Posted by Sheryl Kirby in food for thought, news and media, on the web on September 30, 2008 at 5:12 pm

Here's some food for thought for today...

• Eat like a king! Okay, maybe you have to be a big fan of old books, but new technology at the University of Manchester is allowing people to look at 13th century books - including this cookbook - for the first time.
• The North Dakota Farmers Association opens a restaurant in Washington featuring food grown on family farms.
• The last place you'd expect to find a chop suey house - ethnically incongruous restaurants around the world.
• Can it actually be called a cupcake if it's bigger than a regular cake? Duff Goldman thinks so.
• But flat cookies stack better - baking hints to curb cookie spread.
• I'm astounded at the number of people who have never tried apple pie with cheese - could the TV show Pushing Daisies encourage them to make their pies better with cheddar?
• And finally, a woman in Iowa goes batty over her coffee.

Posted by Greg Clow in beer, beverages on September 30, 2008 at 7:58 am

The 2008 Canadian Brewing Awards were handed out last Thursday evening at a special event hosted by beer writer Stephen Beaumont and presented by TAPS Magazine at The Richmond. This was the largest year yet for the awards, with 239 beers entered from over 50 breweries across the country.

Even with all of that competition, Ontario breweries cleaned up, taking 35 of the 68 medals awarded.  Toronto's very own Mill Street Brewery did especially well, winning 9 medals (6 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze) as well as the Brewery Of The Year award for the second year in a row.

The full results appear below, and more information about the awards and the judging process can be read in the Fall, 2008 issue of TAPS.

Posted by Sheryl Kirby in food for thought, news and media, on the web on September 29, 2008 at 7:29 pm

Here's some food for though for today...

• Is it that sugar eases the pain, or that we all have our heads in the sand? "Cupcakes" trump "financial crisis" in Google searches this month.
• Note to foodie travellers to the US - ground raw cacao looks an awful lot like hashish.
• According to an article in the Economist, the world has a water shortage, not a food shortage.
• Does French cuisine deserve a UNESCO heritage designation? And if so, does the food from any other country or culture also deserve to be recognized?
• Breast is best... for babies. But what about ice cream? And if you say no, think about why it's okay for humans to drink the milk of other animals, but not our own species.
• And finally - smarter than your average bear - why hunt for huckleberries when hives full of honey are there for the taking?

Posted by Sheryl Kirby in events, events upcoming, farm to table, fruit and vegetables on September 29, 2008 at 7:39 am

We all know the phrase about comparing apples and oranges. We tell someone they’re a peach if we think they’re especially kind, and plum good is better than just plain good any day.

But what of the lowly pear? The average Canadian eats a mere 2 pounds of pears a year; they tend to be overlooked at harvest time when the other more extroverted fruit take centre stage. Yet pears are not only great eaten out of hand, they can be a versatile ingredient in both sweet and savoury dishes, and make delicious wine and cider.

Posted by Teresa Cheng in asian, fruit and vegetables on September 28, 2008 at 5:16 pm

It’s not uncommon to be afraid of the unknown or unfamiliar. And foods from cultures different from one’s own are no exception. With Toronto being made up of numerous regional and cultural communities, we regularly cross paths with regionally-specific foods that we may not be familiar with, even if we’re just taking the streetcar through, say, Chinatown.

An integral part of Toronto’s cultural and economic landscape, Chinatown is full of foods that are new to many people. Without knowing what's what, shopping there can be a daunting task. I have picked some common and easily accessible fruits and vegetables found at shops in the neighbourhood that are probably unfamiliar to many, to explain and demystify.

Posted by Sheryl Kirby in brunch, restaurant review on September 28, 2008 at 8:31 am

The Liberty
25 Liberty Street
416-533-8828
Brunch for two with all taxes, tip and coffee: $35

We joke here at TasteTO about the “Restaurant Makeover Death Watch”; the jinx that seems to occur to so many places that participate in this particular Food Network TV show. But the truth is that many restaurants that participate actually go on to do well; not necessarily because of the publicity or even the new décor or menu, but because the process is a rejuvenation of sorts.

Such is the case with The Liberty, the longstanding café in Liberty Village. Already a successful neighbourhood lunch and dinner spot, a revamp of their menu on the show was quickly discarded after the film crews left, and even the renovated décor was tweaked to suit their needs better than the designer was able to.

Posted by Greg Clow in in the papers, news and media on September 27, 2008 at 3:05 pm

Here’s a round-up of the food & drink articles in Toronto’s papers today…

Globe & Mail:

• Joanne Kates is delighted by the afternoon tea at C5 (although the headline writer for the review deserves a smack for calling it "high tea", because it's not).
• Beppi Crosariol thinks pink - Pink Floyd, that is - and reviews Dark Side Of The Moon Shiraz from Australia's Claymore Wines.
• Lucy Waverman offers some recipes that are free of common food allergens such as nuts, eggs, dairy and seafood.
• Sasha Chapman looks at how faith and food are coming together with a community shared agriculture project at First Narayever Synagogue.
• Tenille Bonoguore checks out the exclusive new Wine Room at the ACC's Platinum Club.

Posted by Sheryl Kirby in blog-a-log, news and media, on the web on September 27, 2008 at 8:27 am

Tons of great posts from Toronto food bloggers today. Check them out!

• BBQ Blog Canada - Jason lightens up the end of barbeque season with peach sangria.
• Confessions of a Cardamom Addict - Jasmine looks at using up scraps and the new food frugality.
• Dana McCauley - Dana has quick and easy instructions on how to roast a chicken.
• Dairy of a Feeder - Paul makes bakuteh and chili dipping sauce.
• Edible Tulip - Daphne celebrates the fall harvest season.
• Gothic Epicures VinCuisine - Dean reviews The No Nonsense Guide to World Food by Wayne Roberts.
• Kalofagas - Peter makes plum tarte tatin with cinnamon ice cream.
• Mmm, Tasty - Candice has a tale of two cupcakes.
• On the Road with the Grape Guy - Michael recaps the Chilean wine preview.
• Save Your Fork - I look at the possible beginnings of a foodie backlash with the new McDonald's ads.
• Seasonal Ontario Food - Ferdzy makes sweet fruit pizza.
• Seven Spoons - Tara reviews Marty's World Famous Cookbook.
• Swine Flavoured Smoke Signals - a review of Caplansky's.
• The DeLish Bite - Lindsay celebrates fall with soup.
• What Smells So Good? - Sarah finds a use for all those carrots from her garden.

Posted by Sheryl Kirby in food for thought, news and media, on the web on September 26, 2008 at 9:01 pm

Here's some food for thought for today...

• Could price fixing be responsible for rising food costs?
• The growing market for celebrity wine. Surprisingly, some of it's even pretty good.
• Rumours abound of a potential Starbucks location opening up in Kensington Market. It is to laugh - remember how popular that Nike art gallery was? It's unlikely the locals would put up with it.
• What would you add if you had to compile a 6,000 calorie menu?
• Or, you could just eat lots of Splenda - according to a new study, it may cause weight gain, not assist in weight loss.
• A 12-year-old McDonald's hamburger looks as good as new. Ewwww.
• And finally - remember those $500 burgers and $1000 ice cream sundaes that were so popular a year ago? Now NYC restaurants are offering features like the Dow Depression Special where they take a penny off the cost of entrées for every point the Dow drops that day.

Posted by Rod Weatherbie in italian, restaurant review on September 26, 2008 at 3:20 pm

Pizzeria Libretto
221 Ossington Avenue
416-532-8000
Dinner for two with all taxes, tip and wine: $80

The recent buzz about Pizzeria Libretto has led the newest Ossington restaurant to run out of pizza dough on at least two occasions in the last month. All good restaurants should have this problem.

Since it opened in late August, the place has been packed. Walking by is akin to running a Terroni-like gauntlet of smoking hipsters, locals and foodies. Line-ups are out the door, and Pizzeria Libretto has a firm ‘no reservations’ policy.

Posted by Greg Clow in events, events upcoming on September 26, 2008 at 7:43 am

While the weather hasn't yet gotten cold enough for people to start longing for the tropics, there are a few events happening in the next week that will give Torontonians a taste of the south.

Already underway and running until Sunday at various venues along Queen Street West is the Havana Cultura Festival, celebrating the art, music, culture, food and drink of Cuba. Today features two public events in the schedule of the Caribbean Week trade and media conference: a free Caribbean Fair at Yonge-Dundas Square, and a ticketed Rum & Rhythm party at the Westin Habour Castle. And next Wednesday is the annual Chilean Wine Festival in the Distillery District, followed by a Chilean Winemaker's Dinner at reds on Thursday.

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.

Posted by Sheryl Kirby in food for thought, news and media, on the web on September 25, 2008 at 8:05 pm

Here's some food for thought for today...

• Think your local park needs a bake-oven? Despite the benefits, the city has other ideas.
• Holidays are not immune to the greening trend - tips on an eco-friendly Rosh Hashanah.
• "One pill makes you larger, and one pill makes you small"... The much-loved White Rabbit candies have traces of that tasty Chinese melamine.
• Dear Hershey's candy company - the word chocolate doesn't have a "y" at the end.
• Britons debate the consequences of the end of cheap food.
• Who needs all that space on the package for silly stuff like nutritional information when you can slap a phone service ad on your bread bag instead?
• Korea's got their own version of Suicide Food.
• And finally, all you folks who hate jazz and don't actually know where Paraguay is but pretend to because you like to drink lattes, McDonald's wants you to throw off those smartypants glasses and fashionable clothes and come on over. They've got fancy coffee now, and intellectuals need not apply.

Posted by Sheryl Kirby in news and media, rag round-up on September 25, 2008 at 3:38 pm

This week, the boys at Eye head back to Parkdale for a re-review of Parkdale Drink, after owners suggested that the review published a year ago was partly responsible for the lack of clientèle. Nope, turns out people are staying away because the food's just not very good.

At NOW, Steven Davey checks out the new Indian restaurant Prerna, owned by Tony and Abby Sabherwal of Magic Oven fame. Davey's also got a Fresh Dish column, and another titled Seasonal Foodie Fun, which both offer info on events, closings and the ongoing Susur-watch. What are Toronto foodies going to do to amuse themselves once the man finally does go to NYC? Graham Duncan reviews Havana Cuban rum.

Metro's got a beef recipe call the "Pretenderloin" from the Eat, Shrink and Be Merry gals. That stuff never gets funny, does it? Barb Holland grills some sweet peppers.

Posted by Sheryl Kirby in mexican, restaurant review on September 25, 2008 at 7:47 am

Tortilla Flats
458 Queen Street West
416-203-0088
Dinner for two with all taxes, tip and margaritas: $80

This was supposed to be a review of Tattoo Rock Parlor. But when we arrived to an empty restaurant, then waited for a server who never appeared while bad rock music blared on the sound system, we bailed. “Let’s go to Tortilla Flats!” sez the husband as we found ourselves on the Queen West sidewalk. “I haven’t been there since about 1989!”

While sharing his sense of nostalgia and spontaneity, I was worried. Tortilla Flats doesn’t have the best reputation for its food, and the things we like when we’re twenty often don’t translate well when we’ve advanced to middle-age. But Tortilla Flats has a small spot in the nostalgic "remember when we were 20" place in my heart, so in we went, hoping to be wrong.

Posted by Sheryl Kirby in food for thought, news and media, on the web on September 24, 2008 at 8:06 pm

Here's some food for thought for today...

• Country of Origin Labelling (COOL) in the US goes into effect next week.
• It's that time of year again - yep, big pumpkin season.
• Is it okay to tinker with a classic recipe?
• A shop in Los Angeles stocks over 450 kinds of soda pop, including one that tastes like cucumber.
• As noted in the What's Cooking post earlier today, people everywhere are having trouble using up their peak-season CSA goodies.
• More research supporting the claim that dark chocolate is good for the heart - buuuutt... you only need half a bar per week.
• And finally - are there such things as "men's foods" and women's foods"? The author makes a good case for the "no" theory, but on the other hand, when was the last time you saw a guy buy a fancily-decorated cupcake for himself?