They’re going bananas at the Toronto Star. Cynthia David interviews banana-man Joe Meschino about his family’s banana business. David also investigates the rising price of North America’s favourite fruit, including plans to market them as healthy treats at checkouts. There’s also a recipe for banana pancakes.

Also in the Star, ethical coffee from Thailand, a comparison of what and how the different sexes eat (which would be far more useful/interesting if it also explored gender stereotypes and the influence of advertising and mainstream media), and a piece about corn pudding by Amy Pataki. Tamsyn Burgmann reviews Parsi restaurant Copper Chimney, and a piece from the New York Times wire service confirms what we already knew - eat your breakfast.

At the Toronto Sun, Rita DeMontis has a piece on the BBQ dinner Chef Ted Reader cooked up at the James Beard House. She’s also got a quickie piece on flaxseed as a condiment, and an article on Premiere Moisson breads from Quebec which are now available in Ontario. I got some samples of these breads as well, and I can vouch for their tastiness. Elizabeth Baird has a round-up of treats including the new menu at Senses and those awesome snaps cookies from ShaSha Bread.

The lead story at the Globe and Mail is about the rainbow hues of heirloom variety vegetables, and the cheese column features Allegretto, a sweetish sheep’s milk cheese from Quebec. Chef Michael Smith makes caramel sauce, and Heather McGhee Peggs writes about maple sugar season.

Alexandra Gill has a quickie piece on Dine Our For Life, a dining event that raises money to support people living with HIV/AIDS, which looks like Vancouver’s version of A Taste For Life (pssst! April 16th). Gill also reviews Richmond’s Zen Fine Chinese Cuisine. Also, Adrienne Clarkson discusses Sunday dinner.

In booze news, Patrick White reports that the hospitality sector tops the lists of industries with drinking problems, and there’s a Reuters piece about the smackdown between the Napa and Sonoma wine regions of California. Beppi Crosariol has a piece on versatile wines.

There’s more maple syrup at the National Post where Nathalie Atkinson visits her family’s syrup operations. And Anna Olsen is feeling the glee at the approach of spring and seasonal produce pairings.