Michele Sponagle

Fresh, abundant and brightly coloured, Ontario tomatoes taste like sunshine and summer in every flavour-filled bite. Here, a primer on how to enjoy them, from choosing your favourite varieties to wine pairing, plus lots of tasty recipes
With more than 400 different chemical properities at play, a tomato’s flavour profile is complex, opening up a world of wine-pairing options. We asked Langdon Hall Executive Chef, Jason Bangerter to share his tips for pairing wine with tomatoes.

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Canada’s massive size, stretching over 9,984,670 square miles, is the perfect breeding ground for food diversity. Couple that with the country’s propensity to do things a bit differently and you’ve got an abundance of enticing food and drink options that are truly unique and often downright strange.
For hungry and thirsty adventurers, these 10 highlights are well worth a spot on your culinary bucket list:
Sourtoe Cocktail
In Dawson City, Yukon, Canada's far northern reaches, since 1973 visito...

Canadians swap “fly and fry” holidays for healthier pursuits
Many Canadians in their teens and 20s travel as a rite of passage between finishing school and getting serious about career, family or both. Later in life, the motivation changes. Having been there and done that, mature globetrotters are moved to explore by a bigger purpose, whether it’s to learn, to volunteer or to pursue newfound passions.
For Anita Draycott, 67, from Stouffville, ON, travel means hitting the links: “I took up gol...

One size does not fit all when it comes to traveling and exploring the world. For plus-size globetrotters, that presents some challenges along the way, whether it’s too-snug airplane seats or spa robes meant for someone of more diminutive stature. Take heart, though—the problems are surmountable. Where there is a desire to take a journey, there are workable solutions to ensure grand experiences.
Here are tips geared to fellow voyagers of size, gleaned from my own travels as a Rubenesque gal w...

With almost half of all Americans claiming insufficient sleep affects their daily lives, many are seeking inventive ways to get the rest they need. Enter a slew of hotels and resorts offering insomnia-busting boot-camp-style programs and slumber-focused amenities, from guided meditations and special pillow menus to in-room bedtime stories.
Sleep Training Vacations to Beat Insomnia
These stays aim to help people overcome sleep struggles—from insomnia to occasional sleep disturbances.
Sleep Bet...

Hello again. It’s time to re-introduce yourself to these 10 cities that have done the impossible and transformed themselves from C-list destinations into ones worthy of your precious vacation time. You’ll be glad you gave them that second chance to woo you, courtesy of new attractions, hotels, and restaurants that come wrapped up with a fresh “can-do” attitude and plenty of pride.
Like this story? Join the 1 million other travelers who read our free newsletter. It’s full of our best tips, tri...

HAMILTON — “Stay out,” advised fellow restaurateurs when chef Matt Cowan was thinking of moving from Toronto in 2016 to open a fine-dining spot in Hamilton’s Barton Village neighbourhood. The area had seen better days; the street was lined with derelict buildings and shuttered businesses.
But the 37-year-old, originally from Belleville, ignored them and launched the Heather, a 12-seat, fine-dining culinary destination. But despite glowing reviews and a full dining room, Cowan and his wife of ...

Butter has a sensuousness that other condiments just can’t match. It conveys decadence by its very existence – a product of thick, fat-infused cream. Its lusciousness has an almost magical power that excels at elevating the deliciousness of so many things.
Sweet, creamy, and tangy, salted or not, it makes everything we eat better. But that’s not a new discovery.
Its origins can be traced back more than 10,000 years to a time when our ancestors began to domesticate cows, sheep, and goats and u...

Deliciousness permeates a wide range of ethnic neighborhoods in Tortonto, from Little India to Greektown to Chinatown and beyond.

With a population of more than six million people in the Greater Toronto Area, you’ll find the greatest hits of world cuisine in Canada’s biggest city.

The United Nations has recognized it as the most multicultural city in the world, with 51 percent of its residents born outside of Canada. Over 140 languages are spoken there and more than 30 percent of Torontonians...

Actor and La La Land star Ryan Gosling got it right when he said, “The one thing I love most about being an adult is the right to buy candy whenever and wherever I want.” And you can do just that at these top candy destinations around the globe.
Top Candy Destinations Around the World
Fortunately for him and other fans of the sugar rush, the world has some very sweet spots for those with decadent indulgence at the top of their travel list.
Buffalo, New York: Top Sponge Candy Destination
A pos...

Michael Hebb is the epitome of a disruptor. The Seattle-based author, activist, artist and author has set out to challenge how we think about some of life’s most sensitive issues, like death and dying. His desire is to start “a gentle revolution” around the subject.
When he was in his mid-30s, Hebb took a train from Portland to Seattle and struck up a conversation with two doctors. They revealed that 75 percent of Americans wanted to die at home, yet only 25 percent did. Clearly, there is a d...

The world knows Buffalo, New York, primarily as the originator of spicy, buttery, crispy and delicious chicken wings. What it doesn’t know is that the city has other culinary legacies worth bragging about that are completely fowl-free. Likely, they played a part in it earning a spot on National Geographic’s 10 best food destinations in America.
From an iconic breakfast cereal to hot dogs, the next time you’re in the Nickel City (because of the buffalo depicted on U.S. five-cent pieces from 19...

The French know a lot about love. They have a certain je ne sais quoi when it comes to romance and to food. In Montreal, that passion gets channeled into the creation of sweet treats and baked goodies of all descriptions. That’s what makes it a perfect place to explore all things delicious and delectable, especially around Valentine’s Day.
As you explore the city savoring a warm pain au chocolat in hand and share nibbles of artisan chocolate, it’s hard not to get swept up in the city’s charms...