Who has the testicular fortitude to take on city's best ballers? (Image: Gotham Nurse)

Caplansky’s Delicatessen is holding its inaugural “Battle of the Bubbies” competition this Sunday in search of the city’s best matzo ball maker. Chief mensch Zane Caplansky points out that the competition is open to anyone—not just bubbies—and there will be two categories to compete under: cannon balls (hard balls) and fluffy balls (soft balls). For the record, Caplansky himself likes the fluffy balls. The judges include Moses Znaimer, Bonnie Stern, David Sax, Lara Rabinovitch and Amy Wilson, so it’s quite clear that these people will know what goes in a good matzo, unlike most food competitions out there (remember when Antonio Sabato Jr. was a judge on Iron Chef?).

The competition starts at 4 p.m. on September 10 at the deli. Contestants must pre-register by calling the restaurant, which just celebrated its first year at its current digs.

Extra incentive: all competitors get a free lunch.

• Caplansky’s Deli

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]

• The Toronto Star takes note of three mixologists reinventing the winter warmer, a class of once-common cocktails awaiting the type of resurgence currently enjoyed by Manhattans and mojitos. The Drake’s Jonathan Humphrey, Grace co-owner Chris Hoffman and Bill Sweete of Sidecar and Negroni each took turns dishing about their interpretation of the ’60s and ’70s “après-ski treats.” Humphrey’s hot chocolate with Frangelico and scorched marshmallows is an adult take on a childhood classic; Hoffman’s apple warmer “smells like warm apple pie and opens up in your chest like a warm butterfly.” [Toronto Star]

• There’s an iPhone app for every aspect of eating these days—even apps (appetizers, that is). Bonnie Stern has prepared a list of 25 download-worthy recipes for holiday nibbles. We think the simplest might also be the most sophisticated (bite-sized chunks of parmesan drizzled with high-quality balsamic) and delectable (freshly popped popcorn with melted butter or warm extra-virgin olive oil). [National Post]

• Bakery on the Go, in the Warden subway station, already has a spotty DineSafe record: a conditional pass in August for inadequate food temperature control and failure to protect food from contamination. But a recent incident caught on camera by customer Borys Machnikowski truly made our stomachs turn. He noticed “a mouse chowing down on the mini-cheese rolls” in the pastry case. When informed, the manager simply said, “This is subway station. You see mice sometime. So what?” The manager’s tune changed when he saw the photo Machnikowski snapped of the rodent, and the café was closed down. [BlogTO]

• If Ralph Lauren’s daughter Dylan were a candy, she would be an “everlasting gobstopper—well rounded, with a colourful personality.” Fitting for the entrepreneur whose eponymous line of American stores features not only confections but bath and body products, T-shirts, and cocktail-serving “candy bars.” Dylan was in Toronto last month to launch a sampling of her sweets at Holt Renfrew. One of the featured nibbles was called “everything but the kitchen sink”: a hunk of chocolate filled with pretzels, popcorn, pecans, peanuts and “a bunch of other gut-busting ingredients.” [Globe and Mail]

(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.

Dish Cooking Studio
A romantic gift idea for two is Dish’s cuisine-themed Date Night ($250), like a Tapas Evening in Spain, where couples mingle while making such small plates as fried potatoes with chorizo or cod with ham croquettes. To boost the swoony atmosphere, some classes start with prosecco and amuses-bouches.
Dish Cooking Studio, 390 Dupont St., 416-920-5559, dishcookingstudio.com.

Culinarium
For Christmas, Toronto’s “locavore food store” has packaged some of its popular seminars with culinary products. The Bread 201 package includes a dough-kneading lesson, a bag of Ontario flour and a handmade rolling pin ($129); the Cheese Tasting bundle includes a pairing seminar with a box of artisanal, locally made crackers and a cheese board ($124).
Culinarium, 705 Mount Pleasant Rd., 647-430-7004, culinarium.ca.

Viva Tastings
Focused on tasting menus, Cordon Bleu–trained chef Karen Viva-Haynes leads classes blending locally sourced ingredients with worldly cuisine. A popular Christmas gift is a certificate for a set of three classes ($225), which could include how-tos for terrines, pasta or Tuscan tapas.
Viva Tastings, 409 College St., 416-506-0054, vivatastings.com.

Calphalon Culinary Center
The Basic Skills Series of four classes ($500) introduces newbie chefs to knife wielding, soup making, grilling and more. The centre also offers an array of other classes (on topics ranging from Thai to root vegetables), including a delectable brunch option for couples who want to make crab cakes Benedict, then relax with a mimosa.
Calphalon Culinary Center, 425 King St. W., 416-847-2212, calphalonculinarycenter.com.

Bonnie Stern School of Cooking
Though almost all of Stern’s classes are demo only (except for hands-on challah and pastry making), her lessons are likely to enthrall since the venerable instructor has over 30 years of experience under her belt and a dozen cookbooks to her credit. Lit-loving chefs will appreciate a ticket to her monthly book club, where Stern crafts a menu inspired by a timely tome, then invites the author to discuss the work over food ($135). Guests in 2009 included Margaret Atwood, and 2010 brings Stephen Brunt and Anne Michaels. $135–$225 per person.
Bonnie Stern School of Cooking, 6 Erskine Ave., 416-484-4810, bonniestern.com.

Shashi’s Indian Cooking
Focused on nutritionally balanced fare based on Ayurvedic principles, chef Shashi imparts a lifetime of knowledge on how to craft dosas and samosas that incorporate such healthy items as grains, beans and seeds. Sessions are limited to five or six participants and range from beginner to advanced ($65–$75, or any five for $250).
Shashi’s Indian Cooking, 250 Queens Quay, 416-593-7546, indiancooking.ca.

Nella Cucina
Nella Cucina’s resident chef Joanne Lusted uses a scant five to eight ingredients per dish to demonstrate how to make meals that will last all week, or ones that are ready in little more time than it takes to heat up a Lean Cuisine (Cooking on the Fly, $75). Celebrity chef demos are also available, which in 2010 will include Massimo Capra cooking a four- to five-course meal of Italian favourites ($120).
Nella Cucina, 876 Bathurst St., 416-922-9055, nellacucina.ca.

The Chef Upstairs
These “allergy aware” demonstrations are taught in a 100 per cent nut-free space by the likes of Mark McEwan and Christine Cushing. The lineup for the new year includes Healthy Baby Gourmet for New Mums ($50) and a class for cooking freezer-bound goodies, such as soups and stews ($99).
The Chef Upstairs, 516 Mount Pleasant Rd., 416-544-9221, thechefupstairs.com.

Stubbe Chocolates
Offering introductory options for chocolate tempering ($80) and truffle making ($80), or classes specifically for kids ($70), this midtown shop doesn’t just teach participants how to work with the “Food of the Gods,” it sends them home with enough of the sweet stuff to “give anyone a stomach ache,” according to owner Daniel Stubbe.
Stubbe Chocolates, 653 Dupont St., 416-923-0956, stubbechocolates.com.

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.

What are your plans after the book tour?
We just opened our third Bouchon, in Beverly Hills, so for the next year and a half, we’ll make sure it gets the foundation it needs to thrive.

There are six restaurants and three bakeries in the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group. How do you decide where you open a restaurant?
Cooking is about product and execution. When you go somewhere that is not your own country—for example, Toronto—it’s hard to control. I’d really have to learn where the food comes from before being comfortable to open up a restaurant there and feel confident that it’s going to be good. I always say that if I’m going to be a brand, I want to be Hermès—it’s a company that has extraordinary integrity, doesn’t compromise on quality, is respected for what they do, and they haven’t really diverged from their main source of business, which is leather and scarves.

What restaurants have impressed you most?
I have great respect for the extraordinary chefs around the world, including big names like Grant Achatz of Chicago, Heston Blumenthal and Fergus Henderson in the U.K.

What do you think about food trends?
I’m only against trends because the true definition of a trend is something that has an end. So why would you want to be trendy? Why is arugula in this year and out next year? I mean arugula’s still arugula—it’s great! It’s been around forever. There are certain trends that are very important, don’t get me wrong, but the overreaching definition of trend is something that, when you apply it to food, doesn’t make sense.

What are your favourite dishes?
The idea of a beautifully roasted chicken is compelling—the aroma, the flavours. Who doesn’t love roast chicken when it’s done really well? Sometimes I have great anxiety when I see a steak, an omelette, roast chicken and tripe on a menu. There are so many good things that I don’t know what to choose. So it’s almost better not to have any choices when I order.

Is that the premise behind the chef’s tasting menu?
Sure. Luxury to me is about not having to make the choice. Going to a restaurant, just sitting down and having the chef cook for you is great. When I go to dinner at my colleagues’ restaurants, I never see the menu or the wine list, and it’s just a wonderful experience.

If you had to create the ultimate dinner party, who would be there and what would be on the menu?
I’d like to have my parents; [the late chef] Fernand Point—he was an icon not only in our industry, but somebody who has continued to inspire me; Harry Truman, who was our last great president and somebody I really respect; and Audrey Hepburn, an extraordinary woman not just in her beauty but in her thoughtfulness and compassion. I’d serve simple food: probably a garbure (a rustic French winter soup), a great salad, a roast chicken of course, and whatever vegetables were in the earth, then something lemon and something chocolate.

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]

• Margaret Atwood’s latest literary glimpse into humanity’s dismal future, The Year of the Flood, has inspired amateur chefs more than Booker judges. Lit-loving chef Bonnie Stern, who regularly hosts similar book-themed dinners at her Erskine Avenue home, created a menu fit for the Flood, including such post-apocalyptic treats as God’s Gardeners’ salad and Happicuppa walnut rolls. Atwood attended (and blogged about) the dinner and was impressed by the recipes’ wit and inventiveness. [National Post]

• With H1N1 paranoia ballooning out of control, New York City mixologist-cum-pharmacists are looking to cash in by dispensing cocktails that supposedly fight swine flu. Not quite our grandmother’s hot toddy, such drinks as the Flu Shot blend antivirals and immunity boosters (garlic, ginger, echinacea) with hard liquor (tequila), while other drinks contain yellow chartreuse, thyme and cinnamon “for the throat.” Dr. Ronald B. Turner from the University of Virginia School of Medicine thinks these drinks are likely better for the mind than for the body, noting, however that “if the cocktails make you feel better, go for it.” [New York Times]

• Every time Guardian food writer Jay Rayner visits America, he’s troubled by something disturbing. No, not the guns, SUVs or even Sarah Palin. Cinnamon. Rayner feels that Americans take the spice to unhealthy limits, especially when they use it on pork, jerk chicken and squash purée. Now safely back in England, Rayner can’t smell the spice without gagging, noting bitterly that on this side of the pond, “cinnamon is like herpes in a hippie commune: bloody everywhere.” [Guardian]

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]

• Two Ontario cheese makers have scored top honours at the American Cheese Society Awards in Austin—a.k.a. the “Superbowl of cheese.” Fifth Town Artisan Cheese and Black River Cheese Company went up against 1,327 entries from across North America and came out with first, second and third place awards. Scoring the ultimate touchdown was Fifth Town’s Lighthall tomme, which snagged first place in the “Aged Goat Cheese” category. [Toronto Star]

• Unlike that sobering, depressing series on salt in the Globe, the National Post is looking into the many types of sodium chloride available today, from sea salt to pickling salt to smoked salt. [National Post]

• The Independent’s list of the world’s 10 best ethical wines features Le Clos Jordanne’s organic Chardonnay from the Niagara Peninsula, which was bestowed a silver award at the 2009 Decanter Awards. It’s the only North American wine on a list dominated by Europe and South America. [The Independent]

• A Toronto-based culinary school is offering new college and university students a three-hour crash-course in gastronomic independence. Veteran foodie Bonnie Stern decided to offer the class at her school at the behest of parents who were concerned that their school-bound kids would resort to fast food. Students will be introduced to alternatives like quesadillas, roast chicken and “good-for-a-week salad dressing.” [The Hamilton Spectator]

'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.

The garden may not have roses (save the chef, natch), but it does have chilies, tomatoes and frisée, which he’ll be adding to some of the dishes he’s preparing with guest chef Alida Solomon of Tutti Matti. The $65 meal will include pinzimonio, venison carpaccio, grigliata mista and even a few end-of-summer cocktails.

“This may not be a secret dinner party, but it definitely has that feel,” says Rose, who held his first get-together in the space with Bonnie Stern on August 12. Diners will be escorted from the front entrance of The Drake and through the back alley, where it feels like anyone’s backyard. “People can just relax and eat some barbecue, that’s the concept,” says Rose.

For those who can’t make it tomorrow, he’s planning a porchetta party in the fall, when he’ll roast a whole pig. If things go well, expect twice monthly meals next summer.

I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, Aug. 26, 8 p.m., $65. The Drake Hotel, 1150 Queen St. W., 416-531-5042, event Web site.

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]

• We thought sewage management was taken care of ages ago, but apparently Toronto’s waste is ending up on Ontario farmland. [BlogTO]

• A set of Wüsthof blades may be a culinary asset, but so is a simple ball of string. Here are a few age-old uses for this handy, affordable tool. [LA Times]