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Thanks to everyone who has been checking our daily #FebruaryMonthOfLove Blog.  During this month of record-breaking cold temperatures, the Riverside BIA has been giving you a daily reason to snuggle up with someone you love and celebrate our love for someone, something, someplace or whatever.  To inspire our Love – we have taken our inspiration from moments in history and special events from present times. Today, we look back in time to 64 years ago for some PanAm Love of the World!!

On this day in 1951 The first Pan American Games are held in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The Pan American Games are the world’s third largest international multi-sport Games; they are only surpassed in size by the Olympic Summer Games and the Asian Games.

Both the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games are held every four years for athletes of the 41 PASO (Pan American Sports Organization) member nations, each taking place the year before the Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games.

In the summer of 2015, 61 years after the inaugural PanAm Games, the City of Toronto  will Welcome the World as the Host City for the 2015 Games.

Toronto will welcome 10,000+ athletes, coaches and officials, along with roughly 250,000 sport spectators – united together to watch the Games, cheer on the athletes and be part of the Pan Am/Parapan Am experience.  The Village that hosts the 10,000+ athletes, coaches and officials is right at Riverside’s doorstep – across the Riverside Bridge.  This development is world class, and will be a lasting legacy in our community.  It was officially completed 5 days ago – February 20th – an impressive  5 months ahead of schedule, Below are some comments about the opening.

“The Villages’ facilities, including the award-winning Corktown Commons Park, are outstanding and I have full confidence that the space will be a true home away from home for all the athletes competing in Canada this summer,”  says Chef de Mission for the Pan Am Team Curt Harnettt.

The Game’s village is a symbol of the different people and cultures coming together to share and celebrate sport, said Saad Rafi, CEO of the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games Organizing Committee. “(It’s) a powerful reminder that this historic event is just around the corner. When the Games are over, we’ll have a vibrant, new waterfront neighbourhood, one with an already proud history and positive energy.”

The Canary District where the Athletes’ Village is now located was forgotten land, said Mayor John Tory.

“(It will be) a significant city-building legacy of the Games,” Tory said. “This new mixed income, transit friendly neighbourhood is a strong example of private-public partnership at its best.”

Along with parks and facilities the area will have 253 affordable rental units after the Games.

With this development happening  beside the Riverside BIA Westerly Gateway, for the past 3 years, the Riverside BIA has been getting ready to welcome the world.  We launch our welcoming  in June with our annual Riverside Eats & Beats StreetFEST !  This year we have an IgniteTO 2015 theme – celebrating the culture, heritage and food of the countries of the Americas.  The  BIA streetscape will be animated from June – September  to celebrate the Games and the countries of the participating athletes.   Stay tuned for details – we are busy planning all the activities now.

On June 5th, 2015 the night before  Eats & Beats StreetFEST there will be a special Bridge Lighting Launch Ceremony.  For the past 3 years, the Riverside BIA has been leading a $500,000+ Capital Installation and Riverside Gateway / Bridge Lighting Project.    Together with the City of Toronto, with funding help from several Corporate Sponsors including:Streetcar Developments Inc., Hullmark Developments , HarHay Developments, Ashlar Urban Realty, Bank of Montreal Queen/Broadview Branch and Il Ponte Cucina Italiana Restaurant we have created a lasting legacy and a Beacon for Toronto’s East End.  This project is so involved – we can’t include it in just one blog post –  visit here to get the details of the BIA Gateway and Riverside Bridge Lighting Project.

Today, the 25th Day of February Love, please celebrate Love of the World and a shout out to the opening ceremonies of the first ever  PanAm Games, on this day, 61 years ago!

Artist Rendering of Riveride Bridge – White Lights. On special occasions, the dynamic lighting will be in symbolic colors.

Stay tuned for Day 26 in #FebruaryMonthOfLove

Day 24 in our #FebruaryMonth of Love series has our 24th Love Celebration Post recognizing the concept of “Co-Working”, which supports entrepreneurs, small businesses, independents and all the wonderful members of the Riverside BIA and beyond.

On this day in 2015 – Love for Small Business History is Made, and Major John Tory has proclaimed this to be CoWorking Day in Toronto!

Mayor John Tory Proclamation

Coworking has grown in Toronto, gaining attention from media and other cities from around the world, but more importantly as we come together to share best practices and strengthen the local coworking industry, our spaces are better able to support the entrepreneurs, startups, freelancers, independents, consultants, and small businesses of Toronto.

Many Riverside BIA members are proud to be part of a very active group networking Group – Owners of East (OofE)

O of E is  a passionate and driven group of business owners and entrepreneurs from Corktown, the Distillery District, The Film District, Riverside, Riverdale, Leslieville, The Beach, and The Danforth. Owners of East is dedicated to promoting the entrepreneurial spirit, fostering business growth in our community and making a positive contribution to the well being of the neighbourhoods in which we work.

Owners of the East Executive Group

Owners of East is for business owners – Membership is open to entrepreneurs, freelancers, contractors and small business owners who operate within the geographical boundaries of Parliament, O’Connor, Victoria Park, and the Lake.  Their purpose is to foster the entrepreneurial spirit by building meaningful connections among members.

Theyncoordinate monthly events of varying formats that support our goals.  These events include learning events, forums to exchange ideas, and opportunities to advance your business by making connections with other business owners.  For more information please see their Events Page.

Owners of East also promotes and participates in online discussion through the Owners of East Facebook page, and through our blog which features informative business focused contributions from our members.  Visit here for more info.

A CoWorking Hub has recently opened in Riverside – The East Room

The East Room –  is a boutique style co-working membership club located in the growing creative hub of Toronto’s East end. It caters to forward thinking, creative professionals by providing the community, the location and the tools to grow their freelance careers or small business. Whether they are rooted in Toronto, telecommuting across town or across the globe, an East Room membership will allow them to always have a comfortable, productive space they can work and play within.

East Room CoWorking Space in RiversideTO

As a member, you will be part of a curated (read: like-minded) community of technologists, artists, designers and futurists whom you may grow your business with professionally as you share ideas or even merge talents as various project come and go.  Please visit www.Eastroom.ca for more info.

Thanks for Loving Riverside and showing your love with support for all the local small business – entrepreneurs and small business owners that have shaped the greatest hood to work, live, eat, shop and play in – #RiversideTO!

Check tomorrow – for the 25th Blog in our #FebruaryMonthOfLoveBlog

( Gourmet Popcorn with Black Olive from Olive & Olives- perfect for snacking while watching the Oscars:  Recipe is below)

Tonight’s the Night for Glitz and Glamour as the Hollywood “A-listers” make their down the Red Carpet for the 87th Annual Academy Awards Presentation.  On this day we have the 22nd daily Love blog in our Riverside#FebruaryMonthOfLove Series. This is the 2nd Part of our 2-part “Love the Oscars” Blog. Yesterday we covered getting your hair all glammed up.   Today, we look at how to host an elegant and hassle-free Oscar Worthy Dinner that will impress your loved ones!  We will showcase the three Riverside Businesses who have been nominated by the  BIA for the Best Oscar Dinner Awards.

We begin with an overview of the evening menu, followed by the the BIA Best Oscar Dinner Awards and complete the blog with  the easy to follow, gourmet Oscar dinner recipes .

1) The Oscar Party Hassle Free, Gourmet, Impress your Loved One’s Menu:

• Take your popcorn up a notch, and wow your loved ones with Olive & Olives Gourmet Popcorn with Black Olives
• Follow this up with  some Quail Egg Tapas  while watching the pre-show
• Serve up an elegant Orange & Olive salad during the opening monologue
• Feast on a gourmet roasted, BBQ’d or smoked meat entree – pre-pared fromButchers of Distinction at 738 Queen St East
• Finish it off with some gourmet ShortBread from Mary Macleod  639 Queen St E.  These cookies are good enough to be in the Oscar Nominee’s Swag Bags – Mary Macleod’s  is reputed to be where Mick Jagger buys his shortbread.

2) Riverside BIA Best Oscar Dinner Awards

May we have the envelope please:

The Best Producer of Appetizers  Award goes to: Olive & Olives at 779 Queen St East – Olives & Olives work with producers who create truly authentic and exceptional extra virgin olive oils of the finest quality.Olive & Olives,  was the first store in the country devoted to extra virgin olive oils, A tasting kitchen at one end and a large olive tree inside make it one welcoming destination for those with discerning tastes for the best olive oils and olive-base products.  Visit Mia and her team at Olive & Olives in Riverside – ask them for an tasting of their artisan Olive Oils and Fruit Vinegars.  On the shelves are rows upon rows of olive-based products including olives (in jars, not bulk), olive oils and vinegars.

The awards for Best Actor in a leading Main Course Role  AND Best Actor in a  Side Dish Role goes to the team at   Butchers of Distinction at 738 Queen St East.  They offer a range of ready-to-heat and serve foods prepared in their own  kitchens from their own produce. Roasted smoked and bar-b-qued meats; salads and side dishes ready to eat; marinated cuts of our prime meats and poultry are ready to cook and a range of pies, prepared dishes and stock and soups need only heating.  You will find something to please all the stars at your dinner!

The award for Best Actress in a leading role for the Grande Finale   goes to Mary MacLeod Shortbread. There really is a Mary and she founded  Macleod’s Shortbread  in 1981. She began baking her signature Chocolate Crunch shortbread from a small shop under the marquee of the Capital Theatre in Toronto. Her shortbread was an instant hit and after 30 years it’s still a Toronto, and now, international favourite. A true original, hers was the first business in Canada devoted exclusively to making artisanal shortbread.

Riverside’s Award Winning, Easy to follow, Gourmet Oscar Night Recipes:

Popcorn with Black Olive

Popcorn with Black Olive

Ingredients

3 tbs. of filtered extra virgin olive oil
½ cup of popping corn kernels
24 dried black olives without pits
2 tbs. of arbequina extra virgin olive oil fr
Fleur de sel

Preparation

Heat extra virgin olive oil in a deep pot and add kernels.

Pop the kernels and serve with olives. Drizzle with arbequina extra virgin olive oil.

Add fleur de sel and toss together.

Suggestion: season with your favorite spices.

Quail eggs tapas

Ingredients

1 quail egg  (if you can’t find quail eggs, substitute a small chicken egg)
1 slice of piquillo pepper
1 small slice of serrano ham
1 slice of bread
Extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

Grill the serrano ham under the broiler until slightly crispy and put aside.

In a frying pan, fry the egg in extra virgin olive oil without turning it over.

Put the ham, pepper and egg on a slice of bread.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Orange and Olive Salad

orange & olive salad

Ingredients

5 large oranges
¼ lb black olives, pitted
Radishes (for garnish)

For the sauce
8 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. lemon juice
Pinch of ground cumin
Pinch of salt

Preparation

Peel the oranges, remove the white membrane, and cut into quarters.

Cut the olives into julienne.

Arrange the orange quarters in a salad bowl and sprinkle olives on top.

Beat the extra virgin olive oil with the lemon juice, the cumin and the salt. Pour over the salad and serve at once.

Happy Entertaining – Check back tomorrow for Day 23 of our Riverside #FebruaryMonthOfLove Blog