18 Mar 2024

Love & Nanaimo Bars

Q. Is it reasonable to assume that the utterly delicious Nanaimo Bar originated in Nanaimo, British Columbia? . A. Reasonable? Yes. Safe? Hmm… When something is so delicious – a layer of creamy chocolate that gives way to a vanilla custard middle which sits atop graham wafers and coconut –

01 Mar 2024

Nuts For Peanuts

Q. Happy National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day. Are you one of the besotted? If so, are you Team Smooth (🤟🏽) or Team Crunch? Are you PB + or – J? Do you prefer your peanut butter straight-up, or happily nestled in chocolate, cookies, or pie? What are some nuggets that

14 Feb 2024

Lucky Clementines

Q. Happy Valentine’s Day! And prosperity, happiness, and good health to you as we usher in the Year of the Dragon. What are some signs of good fortune to mark Lunar New Year? . A. One of the most commonly offered symbols of good fortune and abundance is the orange,

10 Feb 2024

Got Milkshakes?

Q. What’s your favourite kind of milkshake? If you’re looking to make a deluxe version at home, you can find all sorts of ice-cream filled drink tutorials online, and they have more than 3 million views. How did we find our wise way from plain old milk to marvellous milkshakes?

21 Jan 2024

Buns In The Oven

Q. Why is the smell of bread baking so enticing? . A. There is the anticipated deliciousness, of course. After hours and hours of aromatic torture/bliss, we can finally saw our way through the satisfying crisp of the crust into the steaming crumb. Next step: drizzle on that sizzling butter.

11 Jan 2024

Not Today, Vegetables

Q. Do not put those vegetables on my plate. Please. Do not put those vegetables on my plate. As a childhood ‘supertaster’, few things were as terrifying as a host with a cold-hearted smile, a giant serving spoon, and an insistence on sharing all the food equally between all the

28 Dec 2023

Strawberry Short Take

Q. The best strawberries are uncommonly sweet, juicy, big enough to savour. The worst are nothing but tasteless, mealy, off-season imposters. All power to the real royal reds just waiting to be eaten fresh, or dipped in icing sugar and chocolate. What are some interesting ways in which strawberries have

09 Dec 2023

That Sounds Tasty

Q. Sizzle, fizz, pop, crunch. Does the sound of food – while we’re preparing it, while we’re eating it – affect our perceptions of its taste? And how about the ambient sounds that surround us while we eat? Can playing this piece versus that song affect the degree to which

01 Dec 2023

Eating Hot Hot Hot

Q. Indonesia, Mexico, India, The West Indies – places known for the heat in their sun, and the heat on their plates. If I’m feeling adventurous in Jamaica, I’ll go for spice with my breakfast omelette. I mean: I’m half-Jamaican. I can handle it, right? ‘Spice’ is scooped out of

09 Nov 2023

Tea And Tiny Treats

Q. Some days call for piping hot tea, and a three-tiered tower of tasty treats. What’s your favourite –  the wee lemon tarts, the butter-cut scones, or the mini egg-swirl sandwiches? Whom can we thank for this mid-day delight, and should we be calling it ‘high tea’ or ‘afternoon tea?’