Hungry for Comfort

Fort York’s Historic Foodways program Hungry for Comfort, offered as part of Winterlicious, happened on February 9. This year, the spotlight was on the culinary stories from Jewish communities across Toronto, with speakers, demonstrations, workshops and tastings. Participants enjoyed tasting and a catered lunch from Parallel using Jewish recipes. The day also included the annual Redpath Baking & Preserving Competition, co-hosted by Fort York and the Culinary Historians of Canada.

Hungry for Comfort keynote speaker Barbara Silverstein provided an insightful overview of the history of Jewish communities and cuisine in Toronto and Montreal, while Rosalin Krieger spoke about the ways in which the idea of Jewish food has changed over the past two centuries.

In the afternoon, participants selected from one of six food workshops delivered by local chefs, home cooks, cookbook authors, and food historians. The workshops were delivered throughout the site, meaning visitors could spend time in some of our historic buildings. The event’s cultural curator, Daphna Rabinovitch, closed out the event with an intimate microhistory of challah, while participants noshed on afternoon tea and cake.

Winners of the Redpath Baking & Preserving Competition co-hosted by the Culinary Historians of Canada and Fort York National Historic Site

Pure Seville Orange Marmalade
1st: Muriel Thompson
2nd: Jeremy Carter
3rd: Sally D. Kelly

Citrus Marmalade
1st: Christine Leung (Asian Spiced Kumquat)
2nd: Muriel Thompson (Chunky Whisky)

Apple Chutney
1st: Jeremy Carter (plain Apple Chutney)
2nd: Lori Jamieson (Farmer’s Advocate 1907 AC)
3rd: Jean Sterritt (Spiced AC)

Challah Bread
1st: Sherry Murphy (Traditional)
2nd: Mark D’Aguilar (Oatmeal Honey Maple Sourdough)
3rd: Karen Hemingway (Loren Lea’s)