresh sweet corn garnished with pomegranate Ontario, and chicken breast stuffed with mushrooms and Chile poblano over a bed of tomatillo sauce.

Pilar opportunity to show Oaxacan snacks came at journey's end at Torito Tapas Bar, where a packed house ate chips with the habanera, marinated red snapper and octopus-like yerba santa, tacos red mole, mushrooms and epazote quesadillas, bacon and cheese memelitas with tres leches cake at the finish.

Pilar spent two days at Nella Cucina Culinary School. Director Joanne Lusted praised Ms. Pilar Mejia and somehow managing the sale of the sessions for a total of 80 students, where renowned chefs from Canada had failed to attract such numbers. And in the House of Chef, the restaurant and hands-on teaching facility of the Institute of Culinary Arts at George Brown College, Pilar taught both chefs and students, ultimately providing fans of the fully enthralled with the likes of molotitos potato and chorizo ??soup, Tehuantepec, Isthmus fish, vanilla pudding with berry coulis season, and coffee pot.

The activity of the media began before the arrival of Pilar, a very active blog. Then, the day after his arrival was live on national television, showing five dishes she had prepared that morning and Heritage Mezcalero mezcal. In a column of Toronto Events Toronto Sun newspaper, noted Pilar tour trumpeted by President Bill Clinton to talk with the residents of Toronto. September 11 was in the test kitchen Toronto Star lunar prepare - green and yellow.

"I was nervous about being able to source the ingredients needed in Toronto, especially for dishes such as green," admits Pilar. "I knew that the newspaper would publish a recipe unless all the ingredients can be purchased locally. I was surprised how many of our herbs, chiles and other foods on the market in Kensington" And so the star;. On 16 ran almost a whole page of Pilar in the entertainment section and life. While the picture of George Clooney promoting the Toronto International Film Festival was slightly higher than that of Pilar, Jennifer Bain, editor of La Estrella food was given more space to write about our own star Oaxaca.

Other media include articles in journals such as pitting of the city (distributed with The Globe and Mail), and a wonderful little piece about taking huitlacoche Pilar, broadcast nationally on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, here and now.

In total, Pilar judged, competed and instructed cooked to 11 full days and evenings, plus at least as many preparation - The ingredients of supply and meeting with managers and chefs.

The epic journey a few days allowed for visits to museums, Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake and tastings at wineries, a cottage on Lake Simcoe for relaxation, and even the Casino Rama ("not for me, but it was interesting to see in Las Vegas - style game "). And there was the opportunity to try ethnic restaurants, including Thailand, Sechwan, Ethiopia, India, Jews and Greeks, as well as enjoy in restaurants ranging from the best of the French (Auberge du Pommier) to the jazz bar district and wings .

"The warmth with which he greeted me in the kitchens of chefs others to ask and learn, and the appreciation shown by the little that was known to Toronto to Oaxaca, was truly remarkable. Not so much people Oaxaca Toronto can learn from each other, relating to food and other aspects of culture and tourism. "

Indeed. The course has generated interest in future visits to Pilar and other Oaxaca. With the continued support of the Consulate of Mexico in Canada, and the willingness of boards of Mexico and Tourism Toronto to jump on the bandwagon, perhaps the state of Oaxaca to see the benefit in providing more support and encouragement for their own to travel abroad, to the benefit of all the people of Oaxaca.