It’s a shame really. That some people don’t eat tongue. That they become tongue-tied when someone asks if they’d like some. In countries like the United States, in fact, it’s better to lead a dog’s life. Because a lot of beef tongue ends...
It was one of the first big words I learned. Other people called it glue. But that’s not what it said on the bottle. On the bottle it said mucilage. So that’s what I called it. I remember smart-assing my mother. Even giving it the French pronunciation so...
I’ve never eaten a lot of Peking Duck. Because Peking Duck requires planning. And I’ve never been very good at planning. In Toronto, Chinese was usually something done on a Saturday night, after Ronnie Hawkins closed his last set at Le Coq d’Or with...
Pinot Noir is a serious stage actress. Cabernet Sauvignon is a Hollywood goddess. Malbec is a hardcore porn star. The World Wine Awards. They were the brainchild of the excellent Canadian website Wine Align. For the last two years, about 20 wine experts have been...
It’s a coin toss. As to whether tacos or tamales are Mexico’s favorite comfort food. Except at this time of year when Candelaria is approaching. At this time of year, tamales are the clear favorites. I’ve always been confused about exactly what...
Did you notice anything different about the sound of the rooster? Did you notice it wasn’t the typical call of a San Miguel rooster? The kind of cock-a-doodle-do that could wake up Rip Van Winkle at 5:00 am from six blocks away. No, that was the sound of a...
It’s been a tradition in Mexican restaurants since the first day I walked into one. It was back in 1974. In Toronto. It was called The Peasant’s Larder. It was where the Carlton streetcar bent around and down Parliament Street. In the days when Cabbagetown...
When Don Day was thirteen, Don Day wanted to be just like Dad and, every Saturday morning, Don Day’s Dad went to the market. I thought the most difficult portion of this ritual would be rising at 6:00 am but I was to discover something else that took an even...
White foam arose from the immortal flesh and with it a girl grew. And the girl, Aphrodite, floated ashore on a scallop shell. A new chef had sailed into town. And people were saying she was putting magic on plates. I knew I had to have her conjure up some of those...
Every year, one of my favorite things to do is compile Don Day’s “best of” list. The choices don’t necessarily come from the best restaurants. They’re simply the best dishes. But you can presume that a restaurant that makes at least one...
Recent Comments