About
Chef Isabel & Chef Abe met while working in the Culinary Team for Master Chef Canada season 4. That is where they realized how much they had in common. Both came to Canada from a warm Latin American background, with education and experience in Marketing, Advertising and Communications but also now Chefs with a passion for ingredients and flavour combinations.
A year later, they worked on season 6 of Top Chef Canada where they became even closer as they relied on each other a great deal to manage the culinary team, to do the food displays for the show, order products and work on the pantry and all the ingredients.
As soon as that show ended, Isabel and Abe knew they wanted to do a lot more work together and that’s how Playing w/Food started emerging. They knew they wanted to create events and culinary experiences for the community. Serving delicious, nurturing and inspired dishes that came directly from their palates, imaginations and hearts.
Isabel & Abe have curated a whole array of dinners, brunches and experiences taking their guests on different culinary experiences from Asian pub inspired to Middle Eastern to Latin Flavours to meals around the world. They want all people to enjoy their creations, reason for which their menus are always inclusive: from vegan/vegetarian, gluten/dairy free and even Kosher options.
Abe and Isabel are driven by creativity and pleasing others. Together and separately have worked as chefs in restaurants, hotels, catering, food trucks, and culinary schools. They have worked on shows such as Master Chef Canada, Top Chef Canada, Iron Chef Canada, Bake it Possible, The Big Bake, Great Chocolate Showdown, Fire Masters, Just Like Mom and Dad & Food Network Canada’s Chef School.
They both have ample experience in food styling in video, photos & cookbooks and have worked for clients such as: Food Network, Pusateri’s, Sobeys, Nestlé Chocolates, San Pellegrino, Blue Dragon, Haagen-Dazs, Bell Media, Pfizer, Kii/Reko, Patack’s, The Gladstone Hotel, Daniella Silver, Norene Gilletz & Mighty Fine Brine.
Always looking for creative ways to mix all fields of interest from Food & Culinary to Communications, Design, Advertising, Marketing and really anything they can so they are always Playing w/Food.
Note: thanks to the photographers who have collaborated with us. Photographs here were taken by: Jasmine Deboer, Joanna Wojewoda, Katherine Barcsay, Isabel Sanchez and Abraham Wornovitzky.