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All stories relating to maple leaf foods

The Dish

Food Porn
January 26, 2012 | 2:53 pm

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Three Ontario chefs show off the best of Aussie cooking at the epic Toronto Down Under dinners

Vegemite grilled cheese (no, really), kangaroo with quandong and whisky truffles (Image: Renée Suen)

Today is Australia Day, which celebrates the establishment of the first European colony in New South Wales in 1778 (also: dingoes, babies, Vegemite and Crocodile Dundee). Here in Toronto, three Ontario chefs—Matt Kantor (Secret Pickle Supper Club and Ghost Chef), John Placko (culinary director of Maple Leaf Foods) and Kingston wunderkind Luke Hayes-Alexander (Luke’s Gastronomy)–banded together to host three nights celebrating Australian cuisine, complete with Australian wines, beer and whisky pairings at the Cookbook Store’s kitchen studio, the site of last year’s El Bulli Imitació dinner.

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The Dish

Culinary Curiosities
May 26, 2011 | 11:52 am

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Check out liquid nitrogen–poached doughnuts and other molecular miracles from a recent Modernist Cuisine demo

John Placko uses goggles while working with liquid nitrogen (Image: Renée Suen)

What’s it like to sear caramel on a -34 °C anti-griddle, poach doughnuts in liquid nitrogen (around -196 °C), or use low temperatures to slow-cook food in vacuum-sealed pouches in a thermal immersion circulator (that’s sous vide for those in the know)? Although they may seem like leftovers from some ’70s sci-fi movie, these modern cooking techniques are starting to move beyond professional kitchens and into homes, buoyed in part by the March release of Nathan Myhrvold’s staggering six-volume Modernist Cuisine. In honour of the 2,500-page tome, The Cookbook Store hosted a two-hour workshop, which saw many of Toronto’s hottest chefs and industry tastemakers piled into Nella Cucina’s upstairs cooking studio, including Grant van Gameren (The Black Hoof), Nick auf der Mauer (Porchetta and Co.), sommelier Jamie Drummond, Dinah Koo (Koo and Co.) and Lucy Waverman.

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The Informer

My Name Is Lucre
March 14, 2011 | 9:07 am

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Meet the eight locals that make it onto Forbes’ list of the world’s 1,140 billionaires

Jim Balsillie: billionaire (Image: AtelMedia)

According to The Social Network, a million dollars isn’t cool. But you know what is? A billion dollars. If that’s the case, then just a handful of Canadians are cool these days: Forbes released its annual list of the world’s billionaires, and only 24 Canucks earned a mention. Only one made the top 20, while another two ranked in the top 200 and the rest were sprinkled throughout the list of 1,140. Here, we meet (or re-meet, as they’re all pretty predictable) the eight listees from the G.T.A. and environs.

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The Informer

From the Print Edition
March 10, 2011 | 8:42 am

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Meet five Bay Street escapees who left six-figure jobs to work for themselves

They left six-figure corporate jobs for the queasy uncertainty of self-employment. Tales of emptied bank accounts and the elusive but oh-so-sweet gratification of running your own shop By Denise Balkissoon | Photography by Daniel Ehrenworth

The Candy Man

Tim English, 46
Then: Bay Street lawyer
Now: owner of Chocolateria

I started my Bay Street career as a labour and employment lawyer at Filion Wakele Thorup Angeletti in 1991. Then I moved to Ontario Power Gener­ation for eight years, and after that to Direct Energy for about a year and a half. I had a high salary, about $250,000, and was on the cusp of moving up into the executive ranks, but in the back of my head, I’d always wanted to run my own business and work for myself. In the summer of 2009, when I turned 45, I decided it was time.

My first step was to study every shopping district in the city, to figure out what kind of business appealed to me and which neighbourhood was booming. I realized chocolate is really hot right now. I had taken baking classes at George Brown College for fun and enjoyed it. So I set up a production kitchen in my house and rented a candy kiosk at the Downsview farmers’ market for three months last summer. I wouldn’t call it a hugely successful apprenticeship: the chocolate melted in the summer heat, and I ended up giving most of it away. Also, Downsview doesn’t attract a demographic that buys quality chocolate and pastries.

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The Dish

Deathwatch
February 19, 2010 | 3:33 pm

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Liberty Village bread factory is relocating to Hamilton

Hamilton will smell like freshly baked bread (Photo by jytyl)

It’s been just over a month since we first reported on Canada Bread’s announcement that it will be closing three aging Toronto plants in 2013—including the massive Liberty Village bakery—and building a substantial factory somewhere in southwestern Ontario. Yesterday, the company announced that Hamilton will be the site of the new $100-million facility.

The 375,000-square-foot behemoth will occupy a piece of land on which Maple Leaf Foods, which owns 90 per cent of Canada Bread, wanted to build a pork-producing facility in 2005, which would have created 900 jobs. Neighbourhood opposition nixed Project Pork, but the city seems to be eager for the bread plant (which will employ up to 300), judging by how quickly the deal went through.

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The Dish

Read All About It
November 7, 2009 | 2:21 pm

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How to be Martha Stewart’s intern, Elizabeth Hurley’s low-calorie beef jerky, the best kinds of cheeseburgers

(Photo by Kyle T. Ramirez)

(Photo by Kyle T. Ramirez)

• While covering the cheeseburger beat for the Chicago Tribune, Kevin Pang scarfed down 60 different versions of the patty-and-bun classic. Now on a beef detox program of carrot sticks and flax seeds, Pang serves up his collected wisdom. On condiments: hold the ketchup and the mustard, but don’t forget the mayo. On french fries: while greasing them in duck fat is trendy, beef tallow provides a more robust taste. On flavour combinations: nothing beats cheese, bacon and caramelized onions. [Chicago Tribune]

• One lucky bidder will get the chance to work as Martha Stewart’s intern for the bargain-basement cost of $3,600. The American tastemaker is auctioning off a six-week paid internship to raise money for her eponymous centre at Mount Sinai Mission. Is this her take on stimulus spending or a version of home economics she picked up in prison? [Eat Me Daily]

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The Dish

Read All About It
October 29, 2009 | 8:41 am

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A seven-patty burger, DIY mushroom farming, grain- versus grass-fed beef

The Whopping Whopper: 791 grams, 12.7 centimetres, 2120 calories, ¥1450 ($17.25)

A whopping Whopper: 791 grams, 12.7 centimetres, 2120 calories, ¥1450 ($17.25)

• When it comes to weird fast-food promotions, no one beats the Japanese. This time around, Burger King has teamed up with Microsoft, offering a gimmicky version of the Whopper to promote the new Windows 7 operating system. The burger has seven patties and looks like it presents enough logistical problems (How does it stay together? Will we need one of these?) that diners may think it’s promoting Microsoft Vista. [CNET]

• Canadian gardeners are broadening their gardening horizons, branching out into the realm of fungi. A seller of mushroom-growing equipment from B.C. tells the Globe that his sales to hobbyists have doubled over the past year. Some are having an easier time of it than others: one Winnipegger likens the mushroom-growing process to the set-it-and-forget-it mentality of investing in mutual funds, while another ended up with nothing but a mouldy bag of hay. [Globe and Mail]

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The Dish

Culinary Curiosities
August 21, 2009 | 11:45 am

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The Ontario Science Centre’s gastronomy exhibit is surprisingly non-molecular

Though nothing compares to the tower of shopping carts in the old food pavilion, the Ontario Science Centre’s summer exhibit Food: Sink Your Teeth Into Science fills the food science void with celebrity chef appearances, nature walks and $20 gift cards from Subway.

Keeping in line with food trends, the exhibit takes a local approach, with workshops on agriculture, edible wild plant identification and composting. Adults can also see Bob Blumer this weekend (Saturday and Sunday) and John Placko, the director of culinary excellence (we’re not kidding, that’s his title) at Maple Leaf Foods, on September 5 and 6.

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The Dish

Read All About It
July 23, 2009 | 11:30 am

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Camel’s milk chocolate, listeriosis verdict, ranking street food

Land of milk and money: ?? is hoping to sell well throughout the world using camel's milk in its chocolate (Photo by Sara Yeomans)

Land of milk and money: Al Nassma Chocolate aims to seduce the world with camel's milk products (Photo by Sara Yeomans)

• A Dubai company is about to take its brand of high-end camel’s milk chocolates international. Al Nassma Chocolate, which owns a farm with 3,000 head of camel, is aiming to be “the Godiva of the Middle East” according to company spokesperson Martin Van Almsick. It will soon be peddling its wares in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Camel’s milk contains less fat, less lactose, and more vitamin C than cow’s milk. [Reuters]

• The federal government’s report on last year’s deadly listeriosis outbreak has been released. It paints a scary picture of the bureaucratic incompetence that led to the outbreak and reveals how Canada’s food safety system is “on the upper end of being mediocre.” Maple Leaf Foods, which, in a brilliant PR move, offered an apology in the aftermath of the outbreak, comes off looking somewhat respectable. [Toronto Star]

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The Dish

Read All About It
April 15, 2009 | 7:06 am

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Toronto is Canada’s “party town,” Country Style is sold, wedding catering nightmares

Sold! Ontario's second-largest doughnut chain gets a new owner (Photo by Kevin Steele)

Sold! Ontario's second-largest doughnut chain gets a new owner (Photo by Kevin Steele)

• Montreal’s King of the Food Court, Stanley Ma (the owner of Yogen Früz and Sushi Shop), buys Ontario’s second-largest coffee chain, Country Style. Who’s up for some fusion doughnuts? [Toronto Star]

• Britain’s Telegraph offers a Londoner’s guide to Toronto, “Canada’s party town.” Among the culinary picks are Delux, Rodney’s Oyster House and, wait for it, Second Cup. For homesick Brits, the article recommends the gastro-pub Crush. [Telegraph]

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The Dish
April 3, 2009 | 9:13 am

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Food snob quiz, rats in the market, locavore setback

Food snobbery: what's the score? (Photo by Hobvias Sudoneighm)

Food snobbery: what's the score? (Photo by Hobvias Sudoneighm)

• Ever wonder what the criteria are to be categorized as a food snob? Time Out’s Holier Than Chow on-line quiz asks 30 questions before labelling participants as Easy Macs, Discerning Diners or Bona Fide Foodie Elitists. [Time Out]

• Save the best wine for sipping, not cooking, say many Toronto chefs. Some Food Network types suggest that top-shelf vino is best in the kitchen, but most high-end restaurants use lesser stuff. And money saved is not the only benefit of subbing in cheaper hooch: fine wine’s richer flavour can overpower—instead of enhance—foods. [Toronto Star]

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The Dish

Read All About It
March 25, 2009 | 11:52 am

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Dispelling sugar myths, organics stay afloat, a new alcohol-cancer link

Debunking sugar myths (Photo by Kima)

Debunking the myths about sugar in food (Photo by Kima)

• A New York Times blog attempts to debunk food myths related to sugar, which is increasingly being viewed as a health food, compared with such high-fructose sweeteners as corn syrup. Six experts and researchers evaluate the white stuff’s new-found popularity. [New York Times]

• The Toronto Wine and Cheese Show wasn’t true to its name this year, argues one food blogger. It took place in the suburbs, served too little food, and favoured mass-produced imposters over genuine Canadian cheese. [BlogTO]

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The Dish

Read All About It
March 18, 2009 | 1:20 pm

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Maple Leaf’s make-over, McDonald’s mini-burger, Canada’s best food blog

The hidden dangers of drinking (Photo by Mandie)

The hidden dangers of drinking (Photo by Mandie)

• Easy on the booze, boys. A study has found that men who consume 14 drinks a week or more are 20 per cent more likely than teetotallers to develop prostate cancer. [City News]

• Unfortunately for McDonald’s, which just introduced a Big Mac–infused mini-burger snack wrap, it takes a lot more than a pita to signify nutrition. [Burgerbusiness]

• Despite Maple Leaf’s battered reputation, the company insists its business make-over was not driven by last year’s listeria outbreak at its Toronto plant. [ItWorldCanada]

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The Dish

Read All About It
March 6, 2009 | 11:23 am

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Fake food inspectors, some gifts for Toronto, a solution to insane restaurant queues

Should Yonge Street be for pedestrians only? (Photo by Scott Snider)

Should Yonge Street be for pedestrians only? (Photo by Scott Snider)

• On the eve of Hogtown’s 175th birthday, Star urban affairs columnist Christopher Hume has a few gift suggestions for the city to give itself: new street food, 24-hour restaurants, a car-free Yonge Street and a unique Toronto cuisine. [Toronto Star]

• Fleecing the foodies: dozens of store and restaurant owners in the GTA have reported visits from fake health inspectors selling “safety tests” for $30 and $40. [Metro]

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The Dish

Read All About It
February 25, 2009 | 2:01 pm

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More listeria headaches at Maple Leaf, countdown to cuvée, the perfect pancake

Is pancake perfection possible? (Photo by Janice Lo)

Is pancake perfection possible? (Photo by Janice Lo)

• Another shipment of Advil to the PR department of Maple Leaf Foods, please. The company has had to recall hundreds of cases of wieners that had not completed listeria testing. [CBC]

• Last week, wine aficionados previewed 1,000 bottles featured in this year’s Cuvée Weekend. Winners will be announced this Friday. [Toronto Star]

• University math professors became eggheads of a different kind yesterday. In celebration of Pancake Tuesday, one professor has revealed the equation for the perfect breakfast indulgence. [National Post]

• City councillor Michael Thompson is calling for an increase in DineSafe services, as he fears business owners might be tempted to break the rules in order to cut costs due to the recession. [Toronto Sun]

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