Our fourth and final event in our #EmpireAdulting series was a huge hit, thanks to Chef Mat Sutherland and his team from Etobicoke’s Cheese Boutique who entertained and educated us with their love for wine and cheese. The Empire Phoenix Presentation Centre in Humber Bay Shores was set up like a comfy living room with velvet couches and chairs, perfect for mingling and wine and cheese tasting. Guests filled the room as Mat began his presentation, and his team served hors d’oeuvres straight from their new For the Love of Cheese cookbook, accompanied by a variety of global wines that paired perfectly with the complexity of flavours and cheeses on hand.
The fun began when Mat started to decorate all the charcuterie boards with pickles, nuts, cherry jelly, tomato jam, unpasteurized honey combs, truffles, apricots, apples and almonds. “The perfect board is filling it with what you like,” Mat says as he scoops jelly out of a glass jar and delicately places it on the side of the Charcuterie boards. ” I always think you could have the things you enjoy.”
The atmosphere was contagious as groups gathered around the boards and discussed their favourite pairings and snap photos for their Instagram Stories. Things got quiet when boards were handed out and everyone was occupied sampling truffle-infused cheese and a selection of cured meats.
After the presentation guest stayed to mingle over a glass of wine and asked Mat questions. Two lucky guests went home with a $250 gift card to the Cheese Boutique – enough to create the ultimate charcuterie board at home – and everyone left with a signed copy of the Brand new For the Love of Cheese cookbook to take their cheese addictions to the next level.
Empire Phoenix in South Etobicoke’s Mystic Pointe neighbourhood is crafted out of the idea that owning a home doesn’t mean sacrificing your lifestyle.
Looking for some new recipes to try out? Be sure to visit our blog for great food and drink inspiration, including Sunday Best Lasagna, 20-Minute Carbonara and easy and delicious work-from-home lunch ideas.