Posted by Sheryl Kirby in news and media, what's cooking on May 14, 2008 at 5:39 pm
Sweet, sweet shooogar! On the front page of the Toronto Star today, health reporter Joseph Hall discusses a study revealing info that most folks with a sweet tooth already knew - it's genetic! We can't help it! The same gene might also be linked to obesity and diabetics risk which supports the argument that these other health concerns might also be genetic.
Elsewhere in the Star, Paul Moloney reports in the City Hall Notebook that city-run institutions are being urged to buy local food.
The food bill runs about $11 million annually, and it's proposed that $100,000 of that will be set aside for local purchases this year – an idea supported by environmentalists and food producers.
Councillor Gloria Lindsay Luby, chair of a council committee that tackles the issue tomorrow, says she's not sure a buy-local policy would work in the 10 homes for the aged, which require items such as bananas and orange juice that can't be grown locally, and must provide three meals a day to 2,600 residents for just $7 per person.
Uhh... councillor? There's another $10,900,000 dollars there with which to buy bananas.
Also in the Star, Josh Rubin heads south and discovers that American beer is actually pretty good. Amy Pataki looks at the communal restaurant table, and Gord Stimmell finds some blended wines that don't suck. There's also recipes for a potato omelette and stuffed mushrooms.
At the Toronto Sun, they're celebrating the 50s (right down to the Betty Crocker meatloaf), and Rita DeMontis looks at the anniversary of the Corningware casserole dish. Elizabeth Baird has a round-up of food news including a preview of next weekend's Doors Open Toronto event.
The National Post is also reporting on the proposal to include local food on the menu at city-run facilities, where Allison Hanes goes into even more detail on the objections from the cranks conservative councillors at City Hall. Amy Rosen discovers that vegan food isn't all that bad, while Stephen Hunt looks at the lure of meat for white guys. It's an excerpt from his book, The White Guy: A Field Guide, which may or may not be tongue-in-cheek, but proves that books about white folks and the things they like seem to be all the rage. The Appetizer blog includes an interview with Chef Andrew Milne-Allan of Zucca Trattoria.
At the Globe and Mail, they're gearing up for the May 2-4 weekend by grilling everything in sight - Adele Hagan offers tips. Chef Rob Feenie remembers Alsatian pizza; Cinda Chavich reports on David Wong's journey to the Bocuse D'Or; and Leslie Beck offers the same old - same old on how to use the BMI and other measurements to determine if you're too chubby (except of course, BMI doesn't measure age, muscle tone, frame size or other illnesses that might affect a person's weight).
Lauren LaRose looks at how Toronto shoppers are hoarding rice due to the global food shortage, and are exacerbating the problem. Alexandra Gill reports on the not-just Toronto-related problem of "lounges" where it's more about the booze than the food, and there's a Reuters piece on how the US may block some Italian wines because of the type of grapes.
