Workshop Series
Saturday, October 11, 10:00 am
Members $50, guests $60

Autumn Sunday Brunch
Sunday, October 12, 12:00 noon
Members $60, guests $70

There’s a philandering husband, a manipulative, social-climbing daughter, and plenty of scheming and wooing going on in James M. Cain’s Mildred Pierce. But the part we like best is that Mildred (besides serving as Joan Crawford’s comeback role in the 1945 film) responds to it all by opening a little restaurant, which grows into a veritable restaurant empire. Mildred’s got fortitude and spunk—and she can cook, too—both literally and figuratively. As such, she’s the perfect muse for the Toronto restaurant that shares her name. Of course, at this Mildred Pierce, the only drama is what’s on your plate. The menu is seasonal, the technique is French, and the references are Indian, Italian, and Mediterranean. Unless, of course, it’s time for brunch, in which case playful homage is paid to Mildred and her escapades—think Mrs. Biederhof’s (the other woman) Pancakes, or Mildred’s Scones.

Donna Dooher, the woman behind the modern, non-fiction Mildred Pierce, is a 20-year veteran of the food industry who possesses a self-proclaimed “zest for life, lemons, and martinis.” She earned a degree from the Culinary Arts Program at Algonquin College, worked at some of Ottawa’s fine restaurants, and did a stint at The Parrot in Toronto. In 1996, she established Avant-Goût Catering, and later opened the Mildred Pierce Restaurant. In 1997, she launched Cookworks, which offers not-so-standard cooking classes for everyone from kids to the corporate set, with whimsical themes, such as “other fish in the sea…,” “the secrets in the sauce,” “ a night at the improv,” “bladerunner,” and “icings on the cake.” For those who don’t plan to visit Toronto anytime soon, Out to Brunch at Mildred Pierce Restaurant is due out this month. In the meantime, join us for Dooher’s workshop and brunch, where you’ll learn to prepare (and get a chance to savor) a repast worth of a (drama) queen.