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Toronto Star – August 23, 2006 City meets country Hotel uses fresh farm produce in culinary series BY KATE ROBERTSON --------------- The waiting game BY CAITRIONA CANTILLON --------------- Tops in taste and value BY GORDON STIMMELL --------------- Tub makes salad days better BY SUSAN SAMPSON

Boston Globe – August 23, 2006 You say tomatoes From heirlooms to beefsteaks, anyway you slice them, they spell August By You say tomatoes, Globe Staff Recipe: * Heirloom tomato salad with corn and basil vinaigrette For more information: * Handle with care --------------- Lime rickeys: summer in a glass By Mark Feeney, Globe Staff For more information: * Rickey roll call --------------- SHORT ORDERS * Get your fill of flatbread * Custard comes to town * Into the mix * A juice revival --------------- The season is short but sweet (and tart) Recipe: * Yellow plum sorbet --------------- Local peaches What they are, how to use them, and where to find them. Recipe: * Peach crisp

Boston Globe – August 9, 2006 Summer at its most sumptuous By Alison Arnett, Globe Staff --------------- SHORT ORDERS * Saintly sauce * Lucky duck * Guten taste * Homemade, but not by you --------------- They are sweet in a saute or a soup Recipe: * Zucchini and basil soup --------------- Personal watermelons What they are, where to find them, and how to use them. Recipe: * Watermelon-blueberry coolers --------------- From that first crop of garlic, Pleasant Lake Farm grew By Diana Kuan, Globe Correspondent --------------- A barbecue sauce that runs in the family By Emily Schwab, Globe Correspondent

Toronto Star – August 9, 2006 A gastronomer and her soup BY JENNIFER BAIN Recipe: * Green & Yellow String Bean Soup with Fresh Dill --------------- Culture of yogurt BY HABEEB SALLOUM Recipes: * Yogurt * Yogurt And Eggplant Appetizer * Yogurt-Potato Salad * Chickpea & Yogurt Platter * Yogurt Cake * Yogurt Drink --------------- An oh-so-Canadian treat BY SUSAN SAMPSON Recipe: * Beaver Tails --------------- Soil makes world of difference BY GORDON STIMMELL

Boston Globe – August 2, 2006 Baking with Julia What does a novelist who writes about food create in her own kitchen? By Joe Yonan, Globe Staff --------------- This year they're harder to find, but better than ever Recipe: * Blueberry shortcake --------------- SHORT ORDERS * Turkey dinners, straight from the farm * Barbecue without borders * Meet the new Necco * A quick trip to Indonesia --------------- Summer fruit's new best friend Recipe: * Sugar cookies --------------- These crabs are the pick of the ocean By Jonathan Levitt, Globe Correspondent Recipes: * Crab rolls * Crab cakes --------------- In the Market: Clams What they are, how to use them, and where to buy them. Recipe: * Broiled stuffed clams --------------- She's a caterer, at least until college starts By Jennifer Wolcott, Globe Correspondent Recipe: * Chicken piccata

Toronto Star – August 2, 2006 Gracias, Tifco A Mississauga company imports more than 800 products from Latin America and gets them into grocery stores across Greater Toronto BY PATRICK EVANS --------------- Wine for drop-in guests BY GORDON STIMMELL --------------- The foulness is funny BY SUSAN SAMPSON --------------- Try giving your rubs a hearty pounding BY RICHARD OUZOUNIAN --------------- Signs that all is not well in America --------------- Take stalk of neglected veg BY SUSAN SAMPSON Recipe: * Chilled Celery Soup

I'm surprised I never noticed this thread sooner in the four years that it has been around. Anyway, my family makes pasta aglio e olio by sauteing garlic and red pepper flakes in lots of oil, then tossing in cooked spaghetti. I grew up on this dish, and my mom grew up on this dish. Typically we would make it with leftover spaghetti, although nowadays we're all known for making spaghetti specifically for this dish.

Boston Globe – July 26, 2006 Are those matzo balls in my vindaloo? A Hudson wedding unites a couple and their Indian and Jewish traditions By Alison Arnett, Globe Staff Photos from the wedding, including the food --------------- Locally grown English cucumbers are a fresh option Recipe: * Fattoush --------------- SHORT CUTS * Thai Iced Tea * Bread, stuff * Treats for the mom-to-be * Dishes for 'meez' and you --------------- Movement toward more sustainable food systems is growing By Emily Shartin, Globe Staff --------------- Pack up your shiraz for the season --------------- In the Market: Carrots Recipe: * Risotto with summer carrots, thyme, and brown butter --------------- Trim fat and calories,but retain the flavor Recipe: * Light corn chowder with fresh basil

Toronto Star – July 26, 2006 Praise be to our patties BY LINDA NGUYEN Includes information on: * Caribbean Queen of Patties * Krazy Krust Patties * Bakery on the Go * Patty Palace * Brendan Roti Corner --------------- LCBO thinking inside the box BY GORDON STIMMELL --------------- Lunch with consul who cooks BY JENNIFER BAIN Recipe: * Papa a la Huancaina --------------- Salmon or burgers ? BY JENNIFER BAIN Recipes: * Roast Salmon, Fennel and Onion * Horseradish Burgers --------------- There's a Brotherhood of rice pudding lovers BY AMY PATAKI Recipe: * Brothers Rice Pudding

My friend's family is hosting a family reunion and her dad decided he wanted to grill steaks for everyone. We tried to convince him to do something else, mainly because he could end up spending all of his time at the grill instead of visiting with his family. But since he isn't changing his mind, I'm looking for a little advice. He has two grills and should be able to grill at least a dozen steaks at a time, and he wants to wait until all 60 are cooked until he serves them. Someone suggested that he grill them only until they are rare, then put them in an electric roaster pan with au jus to keep them warm while he continues cooking. I thought that would turn a grilled steak into a braised steak and would defeat the purpose of grilling. But other than using an electric roasting pan as some sort of a steam table, I can't think of another solution. Any advice will be greatly appreciated, especially by his guests!

Boston Globe – July 19, 2006 Dark greens that can make a salad shine Recipe: * Mustardy vinaigrette --------------- Making a splash Amanda Lydon and Gabriel Frasca take the helm at Straight Wharf * Smoked bluefish pate * Watermelon gazpacho --------------- The food that keeps the wheels spinning By Bonnie DeSimone, Globe Correspondent --------------- Roaring forties blue cheese Recipe: * Salad with walnuts and blue cheese --------------- Stone fruits What they are, where to find them, and how to use them. Recipes * Peach-nectarine-plum pie with crisp topping * Old-fashioned lattice-topped cherry pie --------------- Recipes: * Baked eggs with shrimp and capers * Rustic summer berry croustade --------------- Produce two ways: exotic and wholesome By T. Susan Chang, Globe Correspondent Recipes: * Cabbage salad with lime-cilantro vinaigrette * Spicy three-cabbage slaw --------------- Cookbook author's palate is right at home in Maine By Jonathan Levitt, Globe Correspondent Recipe: * Mussel chowder with colorful vegetables

Toronto Star – July 19, 2006 Chowtour 2006 New Yorker Jim Leff finds edible treasure during his third tour of Toronto BY JENNIFER BAIN For more information: * Highlights of Chowtour 2006 * From Hound with love --------------- The price is right for trio BY GORDON STIMMELL --------------- 'The Filipino's Dufflet' Bakery is busy making traditional desserts, snacks BY MARITES SISON Recipe: * Cassava Cake --------------- Fun to ridicule potted pork BY SUSAN SAMPSON Recipes: * SPAM Salad Sandwiches * SPAM & Lentil Stew --------------- Hit of pure cacao tempts chocoholics BY SUSAN SAMPSON

Boston Globe – July 12, 2006 Farm to Table: In summer salads, you can't beat these earthy vegetables Recipe: * Roasted beets with sauteed greens --------------- Southern comfort On a N.H. farm, three generations do home cooking Carolina-style By Jonathan Levitt, Globe Correspondent Recipes: * Peach cobbler * Buttermilk biscuits * Country-style steak in gravy --------------- A new diet keeps you close to home By Cathy Huyghe, Globe Correspondent --------------- Sojji is a sweet treat fit for a bridegroom By Visi Tilak, Globe Correspondent Recipe: * Sojji --------------- In the Market: All-beef hot dogs What they are, how to use them, and where they're good. Recipe: * Chili dogs --------------- Have more fun with treat-filled blondies Recipe: * Minty squares --------------- Recipes: * Sauteed spinach with scallions and cream * Monkfish chowder with yellow potatoes

Toronto Star – July 12, 2006 Napa North Niagara is booming as trademark wineries pair up with restaurants, food shops and tourist transport BY GORDON STIMMELL --------------- A malodorous market night BY JENNIFER BAIN --------------- Summer quartet BY JENNIFER BAIN Recipes: * Spaghetti al Chili Ancho * Simple Rigatoni With Tomato Sauce and Ricotta Cheese * Sausages With Kale * Spanish Olive Salsa --------------- Pilsner on stage BY JON FILSON --------------- Kheer is India's gift to dessert lovers BY AMY PATAKI Recipe: * Kheer

They're not. The water is in no way altered by the Crystal Light (or any other solute) being dissolved in it (well, okay, it might change the colligative properties, but that's not going to mean much in this instance). You can consume the two items together, or you can eat a biteful of Crystal Light (or jam or peanut butter or jello or whatever you feel like consuming) and then consume a glass of water later. ← That's how I always looked at it. If you drank a glass of water and had 1/4 cup sugar on the side, you probably would still count that as a glass of water. So drinking a regular soda would be about the same. Otherwise how could we count the glass of water we have with dinner if it hits the stomach the same time as the meat and vegetables? I'm not saying I'm right, I'm just saying that's how I always looked at it.

I don't think diet foods are always superior. For example, I don't care for store-bought low-fat ice cream but I like my homemade versions. I have experiemented with recipes by substituting evaporated skim milk for the cream and milk for the half-and-half, and as long as it is a cooked recipe it turns out better tasting (to me) than the store-bought kind. If I'm looking for frozen foods that are low fat, I'm more likely to purchase those that are naturally low in fat like sherbets or sorbets. I think a lot of store-bought diet foods make up for the lack of fat by adding extra sweeteners and salt, which could be what makes these foods less appealing to me. I would rather make up for the fat by using fresh ingredients instead of sweeteners and salt. Although I can handle baked goods and other recipes with good results, there will always be exceptions. I have never had fat-free potato chips but I bet they taste better than the ones I make in my microwave. I never tried to make low-fat mayonnaise and I imagine it would be difficult without the stabilizers and chemicals that food manufacturers have. And while I can make low-fat brownies that can compete against low-fat brownie mixes, I doubt I could make a fat-free brownie that is as edible as a No Pudge brownie.

What kind of homemade foods do you want to make? I have substituted applesauce or prune puree for half the fat in baked goods such as muffins, fruit bread, and cookies. In some recipes the missing fat was barely noticeable. I have made diet root beer using root beer concentrate and sugar substitute, fat-free french fries by baking them in the oven, fat-free potato chips in the microwave using something called Micro Chip, and low-fat donut holes using an electric donut hole maker. When I had health problems that forced me to eat a very low-fat diet, I prefered making my own food rather than store-bought low-fat foods which, as you said, can be loaded with chemicals and such. Which probably is why I never tried cooking with the high tech gums and extracts used in commercial products -- I didn't want to duplicate them, I wanted more natural versions of them. So although this post might not be helpful to you, I would be interested in learning what types of diet products you would like to try making.

Toronto Star – July 5, 2006 Supermarketing A crusading nutritionist helps confused consumers decide what to eat and how to get the most out of a trip to the grocery store BY SUSAN SAMPSON --------------- Patio sipping is easy BY GORDON STIMMELL --------------- Cookbook keeps summer simple Recipe: * Chipotle White Bean Salad From Southwest Flavors: Santa Fe School of Cooking by Susan Curtis and Nicole Curtis Ammerman --------------- Fresh ricotta deserves the odd starring role BY AMY PATAKI Recipe: * Lemon Ricotta Gnocchi --------------- A side order of frustration Judy Gerstel reviews Bluestone Bistro in Unionville.

Boston Globe – July 5, 2006 Farm to Table: Market grows for milder-tasting offshoot of garlic crop Recipe: * Garlic scape pesto --------------- Pantry is best friend of last-minute hosts By Amy Graves, Globe Correspondent Recipes: * Spicy sauteed shrimp * Fallen chocolate cakes --------------- In the Market: Soft shell crabs What they are, how to use them, and where to buy them. Recipe: * Sauteed soft shells with mesclun salad --------------- They're just right with Greek cheese By Lisa Zwirn, Globe Correspondent Recipes: * Roasted feta * Tomato and feta salad

Toronto Star – June 28, 2006 To market we go For more information: * St. Lawrence Farmers' Market * Dufferin Grove Organic Farmers' Market * Weston Farmers' Market * Guelph Farmers' Market --------------- Market-based meals Jennifer Bain reviews The San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market Cookbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Impeccable Produce Plus 130 Seasonal Recipes. --------------- The sommelier challenge BY GORDON STIMMELL --------------- Ready or not? BY SUSAN SAMPSON --------------- Star food writers win top awards

Boston Globe – June 28, 2006 Land of the freeze Independent shops help make New England one of America's hotbeds of homemade ice cream By Joe Yonan, Globe Staff --------------- A slice of flavor, without the tears --------------- Fill in the blanc with summer white --------------- Vermont cheddar cheese What it is, how to use it, and where to buy it. Recipe: * Open-faced oven-grilled ham and cheese sandwich --------------- Former pastry chef has ice cream down cold By T. Susan Chang, Globe Correspondent Recipe: Lime ice cream with sugared mint leaves and blueberries

Toronto Star – June 21, 2006 The brewer's tour Visit Ontario's craft breweries now while they're still humble, then visit them again in a year or so when they shine themselves up for tourists BY JON FILSON, BEER WRITER For more information: * On the trail of Ontario ale --------------- Reds at home in the backyard BY GORDON STIMMELL, GORD ON GRAPES --------------- A salute to steak BY JENNIFER BAIN Recipe: * Cowboy Skillet Steaks --------------- The zen of selling meat BY JENNIFER BAIN

When dining in pairs or groups, I think it is good for one person to be responsible for gathering and counting the money before leaving it for the server. Typically, I take on this job so that I can be sure we all added correctly and that there is enough for a tip. My friends generally want me to tell them what they owe, and I usually tell them the cost of their meal ("Your share is $32 plus tip") and let them throw in what they want. In the above situation, I likely would have handed the check to my dining companion and politely said something like, "Perhaps I added wrong, but I think your share is $10 before the tip." If we had agreed to just split the bill down the middle regardless of who ate what, I would have said, "I think we should leave $22 (or whatever amount) to cover the bill and tip since our service was so good. So we each need to add another dollar."

Boston Globe – June 14, 2006 The caveman grilleth You can't beat ribs, says barbecue guru Steven Raichlen By Joe Yonan, Globe Staff --------------- Serendipity leads to a splendid salad By Lisa Zwirn, Globe Correspondent Recipe: * Cobb salad --------------- Finding the perfect balance Recipe: * Cornbread --------------- In the market: Slab bacon What it is, how to use it, and where its' good. Recipe: * Breakfast BLT --------------- Recipes: * "Mechoui" of lamb ribs * Buccaneer baby backs * Harissa * Rumbullion barbecue sauce

Toronto Star – June 14, 2006 Hot new houseware Green is the hottest colour in the kitchen this year, Cynthia David reports from a top trade show BY CYNTHIA DAVID For more information: * Shopping guide --------------- Making Father's Day barbecue heaven BY SUSAN SAMPSON A review of The Art of Plank Grilling: Licked by Fire, Kissed by Smoke. Recipes: * Planked Mashed Potatoes With Barbecue Gravy * Championship Barbecue Chicken --------------- When weisse is nice BY JON FILSON --------------- Say `I do' to this pair of June soups BY SUSAN SAMPSON Recipes: * Turkish Bride's Soup * Italian Wedding Soup --------------- A Eurocentric quest for espresso BY JUDY GERSTEL --------------- Labels snare masses, but are wines good? BY GORDON STIMMELL