Playing w/Food during COVID times
When Isabel and Abe met in 2016 there was an immediate spark. They both came to Canada in search for more and better opportunities around the same time; they both came from warmer climates and cultures (Venezuela and Mexico); they both started in marketing, advertising & design and switched over to food & culinary arts; they both had similar values - hard working, passionate, committed, creative, reliable and open minded; and definitely they both spoke the same languages, both literally and figuratively, not only food & creativity, but also Español.
Isabel and Abe met while working together on the Culinary Team of Master Chef Canada season 4, the hours were long and the days were hard. But at the same time it was a lot of fun and they learned so much from an amazing Culinary Producer. During those long days there was nowhere to hide, you either worked hard and were focused or things would not get done. And that was the first time they realized they could lean on each other.
Many other Food Network shows came and went and they started working more and more together under pressure cooker conditions, the kind of conditions that either make or break people. They supported each other and helped each other out, to the point of knowing they needed to do something outside of the shows and collaborate a lot more.
In 2017 they decided to launch a few pop-up dinner events where they would take over the quiet night or nights of a restaurant, create a whole atmosphere and menu from scratch, reach out to their people and connections and create a magical evening. And that is how Playing w/Food was born.
The funnest thing for them has been coming up with a concept and running with it. Creating the menus, designing all the marketing materials and communications, curating the venue and atmosphere, reaching out to people, ordering all the food and finally cooking and executing their vision for packed restaurants to enjoy. They love the fact that the two of them have control over the whole process from start to finish.
Some of the concepts included Vegan Mexican, Asian Pub, Latin Flavours, Middle East inspired Feast and Ancestral Flavours. The menus are secret until people arrive at the restaurant and then they get hit by a bunch of interesting flavours, textures, smells and lots of love from the passionate chefs.
When COVID-19 hit in 2020 and the restaurant industry was affected the hardest. It was time to start rethinking how to continue playing with food and how to encapsulate their flavours so others could continue enjoying it. They had just arrived from a Culinary Adventure in Mexico when this virus hit, so they were inspired and recharged. It was time to launch something new, while they wait for their beloved restaurant industry to recover.
Playing w/Food's Spice Mixes are their way to bring those flavours to your table. A punch of flavour encapsulated in back tins to excite your palate and for them - Isabel & Abe - to be present, even at a time when social distance is mandatory.
Order these Spice Mixes, play with them and continue playing with Isabel & Abe and their food as it continues coming straight from their hearts. Enjoy!