US Food Safety Enhancement Act HR 2749 is Dead

Yesterday the US Food Safety Enhancement Act HR 2749 failed in the US House of Representatives by a vote of 280 for, 150 against and 3 abstentions. It would have needed a two-thirds majority to pass, so it's effectively dead.

At first glance, the proposed legislation hardly seems threatening. It would have required more frequent inspection of food facilities, created an annual $500 fee to be paid by food producers to the US FDA, and given the FDA more authority to order food recalls and penalize violators.

However, the bill had engendered lots of resistance from people who support small, local food businesses, inspiring such vituperative epithets as "The Gestapo Food Act". Many people feared that HR 2749 would benefit large-scale agri-businesses like Monsanto to the detriment of small farmers. But democracy has spoken, and it ain't gonna happen.

Jet Fuel Coffee's Lovers and Haters

I'm howling this morning (with affection for all parties) at BlogTO's bemused review of Jet Fuel Coffee Shop (519 Parliament) and the frantically wound up detractors and defenders in the comments. Because Jet Fuel is what it is, like one of those fixed points in space and time that turn up occasionally on Dr. Who.

Now I've known owner John Englar since about 1992, when he first opened (across the street, south of Carlton, upstairs, with four stools and coffee for two bucks). I may not be precisely a regular, but I have been drifting in there on and off for more than 15 years; for the six years or so when I lived in Cabbagetown I was there a lot. And I would still say the service can range from "quizzical to withering" (as I wrote in a little Enroute magazine piece about it). So I don't know who qualifies for kid-glove treatment, and I don't really care.

I like the coffee in the tall glasses with the tall spoons kept in the glass Barbicide jar on the counter, and the art shows, and John's deadly sense of industrial design and all things stainless steel. I like the loose newspapers lying around. I love the lemonade. I enjoy being able to run into a certain sort of friend (dancers, cyclists, Islanders, Cabbagetowners, journalists, activists). I find it comforting that it obstinately stays the same, like my beloved Chalet Bar.B.Q. on Sherbrooke Street in Montreal that was so much part of our family life for 35 years that we held my brother's funeral there.

Nobody has to love Jet Fuel. If you don't, the east end has a wealth of great coffee shops to patronize instead. But I cherish the element of ritual and familiarity, and if the barista doesn't know who I am, well that's okay. I know where I am, and that's enough.

Image uncredited, from Jet's Fuel's photo album

Making Plum Jam

Yellow plum jam is the latest product, as well as some lemon balm jelly – an experiment that needs work. A nice little stock of jars is starting to mound up, although nothing to the 58+ pints put up so far by our friends at Well Preserved.

I don't consider myself a plum expert yet, so I'm not posting instructions. They're a little fussy because you have to take out the pits. I have tried the old-fashioned technique of cracking open some of the pits and using the pith to flavour the jam, but it's incredibly fiddly to open them, and anyway I have the impression that the pleasant bitter almond scent indicates cyanide content – or has all my murder-mystery reading steered me wrong?

While on the subject of chemistry, it seems to me that there's a correlation between high pectin content and a change in the colour of a greenish or yellowish fruit like gooseberries or yellow plums to a pinkish red. If I recall correctly, I think it's quince that's supposed to develop a ruby red colour; it's also high in its own pectin. I actually looked it up yesterday but couldn't spot anything on the science of it; anybody know?

Gathering Catnip – The Nip Trip

This is the time of year when parts of our house start to resemble a lavender barn in Provence. If that lavender barn was full of catnip, that is.

Jonathan will only gather the 'nip (Nepeta cataria) when it's flowering, because that's when it's got the most essential oil. Then he carefully separates out any weeds (bindweed particularly), and hang-dries it for about six weeks. Later he'll strip off the stalks and I'll sew little pouches for catnip toys. He's the only one who's allowed to stuff them, though; he's the self-proclaimed Catnip King of downtown Toronto.

We sell the toys once a year at the Ward's Island Christmas Boutique at the Algonquin Island Clubhouse, first Saturday of December, and Jonathan also distributes them amongst his friends of the human and feline variety. We've had many people tell us their cat doesn't react to catnip; then they try ours and are amazed. I think it's because Jonathan, who cooked professionally for ten years, treats the catnip with all the respect he'd give a food herb. (It does make a lovely tea, by the way, but we don't claim our 'nip is food-grade for humans.)

Final note: Jonathan has been bemoaning the weather, and comes home every day to report on the grape harvest, the potato crop, and so on (which I expect he hears about on Elevator News). The rain is slowing down catnip development too, and greatly increasing the risk of molds and mildews. If he suspects any mold in a batch, he won't use it.

Conscious Food Festival in Toronto, September 2009

I'm intrigued by news of the inaugural Conscious Food Festival, happening at Fort York from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on both days of the weekend of September 26 and 27. I don't know much about the outfit, but the nine-person organizing committee includes Jeff Crump, executive chef at Ancaster Old Mill; Ryan Rivard of The Bison in Banff, and Brendan Johnson of Everdale.

I believe they're still looking for vendors (whose wares must originate within 100 miles of Toronto unless special considerations apply). They have a Conscious Food Festival blog, but there's not much there yet. I look forward to finding out more about it.

Making Gooseberry Jam

Here's how to make gooseberry jam with fresh Ontario gooseberries. (All photos by Niamh Malcolm.) First, process your jars as described in my post on making raspberry jam. For every pound of gooseberries, you'll need 1¼ pounds of sugar and 175 mL (¾ cup) of water. I used 3 pounds of fruit, which is a nice, manageable amount. It gave me 3½ pints of jam.

Wash the gooseberries and remove the little stems and woody tufts from tops and tails. In a preserving pan (or any biggish pot with a thick bottom), bring the berries and water to a boil. Then simmer about half an hour, until the mixture resembles pea soup (the berries in the upper picture still have a long way to go).

Take the pot off the stove and add the sugar. Stir it all in, trying to avoid pouring sugar down the inside edges of the pan.

Then return the fruit and sugar mixture to the heat and boil it rapidly, stirring occasionally and making sure it doesn't burn. You'll know it's ready to pour into sterilized jars when until the liquid thickens and turns glassy on top, when it runs thickly off your spoon, and when it gels solid if you drop it on a saucer that you've chilled in the freezer. This can take 15 to 30 minutes, depending on many variables.

The colour will have changed by this time from greenish to a pinkish gold, and the texture will be jellylike rather than sludgy and pea-soupy. Use a funnel to fill the jars, leaving some head room (air space at the top of each jar). Be careful not to scrape the gel from the edges of the pot back into the mixture, for complicated reasons having to do with the chemical formation of sugars.

Finally, process the filled jars as in the recipe for raspberry jam.

I like the taste as is, but if you'd like to experiment, it might be nice to add a peeled and bruised knob of ginger to the boiling jam for some extra flavour. Enjoy!

Ceili Cottage in Leslieville for Sunday Roast

How excited was I when Ceili Cottage (1301 Queen East, 416-406-1301) opened in my neighbourhood? I'm a great admirer of Patrick "Shucker Paddy" McMurray's generous spirit and indefatigable good humour, as already demonstrated to fans of his Starfish Oyster Bed & Grill (100 Adelaide East, 416-366-7827).

Now he's running a peat-smoke-filled (really!) Irish cottage pub just down the way from me, with cask beers, fresh oysters and a Sunday roast that's meant to be hashed, minced and curried through the rest of the week. Not only that, but the wait staff is likely to break into clog dancing at a moment's notice (still not kidding).

I've actually been a bit daunted by the absolutely full house on his patio ever since Ceili Cottage opened, but I finally made my way in yesterday with stepdaughter Niamh (who should appreciate an Irish theme as well as anyone) to try it out. As it happened, we ran into Patrick arriving for evening service, and he actually took a moment to give us helpful advice about where to lock our bikes.

As for the food, well, Patrick already had me at oysters (top). But when I tried the onion soup (Irish style, with a rich lamb base, no crouton and a drizzle of pleasantly biting cheese lurking delectably at the bottom), I was in heaven. I've been craving it ever since. I paired it with the green salad with heather honey vinaigrette, which was beautifully dressed; each leaf coated, but no pooling up of dressing on the bottom of the plate.

Niamh had the Sunday roast, a crown roast of pork with apple sauce, carrots, potatoes and parsnips. I tried it, and found it to be cooked to pleasing moistness. Niamh was delighted with the hearty slab of crackling.

For dessert, I tried the sticky toffee pudding, and the first comment out of my mouth was "kill me now with burnt sugar and butter!" In a good way. I loved it. Niamh had the apple pie, and declared it noble (although she did own to believing that her grandma makes a better crust.)

Oddly, there's been quite a little bit of controversy about Ceili Cottage since it opened barely a month ago. To those who say the service isn't up to par, I'd answer that I have a lot of patience for a young and still-learning server who behaves considerately (and can clog-dance up a storm). But then again, I like community dinners and big family suppers where the ten-year-olds are expected to come 'round with the grownups' pie.

I found the price reasonable and the portions ample. I was pleased with the modest but well chosen drinks list. Most of all, I felt nourished and sustained by the food and the atmosphere; neither hungry nor overstuffed. I'll go back, and Niamh's planning to take her other mom as a special treat when she visits from Montreal in the near future. What fairer praise could there be?

How to Cook an Alligator – Chef Paul Vanderpool Jr.

Hailing from Lafayette, Louisiana, Chef Paul Vanderpool Jr. cooked (and received numerous awards) in New Orleans at establishments like K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen before coming to Canada. He thought he was on his way to Quebec from the French Quarter (Ottawa/Hull) when he was recruited for a position at Elements Restaurant & Lounge in Thunder Bay.

This interview is one of five I did with Ontario chefs for an article that was bumped from a print publication for lack of space. At the time, Chef Vanderpool was serving as executive chef at Elements. To the best of my knowledge, he has now returned to the US, but this was such a great interview that I decided I couldn't leave it out.

• Food style: Cajun fusion. I'm a manipulator of food, so I've been told. I like to take something that has no balance and create harmony with it.
• Oddest customer request? I'm a meet-and-greet chef, but there was one couple who decided to order me a meal. They ordered a dinner for me even though it was coming out of my kitchen, and I had to sit back there and eat it with them.
• Scariest moment in the kitchen? One time I told one young guy to clean the hoods, but he didn't pay attention and he didn't turn the deep fryer off. His foot slipped and fell in; his shoe came off, and his sock, and the skin came off. He was off for a year-and-a-half, but he's okay now and he's a sous chef.
• Greatest triumph? I'm very proud of my heritage. My father was a chef back home. I know Jean-Paul Prudhomme personally. I'm proud that I have gold awards to my name; I'm proud that I could do what I could do; I'm proud that I could teach people the industry. Able to create: that I guess is the biggest thing.
• Wisdom for Other Chefs? Stop pretending and just be yourself! Respect who you have in the kitchen. If you don't have a good backbone, you're not going to stand long in the kitchen.
• What's Cooking? Alligator Piquante. You get your alligator filet. You take your hammer and you're gonna flatten it out. You can either flour it, or you can hit it off real good with lavender. Alligator is a soft meat. It's tough if you overcook it; it would melt in your mouth if you cook it right.

Piquante is a bit like Mexican salsa, but it's different too. You put in your green peppers, bell peppers, garlic, chives, your cayenne pepper, tomato paste of course and burgundy wine, green onions and parsley and a little touch of flour (you gotta make your roux!) You pan-fry the alligator – sear it off – then you incorporate it with your flour and butter for your roux, and then you add all the rest of the stuff and about a cup-and-a-half of water, and your burgundy wine. Then you add your saffron rice.

Don't do what the Canadians do; they incorporate the rice right into the dish! You put it in a bowl; then you put your alligator on top, then you just touch it with your rosemary. Then you take warm water and you brush your lemon in it. You take the lemon over the side of your plate, and you take a good ounce-and-a-half of lavender. The server will take the lavender up to the nose; it's like a love affair with the food, and believe it or not, it makes you hungry!

Note: Elements does has a Fettucine Jambalaya on the menu, but they don't serve alligator any more.

Also check out:

• Craig Paulger, J. Dee's Market Grill (London)
• John Sinopoli, Table 17 (Toronto)
• Raymond Taylor, Ponte Vecchio (Niagara Falls)
• Stephen Vardy, Black Cat Bistro (Ottawa)

Top 10 US Cities for Local Food

The Huffington Post has named its nominations for 10 Best US Cities for Local Food, and is inviting readers to vote for the best of all. The candidates are Albuquerque, Chapel Hill (NC), Denver, Minneapolis, New Orleans, New York, Portland, Seattle, San Francisco and Washington DC. They're also calling for suggestions as to overlooked cities, and pictures to illustrate the argument. Maybe we should be telling them about some great Canadian eating spots. We are part of the same continent, after all.

Fresh, a New Food Documentary in the Style of Food, Inc.

If you're one of the people galvanized by Food, Inc., you'll want to watch for the premiere screening of another food documentary called Fresh by Sophia joanes. It covers some of the same ground and even uses some of the same voices, like author Michael Pollan and charismatic self-described "grass-farmer" Joel Salatin. So far, the first (and only) Canadian screening is set for Edmonton's Stanley A. Milner Library (2 p.m. on October 17), However, for only $20 (US), you can acquire a license for a home screening for up to 20 people. Community screenings cost $100 or $200, depending on the size.

MBCo in Yorkville

I guess it's an atavistic ex-Montrealer thing, but I find MBCo* at Cumberland and Bellair is rapidly becoming one of my favourite places for a business lunch. I suspect I'd just find it annoying in Montreal (the initials stand for Montreal Bread), where you can get the same food in more interesting locations, but here it satisfies both my craving for great bread and my enjoyment of watching cheerful expensive people who bring their small dogs to lunch with them. Now if only they could get a line on real bagels.

The photo is a chèvre-and-mushroom sandwich that I really enjoyed.

*Warning: not only is the official site inanely busy and hard to read, but it plays loud, obvious music that will make everybody in the cubicle next to yours jump.

Dessert Lady Has Some of the Best Cupcakes in Toronto

Aha, the Dessert Lady mini cupcakes I praised so much in my Great Toronto Cupcake Hunt have gone up in price (click to enlarge photo and read the signs). Worth every single penny, IMHO.

Chef John Sinopoli of Table 17

John Sinopoli worked in high-profile New York establishments before coming to Canada, including Craft, which was named Best Restaurant in America in its first year of operation, and La Caravelle, a traditional French restaurant (now closed). In Toronto, he worked at Splendido in a collaborative environment headed by David Lee before opening Izakaya.

This interview is one of five I did with Ontario chefs for an article that was bumped from a print publication for lack of space. Chef Sinopoli was then executive chef and partner at Izakaya, the high-end Asian-theme restaurant on Front that closed in 2008, to the disappointment of many. He has since returned to a European menu as executive chef and partner at Table 17 (782 Queen East, 416-519-1851). I'll publish all five as separate postings; they all share the same format.

• Food style: Really comfortable good food
• Oddest customer request? "I'm allergic to starch, soya sauce, sesame and dairy." If you're allergic to all these things, you're in the wrong restaurant!
• Scariest moment in the kitchen? It's got to be as an apprentice cooking a risotto for a tasting menu with the owner and the chef standing right beside me... and realizing that there wasn't enough risotto cooked to cover the menu. We actually managed to cook it. And I think that's where a chef's real creativity lies, not in their "creations", but how they end up executing when they're put into one of these situations.
• Greatest triumph? Well, I was pretty happy to cook at the James Beard House in New York last year with the crew from Splendido. We did a phenomenal menu with wine pairings. And getting through the first year here is a triumph. But the thing I'm most proud of is the whole team here [at Izakaya].
• Wisdom for Other Chefs? Be modest. There's a reason that the French and the Japanese have a system of apprenticing under someone who is your senior. I think everything I have now is a testament to some chef who cared at me enough to yell at me.
• What's Cooking: I'm particularly proud of the cucumber salad we do [at Izakaya]. It's very simple, but the reaction we get from it is pretty amazing. The cucumber is pickled Japanese-style. It's sliced, peeled, seeded and soaked for about six hours in salt water, and we add some kombu (japanese seaweed). After we remove it and squeeze it out, we dress it in a sweet rice wine vinegar and serve it with harusume noodle (ours are actually potato starch noodles). We pickle sliced daikon the same way, and it's served with some daikon radish seedlings. Just a few ingredients highlight the flavour. It's simple, and people can't get enough of that.

Also check out:

• Craig Paulger, J. Dee's Market Grill (London)
• Raymond Taylor, Ponte Vecchio (Niagara Falls)
• Stephen Vardy, Black Cat Bistro (Ottawa)

Chef Craig Paulger of J. Dee's Market Grill in London, Ontario

Craig Paulger and his partners worked their way from the ground up to the ownership of three successful restaurants: first J. Dee's Summer House, then Bernie Greene's Pizza Pasta Pub, both in the summer beach resort community of Grand Bend, and, most recently, J. Dee's Market Grill in London, Ontario.

This interview is one of five I did with Ontario chefs for an article that was bumped from a print publication for lack of space. At the time, Paulger was owner/operator and chef at J. Dee's Market Grill. To the best of my knowledge, he's still there, but I have the impression he's closed Bernie Greene's. (I'll publish all five interviews as separate postings; they all share the same format.)

• Food style: Gourmet burger bar
• Oddest customer request? It's not unusual for customers to request menu items that have no garlic in them, and it's difficult for me to pinpoint something. The only thing I can guarantee has no garlic is the ice cream.
• Scariest moment in the kitchen? Occasions when we are ill prepared for level of business we're going to do. In Grand Bend, on the shores of Lake Huron, it's not unusual for the weather to change rapidly. My motto is: "Never underestimate a sunny day."
• Greatest triumph? I guess my greatest triumph is amassing three restaurants that are built on our own cooking skills. There are no pre-fab foods in our restaurants; we make everything from scratch.
• Wisdom for Other Chefs? You have to love it or you're probably in the wrong business.
• What's Cooking? We do a lamb burger that's grilled over mesquite charcoal, which casts a smoky backyard barbeque flavour over all the meat. We're finishing it in a minted red wine sauce with grilled portobello mushrooms.

Also check out:

• John Sinopoli, Table 17 (Toronto)
• Raymond Taylor, Ponte Vecchio (Niagara Falls)
• Stephen Vardy, Black Cat Bistro (Ottawa)

30-day Ontario Wine Challenge AKA #30DOWC

As part of their Think Global. Drink Local campaign, Wines of Ontario is issuing a 30-day challenge to drink only Ontario VQA-labelled wines. Their rationale: "Ontario offers great tasting wines, it's good for the environment, supports local industry and your local community..." with which I must agree.

The Wines of Ontario site has a great list of wine-related events, lots of information about the different appelations, grapes and terroir, and a nifty tool for matching wine with food. They've also got an e-newsletter with pairing tips and wine recommendations.

To my sorrow (and joy), I'm obliged to attend some tasting events over the next 30 days that don't feature Ontario wines, but I'm going to follow along unofficially and try to choose only local wine on all other occasions until August 24. Perhaps I'll post if I try some new Ontario wine that I haven't tasted before; who knows. I'll also check in on Twitter (#30DOWC) to see how the challenge unfolds. At least it's easier than the 100-mile challenge!

By the way, if you're a Twitterholic foodie (as who isn't, these days?), you should check in on Gremolata's live-Tweeted Ontario culinary tour this weekend!

Chef Raymond Taylor, of Ponte Vecchio, Executive Chef for Niagara Casinos

Raymond Taylor, AKA "Chef Ray" was born in England and trained in London at the legendary Savoy and Claridge's. His first Canadian job was as sous chef at Toronto's King Edward Hotel. After several other hotel and resort positions, he made his way to the Bahamas and the One and Only Ocean Club Resort on Paradise Island, where he worked alongside celebrity chefs like John George. He was
appointed Executive
Chef
for
Niagara
Casinos
in
November
2007, and presides over a menu of classic Italian dishes at Ponte
Vecchio at Fallsview Casino
Resort in Niagara Falls.

This interview is one of five I did with Ontario chefs for an article that was bumped from a print publication for lack of space. Chef Taylor was then at Executive Chef at Casino Windsor. I'll publish all five as separate postings; they all share the same format.

• Food style: Euro-Asian with contemporary presentation and clean, simple flavours
• Oddest customer request? Cooking a dinner for a poodle. It was surf and turf, and it had to be served a certain way.
• Greatest triumph? When my employees go into a competition. We did the Battle of the Hors d'oeuvres in Windsor, and seeing them get gold was great. My own personal one was working for the Ocean Club when we were ranked number four in the world by Condé Nast. That was a celebration!
• Scariest moment in the kitchen? We were setting up a wedding outdoors in the English garden on the beach at Atlantis [in the Bahamas], and there was a Category 5 hurricane coming. We didn't know whether it was going to pass us or not. It was so close, but we set it all up, and it actually missed us, and the wedding went on.
• Wisdom for Other Chefs? Work hard and cook from your soul. Cooking's all about love.
• What's Cooking? [At Casino Windsor] We do a tuna light appetizer with ribbons of fresh tuna with spicy daikon and red radish slices. The tuna is like a sashimi. It's prepared in a marinade with ginger, soya and garlic, pureed to make it like a light vinaigrette. The radish we marinate in a spicy chili oil. To finish, we layer the radish with the tuna into three layers over crushed avocado.

Also check out:

• Craig Paulger, J. Dee's Market Grill (London)
• John Sinopoli, Table 17 (Toronto)
• Stephen Vardy, Black Cat Bistro (Ottawa)

Stephen Vardy, Executive Chef at the Black Cat Bistro in Ottawa

Born in Alberta and raised in Newfoundland, 31-year-old Stephen Vardy has already had more success than some chefs twice his age. He worked in Halifax as junior sous chef for Michael Smith at Maple Canadian Cuisine and executive sous chef at Bish under Stefan Czapalay.

In Ottawa, he worked at Domus Café, Café Spiga and the legendary Café Henry Burger under Robert Bourassa before opening his own highly praised restaurant Beckta Dining and Wine. After a short stint back in Newfoundland, he is now Executive Chef at the Black Cat Bistro (428 Preston Street in Ottawa, 613-569-9998), which specializes in local food.

This interview is one of five I did with Ontario chefs for an article that was bumped from a print publication for lack of space. Chef Vardy was then at Beckta. I'll publish all five as separate postings; they all share the same format.

• Food style: Intensely personal. Keeping it as local and seasonal as possible, but definitely not ignoring the global influences we have here.
• Oddest customer request? The server came in and said "Chef, this is going to sound kind of strange..." The dish was fine, but nothing could touch. The beef had its own spot, and a few inches away the potatoes, and the green beans, and the sauce had to be on the side in a ramekin – and no garnish. It was the weirdest looking plate of food we've ever done.
• Scariest moment in the kitchen? When I was at Henry Burger, there was a fire in the middle of service, maybe 9 o'clock at night, and I was the chef in charge. The cook came in and said there was smoke coming out from the ceiling. We couldn't figure it out, so we opened up a storage room, and it was like a backdraft: it was all in the ceiling and the fire just spread. We just sat down across the street in from of the Museum of Civilization. The customers brought their wine, and some of them were asking "Can we go back for dessert?" But we cooks were just watching this great institution burning before our eyes.
• Greatest triumph? May 1, 2003 was the date we opened this restaurant [Beckta], and I was 24 years old at the time, and that year we received an award from Enroute magazine. And a Gold Medal Plates Bronze Medal; I was 25 then. To receive this recognition this early on is a sign that you're doing okay.
• Wisdom for Other Chefs? Work in as many restaurants as you can under as many great chefs as you can before you go and do your own thing. A good cook is an educated cook.
• What's Cooking? One of my favorite dishes to cook is Pig Cheeks, which I basically turn into bacon. I first start with fresh pig cheeks that I marinade or cure for two days in cloves, fennel, cardamom, anise and various other seasonings. Next, I'll rinse the spice mix off and smoke the cheeks for a whole day, followed by a browning in the oven. To finish, I'll braise the cheeks for three hours on 300 degrees in pork stock with mirepoix [finely diced carrots, celery and onions], then remove and cool in the fridge overnight. The next day you can pan fry this delicacy up to crispy little morsels of heaven!

Also check out:

• Craig Paulger, J. Dee's Market Grill (London)
• John Sinopoli, Table 17 (Toronto)
• Raymond Taylor, Ponte Vecchio (Niagara Falls)

Savour Muskoka Promotes Local Ontario Food With Food and Beer Tastings

It's soon going to be even easier to explore local Ontario food markets, restaurants and tastings near Toronto. The Ontario government has just awarded Savour Muskoka a $50 thousand grant to promote local Ontario foods, according to a report in the Gravenhurst Banner yesterday.

Savour Muskoka is trying to establish the Muskoka region as a culinary tourism destination by promoting local restaurants, farmers and culinary artisans producing garlic, honey, beer, meats and so on. In this respect, Ontario is lagging way behind Quebec and even New Brunswick, which both have well defined and promoted agri-food tourism networks, with mapped routes like Charlevoix's Flavour Trail.

They also have an official designation, "economuseum", for local artisanal producers of food and other items who are equipped to give guided tours of their facilities and sell from their premises. The économusée idea was created in Quebec in 1992 and has begun to spread internationally.

Savour Muskoka is taking a big step in this direction by developing a foodie map of the Muskoka area (which they hope to print on paper too) and organizing events like the Field to Fork Tasting Series. Each event features locally-inspired dishes with local wine pairings, and takes place outdoors in a tent, rain or shine. Tickets are $60 ($110 per couple, $200 per foursome). For more information, call 705-646-7118. They all fall on Sundays, as follows:

• July 26, 1 to 4 p.m.: Cross Roads Restaurant, Rosseau
• August 2, 5 to 8 p.m.: Bearfoot Gourmet, Baysville
• August 9, 1 to 4 p.m.: Brooklands Farm, Milford Bay
• September 13, 1 to 4 p.m. Noresman Restaurant, Huntsville
• September 27, 1 to 4 p.m.: Cranberry Marsh

There's also a Lakes of Muskoka Cottage Brewery beer tasting series with food pairings, on Saturdays August 1, August 15 and September 5 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the brewery in Bracebridge. For more information, call 705-646-1266 or 1-800-881-4229.

The True Cost of Making Homemade Organic Jam

This is about three pints of jam. The fresh, organic local berries cost about $24. Then there's about $1.20 for non-organic sugar, and something in the neighbourhood of a buck apiece for the jars, bands and lids (or less, depending how you buy them).

So all told, the small jars cost at least $3 and the big one twice that, not counting labour or the cost of heating the stove. Which explains the price of local artisanal jams at farmers' markets.

Making Raspberry Jam

All you need to make raspberry jam is half-and-half raspberries and sugar by weight. I have used 3lbs of each, which is manageable. If you notice how much the mass expands while boiling, you will see that you need a very big pot to make more than that, and the bigger the batch, the longer it takes to gel. So here's what you do.

First you must sterilize your snap-lid jars in a canner (the big black pot in these pictures) at a rolling boil for minimum 10 minutes. It can take 30 minutes for one of these babies to reach a full boil. Note that the jars must be completely immersed. I add the lids and my tools on top, in a strainer basket.

Meanwhile, very gently wash the berries and discard any dirt, sticks, bugs or rotten ones. Here, the berries have just been washed:

Heat the berries in a preserving pan, or at least a pot with a thick bottom that distributes heat well. (There are times when I have done it in a cheap enamel pot, but it's riskier because it's so easy to burn the fruit.)

Combine the fruit and sugar off the heat; let the sugar dissolve completely.

Cook at a rolling boil, stirring occasionally and carefully watching out for burning. When the liquid thickens and turns glassy on top, when it runs thickly off your spoon, and when it gels solid if you drop it on a saucer that you've chilled in the freezer, it's ready (5 to 20 minutes, depending on many variables). Skim off any scum on the surface. Don't stir any gel from the edges of the pot back into the pot, and don't put any into your jars.

Use a funnel to fill your sterilized jars (which have been waiting in the covered canner). Leave a little "head room" (air space at the top). Wipe any spilled jam off the rims and lay a lid over each one. Very gently finger-tighten the metal bands, but don't close completely; the expanding jam must be able to expel steam. By the way, it's worth investing in the standard set of tools for this: tongs, a jar-lifter and a funnel, which are available at hardware stores for a modest cost.

Set the jars back into the canner and sterilize again for a minimum five minutes at a rolling boil. When you lift them out, don't tilt. Stand the jars on a dishtowel and don't touch them. You should hear a loud pop from each one as the cooling air inside the jar creates a vacuum and pops the lid tight. When the jars are completely cool, each lid should be sucked inwards. If not, put the jar in the fridge and eat it before it goes bad. Label the others with the date; they will keep for at least a year.

Enjoy!

Organic Ontario Farm Fresh Raspberries

Guess what I'm up to today?

Ontario Craft Beer Tastings at LCBO

Until August 15, the LCBO is featuring Ontario craft beers and offering tastings in outlets from Ajax to Woodstock. Central Toronto dates are listed below. Check the beer tasting schedule at Ontario Craft Brewers for dates in Scarborough, Etobicoke, Ottawa and others locations. Unless you're just strolling around the corner to get there, you should call ahead in case there's a change in plans.

Thursday, July 23, 4 to 8 p.m.

• Mill Street Stock Ale & Mill Street Tankhouse Ale at 147 Laird (416-425-6282)
• Mill Street Stock Ale & Mill Street Belgian Wit at 232 Dupont (416-922-7066) and 103-85 Hanna Avenue (416-538-9200)
• Mill Street Tankhouse Ale & Mill Street Original Organic Lager at 1654 Queen East (416-691-9758)

Friday, July 24, 4 to 8 p.m.

• Cameron's Auburn Ale at 1009 Coxwell (416-423-5213)

Saturday, July 25, 1 to 5 p.m.

• Mill Street Tankhouse Ale & Mill Street Original Organic Lager at 55 Bloor West (416-925-5266)

Sunday, July 26, noon to 4 p.m.

• Cameron's Lager at 2 Cooper Street (416-864-6777)

Thursday, July 30, 4 to 8 p.m.

• Mill Street Tankhouse Ale & Mill Street Original Organic Lager at 1145 Danforth (416-466-9958); 232 Dupont (416-922-7066); 103-85 Hanna Avenue; 147 Laird (416-425-6282) and 2300 Yonge (416-487-4858)
• Great Lakes Orange Peel Ale (pictured) & Devil's Pale Ale at 1009 Coxwell (416-423-5213) and 55 Bloor West (416-925-5266)

Saturday, August 1, 1 to 5 p.m.

• Cameron's Auburn Ale at 10 Lower Jarvis (416-364-9114)
• Mill Street Tankhouse Ale & Mill Street Original Organic Lager at 1009 Coxwell (416-423-5213)

Sunday, August 2, noon to 4 p.m.

• Cameron's Lager at 232 Dupont (416-922-7066)

Thursday, August 6, 4 to 8 p.m.

• Great Lakes Orange Peel Ale & Devil's Pale Ale at 2151 St. Clair West (416-653-8202); 2300 Yonge (416-487-4858) and 595 Bay (416-979-9978)
• Muskoka Cream Ale & Muskoka Hefe-Weissbier at 1654 Queen East (416-691-9758); 147 Laird (416-425-6282) and 2 Cooper Street (416-864-6777)
• Cameron's Cream Ale at 1941 Yonge (416-483-8622)

Thursday, August 13, 4 to 8 p.m.

• Mill Street Stock Ale & Mill Street Belgian Wit at 147 Laird (416-425-6282)
• Cameron's Cream Ale at 2151 St. Clair West (416-653-8202) and 55 Bloor West (416-925-5266)
• Mill Street Stock Ale & Mill Street Tankhouse Ale at 1654 Queen East (416-691-9758)

Saturday, August 15, 1 to 5 p.m.

• Nickel Brook Green Apple Pilsner & Nickel Brook Ale at 55 Bloor West (416-925-5266)
• Cameron's Lager at 1245 Dupont (416-537-1600)

100-Mile Diet Challenge in Kitchener-Waterloo

Folks at the Healing Path Centre for Natural Medicine in Waterloo have spearheaded a 100-Mile Diet challenge, and 100 people from their area are living for three months entirely on food produced within a 100-mile radius.

The idea, of course, is inspired by the influential book The 100-Mile Diet by British Columbia writers Alisa Smith and James MacKinnon, whose 12 reasons to eat local food include considerations of flavour, health, environment and local economic development. "A study in Iowa found that a regional diet consumed 17 times less oil and gas than a typical diet based on food shipped across the country," they point out.

There's a 100-Mile Diet blog for the Healing Path project, which is especially interesting for Toronto folks because some of their potential food sources overlap our 100-mile radius. Turns out it's surprisingly tricky, even with Ontartio's wealth of local farms, to reproduce a standard North American diet. Vegetables, fruits and meat aren't so much of a problem, but of course tropical and out-of-season fruits are off the menu (no more breakfast orange juice!), as are cane sugar and chocolate. Even yeast and baking soda are problematic.

An interesting detail: if you travel while on a 100-mile diet, you don't bring your own local food with you; instead, you eat food from within 100 miles of the place you travel to. Nonetheless, particpants are sternly discouraged from hopping on a plane just to stoke up on out-of-area treats.

The three months started on July 4. You can read along with the blog to hear about 100-mile birthday cake, discover that Sifto produces local table salt, and contemplate whether you could match the courage of those participants who have been reduced, like Susannah Moodie, to attempting to make do with a chicory-and-burdock concoction instead of coffee every morning.

100 people and 100 miles for my 100th post!

Photo from Field Trip.

Insalata Caprese Recipe and Stuffed Cucumbers Recipe

The Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers have some nice summer vegetable recipes posted on their site. Here are a couple of the simplest and summeriest.

Insalata Caprese

• 4 medium-sized tomatoes
• 2 balls of bocconcini cheese
• 16 fresh basil leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp (25 mL) olive oil

1. Slice the tomatoes and cheese.
2. On a plate, arrange the tomatoes, basil and bocconcini slices in concentric circles, slightly overlapping each other.
3. Add salt and pepper generously.
4. Sprinkle with the oil.

Serves 4. Per serving: about 156 calories, 7 g protein, 12 g fat, 2 g fiber, 6 g carbohydrates, 116 mg sodium

Stuffed Cucumbers

• 1 seedless cucumber
• ¼ cup (60 g) cream cheese
• 4 sprigs of fresh chives
• ½ lemon for juice
• Dash of sesame seed oil
• Dash of Worcestershire sauce
• Dash of Tabasco sauce

1. Cut the cucumber into 1” (2.5 cm) pieces and hollow each piece with a small spoon.
2. Place the remaining ingredients in a food processor and mix until smooth.
3. Pipe the mixture into each cucumber and garnish with fresh chives. Chill and serve.

Serves 6. Per serving: about 43 calories, 1 g protein, 3 g fat, 0 g fiber, 3 g carbohydrates, 30 mg sodium

Buy Food from George Brown Culinary Students at Chef on the Run

Chef on the Run is a program of the Culinary School at George Brown College that offers menu items prepared daily by student chefs. From noon until 2 p.m. (or earlier, if they run out), you can buy the item of the day on the main floor of the Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts building at 300 Adelaide East. Call 416-415-5000, extension 2515 in the morning to hear what's for sale. (Today it was a variety of lamb entrées.) The current edition of the program runs only until August 14.

Photo: George Brown Chef School chefs and students

Women's Beer Tasting at Festival of Beer

Mirella Amato of Beerology (pictured) is leading girls-only beer tasting sessions at Toronto's Fesival of Beer at Bandshell Park, Exhibition Place at 5:30 and 7 p.m. on Thursday, August 6. The Girl's Guided Beer Tour promises a personal introduction to the products of five different breweries, along with access to the VIP Lounge and a live performance by 54•40. Tickets are $50 and are available via email.

Environmental Defence Report on Pollution Levels in Great Lakes Fish

Last Friday I attended the launch of a report by Environmental Defence called Up to the Gills: 2009 Update on Pollution in Great Lakes Fish. It compares recent and past fish advisories from Ontario's Ministry of the Environment going back to 2005, and finds that – sadly – the chemical contamination of Great Lakes food fish is generally not improving, except in Lake Huron and Georgian Bay.

Much of the information in the report was drawn from the provincial government's Guide to Eating Ontario Sports Fish.

Among the report's recommendations are that the public should be better informed about the toxicity of Great Lakes food fish, that pollution from industry, sewage systems, agriculture and urban runoff should be reduced. The report also includes a detailed map of fish consumption advisories over time in various regions across the Great Lakes.

A good, though depressing, reminder that one can't always eat local food.

Local Ontario Grocers Break Away From Sobey's to Sell More Local Food

Hats off to Dale Kropf! On July 3, CBC reports, he removed five of his family-owned grocery stores from the Sobey's banner and joined four other stores to form the Hometown Grocers Co-op.

The reason? Kropf holds that Sobey's corporate policies don't enable shop owners to buy locally, in part because they stipulate that only federally inspected meat can be sold. This rules out many small local suppliers, which are inspected by the province. Kropf says his Elora store stocks only meats from within a 60-kilometre radius.

This is not Kropf's first move to stock his shelves with local produce. In September 2008, he announced a partnership with Local Food Plus (LFP), a non-profit organization that certifies farmers who use environmentally and socially sustainable practices.

Kropf tells me he has no immediate plans to expand the co-op beyond the original nine stores. "We need a year or two to get organized," he says. However, he's working on a new website that will have a link to Hometown Grocers. The nine co-op members are his own L & M Markets in Arthur, Durham, Elora, Harriston and Palmerston, as well as Hind's Foods in Grand Valley, Chesley Grocery Store in Chesley, Knechtels Food Market in Lucknow and Drayton Food Market in Drayton.

Zaika – A South Asian Food Festival at Harbourfront Centre

From August 7 to 9, Harbourfront Centre presents Zaika – A South Asian Food Festival as part of World Routes 2009. Among the food-related highlights:

Chef Demos

• Chef Sanjeev Sethi of the Host Restaurant at the Marilyn Brewer Community Space (August 7 at 8 p.m.) and the Lakeside Terrace (August 8 at 3:30 and August 9 at 4:30)
• Chef Sandeep Oberoi at the Brigantine Tent (August 8 at 2 & 4 p.m.)
• Chef Umang Dutta of Masala Art Restaurant at the Brigantine Tent (August 8 at 2:30 p.m.)
• Chef Satvinder Singh at the Lakeside Terrace (August 8 at 6:30 p.m. and August 9 at 5:30 p.m.)
• Chef Guru Shreshtha of Guru's Chili Chinese Cuisine at the Lakeside Terrace (August 9 at 1:30 & 2:30 p.m.)

Food Competitions at the Marilyn Brewer Community Space

• A golgappa eating competition (August 8 at 1:30 p.m.), in which teams will compete to see who can eat the most golgappa in two minutes. Golgappa, AKA pani puri (pictured), are crispy little fried shells that are generally filled with a mouthwatering combination of sweet, sour, hot and salty tastes: tamarind, chili, chaat masala, potato, onion and chickpeas.
• A dosa eating competition (August 8 at 3:30 p.m.). The same idea as the pani puri competition, but with the crispy South Indian fermented rice and lentil pancakes known as dosai. It takes place at the same time as a roti-making competition for men only.
• A blindfolded tasting competition (August 9 at 1 p.m.). How well do you really know the tastes of South Asia?
• A Chubby Bunny competition (August 9 at 3 p.m.). Contestants stuff their mouths with Indian sweets called ras gulla and try to utter tongue-twisters at the same time.

Also, the World Cafe continues Friday from 6 p.m. to midnight, Saturday from noon to midnight and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. with tastes of South Asia and beyond from White Gold Sweets, Masala Art, Taste of India, Makkah Restaurant, Jaipur Fine Indian Cuisine, Udupi Palace, The Host Fine Indian Cuisine, Tropical Fruit Market, Churros Ricos Churros and One Love Vegetarian Catering.

Caribbean Food at Harbourfront Island Soul

From July 31 to August 3, Harbourfront Centre hosts Island Soul as part of the World Routes 2009 series. Food-related components include the Jerk Jamboree Competition, with Toronto chefs competing for the title of Best Jerk in Toronto. Competitors include Willy’s Jerk, Jerk King, Mr. Jerk, Irie Food Joint, Sunrise Caribbean Restaurant, Albert’s Real Jamaican Food, The Real Jerk, Soul Food Restaurant, Jam Dee’s Jerk Pit and Nicey’s Take-Out; The winner will be announced at 2 p.m. on August 2 at the Lakeside Terrace.

There will also be food demonstrations at the Lakeside Terrace by La-toya Fagon of Twist Catering Services (August 2 at 4 p.m.), Anthony Mair of Harlem Restaurant (August 3 at 2 p.m.) and Selwyn Richards from The Art of Catering (August 3 at 4 p.m.). Over the weekend, you can sample Caribbean food at the World Cafe from local caterers and restaurants: Breath of Life, Canadian Caribbean, Jerk it Up, Mi Lindo Ecuador, Jerk Vibes, V's Place, Jamaican Jerk, Tropical Fruit Market, Churros Ricos Churros and One Love Vegetarian Catering.

Reduced Rates for Local Food Farm Field Trips

Back on June 13, I posted about Field Trip, a company founded by holistic nutritionists Megan MacMillan and Sarah Dobec that takes city folks on day trips out to noteworthy food farms. They've just announced a mid-season special: if you book now, you can visit two farms for $70 (the regular price would be $90). Kids under 12 get two trips for $50 (regularly $60). The remaining dates are July 19 (Mapleton's Organics), August 2 (Cookstown Greens) and August 8 or 15 (Everdale Organic Farm and Education Centre).

Fair Trade Wine and Chocolate Tasting for African Food Development Project

On Wednesday, July 22 from 7 to 10 p.m., Engineers Without Borders Toronto presents “A Sweet, But Fair, Affair”, an evening of Fair Trade wine and chocolate tasting at Toronto Free Gallery (1277 Bloor West at Lansdowne). There's also a draw for a pair of Toronto FC tickets. Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 at the door. Proceeds go to send a volunteer to Ghana to spend four months with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture working in the "Agriculture as a Business" Program. Advance reservations are available via email.

The image above shows Kuapa Kokoo, a fair-trade cocoa co-op in Ghana suppported by Engineers Without Borders. It represents over 50,000 farmers.

Top Ten Best Diners in Toronto

Could it be that the quintessential North American meal is two eggs, any style with sausage or bacon, home fries and toast? If not, it might well be the classic burger with fries. Either way, I've sampled a fair few of each around town, and here are my picks for best greasy spoons in TO.

1. The Emerald Bar & Grill (1628 Queen East at Coxwell, 416-691-3817): My current favourite, partly because it's near my house and partly because hardly anybody has "discovered" it yet. The book on the Emerald is that it was the local for racetrack regulars in the old days, but now that they've demolished the racetrack and banned smoking in restaurants, it's just a great, dim little local place that offers a great deal on peameal bacon with eggs and a decidedly masculine decor (as in green walls, framed news clippings from the first Jays World Series win and two TVs tuned to cable sports shows with the sound off).
2. Avenue Open Kitchen (7 Camden Street near Richmond & Spadina, 416-504-7131): Tiny and tucked away, rough-and-ready, and with seriously good home fries. The first time I was there, the city snow-clearing crew was in stoking up on carbs, which I thought was a great sign.
3. Patrician Grill (219 King East near Sherbourne, 416-366-4841): Open since 1967, this one's bigger and a little more comfortable, with an air of gravitas befitting its name. I like to think my great uncle the railway conductor might have stopped by for a pipe, a paper and a leisurely Saturday morning breakfast in a bygone age.
4. The Bus Terminal Family Restaurant (1606 Danforth at Coxwell, 416-463-4680): Kooky '70s decor left over from the 2005 filming of 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin', and some actually fresh salads and whole-grain bread to accompany classic diner sandwiches, omelettes and so on. I have been made to wait quite a while for meals sometimes, but such is the price of greatness.
5. Vesta Lunch (474 Dupont at Bathurst, 416-537-4318): Open 24 hours. Really. I challenge you not to slip into an interior film-noir voiceover as you slouch over your Java and BLT at the well-worn counter.
6. People's Foods (176 Dupont at Davenport, 416-972-0195): In the '80s, when I inhabited a dreadful little basement across the street, this place was the darling of the Yuppie crowd (remember Yuppies?), and they would line up every weekend to get in. Well, it's still the same clean, efficient place with the good onion rings, except now you can just walk in.
7. Detroit Eatery (389 Danforth at Chester, 416-461-0136): In my Danforth-dwelling days, this was my regular spot. Clean, comfortable, cheerful and decorated with Red Wings paraphernalia.
8. Jim's Restaurant (897 Queen East at Logan, 416-463-6535): This is the one with the "Best Westerns" sign outside, and I have actually eaten there. I must say, I did feel the down-at-heel ambiance was a little bit challenging, but the steaming hot toasted western sandwich made me forget my trepidation. Mostly, though, I enjoy their noble rotisserie chicken, brought home by my bike-riding sweetie Jonathan.
9. Dangerous Dan's Diner (714 Queen East at Broadview, 416-463-7310): How can you not love the home of the Coronary Burger (bacon, cheese, fried egg, mayo)? I find most of their portions way too big and heavy for me, but Jonathan adores them for weekend lunch delivery.
10. Gale's Snack Bar (539 Eastern at Carlaw, no phone): This is my only cheat, in the sense that I haven't been there myself yet. But everyone whose opinion I trust and who has eaten there says it's great food, miraculously cheap. NOW magazine claims it's Toronto's oldest luncheonette, which is in itself a reason to check it out.

There was a time when I'd have put Lakeview Lunch high on this list, but I've been hearing that it's not what it once was. And what's up with Stem, Mars and KOS?

PS: I seem to have some kind of tribute to Michael Snow's Walking Woman going on in my photo. No idea how that happened.

Gratin of Fresh Berries Recipe

Before the fresh berries are finished for the season, here's an unusual recipe for Gratin of Fresh Berries, adapted by the Egg Farmers of Ontario from the First Place “Real in the Kitchen” recipe by Sarah Hess of Liaison College in Kingston. Other great recipes, including a Strawberry Dessert Omelette and a guacomole variation wittily titled Green Eggs and Naan, are to be found in the Prize-winning Recipes brochure.

By the way, the Egg Farmers of Ontario site has a searchable egg recipes section, including a great feature called "What's in Your Fridge?" where you can type in three ingredients that you have on hand, and they'll suggest recipes you can make from them.

Gratin of Fresh Berries
Prep time: 10 minutes. Cook time: 10 minutes. Servings: 4

• 1½ cups (375 mL) mixed fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries)
• 4 eggs, separated
• ½ cup (125 mL) plus 1 tbsp (125 mL) sugar
• ¼ cup (60 mL) sweet white wine
• ½ tsp (2 mL) finely grated lemon peel

1. Divide berries between four 1¼ cup (10 oz) ramekins or custard cups.
2. Whisk egg yolks, ½ cup (125 mL) sugar and wine in the top of a double boiler or stainless steel bowl. Cook over boiling water, whisking continuously until foamy and thickened and mixture falls in ribbons from whisk, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool to room temperature.
3. Beat egg whites in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Add remaining 1 tbsp (15 mL) sugar and lemon peel; whisk until combined. Fold 1/3 of egg white mixture into the cooled egg yolk mixture. Gradually fold in remaining egg white mixture. Spoon evenly over berries.
4. Place ramekins on a baking sheet; broil until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.Serve immediately or chill and serve the same day.

Wine pairing suggestion: Ice wine or Gewürztraminer (sweet)

Help Cook a Local Feast at The Stop's Green Barn

This Thursday, July 16, chef Chris Brown, formerly of Perigée, and now of The Stop Community Food Centre, launches the first in a series of dinners at The Stop's Green Barn at Wychwood and St. Clair. He invites "ten serious foodies and wannabe chefs" to "experience life in a professional kitchen by joining the kitchen crew" to prepare the meal. The price is $75 per person for diners ($120 with wine). For kitchen crew, it's $100 per person. Proceeds go to The Stop. To register, call 416-652-7867, extension 245.

The menu consists of:

• Heirloom cherry tomato salad
• Lightly smoked sable fish with fresh corn polenta, wild mushrooms and BBQ onion puree
• Potato and pecorino ravioli
• Grilled bison over a celery root purée
• Dark chocolate terrine with a strawberry and red wine sorbet with candied basil

Vegan and Gluten-free Baking at LPK's Culinary Groove

Forgot to mention that I wrote a piece about the wonderful LPK's Culinary Groove in last weekend's National Post. Those edible flowers on the Truffle Tarts on the lower right come from Cookstown Greens.

Top Ten Dessert Trends

The Food Channel is reporting on the top ten current dessert trends:

1. Ice cream at centre stage
   
2. Sippable desserts, such as iced alcoholic drinks
   
3. Shared desserts, including mini-dessert platters
4. Out-of-the-ordinary presentations, like desserts that are built at the table
   
5. Interactivity – food you can play with, like chocolate fondue or build-your-own sundaes
6. Nostalgia, as in the old-fashioned banana split or rice pudding
7. Portable desserts
8. Novelties
9. International and unusual flavours (green tea ice cream, chai shortbread)
10. Seasonal and local foods

Photo by jppi, Morguefile