Travel Life: Sri Lanka—A spicy destination
The food is what I remember and miss the most about Sri Lanka. The country has an abundance of all the things I love to eat: spices, curries, seafood and fresh produce. Some of the spices, such as the real cinnamon, are special to the island. As for the curries,...
ZOOMER: The Guts and the Glory
I'm a well-seasoned food, drink and travel writer. After four decades, I'm still loving the gig, though it does have a downside. Over time, stuffing all conceivable edibles (and some unimaginable ones) down my throat has played havoc with my metabolism. Your order...
CLEAR LIFE MAGAZINE: Fabulous Flavours of Rome
Two tasty walking tours of Rome will have you mapping out your next European vacation using TBPS (Taste Bud Positioning System). Many tourists get to know a city by sightseeing. I get the gist of a town through my stomach and I'm not alone. Food is now the leading...
DINE MAGAZINE: Rio Eats
In Rio de Janeiro they have been busy civilizing the favelas (slums) whose brutal existence was immortalized in the 2002 film, City of God. Adventurous tourists are now visiting some of the more sanitized favelas and small restaurants have opened up....
WINE ACCESS: Ontario Ethnic Restaurants 2009
Toronto has the highest percentage of foreign-born population of any major city. Neighbourhoods such as Corso Italia, Greektown, Little Poland, Via Azores and Gerard India Bazaar reflect the origin of the locals with their Ayurveda herb has several forms of herbs...
MY ONTARIO MAGAZINE: Three Fine Ontario Chefs
A Chat with Ontario’s Finest Chefs Chefs Mark McEwan, David Lee and Jamie Kennedy are famous for their food and for their support of local farmers and producers. Food and wine writer Margaret Swaine spoke with the three on behalf of My Ontario Magazine. What’s it...
WINE ACCESS: Best Tables 2009
Chef and media personality Donna Dooher unveiled her new, long-awaited Mildred's Temple Kitchen in the heart of Liberty Village, Toronto this past November. Patrons were heartbroken when Mildred Pierce, Dooher's first restaurant, closed after almost 20 years,...
WINE ACCESS: Top 25 Restaurants in Ontario 2007
Toronto Splendido 88 Harbour St. 416-929-7788 www.splendido.ca CLOSED No place in Toronto quite hits the high notes like Splendido. You're pampered from the moment you walk in. Subdued lighting, dramatic mirrors, large modern paintings, warm polished wood floors...
LA TIMES: From coast to coast, the county dishes out customized cuisine
Rusty Rhyne an American living in Vancouver has often remarked to his Canadian wife that she and her compatriots have some strange eating habits. Canadians put vinegar on their fries, dip their chicken strips in plum sauce instead of ranch and drink bloody Caesar's...
WINE ACCESS: Where to Dine for Wine in Ontario 2006
Best Wine Bar Crush 455 King St. W, Toronto ON 416-977-1234 www.crushwinebar.com (Closed) Every month a different wine region is featured at this hip open-kitchen French style bistro located in the strip of trendy renovated warehouses that now grace King West. Over...
TORONTO LIFE RESTO GUIDE: Star Grazing, Where Hollywood North Dines Out….
Many years of celebrity hosting hasn't tarnished the star of Bistro 990. Its locale across from the flophouse of choice for many Hollywood actors (The Sutton Place), the backdoor, private rooms and deft staff continue to reel the big ones in. Steven Culp in town...
PRIVILEGE MAGAZINE: The Pleasurable Lightness of Dark Chocolate
Not only does dark chocolate have health benefits, the better it is the less chance of overindulgence. You heard that right. “The more pleasure at the first bite, the less you are going to eat,” said Dr. Jordan LeBel, an expert on chocolate and its physiological...
Purity Frozen in Time
Off the coast of Newfoundland some not so crazy Canucks are harvesting icebergs for the production of vodka, pure drinking water and now gin. Why would anyone want a chip off the block of these million to 500 million ton frozen floating mountains? It's dangerous...
NATIONAL POST: Bluffers Guide to Balsamics
Look at a display of balsamic vinegars in a fancy grocery store and you’re bound to be confused. Exactly why are some priced at under ten dollars while others sell at over two hundred? The main reason is that there are two types of balsamics - the commercial...
NATIONAL POST: Raising a Toast to Chocolate
Most wine books avoid the subject of wine with chocolate. One guide on harmonizing wine with food, states under the category chocolate mousse - match with water. Yet it's so wonderfully soothing to end a day with a little libation and a melt in the mouth bonbon....
