Foodie Friday!

Tyler Morrisson is only 15 but is already changing lives through his love for cooking. His mother is a breast cancer survivor. Tyler has used his passion to do an amazing thing. This article is spot on and I hope you enjoy it. Happy Friday loves!

Dominik Kurek, OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF
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Feb 18, 2011 - 7:00 PM
Young chef whips up dinner before walk


An Oakville youth who has a dream of one day being a chef is killing a pair of the proverbial birds with one stone; however, luckily for his guests he’s serving beef tenderloin.

The St. Ignatius of Loyola Secondary School student, Tyler Morrison, will be serving a five-course dinner this weekend to 35 guests in his family’s home. The money raised at the event, collected through donations and raffle tickets, will help him raise the minimum $2,000 entrance fee to participate in the Princess Margaret Hospital’s Weekend to End Women’s Cancers this summer, while also giving him the experience of serving a large house party.

The 60 km, two-day walk will take place this September, by which time he will have turned 16, the minimum age to participate. His mother, Catherine, a breast cancer survivor, has participated in the annual event each year since it started in 2003. This year, her youngest son will walk with her, as his older brother has done the past two years. Catherine said she is proud of her young son.

“It’s amazing. It brings tears to my eyes. I’m very proud of him,” she said. “He was a bit worried about how he would raise this money and in the summer he came up with this idea with some friends.”

“The walk started in 2003 in Toronto and my mom’s always been doing it,” Tyler said. “I’ve always been there at the start and the finish. I know how much work she’s done for it and the Princess Margaret Hospital has done a lot of research with the money.”

The dinner is already sold out. The guests will be family, friends and neighbours, basically the people who supported Catherine when she went through two years of treatments starting in 2002.

Tyler will not be working alone. He has a number of volunteers, who will be helping him both cook and serve. He created the menu, which includes five different appetizers, salad, soup, beef tenderloin with all the fixings and three different desserts.

“Tyler will make everything. We’re helping him. He oversaw the menu. He’s already made it once as a trial,” Catherine said.

Tyler has already earned a reputation for his cooking and the guests know what to expect of their meal.

“He’s pretty famous for his cooking already and (the guests are) coming for the dessert,” Catherine said.

Tyler said one of the desserts he plans to serve is his family’s recipe for a banana bar, which consists of graham cracker crust, with banana filling and chocolate icing.

Though there will be plenty of guests and volunteers helping to make things happen, Catherine isn’t too worried about the space constraints of her Denfield Terrace home.

“It’s great. We don’t mind at all. We entertain a lot and we’ll be moving all the furniture out of the living room and dining room to fit everybody.”

Tyler also rented some party gear for the dinner event.

He hopes to be a chef one day and said he’s had an interest in cooking for quite some time.

“I’ve always been into cooking. I’ve always been in the kitchen doing something as much as I can for dinner, for Thanksgiving, for Christmas. I always enjoyed watching,” he said.

At the Weekend to End Women’s Cancers, Tyler will walk in his mother’s Tutus for Tatas team, in which all members wear a tutu.

He also thanked his event sponsors: Longo's, Aesthetics in the Trails, Linda Joakim — Coldwell Banker and Pat's Party Rentals.