The Rock ‘n’ Roll Revival Hour: Current Swell, Walk Off The Earth, K’naan, Zeus, The Sheepdogs, Public Enemy

1:46 pm

B.C. band is just swell

Sure, they are still young, but they’ve got old musical souls. B.C. band Current Swell are turning heads following the release of their fourth studio album, Long Time Ago, last October, and then winning a PEAK Performance Project prize in December. The band checks into the Phoenix Concert Theatre on Saturday night opening for Charlie Winston. It’s bound to be a great night of hip and groovy music to kick the crap out of the winter blues. I checked in with Scott Stanton of Current Swell to see what was up with the band. Here are some tidbits of what he had to say:

• The big influence is definitely Neil Young, I love him a lot. I grew up on a lot of folk music, but also Zeppelin and thanks to my dad, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, and Leadbelly; really dirt blues stuff.

• The band has always just been kind of step by step. Over time we come back to a place, and see bigger crowds, new faces. It is tons of work — we’re constantly touring — but we always see positive growth so it is just one of those things we don’t want to stop doing.

• Toronto has been one of the hardest nuts to crack for sure. The first three times out we couldn’t even get a show in Toronto. The last show at the Horseshoe was very rewarding; just getting in front of a bunch of people in a room as famous as that was exciting.

• People make labels. I don’t have a problem with that surf rock label, not a lot of bands are doing that. And there are even a lot of the big bands in that genre that we’ve managed to separate ourselves from, but we just don’t fight it anymore.

• If anything, winning the award made us more poor. We’ll be using majority of it (the $100,000 cash prize) to tour other countries around the world and to do our best to reach out to other places.

• Touring is heaven and hell. It is a lot of work, but just so rewarding to experience Australia, and play to hundreds of people who already know and love your music.

* We’re writing like crazy and we’ll put out a new album probably this year, get right back into studio. We have a big tour in the States in March, we got into South by Southwest, which is really exciting. Then we go back out east and then Brazil in April.

Local band hits a Walk Off home run

As if local indie band Walk Off The Earth’s popularity isn’t already growing enough, news is now official that the band will make an appearance on the syndicated daytime talk show Ellen on Jan. 23. The recent attention is largely due to the below YouTube video, which features the five band members playing a single guitar together (inventive, to say the least). It has generated an astounding 30 million hits on YouTube since being posted on Jan. 5 — an increase of two million since I wrote this yesterday!

Samson goes solo

John K. Samson, frontman for popular Canuck band The Weakerthans, is playing an acoustic set at Soundscapes on Jan. 24 at 7 p.m. in support of his first solo album Provincial, which is to be released that very day. Preview a track from the new album, “Letter In Icelandic From The Ninette San,” below. Can’t make the show? Don’t worry: Samson, along with his full backing group The Provincial Band, will be on tour over the next couple months, including a Toronto date on March 22 at the Great Hall.

John K. Samson – Letter In Icelandic From The Ninette San by antirecords

K’naan back with new EP and news of full-length album

The incomparable K’naan is releasing a new EP on Jan. 24, followed by a full-length album slated for this spring. The new five-song EP is entitled More Beautiful Than Silence and features “Nothing to Lose” with Nas, as well as “Is Anybody Out There” with fellow Torontonian Nelly Furtado (who is also readying a new album for a 2012 release). The new recordings follow his gold-selling sophomore album Troubadour, which garnered the Somalia-born hip-hop artist two Juno Awards in 2010 as well as a multiplatinum single “Wavin’ Flag.” Check out the new video for “Nothing to Lose” released on Jan. 19.

Zeus ready to conquer

Homegrown rockers Zeus are pegging March 27 as the release date for their sophomore album Busting Visions on the Arts & Crafts label. The band will be playing material from the new album during a short tour of Ontario and Quebec supporting the Sam Roberts Band, followed by some headlining dates in Boston and New York. Zeus — Mike O’Brien, Carlin Nicholson, Neil Quin and Rob Drake — have also served as the backing band for Toronto based singer/songwriter Jason Collett, who had this to say about the band: “Just one of the three singers/multi-instrumentalists from this band would be a force to reckoned with. Having three songwriters this talented gives Zeus an almost unfair edge over other bands. Plus, Neil Quin has the best rock ‘n’ roll voice I’ve heard in 20 years.” Plans are underway for a headlining tour later this spring. Check out the first single from the new album, “Are You Gonna’ Waste My Time,” here.

The Key to success for The Sheepdogs

The Coachella-bound Prairie rockers The Sheepdogs announced they are working with Patrick Carney of The Black Keys, who is producing their first full-length album since winning that Rolling Stone cover thing last year. Although they have been tempting over-exposure over the last few months, Carney’s involvement will force people to pay attention. Ewan Currie, the big bearded fella who fronts the band, told Rolling Stone, “we’re recording live in the same room with no headphones. Pat’s got great ideas and we all seem to be on the same level.”

Believe the hype!

Okay, this has nothing to do with Toronto, but Public Enemy is releasing two albums in 2012 rumoured to be entitled Most of My Heroes Still Don’t Appear on No Stamp and The Evil Empire of Everything. That is just cool man.

Punk rockers don’t wear three-piece suits

Political gadfly Warren Kinsella used to play in a punk rock band during his misspent youth, and he’s clung to that vibe like a pit bull on a chihuahua bender. His little band of 50-somethings SFH (the name involves a swear word — how edgy) wrote a song about the famous Officer Bubbles called it “Double Bubble Trouble.” Let’s just say that the boys are a bit rusty. And check out Kinsella’s just-out-of-the-box Black Flag shirt. Yes, we get it. You like punk. You were once a punk. Great. Nonetheless, it is only two minutes of your life so give it a listen. And, hey, it could be the next great viral video out of the Toronto area with a whopping 484 views over the last couple months. Ahem. Anyway, you can find it below. Enjoy.

Rock ‘n’ roll tweet of the week

Damian Abraham, frontman of the Toronto band Fucked Up (@leftfordamian): “The @the_edge of today bares no resemblance to the CFNY I grew up (on). Misogyny isn’t "EDGY". Please continue to not play us. #GoDie”

Bust out the zoot suits: new Danforth restaurant pays tribute to a bygone Mexican-American subculture

11:59 am

If you miss the zoot suit-wearing bad boys of the Mexican-American pachuco subculture, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find a fitting and delicious tribute on the Danforth, just east of Broadview. Bringing a bundle of new flavours to the city, sisters Eren, Jais and Mali Fernandez have teamed up to open Pachuco, a traditional Mexican restaurant with a contemporary spin.

The menu is filled with traditional offerings that still bring something unique to the city’s Mexican cuisine. The signature dish is taquitos de huitlacoche ($15), featuring a fungus (also known as “corn smut”) that grows on maize. It’s a popular dish in places like Mexico City, but remains a bit under the radar outside of that country. Here, the fungus is sautéed with onions and hot peppers, then served with avocado salsa, beans and corn tortillas.

The less adventurous face a tough choice between five flavours of guacamole, including blue cheese, blue cheese and walnut, goat cheese, guacamole with house-smoked trout and plain guacamole (for the traditionalists). That makes the guacamole sampler ($17) a perfect solution. The taquitos estilo Baja (fish tacos, $15) are made with breaded and fried sea bass, Mexican coleslaw, chipotle honey salsa and green tomatillo salsa.

Most of the food is locally sourced — meat comes from The Friendly Butcher — but some products are imported from Mexico to keep the cuisine authentic. Executive Chef Mali Fernandez has plenty of experience, having owned a catering company in Mexico. She currently runs the kitchens at both Pachuco and the sisters’ Embrujo Flamenco next door.

With Mexican restaurants, the tequila and cerveza are just as important as the food. Pachuco serves 10 Mexican tequilas, including Milagro and Clase Azul ($9 and up), and cervezas such as Dos Equis ($6.72) and Negra Modelo. A margarita sampler ($15) lets you taste the spicy mango, strawberry and mint flavors, to name a few.

Space is limited with just 32 seats, adding to the casual, intimate atmosphere. The décor, designed by the sisters, is rustic and simple. Pieces are sourced both locally (the spider light comes from Queen West) and internationally. Old images depicting pachuco culture dot the walls.

“People don’t know about the urban Mexican culture, so we want to bring that to Toronto,” Eren says.

By the look and taste of Pachuco, they certainly have.

Pachuco, 99 Danforth Ave., 416-466-8006

Four ways to ring in the Year of the Dragon

7:03 am

Celebrations for the Lunar New Year kick off this weekend, and Toronto is a-roar with festivities to ring in the Year of the Dragon. So go on and get outside, because regardless of when you traditionally celebrate New Year’s, by the third week of January we all need an excuse to party. Gung hay fat choy!

1. LunarFest

CIBC’s Lunar Fest began in 2009 in Vancouver and claims to be “Canada’s premier presenter of contemporary expression in Asian arts and culture.” This is the first year the festival comes to Toronto, hitting Harbourfront on Friday. Sticking to the Lunar New Year tradition of lanterns, watch for the world’s first lantern aquarium, made with environmentally-friendly LED lights. Activities for the kids include The Boy, the Shark and the Sea puppet show by Taiwanese puppet troupe Taiyuan Puppet Theater Company. For the skating faithful, the Natrel Rink has a Lunar Skate Friday night, with DJ Voltaire spinning tunes, lantern lighting and, of course, hot chocolate.
Harbourfront, Jan. 20-24, Free.

2. Chinese New Year at Scarborough Town Centre

Chinese New Year is a tradition at the Scarborough Town Centre, with celebrations often frequented by local councillors and police Chief Bill Blair. Highlights include the traditional lion dance that begins with the “wakening of the lions” — in other words, really loud, fantastic thunder drums. The God of Fortune, who hands out leisee red lucky money envelopes is also a favourite. “People mob the God,” Jai Lee, marketing director of the Scarborough Town Centre says. “Chinese New Year at the Centre is so colourful, it’s for everybody.”
Scarborough Town Centre, Jan. 21-22, Free.

3. Chinese New Year at the Evergreen Brick Works farmers’ market

Pick up some Chinese art and culture along with your local organic produce this Saturday at the Brick Works farmers’ market. Come for the Chinese music by Juni L. Yeung from the Toronto Gugin Society and the Toronto Chinese Orchestra and stay for the lion’s dance at noon.
Evergreen Brick Works, Jan. 21, Free.

4. Tet Toronto

In Vietnam, Lunar New Year comes at one of the the few breaks during the agricultural year, and folks start preparing weeks in advance for the important celebrations. Tet Toronto tries to capture the nation’s partying in one multi-event venue at the International Centre. There will be concerts from top Vietnamese performers, a children’s playground, and more importantly, vendors with lots and lots of Vietnamese food. For the first time, talented locals submitted video auditions and there will be a “Tet’s Got Talent” competition. Who could resist?
International Centre, Jan. 21, $16 in advance, $20 at the door.

Chef Jason Bangerter to host a series of food-centric film screenings at TIFF Bell Lightbox

12:26 pm

What could pair better with food than film? Other than wine, beer, cocktails and all the other things that food pairs amazingly with? The answer: not a whole lot. So it’s fitting that TIFF Bell Lightbox is commemorating the matchup with an upcoming subscription series entitled Food on Film, hosted by chef Jason Bangerter of Luma and O&B Canteen.

The premise is simple: each month, Bangerter will welcome a different guest chef or food expert to take a look at the sweet things that happen when food and film collide (and no, this is not an incentive to throw food at the movie screen). First up is chef Scott Conant of Scarpetta, who will present Babette’s Feast on Feb. 7. Other guests include Montreal chef Chuck Hughes and Food Network star Anna Olson, who will present Vatel and Mostly Martha respectively.

In addition to the screenings, Bangerter will prepare a unique dish to be served before and after each event (asterisk: an additional charge applies, of course).

Food on Film, TIFF Bell Lightbox, 416-968-3456. Starts Feb. 7.

A look at the east end’s new 7,000 square foot sports and southern-style barbecue extravaganza

8:55 am

No matter how mild January gets this year, Toronto’s winter weather is hardly conducive to thoughts of southern-style barbeque. For most of us, that is. But standing tall between a truck wash and a Mister Transmission at O’Connor and Sunrise, in the former Rock & Roll Heaven spot, Rally Sports Bar and Smokehouse serves up wood-smoked barbeque delights to sports-loving East Yorkers. Its grand opening is tonight.

“We’re the ultimate state-of-the-art venue for a sports fan,” claims Gus Papaioannou, who owns the place with four other business partners.

A bold claim, but the stats back it up. Picture a whopping 7,000 square feet of space with no less than 42 screens on the walls from which to watch your favourite game(s). At the centre, there’s a massive 110-inch projector screen. The remaining 41 screens are placed so that patrons can watch nearly every game from every seat in the house. So if you’re into hockey and your buddy is into, well, some other sport that’s not hockey, there’s peace at the table.

And if you’ve ordered the barbeque — smoked with hickory, usually, in a Cookshack smoker — there’s likely to be carnivorous joy regardless of which team wins.

The already popular pulled pork sandwich ($12) is the luscious product of a 12-hour long smoking process. The pork is covered with a southern-style rub, slow-cooked, tossed with a signature barbeque sauce, topped with house-made coleslaw and mashed inside of an Ace Bakery bun. The result is slightly peppery and sweet pulled pork, with the creamy coleslaw as a nice complement.

Chef Chris Papadimitriou, who is also a co-owner, studied at Liaison College and spent a decade working front-of-house at a local Italian bistro. But his mad barbeque skills, he says, were honed from cooking at home for his wife and kids.

“You just can’t create that flavour out of a bottle,” Papadimitriou says. “The rub is something I used at home. It’s tasty but not spicy — my wife and kids don’t like spice. But anyone who wants heat can add it.”

The ribs ($15 for half a rack, $27 for a full rack) are St. Louis cut, rubbed and then smoked for five hours. The result is like a savoury chunk of ham on a stick. The meaty ribs are sweet with just a touch of spice.

Other options include a beef brisket sandwich ($12), rubbed and smoked for 12 hours, or burgers, ground in-house and cooked to order ($12). Fried chicken ($14 for three pieces) comes from a Mennonite farm in Ontario, and is brined for four hours, seasoned, coated in a buttermilk batter, fried and then finished in the oven.

If you can pay attention to anything else on your plate, sides include fries, (regular or sweet potato), house salads, macaroni and cheese, onion rings, baked beans and more, all house-made. We had the fries; they were the perfect combination of crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with generous smatterings of salt.

Currently, Rally is offering $9 lunch deals on selected items, like the pulled pork. It’s also giving away Leafs tickets in a series of contests. That’s all great, but we’re telling you, it’s hard to pay attention to anything other than those ribs — 110 inch projector screen and all.

Rally Sports Bar and Smokehouse, 1660 O’Connor Dr., 416-551-7356

Grab of the Week: an embroidered bikini by Mara Hoffman (perfect for that cheap January vacation)

8:46 am

Lately, everyone we come across either has a tan or is going to get one. We aren’t referring to the sort acquired from tanning beds or lotions either — we mean those only achieved over an exotic holiday in the dead of winter. It just so happens to be one of the cheapest months in the year to travel, so with all that extra cash saved, you might as well splurge on a new designer bikini, right?

Or, maybe you just want to buy one to inspire your upcoming bikini body (summer is just around the corner after all, isn’t it?). Whatever the reasoning, we’ve located the hottest bikini in the city for you. This Mara Hoffman number is sure to give even the ladies of Brazil a run for their money.

$295. Available at RAC Boutique, 124 Cumberland St., 647-352-4433.

Sun TV vs. David Suzuki

1:48 pm

In a puzzling appeal to anti-American sentiment: some industry supporters claim that U.S. foundations are threatening Canadian policy by donating money to environmental groups here. These arguments have appeared in publications and on Sun TV.

Opponents of environmental initiatives point to recent protests against the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline, which would carry bitumen from the Alberta tar sands to B.C.’s north coast. They say this opposition is part of a conspiracy by U.S. funders to ensure that oil keeps flowing to the U.S. and not to Asia.

If these conspiracy theorists were truly upset about U.S. influence on Canadian infrastructure and resource development, they would lobby for greater national control of the oil industry, much of which is owned by U.S. and Chinese corporations.

They might also question U.S. industry and foundation funding for organizations such as Canada’s right-wing Fraser Institute, which has the same charitable status as the David Suzuki Foundation and other conservation groups and is thus governed by the same rules.

The criticism of U.S. money going to Canadian non-profits is part of a recent spate of efforts to silence those who want to bring more balance to discussions about the fossil fuel industry and environmental issues. Sun Media has been especially aggressive in its opposition to those who don’t go along with its pro-government, pro-industry way of thinking, with recent attacks on environmental groups and the CBC.

Kory Teneycke left his position as Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s communications director to join Sun TV before its launch. Several reporters who were considered for positions at the TV channel have said that Teneycke told them part of their job would be to go after me. Sun Media has also campaigned to have the David Suzuki Foundation’s charitable status removed. Of course, one of Sun TV’s major personalities, Ezra Levant, has strong ties to the Harper government. He also launched the “ethical oil” campaign, which was taken over by Alykhan Velshi, who was recently hired as Stephen Harper’s planning director.

I wish I had the kind of influence over public policy that anti-environmentalists and news media claim I have, but alas, corporate interests, including many foreign interests, wield more power.

As for funding, just as we’re glad that Canadians donate money to important causes worldwide — from earthquake relief in Haiti to aid for famine victims in Africa — we’re pleased that people outside our borders understand the global importance of environmental protection in Canada.

I encourage everyone to carefully consider the arguments on both sides. If you agree that Canadians should help slow rampant extraction and use of fossil fuels to protect the environment and human health, then please support our work and the work of similar organizations.

David Suzuki is host of CBC’s The Nature of Things and author of more than 30 books on ecology.

The Fox and the vittles

1:48 pm

I can say this about David Fox: he can’t be typecast. The 70-year-old Toronto actor is set to star in The Golden Dragon, by playwright Roland Schimmelpfennig. In the play, Fox will stretch his character acting abilities by portraying an aging Asian cook as well as a 32-year-old female flight attendant and a young married hotshot businessman. That is versatility.

The only way Fox is differentiating his characters — aside from his acting — is through an apron (and possibly a wig).

“It’s an exciting and ambitious project,” Fox says. “We [the cast of five actors] play against race and gender.”

Fox says the casting choices complement the central themes in the play — the misconceptions and prejudices that happen among people in an urban environment in everyday life.

“One of the issues is: of all the rules we live our lives by, there are injustices… we make judgments based on misunderstanding,” Fox says. “It [the play] has a lot to do with sexism, ageism and racism.”

The Golden Dragon is set in a small Asian restaurant where a young cook who is an illegal immigrant is looking for his long-lost sister. Lives come together and stories unfold among the diners and restaurant employees.

The play especially showcases how, despite our best intentions, everyone is prone to making snap decisions about others that often aren’t real or true, Fox says.

“It’s a dark message,” Fox says about what transpires.

In the Tarragon Theatre production, directed by award-winning Canadian director Ross Manson, Fox says the set is bare and the actors take turns moving their props around.

It’s the kind of production Fox prefers. After almost 40 years in the business, the veteran actor says he likes it when theatre possesses “theatricality” and relies on the audience’s imagination to do some of the work as well.

“We tell the audience where we are and let the audience take that part of the story.”

He says too often theatre has tried to mimic the realism of film, which can take away excitement from the viewer.

“An audience wants that involvement,” Fox says, referring to the collaborative nature of theatre and the connection audience members can have with the actors and story that’s live in front of them.

Born and raised in Swastika, Ont., near Kirkland Lake, Fox says acting was something he gravitated to early in life. He says it was trying to keep up with his older brother, who excelled in athletics, that drove him to find something he was good at, which turned out to be performing. He joined his school’s drama club and found it was the right fit.

After studying at the University of Western Ontario, Fox moved to Brantford and began his career as a high school theatre arts and English teacher. But he continued to act, taking roles in community theatre whenever he could. Fox says eventually, after about 10 years of teaching, he took his dog for an evening walk and had a revelation that made him turn to acting professionally for good.

“I’m going to continue acting until I fall over. Which might be soon.”

“I realized, if I stayed a teacher, the nightmare the world would become,” Fox says. “I said ‘I’ve got to do it. I can’t see myself staying in this business and retiring; the world would be an enemy.’ ”

So Fox quit his job and moved to Toronto. And he hasn’t regretted the career move for a second.

“I’m so glad I made the jump,” he says.

Fox’s philosophy has been to travel to where the work is. Although Toronto has always been his base, he has starred in plays across Canada. Many Canadians would recognize him for his regular role as the teacher Clive Pettibone on the popular TV series Road to Avonlea. Fox has made other TV appearances, most notably on the CBC drama Being Erica as well as in film alongside big-time Hollywood heavies Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz in the 2011 thriller Dream House.

But in the theatre world, Fox has a much more diverse background.

“I like to think of the theatre as home, but when it comes to film and TV, I’m a good tourist,” Fox says.

In the early ’70s, when Fox started looking for professional acting work, he says theatre actors hardly got paid.

“It wasn’t as structured then,” Fox says. “There’s more of a focus on career now, and everyone wants an agent.”

But Fox kept at his labour of love and over the years he has built an impressive résumé of characters.

This past fall, Fox played an estranged brother in Arthur Miller’s family drama The Price at Soulpepper — to much critical acclaim. Last year Fox played Stalin in the dark comedy Lenin’s Embalmers (by Canadian playwright Vern Thiessen) at the Winnipeg Jewish Theatre — again, rave reviews.

At Theatre Passe Muraille, Fox has played various rural characters over the years, picking up a Dora Mavor Moore Award for his portrayal of a farmer who’s lost his memory in Michael Healey’s The Drawer Boy.

He’s played the lead in a Northern Ontario touring production of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and he’s performed in major theatre centres across the country.

Being so dedicated to his work in the theatre, Fox says it does impact him at times since he isn’t always around for film or television auditions, but he’d rather be performing than waiting for a call.

When Fox is in Toronto, home is South Riverdale. Married twice, Fox has two adult sons. He’s lived in the east end since 1972 and likes its mix of residential and industry.

When asked how he keeps fit for the hours he spends stomping the boards, Fox says he does a lot of walking but also says his body seems to adapt to whatever play he’s in. “You get into a routine and the body develops its own muscle memory,” he says.

Fox points to William Hutt, the distinguished late Canadian theatre actor known for playing many heavyweight classical roles at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, as an actor he admires.

“His presence was inspiring,” Fox says. “He had a tremendous magnetism.”

When the elderly actor fell ill in 2007, Fox took over his role at the Stratford festival in Edward Albee’s A Delicate Balance.

Given that Fox, like Hutt, has dedicated his life to performing and seeking out work, it’s no surprise that his future plans are focused on work. “I’m going to continue acting until I fall over,” he says. “Which might be soon,” he adds, laughing.

Breakfast for dessert

1:28 pm

Sometimes there’s nothing better than throwing routine out the window and preparing one of your favourite breakfast items for dessert in the evening. Get the kids and your spouse involved. Everything tastes better when all hands are on deck!

Cream cheese–stuffed French toast
Apple-cinnamon waffles
Banana–chocolate chip loaf

Donna Dooher’s breakthrough dish was handmade ravioli

12:52 pm

Some recipes are universal; most memories are not. The process of shaping raw ingredients into something palatable — and the events that surround this endeavour — can lead to all kinds of unforgettable moments: kitchen disasters, severed digits, epic struggles with newfangled culinary gadgets and, sometimes, personal triumphs. So why not ask some of the city’s top chefs for their most memorable recipes? Why not, indeed? No, really — that’s what we did, and will continue to do weekly.

This week, we asked Donna Dooher, executive chef at Mildred’s Temple Kitchen, for her “breakthrough dish.” Dooher found this particular recipe for homemade ravioli in a 1967 edition of House & Garden's New Cook Book. She was 14 years old.

Says Dooher:

"This was really the first recipe I ever tackled from a cookbook. The book belonged to my mother but was rarely used. She was, after all, feeding six children three times a day, so many of these recipes never saw the light of day. I was about 14 years old when I tried the recipe. My great grandmother and grandmother were fabulous Italian cooks and I had watched them make pasta many times over the years but had never tried it on my own. The book served as a guide. I actually went on to cook a lot more of the recipes that were in the book and it's now in tatters from years of diligent use. The pasta was delicious and I served it to my girlfriends at a sleepover."

EGG PASTA

2 cups sifted flour

2 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp cold water

Sift the flour into a bowl; make a well in the center. In it place the eggs, salt and water. Work in the flour with the fingers until a ball of dough is formed. If too dry, add a little more cold water. Knead the dough on a board until very smooth and elastic. Cover with a bowl and let rest 15 minutes, while preparing the filling.

RAVIOLI

1 cup ground cooked veal or chicken

1/4 cup finely chopped ham

1 egg, beaten

1/4 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 recipe egg pasta

Mix together the first seven ingredients for the filling. Divide the dough into two pieces, one slightly larger. Roll out each piece paper thin. Lift dough and sprinkle board and rolling pin with flour when necessary. Brush the smaller piece with beaten egg and, at 2" intervals, place a little of the filling. Cover with other piece of dough. Cut into shapes with a pastry wheel, knife or fluted round cutter, then gently press out air with smooth top of smaller cutter. Be sure the edges are sealed. Let dry for one hour.

Cook in deep boiling, salted water about seven minutes, or until they rise to the surface. Drain and serve with melted butter and grated Parmesan cheese, or with tomato sauce. Serves four to six.

Donna Dooher

She Does The City launches a teen site; tweens remain dependent on Justin Bieber forums

9:51 am

Since its launch five years ago, we’ve come to rely on lady lifestyle website She Does The City as a sort of online bible. From sex advice to guiding us to the best parties to profiling inspiring career women, it’s a one-stop shop. It’s the type of website we needed when we were teens. These days, with the demise of such Canadian teen publications as Fashion 18 and Teen Flare, we tend to wonder where the super-savvy new generation is sourcing its online information.

Behold She Does The City Teen, launched last week by, you guessed it, the same team behind She Does The City. The launch comes on strong with an interview with lead singer of The Fray, Isaac Slade, a list of the top alternative fashion magazines and a fashion feature of four wintertime looks. On top of it all, the site is encouraging Toronto teens to contribute on the regular. Got something to say? Get at them!

Chef Matthew Sullivan parts ways with Maléna and L'Unità, plans a series of pop-ups

8:13 am

In the short while that chef Matthew Sullivan was at Maléna, he revitalized the menu with some ambitious cooking and some of the best ingredients Ontario has to offer. It wasn’t long before owners made him executive chef at their other restaurant, L'Unità, as well. But just a few months after unveiling his first new menu at Maléna, Sullivan has informed us that he’s no longer affiliated with either restaurant, and is currently planning on resurrecting his pop-up concept, Boxed.

Sullivan wouldn’t get into the details of why, exactly, he’s no longer working at the two highly-regarded restaurants, only that he thinks it’s a positive move overall. He doesn’t have another kitchen waiting in the wings as of yet, but he has secured space at a Dundas West location to host his next Boxed series in February. The plan is to host around six dinners, which will be rather intimate at about eight-10 people apiece.

Still under 30, and having worked at several high-profile kitchens around the world (he’s been a stagiaire at The Fat Duck in England and Gramercy Tavern in NYC), it will be interesting to see where Sullivan appears next. In the meantime, Alex Bruveris and Mike Angeloni are heading up the kitchens at Maléna and L'Unità respectively (each of them acted as chef de cuisine under Sullivan).

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