Posted by Sheryl Kirby in news and media, what's cooking on July 25, 2007 at 2:14 pm

It's a small food section at the Toronto Star this week, with most of their food coverage devoted to the foods of Yemen. And truth be told, Yemen is one of those countries that really isn't notable for its cuisine - I guess most of us lump it into "Middle Eastern" and assume it's all hummus and baklava. Habbeeb Salloum points out that the Yemeni community in Toronto is very small (about 600 people) and we have no Yemeni restaurants, but it's worth trying at home. There are recipes for hor'l (beef shank stew), saltah (ground meat stew), lentil stew, hulbah (fenugreek paste) and zhug (a spicy relish).

Also in the Star, Josh Rubin enjoys the Summer Saison from Black Oak,  Jennifer Bain tests an asparagus egg-drop soup, Tamsyn Burgmann bemoans the lack of authenticity at the Thai-Vietnamese Fresh Rolls, and Vice Squad approves a vegan protein powder for smoothies.

At the Globe and Mail, Beppi Crosariol is inspired by rodents and tries his hand at making ratatouille. Crosariol also looks at Ravenswood wines.

Strawberries are done here in Ontario until fall, but down east they're in full swing and Chef Michael Smith enjoys some with his family. Heather Sokoloff looks at the latest foodie fad - butter. In Vancouver, Alexandra Gill looks at an earth-muffin eatery with upscale prices and Leslie Beck compares the fat and calories in those coffee-chain frappu-things with that of cheeseburgers. Go, on, guess which is actually healthier?

Even a serving of ice cream is easier on your waistline. In fact, you'd have to eat almost five servings (625 millilitres) of Breyers Double Churned Extra Creamy Triple Chocolate ice cream to consume as many calories as you would from the Tim Hortons Iced Capp Supreme.

And as someone staunchly in the anti-milk camp, I'm not even buying Beck's assertion that at least you're getting calcium and Vitamin D in your 450 calorie, 16 grams of fat beverage. There are better and healthier ways to get both.

At the Toronto Sun, Joanne Richard looks at cooking without cooking, by using small kitchen appliances to avoid the heat of the stove during the hot summer months. She talks to Angela Turner, author of Simply Summer - Gourmet Meals Made Deliciously Easy With Tips for Elegant Living (holy crap - got a title!). Those folks at the supermarket rotisserie chicken counter must love this book.

Also in the Sun, Elizabeth Baird is loving the blueberries with a selection of recipes to enjoy the lovely blue treat.