Weekly Eater: Toronto food events for December 3 to December 9

Monday, December 3

• Monday Night Dinners at Local Kitchen and Wine Bar: Every Monday night, Local Kitchen serves a $40 prix fixe menu of Italian fare with half-price wine bottles and no corkage fee. 1710 Queen St. W., 416-534-6700. Find out more »
• 86’D With Ivy Knight: Third annual Battle Offal. The city’s top chefs prepare the gnarly bits for you to sample. Competitors include the Group of 7 Chefs, Beast, The Stop, the Tempered Chef, Nick and Nat’s Uptown 21, Richmond Station and GwaiLo. The Drake, 1150 Queen St. W., 416-531-5042. Find out more »
• Burger Mondays: Enjoy $5 burgers and $5 pints on Mondays, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the Gladstone Melody Bar. Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. W., 416-531-4635. Find out more »
• Guiltless Dessert Indulgence: Learn how to use healthy alternatives to dairy, wheat and sugar. Menu includes chewy chocolate brownies, carrot pineapple cake, coconut mango pudding and jam dot cookies. Marni’s Kitchen, 26 Lauderdale Dr., 647-477-8131. Find out more »
• Simple Healthy Meals in 30 Minutes: Learn to quickly prepare three delicious and healthy meals: winter salad with pine nuts, radicchio and Asian pears; penne with sausage, fennel and pecorino; and fresh fish with tomato sauce and cherry tomato couscous. The Chef Upstairs, 516 Mount Pleasant Rd., 416-544-9221. Find out more »
• Workshop—Naturally Fermented Condiment Gift Pack: Holistic nutritionist Kate Leinweber leads a workshop that covers the how and why of simple fermentation while you prepare a delicious batch of homemade ketchup, mustard and relish, perfect for holiday gift giving. The Depanneur, 1033 College St., 416-828-1990. Find out more »

Tuesday, December 4

• Local Food Movement Dinner—All Sparkling: Jamie Kennedy presents his latest Local Food Movement Dinner, a festive menu inspired and accompanied by the sparkling wines of Hinterland Wine Company. Gilead, 4 Gilead Pl., 647-288-0680. Find out more »
• James Oseland—Saveur: The Way We Cook: James Oseland, editor-in-chief of Saveur, is this year’s Gastronomic Writer in Residence at Stratford Chef School. The Cookbook Store hosts a talk by Oseland followed by a Q&A and book signing. The Cookbook Store, 850 Yonge St., 416-920-2665. Find out more »
• Holiday Entertaining: Chef Angie MacRae teaches you how to throw a stunning and stylish dinner party with little effort. Menu includes cauliflower velouté with scallops, smoked haddock and parsnip fish cakes with garlicky winter greens and a cranberry toffee tart. Dish Cooking Studio, 390 Dupont St., 416-920-5559. Find out more »

Wednesday, December 5

• A Chef’s Tour of Little Italy: Join the Culinary Adventure Company on a behind-the-scenes tour of Little Italy’s finest kitchens. 416-565-1730. Find out more »
• Introduction to Pie Making: Perfect your pie-making techniques with the pros at Le Dolci, just in time for holiday baking season. Le Dolci, 1006 Dundas St. W., 416-262-3400. Find out more »

Thursday, December 6

• Little India Food and Cultural Walking Tour: Learn about Indian culture and explore the restaurants, markets and food shops of this neighbourhood with the Culinary Adventure Company. 416-565-1730. Find out more »
• Festival of the Crazies at Tutti Matti: In celebration of its 10th anniversary, Tutti Matti is bringing this centuries-old Tuscan celebration of food, wine and La Vita Toscana to the restaurant every Thursday night for a month. Enjoy family-style dinners the way Nonna serves them, with a different theme each week, special wines by the glass and, they’re promising, a crazy good time. Tutti Matti, 364 Adelaide St. W., 416-597-8839. Find out more »
• Amazing Asian: Learn how to create classic Asian dishes with healthy ingredients and condiments. Menu includes arame soba noodle salad, yin yang miso soup, vegetable nori rolls, nappa cabbage salad, tempeh stir-fry and green tea chocolate bliss balls. Marni’s Kitchen, 26 Lauderdale Dr., 647-477-8131. Find out more »
• Make, Don’t Buy—Homemade Sriracha: As part of the Depanneur’s Make, Don’t Buy series of DIY gift workshops, join Kate Leinweber and learn how to make your own version of the king of Asian hot sauces. Leave with recipe ideas and a ready-to-gift bottle. The Depanneur, 1033 College St., 416-828-1990. Find out more »

Friday, December 7

• Introduction to Cupcake Decorating: Spend the afternoon learning techniques with fondant, piping, colouring and more. Le Dolci, 416-262-3400. Find out more »
• Culture.Licious Dining Event—A Taste of Southern Vietman With Minh: Raised in Ho-Chi Minh City, Minh will explore Southern Vietnamese homestyle cuisine with a menu that includes Vietnamese puff pastry savoury meat pies, fresh spring rolls, tamarind seafood noodle soup and cassava cake. Culture.Licious headquarters, 713 Lansdowne Ave. Find out more »

Saturday, December 8

• Stop Market Café: Enjoy a weekly meal sourced from ingredients found at the adjacent farmers’ market. Proceeds from sales at the café are reinvested in The Stop’s programs. 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Green Barn, 601 Christie St. Find out more »
• Hands in the Bowl: The Evergreen Brick Works invites children (ages four to seven) and their caregivers to roll up their sleeves and learn how to mix, grate, mash and then eat their delicious creations—using only their hands. Evergreen Brick Works, 550 Bayview Ave. Find out more »
• Discover Greektown on the Danforth Walking Tour: Explore this quickly changing neighbourhood with the Culinary Adventure Company. Sample some Greek mezethes, indulge in Greek wine-tasting and find the perfect addition to your kitchen while gourmet shopping. Culinary Adventure Co., 416-565-1730. Find out more »
• Streetcar Food Tour: Take a tour along the 501 Queen streetcar route, crossing the entire city and stopping for tastings in six different neighbourhoods, led by Foodies on Foot. 416-826-1997. Find out more »
• Introduction to Cupcake Decorating—Winter/Christmas: A hands-on workshop teaching you how to dress up a cupcake, this time with a Christmas/winter theme. Le Dolci, 1006 Dundas St. W., 416-262-3400. Find out more »
• Breakfast Pastries: Learn how to create rich brioche, flakey croissants and almond filling. Bonnie Gordon College, 868 Eglinton Ave. W., 416-440-0333. Find out more »
• Jennifer Low—Everyday Kitchen for Kids: Jennifer Low, author of the popular children’s cookbook Kitchen for Kids, is back with a long-awaited sequel. Bring your kids for a fun-filled afternoon in the Kitchen Studio. Kitchen Studio beside The Cookbook Store, 1 Yorkville Ave., 416-920-2665. Find out more »
• All the Best Fine Foods In-Store Holiday Event—Catherine’s Antipasto: Catherine Mix will lead a tasting of her latest gluten-free savoury vegetarian flavour. All the Best, 1101 Yonge St., 416-928-3330. Find out more »
• Mariposa’s Holiday Dinner Cruise: Kick off the holiday celebrations with a dinner aboard the festively decorated Northern Spirit, with heated dining rooms and the twinkling lights of Toronto’s skyline as the backdrop. Mariposa Cruises, 416-203-0178. Find out more»

Sunday, December 9

• Origin Liberty Charity Event: Join Origin and guest bartenders Steve Shneider of NY’s Employees Only and Dave Mitton of Harbord Room for a Hurricane Sandy relief fundraiser. Origin, 171 East Liberty St., 416-649-4567. Find out more »
• Lettuce Wrap Night at Chantecler: Chantecler is offering lettuce wraps with meats, assorted pickles and condiments for $19 per person until 1 a.m.—or until the food runs out. Chantecler, 1320 Queen St. W., 416-628-3586. Find out more »
• DIY Vegan Gingerbread Houses at Tori’s Bakeshop: Every Sunday from now until Christmas, head to Tori’s and build your own vegan gingerbread house with her impressive array of vegan candy for decoration. Tori’s Bakeshop, 2188 Queen St. E., 647-350-6500. Find out more »
• Cake Pops—Christmas: Learn to make and decorate delicious cakes on a stick, this time with a Christmas theme. Le Dolci, 1006 Dundas St. W., 416-262-3400. Find out more »
• Toronto Holiday Sweets Tour: Take a guided tour around Kensington Market, sampling delicious holiday treats while learning about the history of sweets. Tasty Tours, 416-871-7133. Find out more »

Farmers’ Markets:

• Sorauren Farmers’ Market: Monday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the field house at Sorauren Park. 50 Wabash Ave.
• Withrow Farmers’ Market: Tuesday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Danforth Church. 60 Bowden St.
• Dufferin Grove Farmers’ Market: Thursday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. 873 Dufferin St. (in Dufferin Grove Park)
• St. Lawrence North Farmers’ Market: Saturday from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. 92 Front St. E.
• Evergreen Brick Works Farmers’ Market: Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 550 Bayview Ave.
• The Stop Farmers’ Market: Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Wychwood Barns, 601 Christie St.