How a humble family breakfast is driving a Barrie chef to share his love of cooking
Chef Dario Tomaselli believes anyone can cook.
Over a nearly 40-year culinary career, the Barrie resident has run well-known kitchens across the world. He currently teaches cooking and helps budding restaurateurs develop their businesses. Now, he’s bringing that longtime passion for the kitchen to the inaugural three-day Medley Food and Drink Festival, which takes place at the July 20 to 22.
“The word ‘medley’ tells you everything you need to know,” he said recently while sitting in the Flying Monkeys Brewery, which is helping organize the event. “This is an opportunity to connect with yourself and other people through food, drink and music. It brings me back to my childhood and memories of Italy. The biggest message is about connection. Who said you can’t cook? We want to strip away the pretentious part and keep it simple. Enjoy cooking. Focus on your kids. Create a community. Food is a memory and an expression of a feeling that brings you back to being a child.”
So what is one of his most fond food experiences? The rustic, simple breakfast of stale bread, milk and coffee his grandmother would serve each morning before school.
Home cooks should focus less on producing professional-quality meals and more on what their families will remember and enjoy, Tomaselli said.
“There’s nothing wrong with eating macaroni and cheese, just research the type of products you’re putting in,” he said. “You can create using local ingredients. You can customize for people who want to be vegan or vegetarian or just want to eat well.”
Tomaselli and his wife, author Anita Heidema, co-founded the healthy lifestyle brand Passion is Cooking. They will showcase fun summertime recipes during the event.
“People who really understand food and drink will be coming there,” she said. “Dario is the chef, I’m the non-chef. People are intrigued with Dario and what he does with food. We’ve combined his 38 years of being a chef and what I do — healthy lifestyle (strategies) — and getting people reconnecting in the kitchen.”
More than 60 vendors will participate in Medley. Other culinary experts will also be on-hand, while five bands — including The Dirty Little Swing Thing, Northern Harbour and Fish Head — will provide entertainment.
A kids zone, skydivers, VIP zone, food demonstrations, tastings and contests, and car and boat shows are also scheduled.
“The festival is an opportunity for us to showcase our passion for creating exceptional culinary and beverage experiences while celebrating Barrie and its surrounding communities,” Medley Corp. partner Phillip Moore said. “We are overwhelmed by the amount of support and interest we’ve received and can’t wait to kick things off.”
Tomaselli said Barrie residents are fortunate to live in a “food belt.”
“I’m fascinated every Saturday morning by the (Barrie Farmers’ Market),” he said. “That’s the healthy way to start your weekend. We spend a lot of energy focusing on what type of fuel we put into our car and less time on the type we put into our system. It’s insane.”
For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit .