Posted by Greg Clow in in the papers, news and media on July 14, 2007 at 3:47 pm

The wife and I have a phrase we use for the feeling we get after over-indulging at one of our favourite Indian restaurants. We call it "Indian food belly" - an obvious choice, perhaps, but also an indicator that a gut full of curry provides a much different sensation than pretty much any other food that you may go a bit overboard with.

Given her review of Amaya in the National Post, I think Gina Mallet knows what we're talking about:

A tandoori-roasted duck breast tempts -- the smoky taste of tandoori-roasted food, like our butter naan tonight, is an enduring favourite in the West. We plump for patrani machchi, halibut-wrapped in a banana leaf and lapped with an irresistible pinkish sauce that contains a blend of 21 spices and mint and ginger. "What else is in this?" we ask our excellent waiter, Korum, and he says coconut milk. The seamless blend of ingredients makes it hard to identify them properly. Chettinad chicken is a very hot South Indian curry with curry leaves, tomato and grated coconut. To sop up the juices, we order a spin on rice -- brown, wild blended with basmati, the rice that astonished foreigners because the Indians cooked it so each grain was separate from the others.

We're now surrounded by half-empty plates. Oh dear, Indian food has done it again. We've ordered too much! This is the danger of curry mania, which, if unchecked, may lead to orgy, even guilt.

Also in the Post:

• Michael Vaughan visits Scaramouche to try the summer seafood tasting menu, with a particular focus on the generally excellent wine pairings.
• Jon Azpiri looks at how several 2nd generation Latvians from Toronto have returned to the old country and taken the food scene in Riga by storm.
• Jason Chow tries some tomatoes, with helpful advice from chef Massimo Capra of Mistura.
• Bonnie Stern offers some recipes for a simple barbecue dinner.

In the Toronto Star, Amy Pataki heads out to Prince Edward County, an area of Ontario that has become a bit of a foodie Mecca in the past few years. Although based on her review of Michael Potters' Harvest, perhaps some of the hype is unwarranted:

Crisp-skinned wild bass, the "chef's catch," arrives with bland roasted fennel and too much butter. Potters should spend less time fishing and more time training staff. Even by the relaxed service standards of the county, our waitress is useless. She can't open the wine and has no idea of what's on the plates she carries.

Lemony tuna tartare with poached quail egg is refreshing, and the peppery tuna alongside is beautifully seared. It's the highlight of the evening, preceded by so-so scallops with stodgy ravioli and followed by mushy seared foie gras. I still haven't got any bread.

The mains are a disaster. Lamb is supposed to have a North African flavour. Instead, it tastes like it's been rolled in potpourri; the spinach is gritty and tastes of burnt spices. The partridge may be local but it's dry, the noodles as stiff as dowelling.

Pataki also had a sidebar with mini-reviews of two other PEC restaurants, Merrill Inn and Bloomfield Carriage House.
Also in the Star:

• Gordon Stimmell finds five gems amongst the many sauvignon blancs in the recent Vintages release.
• Marion Kane is happy about the recent studies that say dark chocolate is good for you (in moderation, of course), and gives a duo of chocolate recipes.
• Susan Sampson uses her rotisserie to cook lots of meat, including some Thai sweet chili ribs.

Over in the Globe & Mail, the roving review feature Cheap Eats is back in Montreal this week, with a review of Pullman by Simona Rabinovitch. Likely of more interest to Torontonians is the first in a series of articles in the Globe Toronto section documenting writer Sasha Chapman's attempt to stick with the shark-jumping 100-Mile Diet for three weeks. She quickly learns that as great as it is to eat local whenever possible, it's just not practical to stick with food grown or raised within a hard and fast 100-mile radius, at least not if you live in Toronto. Although if she feels as bad as she says about having to take away her children's peanut butter, she'll be happy to know that there is at least one peanut producer within 100 miles of the city.

Also in the Globe:

• Amy Verner explores the world of high-end gourmet salt.
• Beppi Crosariol gives some props to some fine examples of the often-ignored chenin blanc.
• Lucy Waverman makes three fancy-schmancy sandwiches.
• In the Focus section, Laura Penny looks at the socio-economic implications of "Four Digit Food" ($1,000 sundaes, $5,000 burgers, etc.), a trend that is perfectly summed up by expert as a "logical chapter of the look-at-me-I'm-an-idiot level of consumption".
• In the Travel section, John Lee hits the Virginia wine trail (bet you didn't even know that they make wine in Virginia!).
• And in the main section, a review of yesterday's Street Treats Fair mentions that councillor John Filion thinks the province's new street food legislation isn't good enough, with the specific foods listed - "pizza, samosas, burritos, beef patties and hamburgers" - being not much better than the hot dogs and sausages that are already available. Health Minister George Smitherman retorts that the new rules are flexible enough for municipalities to allow many foods that aren't specifically listed to be sold on the street, and that Filion is just sore because he wasn't invited to Smitherman's announcement of the new legislation last weekend. Filion responds "Am not!". Smitherman says "Are too!". Filion then calls Smitherman a "doodie-head", takes his souvlaki, crepes and empanadas, and goes home.