Posted by Sheryl Kirby in news and media, what's cooking on July 30, 2008 at 4:56 pm
They're cleaning up Beijing in preparation for next week's Olympic games and the many street food vendors are getting pushed out of the main tourist areas. Ian Marlow reports in the Toronto Star on how vendors are finding other places to set up shop, along with a Top 10 list of Beijing street foods, as well as 5 to avoid. Closer to home in the street food world, Corey Mintz checks out Tasty Thursdays at Nathan Phillips Square. Mintz also features soursop in his occasionally-occurring column on tropical fruit.
Also at the Star, Pamela Cuthbert has a piece on grass-fed beef, Josh Rubin sips a Kostritzer Schwarzbier (go ahead, say it three times fast), and Marion Kane offers a recipe for Thai Tofu salad.
At the Toronto Sun, Joanne Richard is doing crazy things with blueberries, including a blueberry grunt made on the BBQ, while Rita DeMontis gets X-rated with a pink vodka aimed at women (oh... so many snarky things to say... must resist... the urge... gah!!!). DeMontis also has an article on a product that doesn't make me want to go on a rampage in a nail salon - a line of baked goods geared toward people with food allergies - so no dairy, eggs or nuts. And Elizabeth Baird has a preview of some tasty events taking place at Harbourfront over the next few weeks.
Adam McDowell of the National Post looks at the revival of the retro cocktail (Again? Didn't we do that in 1997? Or is this another revival where people order a gin fizz and then realize they'd really rather just have a rum and coke?), and the reprinting of a number of cocktail books. Amy Rosen scores the recipe for the brie-stuffed French toast from the Hotel Intercontinental, plus there's Chartreuse and garlic on the Appetizer blog.
At the Globe and Mail, Chef Keith Froggett explains "gleaners" and why they taste good with pesto, Sue Reidl samples L'Hercule, a Quebec cheese reminiscent of Comté or Gruyère. Beppi Crosariol has some great advice on why it's best to avoid wine by the glass, and in Vancouver, Alexandra Gill falls for some cream puffs. And Torontonians can be comforted by the fact that gentrification is hitting the west coast as well as Gill dines at a restaurant on the east side where she watches a drug deal through the front window.
And in case we thought that the Canadian Olympic team would be out on the street trying the street food suggestions in the Star piece mentioned above, never fear - the Globe reports that athletes will be eating food prepared by a team of Canadian chefs.
