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The meat-free Yorkshire pudding, Toronto’s gut-warming cocktails, Bonnie Stern’s favourite apps

Yorkshire pudding (Photo by Sam Greenhalgh)

• Going meatless at certain times of the year, like Christmas, might mean passing on foods like Yorkshire pudding cooked in beef drippings. But the New York Times’ Mark Bittman proposes a seamless stand-in: the popover, which turns a crêpe-like batter baked in a butter-lined cup into Yorkshire-like quick breads. Apparently, they are “at once soft and custard-like on the inside, golden brown and crisp on the outside.” [New York Times]

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| Leave a Comment » December 22, 2009 | 12:35 pm | Matthew Hague

DIY Gourmet

Cooking classes: the gift that gives back to the gifter

(Photo by xiaofeng17)

Unsurprisingly, cooking class registration increases in the weeks after Christmas, as wannabe chefs redeem gifts of culinary education. Those shopping around for just the right present will find options for any taste and talent level, with seminars on everything from making chocolate to tasting cheese or learning how to fry an Indian dosa. For romance, try a couples class; for kitchen newbies, there are beginner chef series. Below, our list of nine Toronto teaching kitchens and the gift-worthy classes they offer this December.

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| 1 Comment » December 15, 2009 | 2:15 pm | Matthew Hague

Aprons & Icons

Q&A: legendary chef Thomas Keller on his culinary empire

Thomas Keller at his first Toronto appearance (Photo by Renée Suen)

A crowd of 450 (including top Toronto chefs Ted Corrado, Mark McEwan, Bonnie Stern and Donna Dooher) gathered at the Toronto Reference Library on Monday night to hear from Thomas Keller, who was in town to promote his new cookbook, Ad Hoc at Home. In the book, Keller, the only American chef to receive Michelin stars for two restaurants (The French Laundry, Per Se) at once, reveals recipes from Ad Hoc, his restaurant in Yountville, California, which serves a different prix-fixe menu every night. We wrangled some alone time with the chef to talk about his culinary empire.

It’s your first time in Toronto. Will you be exploring much of its culinary scene?
Unfortunately, I got in late last night and am leaving early tomorrow morning, so I won’t really get to see much this time. The one restaurant that is on my list is The Black Hoof, which I heard from a friend is very good.

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| 2 Comments » December 4, 2009 | 11:30 am | Renée Suen

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Paula Deen hit by flying ham, Moscow’s favourite vodka comes to Canada, cooking up Margaret Atwood’s The Year of the Flood

When pigs fly: Paula Deen remains unporked (Photo by Alex Lines)

• The ever-upbeat Paula Deen was unaware that she was in a game of catch when someone tossed a ham in her direction, accidentally hitting her in the face. Deen was helping to unload donated meat at an Atlanta food bank on Monday when she tossed the pork to a gentleman, then turned away, not expecting that when the man said “Back atcha,” he meant it. Despite fears of a busted lip, Deen walked away from the incident injury-free, quipping, “I haven’t met the ham that could stop me yet!” [AP]

• Moscow’s most popular vodka, Russian Standard, hits the Canadian market this week. Purportedly based on a formula by chemist Dmitri Mendeleev (the man who invented the periodic table), the grain-based spirit is distilled four times and has a balanced, bready taste. At roughly half the price of Grey Goose, it will have recession-wary boozers stockpiling bottles from the LCBO. [Globe and Mail]

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| Leave a Comment » November 25, 2009 | 8:39 am | Matthew Hague

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The world’s top 10 ethical wines, deep-fried butter, the “Superbowl of cheese”

Gilding the lilly: a form of deep-fried butter has won... (Robert S. Donovan)

Gilding the lily: a form of deep-fried butter is in the running for best new midway food (Robert S. Donovan)

• In theory, it looks to be the ultimate in artery-clogging cuisine: deep-fried butter. That’s what renowned deep-fryer Abel Gonzales is bringing to the table at the State Fair of Texas’ annual contest for best new midway food. Gonzales’ previously honoured entries include fried Coke and fried peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches. The butter will be available in four flavours: original, garlic, grape and cherry. [Slashfood]

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| Leave a Comment » September 9, 2009 | 8:10 am | Jon Sufrin

Restauran-TO

Anthony Rose and Alida Solomon team up for The Drake’s outdoor eat-fest

'Cue up: The Drake's outdoor eating area is like a secret dinner club, minus the secret (Photo by Daniel Williams)

Despite being one of the most talked about West Queen West bars, the Drake Hotel always creates an atmosphere of being at our best friend’s cottage. Well, maybe not our best friend, but certainly our coolest one. Chef Anthony Rose is extending that famous chilled-out vibe right out the door and around the corner, to the urban garden he’s planted behind the hotel. Tomorrow night, he’ll host his second party in the space, which he calls I Never Promised You a Rose Garden. About 40 guests are expected for the event—and there’s room for a few more, he says.

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| Leave a Comment » August 25, 2009 | 4:34 pm | Josh Dehaas

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Toronto sewage is farm-bound, meat is stolen, Hillary Duff is pro-lunch

Soup: Get some, get better (Photo by Robert Couse-Baker)

• Spurred by research supported by the American College of Chest Physicians regarding the health benefits of soup, chef Bonnie Stern offers three recipes, just in time for the end of flu season. They don’t call it “Jewish penicillin” for nothing. [National Post]

• School board studies show that 68 per cent of students at north Toronto’s Emery Collegiate don’t eat breakfast and 54 per cent don’t eat lunch. The Toronto District School Board is trying to change that, with a little help from Hillary Duff. [National Post]

• A truck full of meat stolen from a Paris, Ontario, business was recently found in Toronto, and it looks like this was not a one-off robbery. Another vehicle was nabbed from the same business on Sunday—this time carrying $80,000 in frozen meat. [CD989fm]

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| Leave a Comment » March 10, 2009 | 12:50 pm | Chloe Ellingson