I began my career in food journalism by accident. Before that, I attained B.Ed. in French and English as a Second language. I taught New Canadians for several years and I was a social worker. In the late 1970s, my journalist friend assigned me a few restaurant reviews for Toronto Life. Next, I heard that the Toronto Sun was searching for a food editor – I spent the role from 1983 to 1989. In that year, a Life Editor for The Toronto Star reached out to me – I accepted the offer. I found my calling and my consuming passion – writing about chefs, home cooks and recipes. My role as a food editor/columnist at the Star lasted 18 years. I resigned in 2007 as a freelance Food Sleuth® creating podcasts and blogs on social media. This is a feature, illustrated by the above photo of me, from the Toronto Sun appeared in 1989. Read more…
Delicious Fab Food Finds, Part 2
Food Finds, Part 2. Do you Notice I Have a Sweet Tooth? My Reply: Everything in Moderation.
“Meals make the society, hold the fabric together in lots of ways that were charming and interesting and intoxicating to me. The perfect meal, or the best meals, occur in a context that frequently has very little to do with the food itself.” Anthony Bourdain Read more…
Venetian Friday Night Pasta is Delicioso!
Here is a dish I made the other night to rave reviews. It’s easy, delectable and makes a great casual meal to serve friends, especially for an unplanned meal. As usual with Nigella’s recipes, I had to tweak hers. It’s a winner.
Pasta with Chicken, Raisins and Pine Nuts
Lawson found the original recipe – a Friday night dish from Italy called Tagliatelle Frisinsal – in The Book of Jewish Food (Knopf; $32.99) by Claudia Roden. Great on on a buffet, this makes a lot but leftovers reheat well. Use a sturdy pasta, not your angel hair. Tagliatelle work well; I like caserecce which look like twisted rope. Instead of lemon juice, you could brush chicken with a balsamic-based salad dressing. Toast pine nuts in dry skillet, shaking, over medium-low heat until golden brown, about 5 min. I used a fresh free-range President’s Choice chicken from Zehrs – the taste is incomparable. Read more…