Food | Leisure | Culture
A sampling of lighter fare, literally and figuratively
The Wine Mavericks - Maclean's Wine in Canada
From the sandy soils of British Columbia’s interior to the rocky shores of Cape Breton’s coast, a growing group of independent-minded vineyard owners are eschewing the exorbitant price of grape-growing properties in mainstream regions in favour of other promising plots of land—albeit sometimes in the middle of nowhere.
A Kick in the Aspic - Globe and Mail Style Advisor
Done right, aspic can be revelatory, a shimmering magic trick of proteins and vegetables encased in a complementary broth that melts in the mouth. And it tests all of a chef’s abilities.
A Softer, Gentler Blue Cheese - The Globe and Mail
In the basement of a converted bungalow in Halifax’s North End, Lyndell Findlay is making blue cheese for people who hate blue cheese.
The Case of the Drunken Pigs - Modern Farmer
Julie Shore’s pigs were very cheerful drunks. At least, that was true of the ones that could walk.
Why this little fish is on some of the biggest menus around - The Globe and Mail
In the dead of Maritime winter, under frozen bays and harbours, drifting schools of smelt are preparing for an epic journey.
Strange Brew - Atlantic Business Magazine
It wasn’t quite noon and Sean Dunbar was already trying to fix a flagpole near the front steps of Fredericton’s city hall, where he had just met with the city’s development planner.
The Farm-to-Table Opportunity - BC Business (cover)
His days were long, 18 to 20 hours on average, and he spent most of them covered in blood.
Take the chill off winter with slow-cooked comfort food - The Globe and Mail
From North African tagine to French pot-au-feu (literally “pot on the fire”), few dishes make as much sense in winter as one that’s slowly cooked.
Blazing the Appellation Trail in Nova Scotia - Maclean's Wine in Canada
With a chilly climate, rocky soils and stiff ocean breezes wailing through its vineyards, Nova Scotia may seem an unlikely place for a rapidly expanding wine industry. But in Canada’s fourth-largest wine-producing province—after Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec—demand for local wine is booming.
How to Bake the Best Cake - East Coast Living
Baker Glynnis Kennedy remembers a time in Newfoundland when brides only had two options when it came to their wedding cake: light or dark fruitcake.
Mallard Cottage brings a 'new swagger' to the rustic East Coast - The Globe and Mail
St. John’s, once denigrated as a city of fish and chips and mediocre hamburgers, has recently experienced an incredible renaissance in its restaurant scene, fuelled by a booming oil and gas sector and a returning cadre of expats, entrepreneurs and businesspeople.
Retrospective celebrates the subversive vision of Mary Pratt - The Globe and Mail
In a stunning retrospective simply titled Mary Pratt, which recently opened in The Rooms Provincial Art Gallery in St. John’s, the artist’s gorgeous, brutal vision of the world is the best revenge against anyone who ever sought to define her.
Would you pay for a care package from Bill Nye? - The Globe and Mail
While it’s normal to rely on an abstract sense of “good taste” when deciding what hand cream, socks or cutting board to buy, what has changed, she says, is that consumers are now delegating those decisions to celebrities, sports figures or people they follow on social media.
Put away your sou'wester (St. John's travel) - The Globe and Mail
St. John’s still has all the charms – spectacular vistas, whale watching, history and friendly locals spinning old foolishness – you’ve been led to expect. But when the whales aren’t jumping or the fog has you down, here are some of the best ways to explore this newly optimistic city from end to end.
The Confessional - CBC Radio One (audio)
What happens when a naive 20 year old gets into a stranger's car in Malaysia? Listen to find out.
Cattails move from marsh to menu - The Globe and Mail
Known in foraging circles as “nature’s supermarket,” nearly every part of the plant can be eaten, from the starchy roots that can be cooked like a potato or pounded into flour, to protein-rich pollen from its puffed flowering heads that can be used in scones and biscuits.
Forage and feast - Saltscapes Good Taste
I grew up foraging for mushrooms with my Polish grandfather. For him, there was nothing better than stumbling upon a stash of red-capped slippery jacks, or a glowing orange stand of chanterelles.
An Italian vegetarian cookbook ahead of its time - The Globe and Mail
It was intended as a manifesto, as proof one could live luxuriously as a vegetarian. But the 1930 recipe book by Sicilian Enrico Alliata, the Duke of Salaparuta, seemed destined to remain a used-bookstore curiosity.
Are Rabbits the New Super Meat? - Modern Farmer
While their reproductive prowess may be clichéd, California farmer Mark Pasternak and his wife Myriam can’t build rabbit barns fast enough to keep up with demand.
Brandon Baltzley: a chef poised between artistry and addiction - The Globe and Mail
In cooking, the line between a genius and out-of-control artist is a fine one. When it comes to Baltzley, diners, restaurant critics and even his closest friends suspect he might be both.
Talking Turkey - Maclean's
“If you have 20-lb. turkeys wandering around, and a number of sportsmen looking for something for the Thanksgiving table, those problems sort themselves out.”
The Meat of the Matter - Maclean's
I’ll never forget the horrified look on my husband’s face as he stared down into the cardboard box I brought home from the butcher.
Any Given Sundae – The Walrus
From new-age superpremium flavours to palm-oil-based confections, ice cream experts know that a cone is never just a cone.
A Room for a Stew - Maclean's
Before the advent of home refrigeration, root cellars were the only way most Canadians could ensure a fresh food supply in winter and early spring, as produce stored outside quickly rotted once brought inside.