Written by Lisa Hoekstra | 25 November 2011

Twitter is inane. At least, that’s what I thought. Then I discovered journalists, wine connoisseurs and chefs all tweeting away. Turns out, Twitter is not only about telling people what you’re doing; it’s about sharing news, discussing events and connecting with the people around you.

More and more Canadian restaurants are discovering Twitter. By creating an online presence, they reach out to and beyond their community. For some, it’s all about marketing — promoting their menu and major accomplishments. For others, the focus is on initiating a dialogue with food lovers. Connie DeSousa of Calgary’s Charcut and Nathan (Nate) Box of Edmonton’s Elm Café are two tweeting chefs who each take a different online approach.

Connie and her partner in crime, John Jackson, started tweeting about Charcut a year before it opened, creating a buzz for the Italian and French chef-inspired cuisine. With over 4,000 followers, they reach a larger customer base than would be possible with traditional word of mouth or local passersby. Charcut’s tweets announce their events and their menu, and while Connie was competing on the Food Network’s Top Chef Canada, the next big episode.

Written by Robert Hausner | 24 November 2011

I am quite certain that your idea of making cheese begins with a romantic notion of gentle, contented cows quietly munching on summer Alpine grasses, herded by the loyal sheepdog down to the valleys during the winter months. The truth is not far from the fantasy. Especially in a mountainous area of France where, arguably, you find a range of the best cheeses — the Jura Mountain area of the northeast, Franche-Comté, bordering Switzerland.

The tradition of making fermier, or farmhouse cheeses, in small individual quantities has not changed to a significant degree in the past 200 years. The techniques for milking, and the subsequent stages of separation, the addition of rennet, filtering and then shaping, and the applicable bathing in salt water and placement into the appropriate forms remains the same.

If there is one special “cheese to make your heart melt” it is undoubtedly Vacherin Mont-d'Or, a superbly nutty smooth taste of bliss made from pasteurized cow's milk and salt, indeed at its best in the winter months beginning in November and usually running through March.

Written by Rosemary Mantini | 15 November 2011

Ahh… the holidays. I love this time of year — watching snowflakes fall gently from the sky, listening to the crackling of the fire, relaxing with … wait a minute. Who am I kidding? The holiday season is no walk in a marshmallow world.  It’s frenzied shopping and parties, parties, parties. Hosting one yourself, are you? No problem. I asked Maureen Allen, wedding and event planner, and owner of Memorable Occasions in Mississauga, Ontario to reveal the secrets to creating a remarkably fun event.