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♪

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Toronto,
my home town,

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the city my family and I
emigrated to,

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arriving from Egypt
when I was just three years old.

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The city where I grew up,
started acting,

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and fell in love
with food.

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It's a city famously known
for its diversity,

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with almost half the population
made up of immigrants,

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making it
one of the most

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multicultural cities
on the planet.

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And because it attracts
so many people,

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it's accelerating
and transforming Toronto.

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Growth is everywhere;
from construction cranes

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to tech hubs to film studios,
the city's exploding.

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And the plant-based
food scene's no different.

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Because so many families
just like mine

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immigrated here
from all over the globe,

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it's created one of the most
unique gastronomies anywhere.

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You name the dish,
we got it.

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We are gonna dive in
to a Toronto food adventure

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to check out how
this ever-changing town

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and all
these cultures

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put their own unique mark
on the city's palate.

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This ain't Hogtown anymore,

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and I cannot wait
to share it with you.

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Welcome
to my house.

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♪

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I'm Mena Massoud.

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I'm travelling
across North America

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and eating my way through
some of the coolest cities

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to show you how
beautiful meals,

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talented chefs
and restaurateurs

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are making plant-based living
delicious and attainable.

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So join me
as I show you

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how the world is
evolving vegan.

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♪

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{\an8}We're jumping down
to a place

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{\an8}that exemplifies
the mix in the 6ix,

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{\an8}a food market called
Smorgasburg Toronto.

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It's a snapshot
of the culinary mosaic

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the city
has on tap,

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and a spot where
many aspiring chefs

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take fledgling steps towards
their very first restaurants.

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It's not a fully
vegan festival.

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Between
the scores of food carts,

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there are so many
plant-based options

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from vendors who are
absolutely killing it.

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{\an8}I'm with my friend
Matthew Ravenscroft,

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{\an8}an acclaimed chef
and culinary director

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at the upscale plant-based
Italian eatery Gia,

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where he's working to create
delicious veg-forward food.

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You described yourself as
the imperfect vegan,

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which is basically
Evolving Vegan's mantra.

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I think any effort's
better than none.

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That's kind of what
I try to do with food.

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It's like, listen, you don't
have to get it right,

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but if you try, we're going
to see some positive impacts.

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And kind of
cooking vegetables

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and showing people that
it can be done

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and being like, this is an
astounding carrot, for instance.

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Yeah.
We've made an impact.

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Does end up trickling down
to our home.

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So, Smorgasburg Toronto,
first year.

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I think this is
a perfect glimpse into

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what makes Toronto culinary
scenes so astounding,

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is you can get everything
and everyone has a unique story

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and everyone
has a unique narrative

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of how they got to be
where they are.

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It's a very beautifully
curated experience.

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Yeah, Toronto's
in the summer,

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best city in the world,
for sure.

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Matt and I are hungry,
and we're on the hunt

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for the festival's
best plant-based grub.

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Carlos,
what's up, my man?

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There's a dish,
pulled jackfruit sandwich,

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and I think this is it
right here.

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Whoa.
Carlos, am I right?

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{\an8}Is this
the jackfruit?
That's the jackfruit, yeah.

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Just percolating
like that, too?

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It looks
like pulled beef.

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Green jackfruit,
so it's not sweet.

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Gives it more of that
pulled pork texture.

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I spent three years
trying to figure this out.

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It's kind of just an ode
to Scarborough

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and all my favourite
jerk chicken spots,

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'cause I grew up
in Scarborough.

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What have you got in there
spices-wise?

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So, the dry marinade
is allspice,

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garlic powder, onion powder,
little bit of brown sugar.

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And then I do a wet marinade
with Scotch bonnet,

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green onion, scallion,
garlic, ginger.

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It's
a crazy list.

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Food looks delicious.
Can't wait.
Thanks, guys.

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I can't wait.
Thank you, man.

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Cheers.
Cheers, cheers.

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Just look at
this pulled jackfruit sandwich,

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Scarborough dynamite.

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(Happy grunt)
Whoa.

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The moisture is
through the roof on this,

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and the flavour
is incredible.

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He's done this to emulate
a pulled jerk pork.

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Yeah, his favourite,
the best of the best.

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This texture,
this is wild.

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Mm-hmm.

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Alright, we are
just getting started.

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This festival's so packed,
you can't take five steps

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without someone
trying to feed you.

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Chef Matt,
come try this with me.

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So basically, we've got
some coconut meat here,

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and you're saying this is
rice flour, kind of like a dosa?

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Whoa.
Mmm.

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The spice of it
is amazing.
Yeah, it's amazing.

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And so light. Unreal.

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Perfect
for a day like this.

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I'm glad
you like it.

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What I love about
having cameras here?

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People just
bring you food.

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Where are we going?

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No idea.
Oh, right there.
Meena's Kitchen.

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That seems
about right.

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Meena?
I'm Mena.

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Classic
Indian food?

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We are doing
potato patties,

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aloo tikki, and we also have
aloo paratha.

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Dhokla as well?
With chickpea flour
and semolina flour.

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Whoa.

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What's the leaf?
Curry leaf.

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I've never had
curry leaf.

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And you've got some fried
mustard seeds in there,

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which pop,
I love it.

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Sometimes when you eat food
it makes you want to dance.

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You know, like,
that's this.

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You get like a little
rhythm going from it.

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How you doing?
What have we got?

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Black bean patty, and there's
only five ingredients.

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Okay, yeah--
yeah, that's good.

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It looks like-- it looks like
a burger, which is great.

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Gluten-free as well.
Vegan, no binders.

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It's just
simple ingredients.

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Phenomenal, man.

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Just as our tour
was ending,

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we spotted
a colourful towering slaw,

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and just had to make room
for one more.

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Tell us a little bit about
what we've got here.

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Dish is beautiful.

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{\an8}So this is
our prosperity slaw.

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{\an8}It's based off of a Lunar
New Year traditional dish.

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The whole point
is just supposed to

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toss all of these ingredients together,

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get it as high as you can,
and you're

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bringing prosperity
into the New Year.

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So this is
a vegan version.

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Beets, carrots,
jicama, cucumber,

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papaya,
mango, cabbage,

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and then we toss it
with rose petals,

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crispy onions,
pickled ginger,

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and crispy
taro and rice noodles. Nice.

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The dressing itself
is a salted plum dressing,

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so it's fresh plums and the
umeboshi paste mixed together.

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And what is
umeboshi paste?

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Oh, so that's
the salted plum paste.

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Okay, that's what
you call it.

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So it's really,
really, like,

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salty and savoury
and strong.

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And that's really
what that drying process

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brings out
in the plums.

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Okay, nice.
Can't wait to try it.

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Thank you
very much.

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♪

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The crunch
is what I love,

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the texture of it,
and that is something

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that I find in a lot of
plant-based vegan things,

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the texture can only be
very soft.

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It's great to see people
innovating with it.

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It's amazing
to see, like,

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we get a little glimpse
of each culture,

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what they're offering,
diversity, and the options.

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It's overwhelming
in the best way.

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There's so much
food options.

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One row,
there was Chinese,

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Malaysian, Indonesian,
Vietnamese--

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Japanese
right beside it.

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Yeah, that's just
one row.

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That's what makes
Toronto special, you know?
I totally agree.

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Toronto's probably the most
multicultural city in the world.

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And you can
taste that.

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For a city
once known as Hogtown,

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Toronto's come
a long way.

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It's got
an astounding culinary scene

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that's increasingly adopting
and serving vegan dishes.

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♪

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♪

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In the heart
of Little Italy,

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amidst the pepperoni pizzas
and prosciutto,

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is a hidden gem, a traditional
Mexican restaurant.

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Actually,
a plant-based,

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Michelin-recognised
Mexican restaurant.

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Let that
settle in.

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And the chef
who's making noise

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with the meticulously crafted
vegan delights

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he's brought from
his hometown of Mexico City

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is Chef Ivan Castro
at his house: La Bartola.

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Ivan: In Mexico City, I used
to watch my mom

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and my grandma
cooking in the kitchen.

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It was magical for me, and
I fell in love with cooking.

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It's my way
to express love.

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♪

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Chef Ivan has invited me
to join him in his kitchen

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to make a traditional
Oaxacan snack.

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All right, Chef, so we're
making tetelas today?

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Yeah. Tetela is
a traditional dish

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from Oaxaca,
basically a tortilla.

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The filling is refried beans
with poleo, and we serve that

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with braised hibiscus flowers
and a little bit of salsa verde.

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Should we make
some tetelas?

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Ivan: Yeah,
absolutely, yeah!

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00:08:48,304 --> 00:08:49,471
Okay, let's do it.

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We're gonna grab
a little bit of blue masa.

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00:08:51,974 --> 00:08:54,510
So we're gonna roll
the masa.

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We make everything from scratch
here, so we make the tortillas.

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We make our tamales.

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Mena: You use purple,
black corn and then the red?

223
00:09:02,451 --> 00:09:04,386
Ivan: We have blue,
we have pink.

224
00:09:04,486 --> 00:09:07,957
We have even purple, yellow,
white corn, different colours.

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00:09:08,057 --> 00:09:10,392
Put in the centre
of our press tortilla.

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00:09:10,492 --> 00:09:12,528
Okay.

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Ivan: After that,
another small piece of masa.

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So you're going smaller
and smaller, basically.

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Smaller yeah,
and you can make, like,

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00:09:22,037 --> 00:09:25,040
different shapes,
different colours.

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This is one of our
signature dishes.

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Mena: Oh, and you're
going one more.

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Ivan: That's it.
And then we're gonna flip it.

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00:09:33,148 --> 00:09:35,017
Then we're gonna put our...

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Refried beans. Beautiful.

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Ivan: So we are gonna fold
this side first,

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then the other one.

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That's our tetela.
We're gonna put it here.

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Mena: Very nice. So chef,
next we're gonna put

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00:09:45,794 --> 00:09:48,097
our braised hibiscus on
and heat it up?

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00:09:48,197 --> 00:09:51,600
This is a mix of hibiscus
flowers, shiitake mushrooms,

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00:09:51,700 --> 00:09:54,036
and caramelized onions.
So, this is ready to go.

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00:09:54,136 --> 00:09:55,404
All right!

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00:09:55,504 --> 00:09:58,240
Ivan: Then a little bit
of salsa here, jalapeno,

245
00:09:58,340 --> 00:10:01,777
onions, garlic, salt,
jalapeno confit salsa.

246
00:10:01,877 --> 00:10:03,278
And when you say confit,
is it because

247
00:10:03,379 --> 00:10:05,147
you deep-fry the jalapenos
before you make it?

248
00:10:05,247 --> 00:10:06,148
Yes. Yeah.

249
00:10:06,248 --> 00:10:08,417
Wow.
So try that.

250
00:10:11,420 --> 00:10:12,721
Mm!

251
00:10:12,821 --> 00:10:15,691
My mom would make falafel.
It's a typical Egyptian dish.

252
00:10:15,791 --> 00:10:16,992
Ivan: Mm-hmm.

253
00:10:17,092 --> 00:10:19,094
And while she had the oil
in there and she was deep-frying

254
00:10:19,194 --> 00:10:21,764
falafel, she would also
deep-fry jalapenos.

255
00:10:21,864 --> 00:10:24,933
This tastes exactly like that.
That's, that's killer.

256
00:10:25,034 --> 00:10:26,735
I think Mexico's
a lot like Egypt.

257
00:10:26,835 --> 00:10:28,504
People eat with
their hands, right?

258
00:10:28,604 --> 00:10:29,938
Ivan: Yeah.

259
00:10:30,039 --> 00:10:31,507
Mena: We put a little
bit of that jalapeno...

260
00:10:31,607 --> 00:10:32,841
Ivan: Salsa on top.

261
00:10:32,941 --> 00:10:36,512
Salsa, oh yeah, and we've got
the refried beans in there.

262
00:10:36,612 --> 00:10:39,548
Beautiful fresh tortillas.

263
00:10:44,086 --> 00:10:47,022
Mm. Mm!

264
00:10:47,122 --> 00:10:48,857
Ivan:
Pretty good, right?

265
00:10:48,957 --> 00:10:53,962
Wow. I could, I could eat
25 of these. Home run.

266
00:10:54,063 --> 00:10:56,899
And you need to try our
signature taco,

267
00:10:56,999 --> 00:10:58,634
which is the braised
hibiscus taco,

268
00:10:58,734 --> 00:11:01,103
and it comes with
salsa macha,

269
00:11:01,203 --> 00:11:03,505
which is like a crunchy
peanut butter with a kick.

270
00:11:03,605 --> 00:11:04,940
Oh, whoa!

271
00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:07,409
That is gonna be something.
You need to try it.

272
00:11:07,509 --> 00:11:08,577
Really, wow.

273
00:11:08,677 --> 00:11:10,612
First I'm gonna
take another bite.

274
00:11:13,649 --> 00:11:16,885
Mm. Mm.

275
00:11:16,985 --> 00:11:18,253
Home run, Chef.

276
00:11:18,353 --> 00:11:20,255
Thank you.

277
00:11:21,356 --> 00:11:23,258
Mena: Ivan's place has
been open to the public

278
00:11:23,358 --> 00:11:26,028
for over two years now,
growing out of a series

279
00:11:26,128 --> 00:11:28,230
of 10-person private
dinners he hosted

280
00:11:28,330 --> 00:11:30,766
with his partner Pedro
in their condo.

281
00:11:30,866 --> 00:11:34,036
Those homemade dinners
were so popular, the demand

282
00:11:34,136 --> 00:11:38,540
evolved into a full-fledged
restaurant: La Bartola.

283
00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:40,209
Right, wow.

284
00:11:40,309 --> 00:11:42,377
Ivan: Hello.

285
00:11:42,478 --> 00:11:45,247
So here we have
the black aguachile.

286
00:11:45,347 --> 00:11:47,282
It is similar to ceviche.

287
00:11:47,382 --> 00:11:50,185
On this side we have
hearts of palm

288
00:11:50,285 --> 00:11:53,055
wrapped with cucumber ribbons,
and then on top

289
00:11:53,155 --> 00:11:55,290
red pickled onions with
a little bit of habanero.

290
00:11:55,390 --> 00:11:57,226
Kinda a bit spicy
but not super-spicy.

291
00:11:57,326 --> 00:11:59,094
Then on this side,
king oyster mushrooms

292
00:11:59,194 --> 00:12:01,597
and plum with a little bit
of black salt.

293
00:12:01,697 --> 00:12:03,332
Mena: Wow. Beautiful,
And so, ceviche,

294
00:12:03,432 --> 00:12:07,136
typically raw ingredients
just cured with acid?

295
00:12:07,236 --> 00:12:10,005
So, similar idea here, right,
everything is raw, pretty much?

296
00:12:10,105 --> 00:12:11,440
Yeah, everything is raw.

297
00:12:11,540 --> 00:12:12,908
All right.
Well, cheers. Cheers.

298
00:12:13,008 --> 00:12:15,010
Ivan: Cheers.

299
00:12:17,446 --> 00:12:19,882
Mena:
Now let's dig in.

300
00:12:19,982 --> 00:12:21,750
(Crunching)

301
00:12:23,819 --> 00:12:25,287
Really, really
well-balanced

302
00:12:25,387 --> 00:12:28,390
and delicious way
to start a meal.

303
00:12:28,490 --> 00:12:29,691
Ivan: Thank you.

304
00:12:29,792 --> 00:12:32,194
Toronto's the perfect city
for La Bartola, I feel like,

305
00:12:32,294 --> 00:12:35,998
because it welcomes new ideas,
and it welcomes new cultures.

306
00:12:36,098 --> 00:12:37,866
So not only do you have
a Mexican restaurant,

307
00:12:37,966 --> 00:12:40,035
but you also have
a plant-based restaurant.

308
00:12:40,135 --> 00:12:41,303
Yeah.
Everything is plant-based.

309
00:12:41,403 --> 00:12:42,638
Everything is vegan, yeah.

310
00:12:42,738 --> 00:12:44,139
And so these are...

311
00:12:44,239 --> 00:12:45,874
Heirloom cherry tomatoes.

312
00:12:45,974 --> 00:12:48,644
We serve it with guava
and mezcal vinaigrette.

313
00:12:48,744 --> 00:12:50,913
Mena:
Tomatoes and cantaloupes.

314
00:12:51,013 --> 00:12:52,247
Ivan: Yeah.

315
00:12:52,347 --> 00:12:54,516
Mena: They feel soft, so
have they absorbed the syrup?

316
00:12:54,616 --> 00:12:58,654
Ivan: Yeah. The syrup is
a mix of star anise, allspice,

317
00:12:58,754 --> 00:13:01,790
a bit of piloncillo, which is
like Mexican raw sugar,

318
00:13:01,890 --> 00:13:03,559
cinnamon,
a little bit of salt.

319
00:13:03,659 --> 00:13:05,060
Mm!

320
00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:07,863
Christmassy flavour,
like holidays.

321
00:13:07,963 --> 00:13:10,833
Pumpkin spice in
a little cantaloupe.

322
00:13:10,933 --> 00:13:12,601
Ah, it's amazing.

323
00:13:12,701 --> 00:13:15,604
I feel very lucky to do this
here in the city which I love,

324
00:13:15,704 --> 00:13:20,375
and I'm very grateful with
Canada and with Toronto

325
00:13:20,475 --> 00:13:23,812
to giving me
this opportunity.

326
00:13:23,912 --> 00:13:25,581
Mena: Chef, what do
we have here?

327
00:13:25,681 --> 00:13:27,983
Ivan: This is one of
our signature tacos,

328
00:13:28,083 --> 00:13:30,385
braised hibiscus taco
with caramelized onions

329
00:13:30,485 --> 00:13:34,723
and shiitake mushrooms, and
on top there's salsa macha.

330
00:13:34,823 --> 00:13:39,127
I like to describe it as crunchy
peanut butter with a kick.

331
00:13:39,228 --> 00:13:41,263
It's not super-spicy.
It's very flavourful.

332
00:13:41,363 --> 00:13:44,566
It's sweet. It's crunchy,
nutty at the same time.

333
00:13:44,666 --> 00:13:46,101
It's really, really good.

334
00:13:46,201 --> 00:13:47,569
This is one
of my favourite tacos.

335
00:13:47,669 --> 00:13:49,838
The other hibiscus would
almost overpower the peanuts,

336
00:13:49,938 --> 00:13:52,207
where here the peanuts are
the perfect complement to this.

337
00:13:52,307 --> 00:13:53,508
Ivan: Yeah.

338
00:13:53,609 --> 00:13:56,845
Really kinda adds a pop
of nuttiness. Beautiful.

339
00:13:56,945 --> 00:13:59,648
This is like the first
dish made for La Bartola,

340
00:13:59,748 --> 00:14:02,050
for the restaurant,
because it was my dream.

341
00:14:02,150 --> 00:14:06,588
So to finally see my dream,
it is amazing.

342
00:14:06,688 --> 00:14:08,123
Well, congratulations.

343
00:14:08,223 --> 00:14:09,157
Thank you.

344
00:14:09,258 --> 00:14:10,559
Thank you, Chef.

345
00:14:10,659 --> 00:14:12,661
Ivan's journey is exactly
what makes Toronto special,

346
00:14:12,761 --> 00:14:16,131
a welcoming metropolis that
attracts diverse individuals

347
00:14:16,231 --> 00:14:20,202
searching for purpose, and
Ivan's purpose is crystal-clear:

348
00:14:20,302 --> 00:14:23,438
to make me tetelas.

349
00:14:23,538 --> 00:14:26,408
When I'm back in TO,
there's spots I gotta hit

350
00:14:26,508 --> 00:14:28,577
to satisfy my sweet tooth,

351
00:14:28,677 --> 00:14:31,880
and joining me,
my man Tesher.

352
00:14:31,980 --> 00:14:34,149
Saskatchewan-born,
Toronto-living,

353
00:14:34,249 --> 00:14:35,751
Tesher's single
Jalebi Baby

354
00:14:35,851 --> 00:14:38,854
exploded to the tune of half
a billion views on YouTube.

355
00:14:38,954 --> 00:14:40,389
♪ Baby let me see it ♪

356
00:14:40,489 --> 00:14:41,924
♪ Jalebi baby ♪

357
00:14:42,024 --> 00:14:43,859
♪ I just wanna eat it ♪

358
00:14:43,959 --> 00:14:47,396
With a TikTok dance craze
pushing another billion streams,

359
00:14:47,496 --> 00:14:51,166
he's a recording star on
the rise, and he has no idea,

360
00:14:51,266 --> 00:14:55,037
but he's in for a sweet
surprise: Honey's.

361
00:14:55,137 --> 00:14:57,506
{\an8}This is Toronto's only premium,

362
00:14:57,606 --> 00:15:00,575
{\an8}100% plant-based
ice cream shop.

363
00:15:00,676 --> 00:15:04,379
{\an8}Ashley Wittig's the owner
and super-genius behind Honey's,

364
00:15:04,479 --> 00:15:06,381
{\an8}named after her puppy.

365
00:15:06,481 --> 00:15:08,250
She's a prominent
vegan baker

366
00:15:08,350 --> 00:15:12,788
who spent the last five years
reinventing ice cream.

367
00:15:12,888 --> 00:15:14,823
Ashley, what's going on?

368
00:15:14,923 --> 00:15:16,491
Hi!
Welcome to Honey's.

369
00:15:16,591 --> 00:15:18,627
We make premium
plant-based ice cream.

370
00:15:18,727 --> 00:15:20,262
We blend all the cashews
in-house.

371
00:15:20,362 --> 00:15:23,198
We make everything in-house.
Just a very tasty place to be.

372
00:15:23,298 --> 00:15:25,100
Tesh, have you had
vegan ice cream before?

373
00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:26,301
'Cause you're not vegan, so.

374
00:15:26,401 --> 00:15:28,837
No, I have never had
vegan ice cream.

375
00:15:28,937 --> 00:15:30,138
No pressure, Ash.

376
00:15:30,238 --> 00:15:31,406
(Laughs)

377
00:15:31,506 --> 00:15:33,575
Okay. All right. What are
you gonna start with?

378
00:15:33,675 --> 00:15:35,944
I feel like I have to
start with birthday cake.

379
00:15:39,314 --> 00:15:42,017
Wow.
That is really good.

380
00:15:42,117 --> 00:15:43,285
You nailed it!
You nailed it.

381
00:15:43,385 --> 00:15:44,820
That's amazing. My god.

382
00:15:44,920 --> 00:15:47,222
That's a birthday cake, yeah.

383
00:15:47,322 --> 00:15:49,424
My god. I can't even tell the
difference between this and,

384
00:15:49,524 --> 00:15:51,593
like, non-vegan ice cream.

385
00:15:51,693 --> 00:15:52,995
We're getting good.

386
00:15:53,095 --> 00:15:55,263
And it's becoming so much more
accessible now, too, yeah.

387
00:15:55,364 --> 00:15:57,299
High five, yes.

388
00:15:57,399 --> 00:15:58,600
We're taking over, man!

389
00:15:58,700 --> 00:15:59,868
Is this like a conversion?

390
00:15:59,968 --> 00:16:01,136
Is this like an intervention?

391
00:16:01,236 --> 00:16:02,237
This is an intervention.

392
00:16:02,337 --> 00:16:03,572
We actually brought
you here for...

393
00:16:03,672 --> 00:16:05,307
A few of my friends reached
out and said we've

394
00:16:05,407 --> 00:16:06,408
got to do something about this.

395
00:16:06,508 --> 00:16:07,976
Exactly.

396
00:16:08,076 --> 00:16:10,345
Next, Ashley, we're
making a surprise flavour.

397
00:16:10,445 --> 00:16:12,881
Making ice cream is
the best part, yeah.

398
00:16:12,981 --> 00:16:14,883
So I'm gonna start by showing
you guys how we make

399
00:16:14,983 --> 00:16:16,651
the base vegan.

400
00:16:16,752 --> 00:16:18,854
First thing we're gonna start
with, most important thing

401
00:16:18,954 --> 00:16:20,856
about ice cream, is the sugar.

402
00:16:20,956 --> 00:16:22,924
So you're gonna
grab that sugar.

403
00:16:23,025 --> 00:16:24,192
{\an8}Put this whole thing in here?

404
00:16:24,292 --> 00:16:25,594
Yeah. Dump it in.

405
00:16:25,694 --> 00:16:27,195
{\an8}Alright.

406
00:16:27,295 --> 00:16:28,764
Oh yeah.

407
00:16:28,864 --> 00:16:30,632
Ashley: Next up, we'll
add a little bit of water.

408
00:16:30,732 --> 00:16:33,001
And let's grab
that sugar syrup.

409
00:16:33,101 --> 00:16:34,169
All of it in?

410
00:16:34,269 --> 00:16:35,337
Ashley: Yup.

411
00:16:35,437 --> 00:16:36,705
Alright, here we go.

412
00:16:36,805 --> 00:16:38,240
Ashley: So we give this
a stir, kind of

413
00:16:38,340 --> 00:16:39,708
marry it together.

414
00:16:39,808 --> 00:16:41,410
{\an8}Nice.

415
00:16:41,510 --> 00:16:43,545
And then we stick
it on our stovetop.

416
00:16:43,645 --> 00:16:44,713
{\an8}Okay!

417
00:16:44,813 --> 00:16:46,114
I would've never believed
that this is how

418
00:16:46,214 --> 00:16:47,482
you make ice cream.

419
00:16:47,582 --> 00:16:50,118
Mena: Next up, we melt the
fat, boiling that beautiful

420
00:16:50,218 --> 00:16:53,155
coconut oil and
cacao butter smooth.

421
00:16:53,255 --> 00:16:55,557
Ashley cruises through the
process, but it took a lot

422
00:16:55,657 --> 00:16:58,126
of hard work to make
it look this easy.

423
00:16:58,226 --> 00:17:00,595
So I probably tested
this maybe 1000 times.

424
00:17:00,695 --> 00:17:02,164
Tesher: 1000?

425
00:17:02,264 --> 00:17:03,765
Ashley: Every single
day for over a year.

426
00:17:03,865 --> 00:17:05,067
Serious?

427
00:17:05,167 --> 00:17:08,136
I would make this base, what
we're making today, and I

428
00:17:08,236 --> 00:17:10,238
would pop it out of the
freezer the next day,

429
00:17:10,338 --> 00:17:11,873
close my eyes, have a taste.

430
00:17:11,973 --> 00:17:15,343
And then from there I would
make the recipe for that day

431
00:17:15,444 --> 00:17:16,845
to kind of like push it along.

432
00:17:16,945 --> 00:17:20,015
So it was very time consuming.

433
00:17:20,115 --> 00:17:21,850
Wow, I thought making
a cookbook was hard.

434
00:17:21,950 --> 00:17:23,585
This sounds tedious.

435
00:17:23,685 --> 00:17:25,353
Ashley: It's pretty tedious.

436
00:17:25,454 --> 00:17:29,825
So next up we're gonna put our
creams into our big bucket.

437
00:17:29,925 --> 00:17:33,161
So you're basically just
combining the sugar and fat.

438
00:17:33,261 --> 00:17:34,629
Yeah.

439
00:17:34,729 --> 00:17:36,698
And then we use the blender
to emulsify it all together.

440
00:17:36,798 --> 00:17:39,301
Oh yeah, I see we've got
some heavy power tools here,

441
00:17:39,401 --> 00:17:41,236
alright?

442
00:17:41,336 --> 00:17:43,572
You don't mess with Ashley
when you come into the shop.

443
00:17:43,672 --> 00:17:44,940
(Chuckling)

444
00:17:45,040 --> 00:17:46,908
{\an8}Let's go! Let's get it!

445
00:17:47,008 --> 00:17:49,044
(Whirring)

446
00:17:51,680 --> 00:17:54,082
Mena: So it's time
for the surprise!

447
00:17:54,182 --> 00:17:55,417
We've got a surprise for you.

448
00:17:55,517 --> 00:17:56,985
Yeah, we've got a little
bit of a surprise.

449
00:17:57,085 --> 00:17:58,720
Oh, geez! Oh man.

450
00:17:58,820 --> 00:18:00,555
Ashley: Ta-da!

451
00:18:00,655 --> 00:18:03,458
We've making a jalebi
flavoured ice cream today.

452
00:18:03,558 --> 00:18:05,360
You'd think I'd have had
Jalebi ice cream.

453
00:18:05,460 --> 00:18:07,195
I have not had
jalebi ice cream.

454
00:18:07,295 --> 00:18:09,798
Mena: Jalebi's a traditional
South Asian dessert, like

455
00:18:09,898 --> 00:18:13,101
a neon funnel cake dipped in
syrup, a treat Tesher grew up

456
00:18:13,201 --> 00:18:16,138
eating at home and the
inspiration for his hit song!

457
00:18:16,238 --> 00:18:17,305
Oh yeah.

458
00:18:17,405 --> 00:18:18,740
Ashley: It's good, hey?

459
00:18:18,840 --> 00:18:20,709
You know what, I'll tell you,
whoever your jalebi guy is,

460
00:18:20,809 --> 00:18:22,978
send me his number because
he's doing a great job.

461
00:18:23,078 --> 00:18:25,113
They get the Tesher
stamp of approval.

462
00:18:25,213 --> 00:18:27,048
They do get the Tesher
stamp of approval.

463
00:18:27,149 --> 00:18:29,551
Mena: By now, the creamy
base is ready for that

464
00:18:29,651 --> 00:18:32,654
sweet jalebi, baby...

465
00:18:32,754 --> 00:18:34,256
Mena: When's enough, like...

466
00:18:34,356 --> 00:18:35,590
Ashley: All of it.

467
00:18:35,690 --> 00:18:37,259
All of it. Put it all in.

468
00:18:37,359 --> 00:18:38,994
I think this just brought
us closer together, Tesh.

469
00:18:39,094 --> 00:18:40,862
{\an8}Oh, it absolutely did.

470
00:18:40,962 --> 00:18:42,564
Grab your spatula
and then have at it.

471
00:18:42,664 --> 00:18:43,999
Tesher: Okay.

472
00:18:44,099 --> 00:18:46,101
When I made the song, I didn't
think I'd be making

473
00:18:46,201 --> 00:18:47,569
jalebi ice cream.

474
00:18:47,669 --> 00:18:48,870
Mena: Right.

475
00:18:48,970 --> 00:18:51,006
This has to be my favourite
jalebi-related thing that

476
00:18:51,106 --> 00:18:52,741
I've done so far.

477
00:18:52,841 --> 00:18:54,276
Yes!

478
00:18:54,376 --> 00:18:55,877
That makes me happy, man.

479
00:18:55,977 --> 00:18:57,646
Tesher special, right here.

480
00:18:57,746 --> 00:18:59,447
Jalebi baby.

481
00:18:59,548 --> 00:19:02,851
♪

482
00:19:02,951 --> 00:19:03,952
I like it.

483
00:19:04,052 --> 00:19:05,086
I think it's a home run.

484
00:19:05,187 --> 00:19:06,221
I like it.

485
00:19:06,321 --> 00:19:07,789
Wow.

486
00:19:07,889 --> 00:19:09,157
And the fact that it's vegan.

487
00:19:09,257 --> 00:19:11,126
I just can't get
over that too.

488
00:19:11,226 --> 00:19:13,028
I'm just in awe
that it's vegan.

489
00:19:13,128 --> 00:19:14,896
Like, that's just the thing
that I cannot get over.

490
00:19:14,996 --> 00:19:16,198
Right?

491
00:19:16,298 --> 00:19:18,333
Toronto's, like, an
incredible city obviously

492
00:19:18,433 --> 00:19:19,801
for music artists.

493
00:19:19,901 --> 00:19:21,136
Artists overall,
but music artists.

494
00:19:21,236 --> 00:19:23,004
I mean, we got you, we got
Drake, we got Bieber,

495
00:19:23,104 --> 00:19:24,206
Shawn Mendes.

496
00:19:24,306 --> 00:19:25,874
We've got all these
incredible music...

497
00:19:25,974 --> 00:19:27,175
Yeah.

498
00:19:27,275 --> 00:19:29,477
What about Toronto allows
Canadian artists in the music

499
00:19:29,578 --> 00:19:31,446
scene specifically?

500
00:19:31,546 --> 00:19:33,281
Because there's something
that's happened in the past

501
00:19:33,381 --> 00:19:35,717
ten years where it's just--
Toronto's been a hot spot.

502
00:19:35,817 --> 00:19:39,321
Man, I think it's really
the ethnic diversity.

503
00:19:39,421 --> 00:19:41,756
I remember listening to
like some Weeknd songs.

504
00:19:41,856 --> 00:19:44,025
And some of the riffs and
notes that he would hit,

505
00:19:44,125 --> 00:19:45,427
I was like...

506
00:19:45,527 --> 00:19:46,895
This kinda sounds
a little Indian.

507
00:19:46,995 --> 00:19:48,697
When you're surrounded by
all those cultures,

508
00:19:48,797 --> 00:19:50,732
you find ways to...

509
00:19:50,832 --> 00:19:53,235
They subconsciously just melt
into what you do, and I think

510
00:19:53,335 --> 00:19:54,603
you're better for it.

511
00:19:54,703 --> 00:19:56,271
And you're also
more relatable too.

512
00:19:56,371 --> 00:19:58,440
Yeah, it finds its way in
music, obviously, like we

513
00:19:58,540 --> 00:19:59,674
talked about.

514
00:19:59,774 --> 00:20:01,343
In food, of course.

515
00:20:01,443 --> 00:20:03,278
Like, I think we have one of
the best food cities

516
00:20:03,378 --> 00:20:04,546
in the world.

517
00:20:04,646 --> 00:20:07,349
The diversity here and
how authentic it is.

518
00:20:07,449 --> 00:20:09,784
You know what I always thought
was really interesting about

519
00:20:09,884 --> 00:20:13,488
Toronto was that Indian
food in 'Sauga, Scarborough,

520
00:20:13,588 --> 00:20:15,824
Brampton, even in Toronto that
will-- like, it's just as

521
00:20:15,924 --> 00:20:18,059
good as you get in India.

522
00:20:18,159 --> 00:20:19,561
Yeah, yeah.

523
00:20:19,661 --> 00:20:21,129
Listen, if you can find a
vegan chilli chicken,

524
00:20:21,229 --> 00:20:22,264
I will convert.

525
00:20:22,364 --> 00:20:23,832
I will just become
a full time vegan.

526
00:20:23,932 --> 00:20:25,300
I'm on it, man.

527
00:20:25,400 --> 00:20:27,035
That's the only thing
holding me back is the Hakka.

528
00:20:27,135 --> 00:20:29,304
Mena: Tesher, once we figure
out the Hakka,

529
00:20:29,404 --> 00:20:31,373
we got you, bro.

530
00:20:31,473 --> 00:20:34,142
(Train whoosh)

531
00:20:34,242 --> 00:20:37,178
Now, I know the word vegan
has historically rubbed some

532
00:20:37,279 --> 00:20:39,481
people the wrong way, but in
the last decade that

533
00:20:39,581 --> 00:20:40,982
stigma's fading.

534
00:20:41,082 --> 00:20:42,917
I've had a lot of
conversations about food

535
00:20:43,018 --> 00:20:44,319
since I went plant-based.

536
00:20:44,419 --> 00:20:47,389
We may all have different
POVs but ideally we have

537
00:20:47,489 --> 00:20:50,625
a dialogue, and we try to
learn from each other.

538
00:20:50,725 --> 00:20:53,595
So I wanted to make this next
stop for that very reason;

539
00:20:53,695 --> 00:20:56,131
to extend an olive branch to
someone with a different

540
00:20:56,231 --> 00:20:58,133
point of view.

541
00:20:58,233 --> 00:21:01,102
Antler, localvore resto run
by chef Michael Hunter.

542
00:21:01,202 --> 00:21:05,040
Chef Michael normally features
wild game on his menu;

543
00:21:05,140 --> 00:21:08,076
anything from duck
to deer to wild-boar.

544
00:21:08,176 --> 00:21:11,112
The hunter Chef is also
huge into foraging, crawling

545
00:21:11,212 --> 00:21:13,948
through the woods looking
for mushrooms and berries.

546
00:21:14,049 --> 00:21:16,451
For him, the forest
is his pantry.

547
00:21:16,551 --> 00:21:20,288
But in 2018, Antler was the
site of an explosive dust-up

548
00:21:20,388 --> 00:21:24,759
between animal-activists and
the meat-forward restaurateur.

549
00:21:24,859 --> 00:21:28,129
It started over foie gras and
ended in a counter-protest

550
00:21:28,229 --> 00:21:31,299
where Chef carved a
deer leg in the window.

551
00:21:31,399 --> 00:21:33,835
It was international headline
material, but it wasn't a

552
00:21:33,935 --> 00:21:36,905
great moment for the dialogue.

553
00:21:37,005 --> 00:21:39,140
Now, I'm not the type of vegan
who beefs with meat eaters.

554
00:21:39,240 --> 00:21:42,510
A big part of my journey is
listening to opposing views,

555
00:21:42,610 --> 00:21:45,747
so I reached out to the
Chef and said, real talk.

556
00:21:45,847 --> 00:21:48,049
Let's do this.

557
00:21:48,149 --> 00:21:49,884
And he kindly offered to cook
me a vegan meal,

558
00:21:49,984 --> 00:21:51,820
at his house, Antler.

559
00:21:51,920 --> 00:21:53,722
Cheers, chef.

560
00:21:53,822 --> 00:21:56,424
All great conversations need
to start with a drink, Chef.

561
00:21:56,524 --> 00:21:57,892
Thank you for having me.

562
00:21:57,992 --> 00:21:59,461
So I can't wait
to dig into this.

563
00:21:59,561 --> 00:22:00,995
What do we have here?

564
00:22:01,096 --> 00:22:03,765
Michael: This is a vegan
corn and chantrelle risotto.

565
00:22:03,865 --> 00:22:07,068
Arborio rice, creamed corn in
there, whole corn that I've

566
00:22:07,168 --> 00:22:08,903
sautéed, shallot, garlic.

567
00:22:09,003 --> 00:22:11,506
Mena: The risotto's
incredibly creamy.

568
00:22:11,606 --> 00:22:13,375
Obviously, the
mushrooms are delicious.

569
00:22:13,475 --> 00:22:14,943
And the colour
is beautiful too.

570
00:22:15,043 --> 00:22:17,512
Michael: And the salad,
it's a panzanella salad.

571
00:22:17,612 --> 00:22:20,348
There's heirloom tomatoes
that we've charred

572
00:22:20,448 --> 00:22:21,983
on a charcoal grill.

573
00:22:22,083 --> 00:22:24,185
Heirloom cherry tomatoes,
some shaved onion in, like,

574
00:22:24,285 --> 00:22:25,653
a gazpacho vinaigrette.

575
00:22:25,754 --> 00:22:28,022
Focaccia croutons in there
that are baked with

576
00:22:28,123 --> 00:22:29,491
an olive oil.

577
00:22:29,591 --> 00:22:31,926
That focaccia bread is just
absorbing that gazpacho,

578
00:22:32,026 --> 00:22:33,995
and the flavour in
there, oh my gosh.

579
00:22:34,095 --> 00:22:37,198
So you're probably thinking
what's a vegan show doing

580
00:22:37,298 --> 00:22:38,500
in my restaurant?

581
00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:40,068
(Laughing)

582
00:22:40,168 --> 00:22:42,637
But honestly, I grew up
eating a ton of meat.

583
00:22:42,737 --> 00:22:44,973
I great up Egyptian, so I've
eaten every part of an

584
00:22:45,073 --> 00:22:47,575
animal you can think of.

585
00:22:47,675 --> 00:22:50,712
From cow hooves to
stomach lining, the brain.

586
00:22:50,812 --> 00:22:51,880
All the fun stuff!

587
00:22:51,980 --> 00:22:53,148
Yeah, I've eaten it all.

588
00:22:53,248 --> 00:22:55,049
I want people to eat more
plant-based, there's no doubt

589
00:22:55,150 --> 00:22:56,351
about it.

590
00:22:56,451 --> 00:22:58,286
And I truly believe that
to really make a difference

591
00:22:58,386 --> 00:23:00,855
we have to understand each
other's points of view, and

592
00:23:00,955 --> 00:23:04,159
I think we just have to vow to
eat more plants, which you do,

593
00:23:04,259 --> 00:23:05,360
obviously.

594
00:23:05,460 --> 00:23:07,162
You forage in the
forest, you know.

595
00:23:07,262 --> 00:23:09,397
You're using ingredients that
are local, you know,

596
00:23:09,497 --> 00:23:11,699
from the area.

597
00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:17,105
As a chef and a hunter, you
know, I think myself and a lot

598
00:23:17,205 --> 00:23:21,042
of vegans have a lot in common
that, you know, not a lot of

599
00:23:21,142 --> 00:23:22,644
people necessarily know.

600
00:23:22,744 --> 00:23:26,181
How animals are treated and
how they live in the wild is

601
00:23:26,281 --> 00:23:27,549
really important to me.

602
00:23:27,649 --> 00:23:30,151
As a hunter, I prefer rifle
hunting or shotgun hunting.

603
00:23:30,251 --> 00:23:32,120
For the most part
it's instant.

604
00:23:32,220 --> 00:23:34,055
You know, to me that--
that's really important.

605
00:23:34,155 --> 00:23:37,792
Unlike factory farming, which
we all know is torturous and

606
00:23:37,892 --> 00:23:39,594
just brutal and disgusting...

607
00:23:39,694 --> 00:23:41,596
Michael: They're standing in
line, waiting to be killed.

608
00:23:41,696 --> 00:23:43,565
That is what really
drives me to hunt.

609
00:23:43,665 --> 00:23:46,935
You know, and to feed my
family with wild, natural,

610
00:23:47,035 --> 00:23:49,471
organic, you know,
meat and fish.

611
00:23:49,571 --> 00:23:52,407
The way I choose to live and
eat is very important to me,

612
00:23:52,507 --> 00:23:55,643
and with Antler I wanted to
share that with our customers.

613
00:23:55,743 --> 00:24:00,281
You know, I have a lot of
respect for everyone's diet,

614
00:24:00,381 --> 00:24:03,151
and whether you're, you know,
vegan, vegetarian, halal,

615
00:24:03,251 --> 00:24:05,286
kosher, whatever it is,
you're welcome in our home.

616
00:24:05,386 --> 00:24:07,522
We're a very small place.

617
00:24:07,622 --> 00:24:10,525
I like to think that we're
all like family, and you know,

618
00:24:10,625 --> 00:24:12,494
people are guests in our home.

619
00:24:12,594 --> 00:24:14,496
And you know, all are welcome.

620
00:24:14,596 --> 00:24:17,899
You put a lot of thought
into how you eat,

621
00:24:17,999 --> 00:24:19,334
and I think
that's important.

622
00:24:19,434 --> 00:24:21,769
I think that's kind of the
most important thing nowadays,

623
00:24:21,870 --> 00:24:24,672
is researching where your
food comes from, and if you're

624
00:24:24,772 --> 00:24:27,208
putting thought into it, and
making that choice, then

625
00:24:27,308 --> 00:24:30,578
I have to respect
that, you know?

626
00:24:30,678 --> 00:24:32,013
Likewise.

627
00:24:32,113 --> 00:24:33,815
Yeah, I can't
not respect that.

628
00:24:33,915 --> 00:24:37,285
You go out and you see where
your food is coming from.

629
00:24:37,385 --> 00:24:38,620
Yeah.

630
00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:40,655
Unlike a lot of people, that,
you know, end up going to

631
00:24:40,755 --> 00:24:42,757
a fast food establishment,
they're having a burger, they

632
00:24:42,857 --> 00:24:45,093
don't really ever think about
what that burger is or where

633
00:24:45,193 --> 00:24:47,428
it comes from or how it's
processed or any of that.

634
00:24:47,529 --> 00:24:49,764
At the grocery store, how many
people's hands it's actually

635
00:24:49,864 --> 00:24:53,034
been through before it goes
into your body is shocking.

636
00:24:53,134 --> 00:24:55,403
When did this philosophy
start for you?

637
00:24:55,503 --> 00:24:57,839
I grew up on a horse farm, so,
you know, being in nature and

638
00:24:57,939 --> 00:25:01,042
respecting nature was
a big part of my life.

639
00:25:01,142 --> 00:25:03,811
The documentary Food Inc. had
a really big impact on me.

640
00:25:03,912 --> 00:25:06,414
So the look into the factory
farm was pretty shocking

641
00:25:06,514 --> 00:25:07,682
to me.

642
00:25:07,782 --> 00:25:09,817
So like actually seeing
it for the first time.

643
00:25:09,918 --> 00:25:13,254
What Evolving Vegan is all
about is to understand what

644
00:25:13,354 --> 00:25:16,391
your food is coming from,
what you're consuming.

645
00:25:16,491 --> 00:25:20,695
And you know, that everything
you put into your body has an

646
00:25:20,795 --> 00:25:23,498
impact, whether it's on the
animals, the environment,

647
00:25:23,598 --> 00:25:24,866
your health.

648
00:25:24,966 --> 00:25:27,402
And as long as you understand
those three things, then you

649
00:25:27,502 --> 00:25:29,637
can make whatever
choice you want, man.

650
00:25:29,737 --> 00:25:31,739
Because it's your
body, it's your life.

651
00:25:31,839 --> 00:25:34,275
Like, who am I to
tell you how to eat?

652
00:25:34,375 --> 00:25:36,511
And who are you to tell me
how to eat, and what to

653
00:25:36,611 --> 00:25:37,812
put into my body?

654
00:25:37,912 --> 00:25:40,048
I don't think the whole
world is gonna become vegan.

655
00:25:40,148 --> 00:25:41,983
I don't think we're gonna
stop eating animals.

656
00:25:42,083 --> 00:25:44,419
But I think there's a
lot of common ground of

657
00:25:44,519 --> 00:25:46,988
a conversation of how we can
change some of the regulations

658
00:25:47,088 --> 00:25:49,057
and maybe make it
better for the animals.

659
00:25:49,157 --> 00:25:51,192
I try and tell my kids that,
you know,

660
00:25:51,292 --> 00:25:52,860
meat doesn't come
from the grocery store

661
00:25:52,961 --> 00:25:55,263
in a little pretty
Styrofoam package.

662
00:25:55,363 --> 00:25:57,632
And you know, I think that if,
you know, people eat meat,

663
00:25:57,732 --> 00:25:59,734
they should slaughter a chicken
once in their life

664
00:25:59,834 --> 00:26:02,804
because I think if people
actually saw

665
00:26:02,904 --> 00:26:05,807
what they're eating and
how it's being processed,

666
00:26:05,907 --> 00:26:07,575
I think they wouldn't eat
as much, and I think

667
00:26:07,675 --> 00:26:10,345
they would really value it
and respect it a lot more.

668
00:26:10,445 --> 00:26:12,647
I think there's a huge
disconnect that, you know,

669
00:26:12,747 --> 00:26:14,382
that was an animal
that was alive.

670
00:26:14,482 --> 00:26:17,619
And, you know, if they
actually had to kill

671
00:26:17,719 --> 00:26:19,354
that animal themselves,
I don't think

672
00:26:19,454 --> 00:26:21,222
they'd be throwing meat
in the garbage.

673
00:26:21,322 --> 00:26:23,257
Mena: You sounded like
a vegan there for a second.

674
00:26:23,358 --> 00:26:24,626
(Chuckling)

675
00:26:24,726 --> 00:26:26,628
Because a lot of vegans have
said that to me before, that

676
00:26:26,728 --> 00:26:29,731
you know, when we're having
this discussion, that they're

677
00:26:29,831 --> 00:26:32,500
okay with people eating meat,
as long as they slaughter

678
00:26:32,600 --> 00:26:36,437
it themselves, because then
they are a part of, you know,

679
00:26:36,537 --> 00:26:40,008
taking that animal's life
away, and you know, butchering

680
00:26:40,108 --> 00:26:42,010
it and processing it.

681
00:26:42,110 --> 00:26:43,578
Yeah.

682
00:26:43,678 --> 00:26:45,980
So what you just said actually
has been said to me by a lot

683
00:26:46,080 --> 00:26:47,682
of vegans, so that's
very interesting.

684
00:26:47,782 --> 00:26:49,350
Dialogue is important, right?

685
00:26:49,450 --> 00:26:51,519
And it's not just about
plant-based or not

686
00:26:51,619 --> 00:26:54,288
plant-based, it comes down
to politics, whether you're

687
00:26:54,389 --> 00:26:57,992
arguing with your wife or
your husband or your partner.

688
00:26:58,092 --> 00:27:00,995
When we don't take the time to
try and understand where each

689
00:27:01,095 --> 00:27:03,831
other are coming from, then we
end up pushing each other away

690
00:27:03,931 --> 00:27:05,199
even further.

691
00:27:05,299 --> 00:27:08,069
I can't control what you
believe or don't believe.

692
00:27:08,169 --> 00:27:09,904
Yeah, you can inspire someone.

693
00:27:10,004 --> 00:27:12,340
Yeah, I can try to inspire
you, but that's it.

694
00:27:12,440 --> 00:27:15,677
For me, a win is if people
just, you know, put a little

695
00:27:15,777 --> 00:27:17,412
more thought in their food.

696
00:27:17,512 --> 00:27:19,147
And maybe research
what they're eating.

697
00:27:19,247 --> 00:27:21,282
You know, for
me, that's a win.

698
00:27:21,382 --> 00:27:22,550
Thank you for the food.

699
00:27:22,650 --> 00:27:25,019
It's truly delicious, and I
love that it's seasonal,

700
00:27:25,119 --> 00:27:26,587
I love that it's local.

701
00:27:26,688 --> 00:27:29,590
And it was just a great
meal, great conversation.

702
00:27:29,691 --> 00:27:32,593
Well, thank you, it's been
a pleasure having you, and

703
00:27:32,694 --> 00:27:35,296
a really fun conversation.

704
00:27:35,396 --> 00:27:37,165
Thanks, chef, thank you.

705
00:27:37,265 --> 00:27:39,901
Thank you, Chef, for the food,
the dialogue and the common

706
00:27:40,001 --> 00:27:41,202
ground.

707
00:27:41,302 --> 00:27:44,238
Where we differ on eating
meat, we agreed on one thing:

708
00:27:44,338 --> 00:27:46,908
be thoughtful about your food.

709
00:27:47,008 --> 00:27:49,310
(Distant siren)

710
00:27:49,410 --> 00:27:52,780
What we eat and where
it comes from matters!

711
00:27:52,880 --> 00:27:55,883
Living in a metropolis with
millions of people, there can

712
00:27:55,983 --> 00:27:58,886
be a disconnect between where
your food is sourced and what

713
00:27:58,986 --> 00:28:00,822
you're consuming.

714
00:28:00,922 --> 00:28:03,858
{\an8}If anyone is pressing to
re-connect rural and urban,

715
00:28:03,958 --> 00:28:08,396
{\an8}the farm and city, the land
and its roots, it's Cheyenne

716
00:28:08,496 --> 00:28:13,301
{\an8}Sundance, and her eponymous
urban farm: Sundance Harvest.

717
00:28:13,401 --> 00:28:16,270
The values of eating vegan
and eating local aren't

718
00:28:16,370 --> 00:28:18,940
necessarily the same thing,
but they're often aligned;

719
00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:21,809
better for the environment
and lower carbon footprint.

720
00:28:21,909 --> 00:28:25,379
And come on, local's
fresher, and more delicious!

721
00:28:25,480 --> 00:28:28,983
At only 25, Cheyenne has
Toronto and the entire

722
00:28:29,083 --> 00:28:30,551
country talking.

723
00:28:30,651 --> 00:28:33,554
She's a food justice advocate,
a leader, a teacher, an

724
00:28:33,654 --> 00:28:36,124
inspiration in the food
sovereignty movement,

725
00:28:36,224 --> 00:28:38,126
and chiefly, a farmer.

726
00:28:38,226 --> 00:28:45,233
(Soft music)

727
00:28:45,333 --> 00:28:48,136
Cheyenne, Maya,
what's going on?

728
00:28:48,236 --> 00:28:49,737
Hey!

729
00:28:49,837 --> 00:28:52,006
Cheyenne, harvesting
radish, very nice.

730
00:28:52,106 --> 00:28:54,475
I saw the kale back
there, the tomatoes there.

731
00:28:54,575 --> 00:28:57,445
We've got some tomatoes, we've
got lots of greens happening

732
00:28:57,545 --> 00:28:59,080
because we're
coming into fall.

733
00:28:59,180 --> 00:29:01,282
So the cooler time of the
year, so we need to take

734
00:29:01,382 --> 00:29:04,352
the hot crops out and bring
the cool crops in.

735
00:29:04,452 --> 00:29:06,254
But I'm gonna show you around
this way so you can

736
00:29:06,354 --> 00:29:07,922
see the beans and you can see
the sunflowers,

737
00:29:08,022 --> 00:29:08,956
and the colours.

738
00:29:09,056 --> 00:29:10,358
I love it, let's do it.

739
00:29:10,458 --> 00:29:12,527
Let's go.

740
00:29:12,627 --> 00:29:14,962
Cheyenne started this
ground-breaking year-round

741
00:29:15,062 --> 00:29:18,132
urban farm just north of
the city to provide organic,

742
00:29:18,232 --> 00:29:20,468
healthy food to her
local community.

743
00:29:20,568 --> 00:29:24,372
You've had this farm now
for about three years?

744
00:29:24,472 --> 00:29:26,574
Cheyenne: Yeah, so I started
with half of my first

745
00:29:26,674 --> 00:29:28,876
greenhouse, and then every
year kind of just expanded.

746
00:29:28,976 --> 00:29:31,245
So 1.5 acres.

747
00:29:31,345 --> 00:29:33,281
♪

748
00:29:33,381 --> 00:29:35,616
In retrospect, wearing white
shoes was not the move.

749
00:29:35,716 --> 00:29:37,485
It was not the move today.

750
00:29:37,585 --> 00:29:39,921
Cheyenne: We have
some sunflowers.

751
00:29:40,021 --> 00:29:41,989
It's really important for
us to plant some flowers,

752
00:29:42,089 --> 00:29:45,293
especially for our beehives,
since they need pollen.

753
00:29:45,393 --> 00:29:46,828
Yeah, yeah.

754
00:29:46,928 --> 00:29:48,830
And we've got lots of carrots
that are growing for fall,

755
00:29:48,930 --> 00:29:50,231
because they kind of
blend well

756
00:29:50,331 --> 00:29:52,233
with that seasonal flavour,

757
00:29:52,333 --> 00:29:54,669
and then a diversified array
of cut flowers

758
00:29:54,769 --> 00:29:56,637
because we sell them
at the farmer's market.

759
00:29:56,737 --> 00:29:58,239
Something I wanted to
actually show you...

760
00:29:58,339 --> 00:29:59,373
Yeah.

761
00:29:59,473 --> 00:30:00,842
...is that we have sunchokes.

762
00:30:00,942 --> 00:30:01,876
And it grows
through the winter,

763
00:30:01,976 --> 00:30:03,544
and it tastes like
a potato.

764
00:30:03,644 --> 00:30:04,745
Potato, right.

765
00:30:04,846 --> 00:30:06,280
Sunchokes, kind of
like artichokes, right?

766
00:30:06,380 --> 00:30:08,282
They're kind of in the
middle between artichokes

767
00:30:08,382 --> 00:30:10,418
and potatoes.
And they're small, right?

768
00:30:10,518 --> 00:30:11,986
They're small, so
let me show you.

769
00:30:12,086 --> 00:30:14,622
I love artichokes-- oh!

770
00:30:14,722 --> 00:30:16,324
So they grow exactly
like a potato.

771
00:30:16,424 --> 00:30:18,159
It's a beautiful crop,
perennial, and it's native to

772
00:30:18,259 --> 00:30:19,760
this climate.

773
00:30:19,861 --> 00:30:21,028
Mena: You're only 25.

774
00:30:21,128 --> 00:30:22,396
Yeah, I'm 25.

775
00:30:22,496 --> 00:30:24,265
Mena: So tell me about
how'd you get this property?

776
00:30:24,365 --> 00:30:25,633
It's beautiful.

777
00:30:25,733 --> 00:30:27,268
So I have a long-term
lease, which is great.

778
00:30:27,368 --> 00:30:29,503
For a lot of my friends, and
myself, I can't afford to buy

779
00:30:29,604 --> 00:30:31,038
land in South-western Ontario.

780
00:30:31,138 --> 00:30:33,407
So doing things like community
land trusts, or cooperative

781
00:30:33,507 --> 00:30:35,610
land models, to actually like
make it more affordable for

782
00:30:35,710 --> 00:30:37,311
young people to farm.

783
00:30:37,411 --> 00:30:39,113
This is a Black and
Indigenous-run farm.

784
00:30:39,213 --> 00:30:41,749
And it's really important
to, you know, have space and

785
00:30:41,849 --> 00:30:44,252
agriculture where historically
we haven't been included.

786
00:30:44,352 --> 00:30:45,853
And I'm actually
the president

787
00:30:45,953 --> 00:30:47,788
of the National Farmers Union
BIPOC Caucus.

788
00:30:47,889 --> 00:30:49,690
So It's kind of like
within my duties

789
00:30:49,790 --> 00:30:51,893
to like make space
for community.

790
00:30:51,993 --> 00:30:53,461
Because the more farmers
we have in general,

791
00:30:53,561 --> 00:30:55,329
no matter the race,
the better.

792
00:30:55,429 --> 00:30:57,465
Having spaces like this is
important because we get to

793
00:30:57,565 --> 00:31:01,002
show youth of all ages, really
that you can farm, and it can

794
00:31:01,102 --> 00:31:02,403
be a living.

795
00:31:02,503 --> 00:31:04,171
(Upbeat instrumental music)

796
00:31:04,272 --> 00:31:07,008
Mena: Sundance Harvest is also
home to dozens of beehives and

797
00:31:07,108 --> 00:31:09,844
a healthy population of
pollinators making sweet,

798
00:31:09,944 --> 00:31:11,412
sweet honey.

799
00:31:11,512 --> 00:31:13,714
Which in the vegan world,
is actually a hot-button,

800
00:31:13,814 --> 00:31:15,416
controversial topic.

801
00:31:15,516 --> 00:31:17,718
Honey is technically an
animal product.

802
00:31:17,818 --> 00:31:20,288
Or by-product, depending
on how you look at it.

803
00:31:20,388 --> 00:31:24,692
The onsite beekeeper Selina
Rachel Mendez dedicates her

804
00:31:24,792 --> 00:31:27,862
time to keeping these hives
healthy and sustainable.

805
00:31:27,962 --> 00:31:29,263
Selina!

806
00:31:29,363 --> 00:31:30,765
Mena!

807
00:31:30,865 --> 00:31:32,099
How are you?

808
00:31:32,199 --> 00:31:33,234
What's going on,
Selina and Mena!

809
00:31:33,334 --> 00:31:34,735
Yes!

810
00:31:34,835 --> 00:31:36,737
Mena: I really wanted to do
this with you because honey

811
00:31:36,837 --> 00:31:38,673
can be very controversial
of course, right?

812
00:31:38,773 --> 00:31:40,241
For vegans.

813
00:31:40,341 --> 00:31:42,910
Some vegans consider
honey not vegan.

814
00:31:43,010 --> 00:31:44,078
Some do.

815
00:31:44,178 --> 00:31:46,580
{\an8}Honeybees tend to make
a surplus of honey.

816
00:31:46,681 --> 00:31:49,116
{\an8}But of course, it's
nourishment for the hive.

817
00:31:49,216 --> 00:31:51,686
So they continue to eat it
throughout the winter and

818
00:31:51,786 --> 00:31:54,255
through the months where there
aren't any-- there isn't

819
00:31:54,355 --> 00:31:55,556
any available nectar.

820
00:31:55,656 --> 00:31:58,025
So unlike dairy farming, for
example, like, you're not

821
00:31:58,125 --> 00:31:59,660
forcing the bees to be here.

822
00:31:59,760 --> 00:32:01,529
You're not feeding
them excess, right?

823
00:32:01,629 --> 00:32:03,064
Exactly.

824
00:32:03,164 --> 00:32:04,365
They're in their
natural state.

825
00:32:04,465 --> 00:32:05,700
Right.

826
00:32:05,800 --> 00:32:07,435
So they would hive up
and colonize anyway.

827
00:32:07,535 --> 00:32:10,471
So I'm just providing
the space for them to be.

828
00:32:10,571 --> 00:32:12,974
There are a lot of commercial
beekeepers who don't

829
00:32:13,074 --> 00:32:15,343
necessarily use ethical
practices and I wanted to do

830
00:32:15,443 --> 00:32:16,911
something a little different.

831
00:32:17,011 --> 00:32:18,879
Yeah, no, I'm glad we're
having this conversation,

832
00:32:18,980 --> 00:32:20,815
because knowing that about
commercial honey and what

833
00:32:20,915 --> 00:32:22,750
the differences are, I mean,
that's what it's all about.

834
00:32:22,850 --> 00:32:25,419
Part of the reason that I
started beekeeping was because

835
00:32:25,519 --> 00:32:27,388
I wanted to know more about
where my food came from.

836
00:32:27,488 --> 00:32:29,991
I went through this whole
process and culturally,

837
00:32:30,091 --> 00:32:31,659
honey's huge for me.

838
00:32:31,759 --> 00:32:33,761
There aren't a lot
of Black beekeepers.

839
00:32:33,861 --> 00:32:36,464
I started looking into bees
and their societies and

840
00:32:36,564 --> 00:32:37,798
I fell in love with it.

841
00:32:37,898 --> 00:32:39,800
(Upbeat instrumental music)

842
00:32:39,900 --> 00:32:42,970
Mena: I've always wanted
to see how this works.

843
00:32:43,070 --> 00:32:46,941
Selina: I try my best to only
do my beekeeping in a place

844
00:32:47,041 --> 00:32:49,577
that I find is sustainable.

845
00:32:49,677 --> 00:32:51,579
So this is an organic farm.

846
00:32:51,679 --> 00:32:54,148
In this colony, we
just have honeybees.

847
00:32:54,248 --> 00:32:56,684
Honeybees are hyper social,
which is what we call them.

848
00:32:56,784 --> 00:33:02,256
And so they can only operate
in a large colony like this.

849
00:33:02,356 --> 00:33:05,860
So you give them a
little bit of smoke.

850
00:33:05,960 --> 00:33:08,462
Sorry.

851
00:33:08,562 --> 00:33:11,332
Are you smoking me or the
bees, come on, Selina!

852
00:33:11,432 --> 00:33:14,201
Come on!

853
00:33:14,301 --> 00:33:17,204
I heard a rumour when I was a
kid that honey is like

854
00:33:17,304 --> 00:33:19,140
bees' spit?

855
00:33:19,240 --> 00:33:22,343
So they take nectar and to
take the water out, they put

856
00:33:22,443 --> 00:33:24,945
it between each
other's mouths.

857
00:33:25,046 --> 00:33:26,580
Mena: So they're making out?

858
00:33:26,680 --> 00:33:28,582
These bees are getting busy!

859
00:33:28,682 --> 00:33:32,420
(Chuckling)

860
00:33:32,520 --> 00:33:34,388
Whoa!

861
00:33:34,488 --> 00:33:36,390
Selina: Okay, so this is
a frame of capped honey.

862
00:33:36,490 --> 00:33:39,026
This is how we know it's
been stored and it's ready

863
00:33:39,126 --> 00:33:41,562
to harvest.

864
00:33:41,662 --> 00:33:45,199
I don't take any nectar, I
don't force anything before

865
00:33:45,299 --> 00:33:46,867
it's ready.

866
00:33:46,967 --> 00:33:49,103
But this capped honey means,
like, we're putting this to

867
00:33:49,203 --> 00:33:50,471
the side.

868
00:33:50,571 --> 00:33:51,906
It's not necessary
for right now.

869
00:33:52,006 --> 00:33:53,107
Okay, interesting.

870
00:33:53,207 --> 00:33:54,175
Do you want to hold this?

871
00:33:54,275 --> 00:33:55,209
Yeah, I'd love to.

872
00:33:55,309 --> 00:33:56,410
It's heavier than it looks.

873
00:33:56,510 --> 00:33:58,345
Oh wow, yes.

874
00:33:58,446 --> 00:34:01,248
It's so dense with honey
that that makes sense.

875
00:34:01,348 --> 00:34:02,416
Selina: Right.

876
00:34:02,516 --> 00:34:03,784
♪

877
00:34:03,884 --> 00:34:05,386
(Light buzzing)

878
00:34:05,486 --> 00:34:07,421
The thing I find most
extraordinary about this,

879
00:34:07,521 --> 00:34:09,056
obviously we've only spent

880
00:34:09,156 --> 00:34:10,724
a very short amount
of time here.

881
00:34:10,825 --> 00:34:13,160
But the honey you're buying,
that people are buying at

882
00:34:13,260 --> 00:34:17,164
home, it can differ so greatly
from how it's being colonized,

883
00:34:17,264 --> 00:34:20,601
harvested, you know,
all that kind of stuff.

884
00:34:20,701 --> 00:34:23,804
And it really has to do with
the beekeeper and, you know,

885
00:34:23,904 --> 00:34:25,873
the brand per se.

886
00:34:25,973 --> 00:34:27,274
Right.

887
00:34:27,374 --> 00:34:29,276
And so it's important I think
for people to really realize

888
00:34:29,376 --> 00:34:31,345
that the differences are so
small but they have such

889
00:34:31,445 --> 00:34:33,314
a vast impact.

890
00:34:33,414 --> 00:34:35,583
And if they do decide to eat
honey, just be cognisant of

891
00:34:35,683 --> 00:34:37,384
where they're getting it from.

892
00:34:37,485 --> 00:34:38,752
Exactly.

893
00:34:38,853 --> 00:34:40,020
Thank you so much.

894
00:34:40,121 --> 00:34:41,422
This has been incredible.

895
00:34:41,522 --> 00:34:43,157
Let's get out of here
before I get stung, okay?

896
00:34:43,257 --> 00:34:44,959
(Chuckling)

897
00:34:45,059 --> 00:34:47,962
Selina's clearly weighed the
pros and cons of keeping bees,

898
00:34:48,062 --> 00:34:51,265
and that thoughtfulness is all
you can really ask of anyone

899
00:34:51,365 --> 00:34:53,868
who decides to grow
their own food.

900
00:34:53,968 --> 00:34:56,637
♪

901
00:34:56,737 --> 00:34:58,873
(Upbeat instrumental music)

902
00:34:58,973 --> 00:35:01,442
No matter how short my visit
to Toronto, there's no way

903
00:35:01,542 --> 00:35:04,778
I'm leaving without some of
my Mom's home cooking.

904
00:35:04,879 --> 00:35:07,781
And even though my family's
lived here for decades now,

905
00:35:07,882 --> 00:35:09,483
her traditional Egyptian
dishes keep us connected

906
00:35:09,583 --> 00:35:12,353
to our roots.

907
00:35:12,453 --> 00:35:14,054
Everyone is welcome
at our table.

908
00:35:14,155 --> 00:35:15,723
So welcome...

909
00:35:15,823 --> 00:35:19,026
Toronto is my house,
but this is my home.

910
00:35:19,126 --> 00:35:22,897
{\an8}(Light music)

911
00:35:22,997 --> 00:35:25,199
Look at these beautiful
ladies in the kitchen here.

912
00:35:25,299 --> 00:35:26,467
Oh hello!

913
00:35:26,567 --> 00:35:28,302
Hi Mena!

914
00:35:28,402 --> 00:35:30,204
How are you, buddy,
how's it going?

915
00:35:30,304 --> 00:35:31,605
Hi Mena!

916
00:35:31,705 --> 00:35:33,040
Hi.

917
00:35:33,140 --> 00:35:36,010
So I brought you some
eggplant for your mahshi.

918
00:35:36,110 --> 00:35:37,444
Oh, so nice.

919
00:35:37,545 --> 00:35:38,979
You love the small ones.

920
00:35:39,079 --> 00:35:40,247
I love them.

921
00:35:40,347 --> 00:35:41,415
Where'd you find them?

922
00:35:41,515 --> 00:35:42,983
The Indian market,
the Indian market.

923
00:35:43,083 --> 00:35:44,285
And this is some honey.

924
00:35:44,385 --> 00:35:45,386
Oh, I need this.

925
00:35:45,486 --> 00:35:46,687
Yeah?

926
00:35:46,787 --> 00:35:49,390
We went to this amazing
beekeeping farm.

927
00:35:49,490 --> 00:35:52,126
When I come home,
I feel comfort.

928
00:35:52,226 --> 00:35:54,695
And I really do think the
comfort of my family home

929
00:35:54,795 --> 00:35:57,798
is connected to the food I grew
up with, the smells,

930
00:35:57,898 --> 00:36:01,068
the action, the constant swirl
of watching my Mom cook

931
00:36:01,168 --> 00:36:02,770
for our big family.

932
00:36:02,870 --> 00:36:05,472
How many times have
we cooked falafel?

933
00:36:05,573 --> 00:36:07,241
Countless.

934
00:36:07,341 --> 00:36:09,810
Every Sunday for 25 years.

935
00:36:09,910 --> 00:36:12,179
While it might've been tough
for my Mom to wrap her head

936
00:36:12,279 --> 00:36:15,316
around me going plant-based,
Egyptian food is incredibly

937
00:36:15,416 --> 00:36:18,852
vegan friendly: it's full of
staples like Baba Ganoush,

938
00:36:18,953 --> 00:36:20,988
and Egyptian-style falafel.

939
00:36:21,088 --> 00:36:23,357
And nobody does it
better than her.

940
00:36:23,457 --> 00:36:25,092
The falafel, you
press it down.

941
00:36:25,192 --> 00:36:26,427
It's not like a ball.

942
00:36:26,527 --> 00:36:28,095
Is that how they
do it in Egypt?

943
00:36:28,195 --> 00:36:29,363
Yeah.

944
00:36:29,463 --> 00:36:32,466
Lebanese way is just the
dough with the chickpeas only.

945
00:36:32,566 --> 00:36:35,836
But in Egypt we do
with-- Fava beans.

946
00:36:35,936 --> 00:36:38,872
But you always make it with
fava beans and chickpeas,

947
00:36:38,973 --> 00:36:40,741
the two...

948
00:36:40,841 --> 00:36:42,009
Yes.

949
00:36:42,109 --> 00:36:44,111
Look at that, right here.

950
00:36:44,211 --> 00:36:45,713
Egyptian falafel.

951
00:36:45,813 --> 00:36:48,649
♪

952
00:36:48,749 --> 00:36:50,784
We're excited for falafel.

953
00:36:50,884 --> 00:36:53,420
Mena: Sharing food at the
Massoud home is bigger than

954
00:36:53,520 --> 00:36:55,522
just putting something
in your belly.

955
00:36:55,623 --> 00:36:58,359
It's about tradition, it's
culture, it's hospitality.

956
00:36:58,459 --> 00:37:01,061
And like everyone, everywhere,
sharing food is about making

957
00:37:01,161 --> 00:37:04,698
memories, laughing, and
sometimes welcoming strangers.

958
00:37:04,798 --> 00:37:06,867
Or film crews.

959
00:37:06,967 --> 00:37:08,569
I mean, the boys are hungry.

960
00:37:08,669 --> 00:37:09,870
Get in here!

961
00:37:09,970 --> 00:37:11,772
(Chuckling)

962
00:37:11,872 --> 00:37:14,508
♪

963
00:37:14,608 --> 00:37:17,778
Mena: Good?

964
00:37:17,878 --> 00:37:19,346
This is classic Egyptians here,

965
00:37:19,446 --> 00:37:21,015
when everybody fights
over the cleaning.

966
00:37:21,115 --> 00:37:22,082
That's the thing.

967
00:37:22,182 --> 00:37:23,117
Everybody's just
going in for it.

968
00:37:23,217 --> 00:37:24,418
Well, I'm gonna let them
fight it out

969
00:37:24,518 --> 00:37:27,154
because I have important
business to do, okay?

970
00:37:27,254 --> 00:37:29,790
I have a very
important job to do.

971
00:37:29,890 --> 00:37:31,725
♪

972
00:37:31,825 --> 00:37:33,494
So...

973
00:37:33,594 --> 00:37:36,030
Mom, who is the best
helper in the kitchen?

974
00:37:36,130 --> 00:37:37,164
{\an8}Me!

975
00:37:37,264 --> 00:37:38,465
None of us!

976
00:37:38,565 --> 00:37:39,867
No, it was me!

977
00:37:39,967 --> 00:37:42,169
(Talking over each other)

978
00:37:42,269 --> 00:37:44,305
Getting together was so
important for us, right?

979
00:37:44,405 --> 00:37:47,374
It was a big part of what we
did and sharing things,

980
00:37:47,474 --> 00:37:49,343
and just bonding over food.

981
00:37:49,443 --> 00:37:51,545
Food was a time where we
all kind of caught up.

982
00:37:51,645 --> 00:37:52,846
Get together.

983
00:37:52,946 --> 00:37:54,181
Yeah.

984
00:37:54,281 --> 00:37:56,083
Mena: One of the many things
I really appreciate about my

985
00:37:56,183 --> 00:37:58,285
Mom, about my family, is that
after the tears, there was

986
00:37:58,385 --> 00:38:01,622
acceptance. And I love that.

987
00:38:01,722 --> 00:38:04,425
Our final dish is mahshi.

988
00:38:04,525 --> 00:38:07,795
It's the Egyptian version of
the common cabbage roll but it

989
00:38:07,895 --> 00:38:10,564
uses many other vegetables,
like grape leaves, my

990
00:38:10,664 --> 00:38:13,734
favourite, and bell peppers
with the same rice mix.

991
00:38:13,834 --> 00:38:15,602
It's delicious.

992
00:38:15,703 --> 00:38:19,973
So mahshi is one of those
dishes that, you know, you

993
00:38:20,074 --> 00:38:22,976
like to do as a family,
because everyone can chip

994
00:38:23,077 --> 00:38:24,244
in, you know?

995
00:38:24,345 --> 00:38:25,846
And it's not that hard.

996
00:38:25,946 --> 00:38:27,614
Like, you fill these peppers.

997
00:38:27,715 --> 00:38:29,883
Mom bosses you
around a little bit.

998
00:38:29,983 --> 00:38:31,985
It's all good.

999
00:38:32,086 --> 00:38:35,356
Usually the grape leaf, you
do it with the ground meat.

1000
00:38:35,456 --> 00:38:40,327
But because Mena's vegan,
we do it with the rice.

1001
00:38:40,427 --> 00:38:44,465
As we put the finishing
touches on the mahshi,

1002
00:38:44,565 --> 00:38:48,102
the table is set with all the
foods I grew up eating. Like

1003
00:38:48,202 --> 00:38:53,741
Koshari-an Egyptian staple
of lentils, noodles and rice

1004
00:38:53,841 --> 00:38:57,678
piled high and topped
with spicy tomato sauce.

1005
00:38:57,778 --> 00:39:01,815
Baba ganoush, pita, falafel,
fried onions,

1006
00:39:01,915 --> 00:39:04,218
plus all the smell,
the chaotic chatter

1007
00:39:04,318 --> 00:39:06,086
and the laughter I remember.

1008
00:39:06,186 --> 00:39:08,088
(Laughter)

1009
00:39:08,188 --> 00:39:11,191
All the things
that make a house a home.

1010
00:39:14,161 --> 00:39:16,630
Before I say goodbye
to my hometown,

1011
00:39:16,730 --> 00:39:19,366
I meeting up with some
of my closest friends

1012
00:39:19,466 --> 00:39:21,935
to reconnect and treat them
to a five-course

1013
00:39:22,035 --> 00:39:25,139
fine dining experience
at Avelo.

1014
00:39:25,239 --> 00:39:28,509
Their ever-changing tasting menu
is all plant-based.

1015
00:39:28,609 --> 00:39:30,611
And while not everyone here
is vegan,

1016
00:39:30,711 --> 00:39:33,680
we're all down
for a unique experience.

1017
00:39:33,781 --> 00:39:37,217
Avelo's menu delivers innovative
takes on high-end classics

1018
00:39:37,317 --> 00:39:39,720
like this plant-based tartare.

1019
00:39:39,820 --> 00:39:42,322
Roasted watermelon
marinated in Kampuchea,

1020
00:39:42,423 --> 00:39:45,325
topped with an endive
and parsley brunoise.

1021
00:39:45,426 --> 00:39:48,429
I have never had a fine dining
vegan experience before.

1022
00:39:48,529 --> 00:39:49,596
So, this is my first one.

1023
00:39:49,696 --> 00:39:50,664
The palates are unique.

1024
00:39:50,764 --> 00:39:52,032
It's not trying
to mimic meat, really.

1025
00:39:52,132 --> 00:39:53,634
It just tastes
something original.

1026
00:39:53,734 --> 00:39:55,602
Mena: And this decadent
buckwheat gnocchi

1027
00:39:55,702 --> 00:39:57,738
tossed in a fermented
porcini sauce

1028
00:39:57,838 --> 00:39:59,673
with sautéed chanterelles.

1029
00:39:59,773 --> 00:40:01,041
You can taste the vegetables.

1030
00:40:01,141 --> 00:40:04,311
I think that my main complaint
of most vegan places

1031
00:40:04,411 --> 00:40:08,282
is that it's deep-fried
or doused in so much sauce

1032
00:40:08,382 --> 00:40:10,117
that you can't actually taste
the veggies.

1033
00:40:10,217 --> 00:40:14,021
But you could really taste how
fresh all these veggies were.

1034
00:40:14,121 --> 00:40:17,157
Mena: Finally, this incredible
pina colada tart

1035
00:40:17,257 --> 00:40:19,460
with a pineapple
upside down cake,

1036
00:40:19,560 --> 00:40:22,596
fresh coconut mousse
and the pineapple purée.

1037
00:40:24,965 --> 00:40:26,500
Oh, my gosh.

1038
00:40:26,600 --> 00:40:27,835
That doesn't taste vegan, right?

1039
00:40:27,935 --> 00:40:28,836
No, it doesn't.

1040
00:40:28,936 --> 00:40:30,037
This is amazing.

1041
00:40:30,137 --> 00:40:31,038
There's no way this is vegan.

1042
00:40:31,138 --> 00:40:32,039
Come on!

1043
00:40:32,139 --> 00:40:33,040
(Laughter)

1044
00:40:33,140 --> 00:40:34,408
Mena:
Even a few years ago,

1045
00:40:34,508 --> 00:40:36,877
I find it nearly impossible
to take my friends out

1046
00:40:36,977 --> 00:40:39,980
for a full-on vegan
haute cuisine.

1047
00:40:40,080 --> 00:40:42,716
But tastes are changing,
options expanding

1048
00:40:42,816 --> 00:40:44,918
and I love seeing it evolve.

1049
00:40:46,420 --> 00:40:48,222
As me and the crew
grab a game of pickup

1050
00:40:48,322 --> 00:40:49,823
before our next adventure,

1051
00:40:49,923 --> 00:40:52,826
I have to reflect on
what a great food town

1052
00:40:52,926 --> 00:40:54,595
Toronto's become.

1053
00:40:54,695 --> 00:40:56,563
Diverse, plant forward,

1054
00:40:56,663 --> 00:40:59,533
echoing its multicultural base.

1055
00:40:59,633 --> 00:41:02,436
For me, it'll always be
the city where I grew up,

1056
00:41:02,536 --> 00:41:04,605
where I began my
acting career,

1057
00:41:04,705 --> 00:41:06,240
where my mom taught me
to cook.

1058
00:41:06,340 --> 00:41:09,343
And it's the city
where I evolved vegan.

1059
00:41:09,443 --> 00:41:10,677
And every time I come back,

1060
00:41:10,777 --> 00:41:13,413
I witness the city
growing and changing

1061
00:41:13,514 --> 00:41:16,717
and it reminds me how
we can all evolve.

1062
00:41:18,318 --> 00:41:19,586
Should we be adventurous?

1063
00:41:19,686 --> 00:41:22,923
I think we should because this
is what this is all about.

1064
00:41:23,023 --> 00:41:25,626
We challenged four people
to evolve their eats

1065
00:41:25,726 --> 00:41:29,062
and try going plant-based
for one week.

1066
00:41:29,162 --> 00:41:31,865
This week, try one of your
family's favourite meals

1067
00:41:31,965 --> 00:41:35,002
plant-based and some recipes
that I'm sure you're gonna love.

1068
00:41:35,102 --> 00:41:36,770
I'm really excited about this.

1069
00:41:36,870 --> 00:41:38,405
The best kind of surprise.

1070
00:41:38,505 --> 00:41:39,506
Are you excited?

1071
00:41:39,606 --> 00:41:40,607
Uh-huh.

1072
00:41:40,707 --> 00:41:42,042
Going plant-based
doesn't mean

1073
00:41:42,142 --> 00:41:44,711
you need to be all in
or nothing at all.

1074
00:41:44,811 --> 00:41:45,913
Health is wealth,

1075
00:41:46,013 --> 00:41:48,682
so I'm looking forward
to showing my children

1076
00:41:48,782 --> 00:41:51,885
that healthy food
can be fun and good.

1077
00:41:51,985 --> 00:41:54,054
It's family fare cooking.

1078
00:41:54,154 --> 00:41:56,023
It can be about
making small changes

1079
00:41:56,123 --> 00:41:58,292
that work with your lifestyle.

1080
00:41:58,392 --> 00:41:59,560
Moment of truth coming up.

1081
00:41:59,660 --> 00:42:00,827
That was the most surprising.

1082
00:42:00,928 --> 00:42:02,729
That's a really good
on-the-go type of food

1083
00:42:02,829 --> 00:42:04,865
that they like,
so I'm glad.

1084
00:42:04,965 --> 00:42:07,067
Lasagna!

1085
00:42:07,167 --> 00:42:10,203
They were so delicious that they
even had them later for dinner.

1086
00:42:10,304 --> 00:42:11,872
It's easier
than I thought it would be.

1087
00:42:11,972 --> 00:42:13,440
That's amazing!

1088
00:42:13,540 --> 00:42:18,111
{\an8}See how they did at
ctv.ca/shows/evolving-vegan.

1089
00:42:18,211 --> 00:42:24,718
♪

1090
00:42:24,818 --> 00:42:31,024
♪

1091
00:42:31,124 --> 00:42:39,733
♪

1092
00:42:39,833 --> 00:42:45,305
♪

1093
00:42:45,405 --> 00:42:49,276
♪

1094
00:42:52,579 --> 00:42:55,482
(Clicking)

1095
00:42:55,582 --> 00:42:57,484
(Soft music)