Posted by Sheryl Kirby in news and media, what's cooking on January 31, 2007 at 3:51 pm

Today in the food sections...

In the Toronto Star, Jen Gerson reports from the Guelph Organic Conference at the University of Guelph where farmer and author Michael Abelman insists that we have to change our attitude and start thinking of farmers the same way we do chefs - like rock stars.

"The hysteria over arugula or heirloom tomatoes, the explosion of farmers' markets, the desire to meet face-to-face each week with the person who grew your nourishment goes deeper than just food. It may just be part of a desperate longing to be part of the real world," Ableman says.

Abelman also discusses the progression of the organic movement into stores like Wal-Mart. Organic nay-sayer Alex Avery, a big-agri representative, attempts to debunk the organic trend, calling it elitist.

Also in the Star, Susan Sampson, the Fare Lady, takes a tour of a real butcher's shop with the guys from The Healthy Butcher. I already knew that most home cooks weren't really interested in butchering and trimming their own meat (When was the last time you used a boning knife? Do you even own one??), but it turns out that most grocery store butchers aren't either.

Josh Rubin interviews Perry Mason from Scotch Irish Brewing about his Sgt. Major's India Pale Ale, and Gord Stimmel features wines from Italy.

Finally, Jennifer Bain reviews the new Charlie Palmer cookbook, Practical Guide to the New American Kitchen, which is even more practical than you could imagine, as it's got a splatterproof coating on all the pages. Spills wipe right off.

Over at the Toronto Sun, they're getting ready for Superbowl Sunday, with recipes and articles about Superbowl snack food.

In fact, Super Bowl surpasses New Year's Eve as the top party occasion, says Hallmark, and the American Institute of Food Distribution states SuperBowl Sunday is the second-largest day of food consumption -- the first being the American Thanksgiving.

With an estimated 800 million viewers world-wide, you just know supermarkets everywhere are bracing themselves for the mother of all smorgasbords.[sic]

Rita Demontis offers up some healthier, heart-smart superbowl fare like boneless Buffalo Wings and 7-layer dip.

And finally, for a little something sweet after all of that pork and pizza and cheese, Elizabeth Baird provides a recipe for a really yummy-looking lemon sponge pudding.