Posted by Sheryl Kirby in news and media, on the web, wide, wide world of web on June 30, 2008 at 5:18 pm

TasteTO wasn't the only publication to show up at Yummy Stuff for their grand opening on Saturday. Our pal Suresh from Spotlight Toronto was there as well, and he's got a post about the sweet delights the shop has to offer. Suresh also has reviews of Waterfalls Tapas and Grill, as well as Veda TakeOut.

Over at Torontoist, Julie goes for a another Great Torontoist Challenge - this time dim sum. And Marc has an interesting piece on a couple of beverage companies and how people attending Pride (or anyone who doesn't want to give their money to anti-gay organizations) might not want to support them by buying their products.

The National Post Appetizer blog holds a blind taste test with a number of Central Canadian beers - with the winner being Hockley Valley Dark. Joshua from BlogTO heads to Etobicoke for the Ribfest, and Eric of Menumental flips some burgers for Canada Day. David Lawrason of Toronto Life gets a little cheeky when he refers to the "river"-themed Vintages release as "Some Decent Wines We Put Together From Europe at About $20 So That We Could Spend Lots of Money on This Glossy Spread in the Catalogue." Dude, isn't that every release at the LCBO?

Christine of Gremolata travels to Holland Marsh to check out what's growing within the mythical 100-mile radius, Noelle gives peas a chance, and there's a piece on St. Andrew's-by-the-Sea.

Posted by Sheryl Kirby in market basket on June 30, 2008 at 7:51 am

Sorauren Park Farmers Market
Sorauren Park, Sorauren Avenue south of Dundas street West
Mondays, 3pm - 7pm
May 26th to October 27th

The key to a successful farmers market? Ensuring that the community is onboard and that there will be enough customers to make it worthwhile. So the idea of setting up a market at Sorauren Park on Monday afternoons, when 300 kids (and their parents!) are in the park for soccer was a truly brilliant bit of marketing.

The Sorauren Farmers Market is another of the newbies this year, having held their first market day on May 26th. Prior to that, organizers had a couple of prepared food vendors set up in the park on Mondays to create a buzz with the soccer families. The close proximity of the Wabash fieldhouse provides washroom facilities as well as kitchen and dishwashing facilities, a boon for any market with the goal of being zero-waste, as this one is.

Posted by Sheryl Kirby in bakeries, cakes, shops on June 29, 2008 at 3:30 pm

Yummy Stuff
1660 Queen Street West
416-531-9732

All of the ladies who work at my vet’s office have been waiting with bated breath for the grand opening of the Yummy Stuff retail shop. For the past six weeks or so, while owner Morag Cleevely has been using the storefront as a industrial kitchen space in which to fill custom orders, the wafting scent of baking cookies and cakes has been travelling the three doors east past their office, taunting them with visions of frosting and pastry as they take their canine charges for a walk, yet leaving them frustrated and unfilled. While many neighbourhoods are becoming jaded by their selection of fancy treats, the folks here in Parkdale are excited by the prospect of our first real fancy bakeshop in, well, decades.

Posted by Sheryl Kirby in brunch, restaurant review, south american on June 29, 2008 at 8:15 am

Lula Lounge
1585 Dundas Street West
416-588-0307
brunch for two with all taxes, tip and coffee: $34

“Hey, did you know Lula does brunch?” my husband asked, waving a colourful postcard that he had found on the sidewalk at me. “We should go!” And so we do, because we like brunch and because we’ve always wanted an excuse to go to Lula. As our musical tastes encompass jazz but tend more to west coast swing than salsa and because we come more from the “unscrew the lightbulb” school of dance than anything so complicated as having to remember steps, there’s never been a really compelling reason to go there. Except – duh – the cooking of Chef Derek Crinson.

Posted by Greg Clow in in the papers, news and media on June 28, 2008 at 4:21 pm

We hope they're paying Corey Mintz the big bucks over at the Toronto Star, 'cause he's been writing his cute li'l ass off for them since came on board a few weeks ago. In today's paper alone, his byline appears on three articles, including a swooning review of the city's newest Mecca of meat, Atelier Thuet:

Dinner is zealously carnivorous. A two-foot butcher's platter ($30) is one of the best deals in town for $30. Every inch of it is covered in homemade sausages, at least a dozen - venison prosciutto, smoked pork neck, maple-cured pork loin - which our well-studied server rattles off like Rain Man at a spelling bee. A pair of thick terrines en croute, filled with rabbit, duck, pistachios and dates, sits at one end. The platoon of meat, with multi-grain bread and gherkins, aided by a pair of Blanche de Chamblis Belgian beers, is nearly a meal for two.

(Note: As Taste T.O.'s resident beer geek, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that the beer is actually called Blanche de Chambly, and while it's a Belgian-style wheat beer, it's brewed in Quebec. Sorry, Corey!)

Posted by Sheryl Kirby in blog-a-log, news and media, on the web on June 28, 2008 at 8:04 am

As readers of this site and my personal food blog will know, I'm not much of a fan of recipe posts; to me they scream to the world that the blogger has run of of things to say, and has resorted to blogging about what they had for dinner. The one huge exception to this is posts about seasonal food items - I actually really love coming across recipe posts about local produce in season, because I enjoy seeing what each person has chosen to do with a particular ingredient. For the past couple of weeks, we've included a lot of asparagus posts here in the Blog-A-Log column, and as the asparagus winds down (which reminds me, I should blanche some and freeze it before it's all gone!!), we move on to strawberries, which are all over the web this week.

Starting over at Closet Cooking, Kevin's got a gorgeous strawberry and feta salad, as well as strawberry frozen yogurt. Eric at Do You Know the Muffin Man? has strawberry rhubarb muffins, and Ferdzy at Seasonal Ontario Food has strawberry agua fresca. Ferdzy's also got a brilliantly green seasonal soup made from spinach, asparagus and peas.

Elsewhere, Dana McCauley's got an interesting post about real breakfasts, while Liz at Blog From Our Kitchen has cinnamon raisin bread (perfect for breakfast!), and Jasmine at Confessions of a Cardamom Addict has a recipe for spiced blueberry maple syrup (also perfect for breakfast!).

And anyone still looking for recipes should head over to Gothic Epicures VinCuisine, where Dean has a whole pile of recent cookbook reviews.

Posted by Sheryl Kirby in SOLE food, books, news and media on June 27, 2008 at 4:59 pm

Apples to Oysters
Margaret Webb
Viking Canada

Farmers feed cities. Deep down we know this to be true, but for most people the disconnect is so strong, we never think of the folks whose lives centre around growing the food we eat. But farming is not an easy job, and it takes a particular kind of person to dedicate themselves to the task, especially in a format of sustainable agriculture that concerns itself not just with making a profit but making the land and sea better than they were to start with.

In Apples to Oysters, author Margaret Webb spent two years travelling across Canada to learn about those farmers, visiting 11 farms from coast to coast to coast – one in each province and the Yukon, all family-run. In each case, she’s selected farmers who use sustainable methods, who have a respect and admiration for the natural resources they work with.

From an apple orchard in BC to a grass-fed beef co-operative in Alberta to a dulse harvester in New Brunswick, Webb touches down in each province and targets a farm offering a typical provincial crop, only farmed with alternative methods that honour and respect the animals or resources.

Posted by Greg Clow in events, events upcoming on June 27, 2008 at 8:55 am

If I were a betting man, I'd lay pretty good odds on next Monday having one of the highest rates of vacation and sick days this year as people take advantage of Canada Day falling on a Tuesday to get themselves a four-day weekend. And in typically Canadian fashion, many of the events happening over the next few days are celebrations of the diversity of our country.

Pride is the really big happening, of course, and you'll also be able to take side trips to Mexico, South Asia and the Nordic countries at various cultural festivals happening around the city. There's also a multicultural Canada Day celebration at Yonge-Dundas Square on the day itself, and one of Toronto's first multicultural festivals, the CHIN International Picnic, marks their 42nd year at Exhibition Place.

The full list of happenings for the next week follows below, and as always, our Events page has more information on these and many other upcoming events in Toronto and area.

Photo from City of Toronto website

Posted by Sheryl Kirby in news and media, rag round-up on June 26, 2008 at 3:22 pm

Gotcher glitter ready? It's Pride weekend, people! And while the agoraphobic in me stays far away from a crowd of a million people, those with enough fortitude to brave the crowds will need to eat. Steven Davey of NOW recommends Magic Oven on Wellesley Street. Davey's also got another list of Pride restaurants, as well as other hotspots along the parade route, but steers readers away from Soban. Graham Duncan checks out some gay cocktails like the "So Good It's Got to be Gay."

At Eye, they're waving the rainbow flag, but the restaurant column is over on the other side of town with a review of Atelier Thuet. There's no byline to this piece online, but the reviewer greatly enjoyed the place with only a few service missteps, but plenty of Thuet's awesome bread to fill in the gaps. Mmmm... Thuet's bread.

Rick McGinnis visits Craftburger this week at Metro, and if burgers aren't your thing Barb Holland has tips for grilling some tasty-sounding ribs. And it wouldn't be Canada Day without strawberries - this time with jalapeno peppers in the form of strawberry poppers. Also, James Beard Award winner Trish Magwood shares a mocha brownie recipe.

Posted by Melissa Bell in fruit and vegetables, prepared foods, shops, vegetarian on June 26, 2008 at 7:36 am

The Beet Organic Café and Market
2945 Dundas Street West
416-916-2368

Located across the street from the Academy of Realist Art and The Rue Morgue House of Horror, The Beet was established as a new addition to the Junction community back in February. While its proprietors took possession nearly a year ago, being situated in an historical building (a former TD bank) meant a lot more red tape than they originally anticipated.

But that was then.

Now, The Beet is a busy neighbourhood one-stop shop for organic takeout, seasonal/local produce, super-fresh smoothies, and socially-aware comfy goodness.

Posted by Sheryl Kirby in news and media, what's cooking on June 25, 2008 at 4:27 pm

The Toronto Star fulfils our sweet tooth this week with a whole pile of articles about sweet stuff. To start us off, Pamela Cuthbert checks out Xococava, the new chocolate shop by Chris MacDonald of Cava. Kim Honey explores the world of cake and frosting with a piece on Frostitution and their X-rated and fetish-based cakes, as well as an article on divorce cakes, a trend that has yet to catch on here in Toronto.

Also in the Star, Cuthbert has another piece, this one featuring Ruth Klassen and Monforte Dairy. Rob Ferguson reports on a proposal to change the silly rules that govern the signage for roadside farm stands and on the popularity of farmer's markets. And Gord Stimmell looks at Aussie wines perfect for the hot summer weather.

Posted by Sheryl Kirby in events, events upcoming on June 25, 2008 at 2:12 pm

Okay, I know I mentioned Dinner in the Sky in a round-up a month or so back, and at the time I was a bit sceptical of the whole concept. And I still am. But as it's never wise to pass judgement without knowledge, I've signed up to eat dinner next week at a table hanging from a crane 50 metres in the air.

And you can too!! (Edit: apparently the event is now fully booked.)

As part of Summerlicious, American Express is sponsoring the Canadian premiere of the Dinner in the Sky event on July 2nd and 3rd at Yonge-Dundas Square, and the public can join in for free. Sign up at the American Express website to book a seat for this truly unique dining experience.

Posted by Irene Ng in events, neighbourhoods on June 25, 2008 at 7:29 am

When the windows in my apartment start rumbling just a little bit harder from the usual pulsating beats on Church Street, I know Pride Week is nearing!

From both friends and strangers, I have always heard the line, "Church Street is all about the scene, not about the food," and since moving here a few years ago, I reckon there is some truth to this rumour. However, my time in this neighbourhood has led me to find some favourites, whether for a night out, fast take away or a lazy brunch. Through trials of good and bad eating experiences, plus insider tips from other food-savvy folk familiar with the Gay Village dining scene, here follows my top picks for satisfying an appetite while partaking in Pride Week festivities.

Posted by Greg Clow in beer, beverages on June 24, 2008 at 5:39 pm

Becks, Carlsberg, Heineken, Grolsch: all brand names that have become synonymous in North America with pale European lagers. What many drinkers don't realize, however, is that each of these names appears on a wide range of beers if their respective home countries, with the lagers that we're familiar with being the flagship products that are sent out into the world - essentially, the Blues and Buds of Europe.

Aside from Light versions of the main lagers, it's rare to see these other beers here in Ontario, which is too bad as some of them are actually surprisingly decent versions of more interesting beer styles. Becks, for example, does what is said to be a respectable Oktoberfest, while Heineken Tarwebok is their version of bokbier, a Dutch variation on the German bock style that is rarely seen outside of the Netherlands. And the most adventurous of the lot is Carlsberg, where they produce dozens of different beers including numerous craft-style products under the Semper Ardens and Jacobsen lines. Aside from a couple of Jacobsen beers that made a brief appearance at the LCBO last Christmas, the only way to try most of these is by visiting Europe.

Posted by Sheryl Kirby in SOLE food, farm to table, restaurant news on June 24, 2008 at 8:10 am

The jingle says “good things grow in Ontario!”, but that doesn’t mean they’re easy to find. Just ask owner Ian Sorbie or Chef Owen Steinberg of Il Fornello who have spent the last year adding Ontario-grown items to the menu for the 8-location chain.

Started last June, with a small separate menu of local, seasonal items that changed regularly, Il Fornello recently celebrated a full year of its All Ontario Menu, and in the past year, has diverted approximately $300,000 away from imported goods and back into the local economy, purchasing some 65 tons of local products ranging from root vegetables to oils, vinegars, meat and even grain from local farmers and suppliers.