Posted by Greg Clow in magazines, news and media on November 25, 2007 at 8:12 pm
We've been a bit lax in our magazine review posts lately, having missed sharing our thoughts on an issue or two each of Toronto Life and City Bites, as well as a couple of newcomers. So going under the (perhaps deluded) assumption that people actually care what we have to say about such things, we thought we'd do a quick round-up of a few local food and food-related mags that we've read in last couple of months.
Well, actually, we'll be starting with one that we haven't read, since as usual we have yet to receive our subscriber copy of the December, 2007 issue of Toronto Life, even though other subscribers - like our friends at Torontoist - have had theirs for weeks now. The self-important conspiracy theorist in me likes to think that they've equated the Greg Clow on the subscription label with the Greg Clow who writes snarky things about them here each month and have been holding the issues back accordingly, but I'm sure there's something less nefarious going on.
Still, it's very frustrating, especially when this issue has a fun looking cover story by Chris Nuttall-Smith on 100 things to eat that are made in Toronto or unique to the city. Not to mention that the subscriber-only CityGuide this month is the Food & Drink edition. At least a couple of the food and drink articles are online, including David Lawrason's look at some wines from Brazil and Uruguay, and a preview of tomorrow's 4th Annual Wine Tasting Challenge at the Four Seasons.
Meanwhile, for those who think that paying for things is for suckers, there are now three free magazines available for the reading pleasure of Toronto food lovers. One of them is Edible Toronto, the first Canadian addition to the Edible Communities series of local food publications. Published on a quarterly basis, Edible Toronto is subtitled "Celebrating the Abundance of Local Foods in the Golden Horseshoe", and the Fall 2007 issue does so with features including an article on the Liberty Village Farmers' Market by Mary Luz Mejia; a look at the history, cultivation and cooking of beets by David Cohlmeyer; a profile of FoodShare by Gremolata's Malcom Jolley; and much more. Edible Toronto can be found at many food destinations throughout Toronto and surrounding areas, and PDF versions of the articles can be found on the website.
Also new on the market is taste, another quarterly with a focus on Ontario's local food and drink. While it won't be officially launching until Spring 2008, a 24-page preview issue was distributed at the Royal Winter Fair, and it can also be downloaded from their website. Features include "Why By Local?" by Liz Black; Lynn Ogryzo's profile of chef Paul Finkelstein; a look at Ontario corn-fed beef by Anne Howden Thompson; and plenty of recipes using the best of the autumn bounty.
Finally, the November 2007 issue of City Bites has been out for several weeks now, and it's jam packed with the usual assortment good reads including a cover story on some of the unsung heroes of Toronto's restaurant scene; Liz Allemang on knife expert Peter Hertzmann; a visit to Cambridge's Langdon Hall with Dick Snyder; and a dessert wine primer by Tonia Wilson. Look for it at various spots around town, or grab a PDF version from their website.
