If it’s true that Toronto just copies what’s hot in New York, then we might find ourselves eating a lot of cheese curds and gravy in the next few months as the hottest trend to hit the Big Apple seems to be poutine, and The Inn LW12, the Quebecois-themed restaurant serving it up. Linda Barnard of The Star interviews the restaurateurs whose dishes of gravy-soaked fries and cheese seem to be taking NYC by storm, while the chef from the gastropub offers Jennifer Bain a recipe for Guinness-Braised Beef With Parsnip and Yukon Gold Mash. Linda Barnard also shares some recipes for cocktails from The Inn LW12, and we thank everyone very much for not calling them martinis.

Closer to home, we’re getting ready for soccer season and the FIFA Junior World Cup (Can we please find somewhere other than poor over-burdened Parkdale to dump these events? Pleeease? I like the footie and all, but the honking, flag-waving hooligans get really tedious after the first two minutes.), and chef Brad Long is creating a global menu of snacky-treats for the concession stands at BMO Field.

Susan Sampson features Martha’s Garden soups, and reviews the Pan Chancho Cookbook, while Linda Barnard reviews Anjappar Chettinad, a tasty South Indian resto in Markham.

Josh Rubin examines exactly what the hell happened at the Ontario Brewing Awards and then pours himself a good beer in the form of something long and German that I can’t pronounce (Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier - Märzen, to be specific).

Gordon Stimmell explores the ancient Carmenere grape of Chile, which creates a rich fruity wine similar to Merlot. This wine novice is sold.

Over at The Sun, Elizabeth Baird has me momentarily in a tizzy with her piece about local asparagus. I’m ready to head to the Price Chopper and demand they hand over the Ontario asparagus before someone gets hurt. Turns out she’s just getting us prepared for when the good stuff finally does arrive, with info on buying and serving the green spears of deliciousness. (Hey, you think this is excited and worked up, you should see me when fiddlehead season hits!)

Elsewhere in The Sun Rita DeMontis interviews Curtis Stone who I’ve got nothing snarky to say about as I’ve never watched his show. I think DeMontis should interview Paula Deen so I can tell you all how much I secretly wish Paula Deen was my grandmother so she’d bake me a red velvet cake while I hung out in her kitchen with her dogs… wait, I digress. DeMontis also offers up some recipes from Stone that sound pretty tasty, so even though he’s a pretty boy and not a twinkle-eyed Grandmotherly type with cookies, we’ll give him a thumbs up.