What a Winter Market Visit in Toronto Taught Me About Food, Community & Ritual

 


I arrived at the market a little later than usual this morning — the winter light in Toronto is sharp, early, like someone turned on a spotlight. The sidewalks in Kensington Market were slick with last night’s frost, but inside the vendors’ stalls it was warm and vibrant, the smell of roasting chestnuts, spiced nuts, coffee, sweet maple syrup wafting.

As the founder of Peesh Kitchen and someone who lives in this city, I’ve learned that a market isn’t just about groceries. It’s about people, stories, memories. And today I found myself thinking: how often do we pause in our kitchens and ask ourselves what we’re really cooking for?

The unexpected ritual

I spotted a pile of pale-green Brussels sprouts, freshly trimmed. I asked the vendor “Where are these from?” She said “Hamilton area, right outside the city.” I nodded. I chose a bunch. She wrapped the stems in damp paper, handed it to me.

On the way out, I bumped into an elderly gentleman who’d just purchased the first maple-syrup-glazed donuts of the season from a little pop-up stall. He offered me one. I accepted. Warm, chewy, sweet with a hint of smoke. We stood for a second in silence, each enjoying the moment.

And then I thought: this is food beyond utility. This is bread and warmth, connection, delight.

Why that matters in a chef’s life

In the kitchen at Peesh Kitchen, I design menus for clients in Toronto who may be busy professionals, families celebrating, or friends gathering for a long afternoon of food and wine. But even in a high-end dinner, the elemental magic remains the same as that market moment: you want someone to feel welcomed, connected, alive.

So I bring home those Brussels sprouts and plan a simple dish: oven-roasted sprouts with maple-bacon bits, a dash of fresh apple cider vinegar, toasted hazelnuts. The flavours mirror that morning: the earthy green of the sprouts; the sweet hint of maple echoing the donut; the crispness of the hazelnut like the winter snap.

When we cook, we’re telling a story. And the greatest stories are local, seasonal, immediate.

The city-kitchen-community triangle

Toronto is a city of seasons, of change. Today’s winter chill reminds us of the shortness of daylight, the comfort of inside spaces. And when you loop in food, you get a triangle:

  • City: The market, the street, the vendor, the story of where food comes from.
  • Kitchen: The place we transform raw produce into meal, ritual into memory.
  • Community: The guests, the diners, the people sharing food and stories.

When that triangle clicks, you’re cooking with purpose. It’s beyond eating. It’s belonging.

A challenge for me

Here’s a little challenge I’m giving myself — and you’re welcome to join in: this coming weekend, go to one of Toronto’s winter markets (St. Lawrence, Kensington, Evergreen Brick Works, whichever you like). Pick one ingredient that speaks to you, something you wouldn’t usually choose. Ask the vendor the story of it: where it’s grown, how it’s harvested, what makes it unusual this season.

Then back home, cook that one ingredient simply. Let it shine. Don’t hide it under heavy sauces or masked flavours. Let it tell its story.

And when you serve it, share the story. “I picked this because…” That little moment of translation (vendor → you → your table) is what turns food into memory.

Final thought: food as living story

I often remind myself: as a private chef, I’m not just making dinner. I’m crafting a moment. In Toronto, where people come from everywhere and winters can stretch long, that moment matters.

When the city is cold and grey, the table can still be warm and vivid. When the day is short and busy, the kitchen can still connect us. When the market is bustling, we can still find the quiet inside: the crunch of a vegetable, the drip of maple, the laughter around the table.

So tonight, I’ll cook those sprouts. I’ll let the maple whisper the morning’s donut. I’ll invite someone in. And we’ll make our own story, in this city I call home.


Originally published at https://medium.com/@chefpeeshchopra/ on November 10, 2025.

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