Being newlyweds when we left for South Korea, we promised our families back home we wouldn’t procreate any children of our own while living abroad; mostly so our parents wouldn’t miss out on all the grandparent-y stuff, but also because we were travelling to delay any domesticity in the early stages of marriage. As English […]
The telling of interesting stories must come with the territory when your middle name is the number 8 (Chinese for prosperity) instead of a word, as Jennifer 8. Lee proves in her book, The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food. The chronicles begin with the symbolic item that all ends all […]
Becoming a locavore (someone committed to eating only local food) takes a dedication to the natural food chain and requires certain sacrifices, such as never eating bananas, unless you live in a tropical country. Or sometimes it entails relocating to areas with more agricultural variety. That is what novelist, Barbara Kingsolver, did by moving her […]
Until reading Benjamin Wallace’s book, The Billionaire’s Vinegar: The Mystery of the World’s Most Expensive Bottle of Wine, I had no idea that a story about a single bottle of wine could turn into an enthralling page-turner reminiscent of a Sherlock Holmes mystery. The bottle in question is a 1787 Chateau Lafite Bordeaux supposedly owned […]
With summertime upon us, there are delectable local fruits on offer in markets and roadside fruit stands across Ontario, not to mention the extra helping of imported exotic fruits that line the grocery store shelves. But how many of us know the stories of adventure and commerce behind those pyramids of mangos and heaps of […]
Without formal cooking credentials to your name, it’s best to avoid inviting Mario Batali to dinner. Bill Buford, writer for The New Yorker magazine, knew the potential for humiliation, but he did it anyway. As if that wasn’t enough, he proceeded to get permission to work in the kitchen of Batali’s Manhattan restaurant, Babbo. For […]
Even as a reluctant celebrity, Anthony Bourdain continues to unwittingly mould his career as a chef into that of a renowned TV personality and bestselling author, who has been treating readers to his irreverent style of writing since 2001 when his book, Kitchen Confidential – about the darker side of restaurant kitchens – became a […]
In no book has the phrase “You are what you eat” meant as much as in Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. This book needs no further accolades after receiving numerous awards in 2007, including the prestigious James Beard Award and a nod as one of The New York Times […]
What are the secrets to being a great waiter? Phoebe Damrosch learned there’s more to it than writing “Thank you” in bubble letters next to a smiley face on the cheque at the end of a meal. By working her way into the restaurant of a celebrity chef and learning from the best in the […]
Many people travel to enjoy exotic food directly from the source. Who couldn’t argue that Pad Thai tastes exponentially better from a stall on the streets of Bangkok or that Crème Brule has a certain je ne sais quoi when eaten in a Parisian bistro? Sometimes it’s beneficial to get a glimpse of the food […]