DIGEST: The Toronto Star

[TPO]

Toronto Star – December 6, 2006

Foodie gift guide

Agonizing over what to give this holiday season? Susan Sampson has some tasty suggestions.

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Wine gifts that delight

Looking for a gift fit for a wine connoisseur? Look no further. Gordon Stimmell has some sparkling choices.

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Goodies for the foodies

Cookbooks, kitchen gadgets and that old standby, chocolate - Jennifer Bain offers her top gift-giving picks.

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Gifts for the beer drinker

There are plenty of good choices for the suds fan on your list, writes Josh Rubin.

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Hooray for the hook

This Christmas, get hooked up with a little gadget that solves the purse dilemma when dining out, writes Amy Pataki.

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Toronto Star – December 20, 2006

Christmas fish

For some Italian families, Christmas Eve means indulging in a meal called The Seven Fishes. Our writer decides it's time to refresh the menu.

By Richard Ouzounian

Recipes:

* Merluzzini Con Lo Zenzero

* Risotto Dell'aragosta

* Zuppa di Cozze

* Insalata del Calamari

* Gamberi con Arancia e Basilico

* Pasta Puttanesca

* Branzini alla Griglia in Sale del Mare e Limone

* Zabaglione Freddo

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More than just a pretty name

By Pamela Steel

Port Sydney, ONT.–Jerusalem artichokes are neither from Jerusalem, nor are they artichokes. These yummy tubers are native to North America and the plant, Helianthus tuberosus, is part of the sunflower family. The original Indian name translates to the more apt sunroot or sunchoke.

Recipes:

* Sunchoke & Potato Soup

* Warm Sunchoke & Smoked Chicken Salad

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Seasonal beer spices up life

By Josh Rubin

The term "biological experiment" conjures up images of serious, white-coated scientists in a lab, or perhaps an old breakfast your roommate left in the dorm-room fridge. Fortunately for beer drinkers, there's a more palatable kind of experiment.

[TPO]

Toronto Star – January 3, 2007

Chicken curries six ways

So you think curry can be pigeonholed into one generic medley? We explore a sextet of regional variations

By Smita and Sanjeev Chandra

Nothing makes Indians more nostalgic than the aroma of a dish that evokes memories of the area they grew up in. The most noticeable difference between dishes from different regions lies in the spices used to make them.

Recipes:

* Classic Chicken Curry

* Hyderabadi Kofta Curry

* Cashew Butter Chicken

* Kerala Chicken Curry

* Chicken Vindaloo

* Kashmiri Chicken Curry

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How to go bananas in Toronto

By Linda Nguyen

People have always been bananas for bananas. Sure, you can just peel and eat them, make a mushy peanut butter and banana sandwich, or bake banana bread. But creative Toronto chefs are working this humble fruit into inspiring dishes.

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Greek showcase

By Gordon Stimmell

While Greece now makes super-premium reds, few make it to our shores. The problem is folks simply balk at buying Greek wines at $30 to $80 a bottle. That's a shame. However, in the affordable realm, bargains abound. Just ask the Greek Canadians who operate and patronize restaurants on the Danforth. They know how to keep a secret.

Wines:

* Kouros 2003 Nemea Red $9.95 (Greece)

* Calliga 2004 Agiorgitiko Dry Red $11.95 (Greece)

* Ampelou Gis 2003 Red $14.20 (Greece)

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Golden Whisk Awards

By Jennifer Bain and Susan Sampson

Welcome to our second annual Golden Whisk Awards. From the hundreds of recipes we tested this year, we’ve picked our top 10.

Recipes:

* Green & Yellow String Bean Soup With Dill

* Lamb Popsicles With Fenugreek Cream Sauce

* Chilled Corn & Chicken Soup with Tomato, Avocado & Cilantro Salsa

* Cowboy Skillet Steaks

* Spinach Salad Tossed With Pesto & Peas

* Sweet Potato & Sausage Hash

* Roasted Broccoli With Breadcrumb Gremolata

* Smoky Tomato Butter

* Edamame With Tea-Smoked Salt

* Guajillo-Braised Pork & Yukon Gold Potatoes

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It's nearly beer

By Josh Rubin

Brewers and other beverage makers have stepped into the breach with non-alcoholic beers. Most of them are, quite frankly, wretched and what little flavour they've got comes from non-barley grain "adjuncts" like corn or rice. Beck's, on the other hand, makes a non-alcoholic tipple that actually resembles the real stuff.

[TPO]

Toronto Star – January 10, 2007

Dip, douse and dunk

By Linda Barnard

Once his mom explained about the melted cheeses and bread cubes, Mackie, who was clearly destined to be a chef (he now helms the stoves at Far Niente at Bay and Wellington Sts.) insisted on making this mysterious fondue concoction and trying out the long-abandoned pot.

For more information:

* Dos and don'ts for fondue fans

Fondue Recipes

* Fondue With Truffle Honey & Hazelnuts

* Classic Neuchâtel Fondue

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Comfort me with PB&J

Ina Garten has carved out a niche for herself as the Barefoot Contessa. Her latest book is The Barefoot Contessa At Home: Everyday Recipes You'll Make Over and Over Again (2006, $45).

Recipe:

* Peanut Butter & Jam Bars

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How about this vintage treat?

By Josh Rubin

Thomas Hardy's Ale, named for the author of classic novels such as Tess of the d'Urbervilles and The Trumpet-Major, went on sale this week at Beerbistro, a King St. gastropub carrying select suds from around the world and across the country.

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Big chill needed for icewine

By Gordon Stimmell

Winemakers are sweating it out, playing the waiting game. They need up to three days and nights of -8C temperatures to harvest their frozen grapes and gently press the golden, precious nectar that becomes our world-famous icewine.

[TPO]

Toronto Star – January 24, 2007

Born to cook

By Susan Sampson

You won't find Luke Hayes-Alexander hanging out at the mall or "facebooking" online. He has, however, butchered a whole pig as he goes about mastering the ancient art of charcuterie. He spends his spare money on cookbooks.

Recipe:

* Cod a Scapece

* Crispy Black Beluga Lentils

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Here's gude ale for Rabbie day

By Josh Rubin

When Scots the world over gather tomorrow in honour of national poet Robbie Burns, the beverage of choice for many will be a dram or two (or 12) of single malt scotch.

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Wine's scrappy duo

By Gordon Stimmell

The couple first ran afoul of the LCBO in 1990 when the monopoly declared it had no shelf space for their wines. A decade-long legal battle ensued between these Davids and the Goliath that controls all aspects of wine in Ontario. Who won isn't clear, but in a mediated settlement, the LCBO began carrying some Magnotta icewines in select stores in 2000.

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Fresh baked goods

By Katherine Elphick

Considering the 25-year-old Holtom is a third-generation baker, his positive attitude to early wake-up calls might be genetic. Established in 1946 by Holtom's paternal grandfather, and later operated by his father, the family bakery has been a mainstay in the village with a population of about 2,500.

Recipes:

* Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

* Chelsea Truffles

* Dorio's Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Icing

* Holtom's Bakery Pumpkin Muffins

[TPO]

Toronto Star – January 31, 2007

Sexy farmers and the end of organic?

Eating organic isn't good enough. It's becoming better to buy locally, know where your food comes from and befriend farmers

By Jen Gerson

"The hysteria over arugula or heirloom tomatoes, the explosion of farmers' markets, the desire to meet face-to-face each week with the person who grew your nourishment goes deeper than just food. It may just be part of a desperate longing to be part of the real world," Ableman says.

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Got a beef with your butcher?

By Susan Sampson

You ask for, say, a skirt steak, and get a blank look. You look through sterile, plastic packages for a substitute, but the meat is carved so badly you don't care anymore. You yearn for information but receive the unkindest cut of all – having the butcher shrug at you after a long session of hunting and gathering for dinner.

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Hopping along in Ontario

By Josh Rubin

Since 2001, Mason has been brewing some of the hoppiest – and therefore most bitter – beers in the province, in his role as brewmaster/owner at Scotch Irish Brewing Co. in the Ottawa-area town of Fitzroy Harbour.

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Friendly Italian sippers

By Gordon Stimmell

Wines streaming from lesser known regions, where grape prices haven't gone sky high, make a big difference. Southern Italy, in particular, has really come on strong recently.

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U.S. chef dishes up splatterproof book

Jennifer Bain reviews Charlie Palmer's Practical Guide to the New American Kitchen.

[TPO]

Toronto Star – February 7, 2007

Looking sharp

By IAN HARVEY

Choosing a good set of knives is the beginning of a relationship that can last a generation or longer. And what makes a great knife is more than just the name on the blade or the packaging.

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Khash and other Azeri adventures

Joanna Smith reviews Caspian Wave on Wilson Avenue.

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Lamb can take the heat

The test kitchen provides recipes for:

* Roast Boneless Leg of Lamb With Cumin-Pepper Crust

* Cauliflower Soup With Cilantro Crème Fraîche

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A lemon by any other name

By Amy Pataki

A thin skin is not a good thing to have. Except if you're a lemon.

Such is the case with the Meyer lemon, so called because it was first imported to the United States from China by botanist Frank Meyer in 1908. A cross between a lemon and a mandarin, it is sweeter, smaller and rounder than a regular lemon.

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To be eaten only on Feb. 14

Jennifer Bain provides recipes for:

* Chocolate Truffle Tart

[TPO]

Boston Globe – February 14, 2007

Recipes for dummies

Instructions are getting longer and more detailed as we fill in more and more blanks for the growing number of people who don't know their way around the kitchen

By Susan Sampson

We don't believe home cooks are dumb and dumber. We want to help them, not insult them. But recipes are being dumbed down to keep up with the changing times. 

Simple recipes

* Soft Polenta With Sausage Ragu

* Caramel Apple Cake

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Wines to warm the heart

By Gordon Stimmell

Normally, on Valentine's Day, I would sing the praises of playful wines, like light and lively rosés. But it's been so cold outside recently, I have opted for wines with more flesh to them.

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Spice up your meals

By Jennifer Bain

To get you through the February blahs, we offer a spicy trio of warming meals.

* Spicy Peanut Noodles

* West African Chicken and Peanut Stew

* Green Chili With Pork

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Organic `heroes'

The Canadian Organic Growers has doled out its first annual awards for Organic Organization Hero, Organic Supporter Hero, Best Restaurant Serving Organic Food and Organic Media Hero.

[TPO]

Toronto Star – February 21, 2007

Eating on the fly

By Jennifer Bain

If food fanatics ran the world, Jamie Kennedy and Susur Lee would be presiding over restaurants in the new extension of Terminal 1 at Pearson International Airport.

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Lager with a kick is a reminder of old Brooklyn

By Josh Rubin

After the enforced teetotalling era ended in 1933, just a handful started up again. Even those hardy remainders petered out after a few years, victims of indifference and consolidation in the beer industry across the United States.

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Outpouring of the best

By Gordon Stimmell

Once a year the best in Ontario wines are celebrated at Cuvée. This time, the gala takes place overlooking Niagara Falls at the posh Fallsview Casino Resort on March 3. Eight local chefs will whip up mouthwatering morsels while patrons wade through 160 of Ontario's finest wines poured by 50 wineries.

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Eat your baby vegetables

By Jennifer Bain

Eating your daily allotment of vegetables is a pleasure when you give them the star treatment.

Recipes:

* Spaghetti with Lemon & Creamy Spinach

* Roasted Baby Carrots With Ginger-Lemon Vinaigrette

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It's rush hour at takeout counters

By Nelia Raposo

Furtado's goal is to have a freshly made dinner on the table by 7 p.m., but that rarely happens. Most nights, her family opts for takeout like "pizza and wings, Swiss Chalet or good old Burger King."

[TPO]

Toronto Star – February 28, 2007

That's the spirit

By Katherine Elphick

Sure, when I moved here from Toronto 10 years ago, Barrie was pretty much a chain restaurant and fast food mecca. People who don't live here still think it is because that's all they see when driving to cottage country, ski resorts or Wasaga Beach.

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Three for your money

By Gordon Stimmell

I tasted through about 30 wines to select today's winning trio.

The wines:

* Santa Alicia 2005 Chardonnay $10.85 (Chile)

* Pelee Island Winery 2005 Cabernet Franc $11.15 (Ontario)

* Farnese Casale Vecchio 2005 Montepulciano $12.45 (Italy)

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Roll out the barrels for beer

By Josh Rubin

After all, scotch distillers were using all sorts of oak barrels as flavour enhancers. Old sherry barrels and bourbon casks were commonplace in the aging of scotch, so why not use beer barrels, he and the distillery reasoned. The beer put into the barrels wasn't particularly important, they thought.

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Set a date to bake

Susan Sampson offers a recipe for Oatmeal Date Turnovers.

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Finally, Africa gets culinary attention

Jennifer Bain reviews The Soul of a New Cuisine: A Discovery of the Foods and Flavors of Africa.

Recipes:

* Bobotie

* African Avocado & Cornmeal Porridge

* Poppyseed Rice Pudding

Edited March 3, 2007 by TPO (log)

[TPO]

Toronto Star – March 7, 2007

Syrian supper

By Habeeb Salloum

In Greater Toronto, where 15,000 of Ontario's 25,000 Syrian immigrants live, the love for the country's traditional food remains, despite the fact that there is no Syrian restaurant in the city. Here are a few tasty traditional dishes to try.

Recipes:

* Beet & Tahini Dip (Shamandar Mazza)

* Bulgur & Walnut Salad (Salatat Burghal wa Jawz)

* Lentil Dumplings (Harrack Isbouaau)

* Ground Meat With Pine Nuts (Kofta Mabrouma)

* Meatballs & Cherries (Kebab ma' Karaz)

* Semolina Dessert (Maamuneeya)

* Whips of Aleppo (Karabij Halab)

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When Italian food was exotic

By Judy Stoffman

Mari Cioni, who lives in Toronto and is a consultant on international education, has written an affectionate memoir, complete with photos. It's called Spaghetti Western: How My Father Brought Italian Food to the West.

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Why is Stella so popular?

By Josh Rubin

While such complex, unique beer styles may garner praise from aficionados, they're not what most Belgians sip when they decide to have a beer. Instead, the market is dominated by the same style that prevails in most other countries: pale lagers, or what is sometimes referred to euphemistically as a "continental pilsner."

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The winner's circle

By Gordon Stimmell

Get your gourmet appetite in gear. The Toronto Wine & Cheese Show is about to celebrate spring with hundreds of wines, spirits, microbeers and food booths at the International Centre. While this is the 24th edition of the show, it's under new management.

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Colombian comfort food

Linda Nguyen reviews Pollos a la Brasa Mario in Toronto.

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Rejoice, the caesar salad never goes out of style

By Susan Sampson

North America's infatuation with caesar salad can be traced back to 1924. As the legend goes, that's when Caesar Cardini, an Italian restaurateur in Tijuana, Mexico, first tossed tender inner leaves of romaine with garlic vinaigrette, grated parmesan, coddled eggs and croutons.

[TPO]

Toronto Star – March 14, 2007

Pairing beer and food

What tastes best with a pilsner or a stout? How to match beer with your meals

By Josh Rubin

Not only can beer be a good accompaniment to pizza and chicken wings (classic North American pairings), it also does a better job at matching a lot of foods usually thought of as wine territory, says Oliver, brewmaster of Brooklyn Brewing and author of The Brewmaster's Table.

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Guinness trivia

10 things you might not have known about the dark brew from the Emerald Isle.

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Wine, through a server's eyes

By Caitriona Cantillon

Years later, when I went back to waitressing, my tastes had changed. I was over watering holes and preferred restaurants with good food. I was over making a million drinks a night and wanted plates. I wanted stemware. I had worked my way up.

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Springtime and wines that suit it

By Gordon Stimmell

Can salad days be on our horizon? Sauvignon blancs fit the appetizer menu. Sure you can go whole hog and get a lovely New Zealand gem, or a Sancerre from France, but we're looking for friendly, thirst-quenching sauvignon blancs.

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The customer isn't always right

By SUSAN SAMPSON

Panellists agreed that even when a customer is wrong, he should leave feeling as if he were right – not treated like a fool. One told the story of the guy on a first date who ordered chianti. When the cork was popped, he said: "Oh my God, I thought it was white." The server quietly took it away and brought him a bottle of white.

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Enjoy the South Asian heat

Patricia Hluchy reviews Madras Palace in Scarborough.

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This hot sauce is truly hot stuff

Which leads me to Molten Golden. It turned up as a gift in a hotel room in Charlotte, N.C. I bundled it into my suitcase, carried it over the border and fell in love with it. Molten Golden has been turning up the heat up in my kitchen ever since. 

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Oh so sweet rewards

Susan Sampson reviews Baking: From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan.

Recipe:

* Extraordinary French Lemon Cream Tart

[TPO]

Toronto Star – March 21, 2007

Jam session

Three Toronto artists come up with one of Food Network Canada's unexpected hits

By Jen Gerson

Just as a band gets together to jam, so do the Food Jammers. A food idea gets thrown around and passed along until the concept for an episode is born.

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Celiacs will enjoy this beer

By Josh Rubin

Imagine the delight of Dalziel and others celiacs when in 2003, Quebec microbrewery Les Bières de la Nouvelle-France created La Messagère from gluten-free buckwheat and rice.

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Prof wonders what's fair about Fair Trade?

By Stuart Laidlaw

Gavin Fridell brings his own cup – emblazoned with the Trent University logo – when he goes to a coffee shop, chooses only Fair Trade coffee and comments on how he's not doing enough to help poor farmers in developing countries.

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Santé's match game

By Gordon Stimmell

The occasion is a taste test of dishes for the upcoming Santé wine festival's Ultimate Winemakers Dinner for 500 guests. At the cooking helm are four top Food Network chefs, each assigned a separate course to mate with 10 winning, world-class wines. Most courses have two wines with them. Some, like dessert, have one. Also, a couple of wines will be served at the reception.

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Little luxuries carry big pricetags

By Jennifer Bain

Square melons – a harmless luxury, a sensible solution, or proof the food world is mad?

Toronto shoppers struggled with that conundrum on Friday when Longo's put $49.99 watermelons up for sale.

[TPO]

Toronto Star – March 28, 2007

Estonian cuisine via grandma

By Eric Vellend

Grandma taught me a few culinary tricks over the years, and after she passed away, I inherited her ancient recipe books. Armed with a chef's palate and an Estonian-English dictionary, I've been busy decoding my grandmother's recipes and discovering the world of Estonian cuisine.

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The key to Passover is being prepared

By Eric Vellend

To keep panic levels to a minimum, choose dishes that can be made in advance. Then, on the big day, you can focus on such details as setting the table, preparing the seder plate and making sure there are enough copies of the Haggadah to go around.

Recipes:

* Salmon Gefilte Fish

* Brisket With Red Wine Gravy

* Chocolate-Almond Torte

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Stir up your own hot pot

Linda Nguyen reviews Mongolian Hot Pot in Toronto.

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Something new and offbeat

By Gordon Stimmell

Today’s winning trio is a selection from a couple of dozen new and offbeat general list wines. There’s no real theme here, just great-tasting wines, representing three countries: Spain, Australia and Italy.

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Fresh ginger makes the cake

By Amy Pataki

The best surprise is when dessert reveals its teeth. Just as pastry chefs have always added a dash of salt to bring out the sweetness in cakes and cookies, the canny ones know a hint of heat similarly brings the sugar into relief.

Recipe:

* Fresh Ginger Cake

[TPO]

Toronto Star – April 4, 2007

The real deal about veal

By Jennifer Bain

The Ontario Veal Association president opens her barn for a tour, encouraging butchers, supermarkets, chefs and consumers to learn more about this lean red meat.

Recipes:

* Veal T-Bone With Fig Confit & Spiced Sweet Potato Wedges

* Bacon-Wrapped Veal Tenderloin With Mustard Cream Sauce

* Veal Scaloppine With Caper & Lemon Sauce

* Osso Buco With Toasted Pine Nut Gremolata

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The (food) terminal men

By Susan Sampson

Mike and Joey Longo are used to seeing the sunrise. On a cold, windy March morning, the supermarket cousins pull into the Ontario Food Terminal at 6:15. The Longos come here six daybreaks a week, to deal.

Recipes:

* Iceberg Wedges With White Cheddar Dressing

* Beet Greens With White Beans, Bacon & Walnuts

* Pear, Honey & Lime Cake

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Boxes and bags and cans, oh my!

By Gordon Stimmell

There were boxes sporting big red lips, weird shiny soft paks that looked more like IV drip bags, little boxes in four-pak beer-style carry cases, even tiny cans of wine. There were bags with corner spouts. The bags with centre nipples were especially intimidating. These bags would not stand up. The unstable things kept toppling over.

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Festive lamb

By Jennifer Bain

Toronto chef Arpi Magyar (best known for his work at Splendido) will dish up hors d'oeuvres at the AGO's third Massive Party next week. Magyar – who now runs catering company Couture Cuisine – will serve the lamb chops that we feature below. Why not make it as an Easter showpiece?

Recipe:

* Rack of Lamb With Date, Rosemary & Cumin Glaze

Recipe:

* Seven-Hour Leg of Lamb

[TPO]

Toronto Star – April 11, 2007

The poutine liberators

By Linda Barnard

he new darling of the Manhattan after-dark scene isn't a supermodel or slick nightclub. It's a Québécoise with a humble pedigree and a sinful streak.

Poutine has come to New York City.

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When did hell freeze over?

By Josh Rubin

It wasn't just Toronto that froze over last week – hell did, too, judging by some of the results at the Ontario Brewing Awards.

While many of the categories were won by some of the province's most respected craft brewers, two gold medals went to a brewery distinctly less popular with hard-core beer aficionados.

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Where there's smoke, there's beer

By Josh Rubin

Trum is the brewmaster at Brauerei Heller in the German town of Bamberg. He's responsible for keeping alive the age-old tradition of smoked beer – in this case, Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier — Märzen.

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Chile nurtures ancient grape

By Gordon Stimmell

Fortunately, healthy vines had been imported into Chile from Bordeaux in the 1850s and quietly flourished magnificently in the hot-house valleys of that country. However, through the decades, winemakers and growers began to call it merlot, which it closely resembles. In 1993, French ampelographer Jean Michel Bourisiquot identified the Chilean merlot vines as carmenere and an ancient variety was reborn.

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Bakery's secrets revealed

Susan Sampson reviews The Pan Chancho Cookbook.

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Gastropub delight

By Jennifer Bain

"I got the idea for this from a classic pub dish of beef and Guinness pie," reports chef Andy Bennett. "I just refined it a little to suit the Inn LW12. The mash is a little sweet from the parsnips; this helps balance out the bitterness from the Guinness."

Recipe:

* Guinness-Braised Beef With Parsnip & Yukon Gold Potato Mash

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Creative cocktails crafted by hand

By Linda Barnard

Like many restaurants today, gastronomy extends beyond the kitchen to the copper-topped bar at The Inn LW12, thanks to eight cocktails created for the restaurant by Double Seven mixologist Monika Chiang.

Recipes:

* The Maple Leaf

* Ginger Rogers

* Brillet

[TPO]

Toronto Star – April 25, 2007

Susan's 100 cooking secrets

By Susan Sampson

Okay, so these are not really secrets. They've been passed down, traded and learned by experience or even gory accident. Some may seem like common sense, obvious and simple. Some may be revelations. It all depends on your kitchen skills.

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Irish-style stout fresh for spring

By Josh Rubin

Kohnen is the brewmaster at Hockley Valley Brewing, which last week unveiled its new Hockley Valley Stout as part of the LCBO's spring seasonal beer program.

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Warm-weather friends

By Gordon Stimmell

It's time to get optimistic after our lingering grey winter and look forward to patio friendly wines.

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When is Hershey's chocolate not chocolate?

Right now, chocolate needs a certain amount of cocoa butter and cocoa solids to be called chocolate in just about all countries, including the United States and Canada. But they're the most expensive ingredients and dry weather in the Ivory Coast and Ghana is pushing up the price by about 28 per cent.

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Healthy vegetables need not be boring

By Jennifer Bain

Here are five health-minded things I've been eating lately. Most of them please my vegetarian daughter.

Recipes:

* Pumpkin Millet Muffins

* Minted Moroccan Chickpeas

* Brown Rice With Dried Cranberries & Orange Zest

* Chilled Smoky Tomato & Chipotle Soup

* Peas With Mustard Horseradish Butter

[TPO]

Toronto Star – May 16, 2007

Growing off the grid

By Katherine Elphick

This solar-powered family farming business is at the forefront of  the green trend.

Recipes:

* Mixed Greens With Honey Orange Vinaigrette

* Strawberry & Spinach Salad

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Battle of the supermarket bags

By Susan Sampson

These alternatives to plastic grocery bags have been selling out in supermarkets across the GTA. Not that consumers are painting the town green yet – they keep forgetting to bring their new bags to the stores.

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Cafeterias on wheels

By Nelia Raposo

Cafeterias on wheels – "catering trucks" in municipal parlance, but known to their customers as roach coaches, grease trucks or chuck wagons – are guided by the call of growling stomachs.

They show up at the same factories and construction sites three times a day, serving pre-packaged breakfast, lunch and dinner. They also cater to industries where workers get only short meal breaks.

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Take a bite of fruit ale

By Josh Rubin

The timing is perfect for drink. Victoria Day happens as the weather makes patios hospitable, and it's an occasion for people to liberate their barbecues from a winter's worth of debris. It even has a beer-associated nickname, the May Two-Four weekend.

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Riding herd on succulent Kobe beef

By Gordon Stimmell

Turns out real Kobe beef, which is galloping into top North America restaurants, is supposed to be only from Japan. Just like "real" Champagne is only from the Champagne region in France. Of course, we all know sparkling wine from California, New Zealand and Spain can be just as full of finesse.

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Two for veg-minded cooks

By Jennifer Bain

Recipes:

* Peanutty Rice & Peas

* Quinoa With Roasted Chilies, Cilantro & Lime

[TPO]

Toronto Star – May 23, 2007

Surreal dining

By Susan Sampson

We are in the midst of a revolution in restaurant kitchens. Chefs are reinventing themselves and their menus. Familiar dishes are being deconstructed and reconstructed, flavours layered. Creations are served on everything from pedestals to prongs to pillows – dinner plates be damned. Kitchen equipment has been transplanted from hospitals, labs and hardware stores. There's a whole lot of pulverizing, foaming, freezing and dehydrating going on.

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Bringing science to the kitchen

By Susan Sampson

That eventually leads to the question: "What is cooking?" The chemist decides it is the process from market to table, from shopping to chopping to serving. And molecular gastronomy, he says, is the science behind it all.

It's his business to ask strange questions. He heads the molecular gastronomy labs at Collège de France in Paris.

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Perfect for sipping on the patio

By Gordon Stimmell

Our stunning value leader this week is Spinelli chardonnay. The Italian style of chardonnay tends to be lighter than what we're used to from California or Australia, but it is amazingly food friendly. And it is tasty.

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Nostalgia caps release

By Josh Rubin

And there's plenty of nostalgic appeal in Red Cap Ale by Brick Brewing.

While a beer's sentimental appeal is often a side effect of personal memories, nostalgia is the reason Red Cap even exists.

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Bob and Doug would be proud

By Josh Rubin

As the two-four anniversary of Strange Brew approaches, we spoke to actor Dave Thomas, the alter-ego of über-hoser Doug McKenzie (Bob was played by Rick Moranis), about the movie, the SCTV show that inspired it and beer – including the Red Cap he's promoting for anniversary festivities.

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Gizmos and gadgets

By Susan Sampson

On Charlie Trotter's watch, caesar salad is full of possibilities: anchovy ice cream, liquefied parmesan, black pepper tuiles made in a dehydrator, egg yolk dipped into breading and served as an exploding crouton, romaine emulsion drizzled on a plate ...

[TPO]

Toronto Star – June 6, 2007

17 foods to try before you die

By Amy Pataki

These are must-eats: foods that will please your palate, expand your mind and gratify your soul. They are not chancy mouthfuls to gross out your friends. (Although I've eaten my share of those, from insects to fish sperm to snake.) Most are readily found in our restaurants and food shops.

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Stratford chef uses innovations to work magic

By Marion Kane

Lamarche, 32, is executive chef at The Church in downtown Stratford, one of this city's most elegant, established and finest restaurants.

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These wines exceed expectations

By Gordon Stimmell

Of the more than 100 wines hitting Vintages shelves today, we've narrowed the field down to the five top values. These are wines from all over the world that deliver more in the taste department than would be expected at the price. In other words, they exceeded my critical expectations, and then some.

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Easy-growing edible flowers are easy on the palate, too

By Michele Henry

Aside from having a green thumb, there's no special trick to planting edible flowers, which will thrive in a container or the ground, starting off as a small plant or just as seed. The only thing that might set them apart from any other type of bloom is that they all seem to need full, or at least partial, sun.

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Cutting-edge vegan cuisine

Jennifer Bain reviews reFresh: Contemporary Vegan Recipes from the Award-Winning Fresh Restaurants.

[TPO]

Toronto Star – June 13, 2007

Chicks in the pit

By Jennifer Bain

Competitive barbecuing may be a man's "sport" but that doesn't stop the guys from welcoming Diva Q into the fray.

Recipe:

* Diva Q’s Cheesy ABTs

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Silver Palate cookbook turns 25

By Susan Sampson

It can only be The Silver Palate Cookbook by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins. And now there's a 25th anniversary edition ($29.95) with colour photos and light revisions. Rosso and Lukins, together again on tour, visited Toronto last month to talk about it.

Recipes:

* Chicken Marbella (Star-tested)

* Marinated Italian Vegetables (Star-tested)

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Put a little age on those New World reds

By Gordon Stimmell

A frequent question from readers is how long can I age my New World reds? It depends on the harvest year, the amount of new oak aging and, of course, the producer.

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Things were hopping at suds celebration

By Josh Rubin

The 14th annual Mondial de la Bière, which wrapped up earlier this month at Montreal's historic Windsor station, featured a little something for everyone.

[TPO]

Toronto Star – June 20, 2007

Making miso is slow work

A staple in Japan for 1,000 years, Claremont couple aims to produce 18,000 pounds of the versatile paste this year

By Cynthia David

When Suzanne Cardinal met musician and Big Carrot co-founder Jerry Lewycky in 1984, she marvelled at the strange staples in his kitchen cupboard, from seaweed to fish flakes.

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It's not your usual kind of `fast food'

By Susan Sampson

If you want to eat a lot of egg rolls fast, make them slippery with plum sauce.

Recipe:

* New Old Egg Rolls

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Delicious or disgusting? You decide

By Susan Sampson

Strange how rare and expensive delicacies tend to involve bodily secretions. Or bugs.

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No shortage of consumer-friendly South African reds, whites

By Gordon Stimmell

South Africa continues to pour out solid value whites and reds. The 2007 harvest is underway and looks stellar.

[TPO]

Toronto Star – June 27, 2007

A love affair with ice cream

By Katherine Elphick

We seem to associate ity with good times, so it's no mystery why we love the creamy stuff

When it comes to ice cream, Doug Goff is always "on the lookout for weird and wonderful" flavours. Goff, who specializes in ice cream, explains why we have a love affair with the stuff.

Recipe:

* Ginger Ice Cream

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'Eat local' message never goes out of style

By Jennifer Bain

What's the best way to convey the "Eat local" message?

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Wheat makes a good beer, too

By Josh Rubin

Sipping from a big glass of wheat beer while sitting in a Munich biergarten is a delight every beer drinker should try at least once in their life. If you can't make your way over to Germany this summer, don't worry – there's a pretty good substitute right here in Toronto.

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Even better with age

By Gordon Stimmell

Muscats capable of lasting decades are one such creature. This grape dates back to vineyards in ancient Egypt. With all the focus now on our global icewines, it's a timely reminder that other dessert wines exist that are not readily available in Ontario.

[TPO]

Toronto Star – July 12, 2007

Bounty in Prince Edward County

Alluring local flavours are drawing tastebuds to Prince Edward County

By Amy Pataki

Can a hot dog be worth a two-hour drive? Yes, if the hot dog is an all-beef beauty served at Buddha Dog in Picton, the unofficial capital of this County.

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Prince Edward County ready to pour it on

Newly designated Viticultural Area status moves wineries into a new light with new responsibilities

By Gordon Stimmell

The wineries here have finally come of age. The region has become official, with the Ontario government granting it Designated Viticultural Area status.

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Murtabak is an ideal street food

By Jennifer Bain

So Toronto will soon be on the hunt for an exciting new breed of street vendor, the kind that proudly dishes up diverse creations instead of simply slinging hot dogs and sausages. I hope the city will award a licence to Souk Saiyavong so we can all try his murtabak.

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New brewery opts for full flavour

By Josh Rubin

Grand River Brewing, which opened last month in an old farm equipment foundry in Galt (the old part of Cambridge), didn't wait. It has made two full-flavoured beers that aren't designed to appeal to the mass market: Plowman's Ale and Galt Knife Old Style.

[TPO]

Toronto Star – July 18, 2007

Friends' salads make it a feast

By Marion Kane

Older, wiser and single, I regularly host small dinner parties for which I find six to eight people seated snugly around my dining table works best. On these occasions, I follow Martha Stewart's sage advice: Make lists and meticulously plan ahead.

Recipe:

* Lentil salad

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Root vegetable jicama good foil for spicy foods

By Susan Sampson

The jicama is shaped like a big turnip, with thin, light-brown skin and off-white, slightly translucent flesh. Its texture is like that of an apple or water chestnut – moist, crunchy and light. It has a slight sweetness and nuttiness that work well with spicy food.

Recipe:

* Jicama Fiesta Slaw

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Summer reds have to stand up to charred meat

By Gordon Stimmell

My quest this week is great red summer sippers. The rules? They must be able to stand up to charred meat from the backyard barbecue, but they also have to be fabulous to sip on their own after the meal winds down and the sun slinks into the west.

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Crazy for blueberries

By Susan Sampson

DeMarco is a fast talker and smiles a lot. She's wearing a denim skirt and Crocs, a battered straw hat and one of the aprons from her large, well-worn collection. The apron is her uniform. Navigating among her 10,000 blueberry bushes, she remarks "it'll be just blue, blue, blue in a couple of weeks."

For more information:

* Berry primer