Why Mukbang enrages Joshna, regenerative greens for your salad, milk cutting spice (as usual), and a #weirdwidget which grooms your herbs. Mirella and Joshna fall down the rabbit hole of Mukbang, the Korean trend of broadcasting over-eating. Bethany Gaskin is internet famous for picking up in the trend and stuffing her face with shellfish. If you already know about her, that's okay, because the conversation travels to ASMR, synesthesia, mussels which cook themselves (terrifyingly) due to climate...
Jul 17, 2019•37 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Who is eating Beyond Meat, when beer flavours go too far, a new and safe raw cookie dough, and a failed #weirdwidget Beyond Meat is sweeping across restaurant menus and grocery store shelves. As Vandana Shiva points out , this is all part of further industrialization of food, responding to the market rather than addressing climate change and factory faming. When we think we're making a smart choice by choosing an alternative to meat, is this a real and impactful option? Beer flavours have jumped...
Jul 10, 2019•37 min•Season 1Ep. 17
In defence of cooking, the rise of the New England IPA, posture and taste, and a perfect threesome of a #blindbeerdate In defence of cooking, Mirella and Joshna dive into this New York Times piece about the importance of time spent cooking in the kitchen. The current message from all sides is "don't waste your time cooking". Convenience culture and the explosion in popularity of delivery services means fewer people seem to enjoy spending time in the kitchen. Is cooking really an endangered speci...
Jul 03, 2019•39 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Toronto Brews Exhibit with Wayne Reeves, what makes a great sandwich, and bubbles in beer. Mirella and Joshna welcome Wayne Reeves , Chief Curator of Museums and Heritage Services for the City of Toronto and curator of the upcoming "Toronto Brews: Two Centuries of Beer Culture in the City." Toronto's historic relationship to beer fascinating, but we also wonder if this is part of a growing interest in documenting the history happening right now. The Smithsonian is now documenting the craft beer ...
Jun 25, 2019•38 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Drinks writer Sarah Parniak on Seedlip, an electric tongue that can do your tasting for you, dehumanizing drinkers, and #curiouskitchen. Sarah Parniak , drinks writer, former bartender, and Canadian Brand Ambassador for non-alcoholic distilled spirit Seedlip , joins us to talk about the rise of NA (non-alcoholic) cocktails. Is there a growing movement of non-drinkers? Why are they spending time in bars "not drinking"? Sarah helps us unravel this growing group and understand the opportunities it'...
Jun 20, 2019•38 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Cookie Roscoe on making farmers' markets part of your routine, next level ice cream, the winning formula for breweries, and our first live #blindbeerdate ends badly! Farmers' markets manager and Queen's Diamond Jubilee recipient Cookie Roscoe joins us to talk about all things farmers markets. How can we work markets into our busy schedules? What should we expect to get and why are they popping up all over? Getting up early on a Saturday has never sounded so good! As the summer heat approaches ic...
Jun 12, 2019•34 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Chef Suzanne Barr talks cultural appropriation with Mirella Amato and Joshna Maharaj We had such a compelling conversation with Suzanne there was hemming and hawing as we attempted to cut it down to length for Episode 11 "Authenticity is the Emperor's new clothes". It feels like an important conversation, and important conversations need space to breath. So, we're releasing the entire interview as bonus content. Enjoy "the details", and a glimpse behind the scenes of Hot Plate. Let us know what ...
Jun 06, 2019•41 min
Better beer, with Steve Riley from betterbeer.com , enthusiasm for edibles, bathing in beer, and #weirdwidget Mirella's old friend Steve Riley joins us to talk about what's going wrong with beer in bars. What's actually happening when we're served a pint of beer that just isn't quite right? More importantly, how do bars go about solving some of these problems. He makes reference to his wall of shame -- if you have a strong stomach you can see it here: https://www.betterbeer.com/wall-of-shame/ Th...
Jun 04, 2019•34 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Cultural appropriation with Chef Suzanne Barr, the five year anniversary of Mirella's book Beerology, food safety in cookbooks, and a #blindbeerdate ends happily ever after. We are so excited to welcome Chef Suzanne Barr, whose brand and infamy are on a steady rise in Toronto and beyond. She joins Mirella and Joshna to dig deeper into questions about cultural appropriation in restaurants. Is it really happening? What can we do about it? What questions could chefs ask themselves and each other? A...
May 29, 2019•33 min•Season 1Ep. 11
A controversial cocktail with Josh Lindley from Bartender Atlas, looking beyond bitterness, taste and ageing, and damiana tincture in #curiouskitchen Josh Lindley is the co-founder of Bartender Atlas and has spent his career making drinks. We asked him what he thought of an explosively controversial "tampon cocktail" . Can go too far? Bitterness. No, not the emotional kind! Joshna has been playing with bitterness in her kitchen and walks Mirella through her findings. As it turns out, there's som...
May 21, 2019•34 min•Season 1Ep. 10
What happened to texture, Craft beer as convenience, "is food art?", and foods seek love in #blindbeerdate On this episode of Hot Plate we think about texture and mouthfeel of food and drink. More and more this is a secondary consideration to the industry and it's a huge problem. We talk about food and drink where the mouthfeel just isn't right, and what could solve the problem. Next, this article discusses a curious effect breweries- industrial buildings - have on residential property values. W...
May 14, 2019•37 min•Season 1Ep. 9
The dynamics of food delivery with Earlscourt BBQ 's Jason Rees, cultural appropriation in restaurants, a case for mignardises, and #curiouskitchen On this episode of Hot Plate we get riled up with Jason Rees, competitive BBQer and owner of the very tasty Earlscourt BBQ in Toronto. He pulls back the curtain on food delivery services. For restauranteurs, what has the explosion of these services meant? What are the hidden benefits and drawbacks of this innovation and disruption? And is there reall...
May 07, 2019•37 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Food over-packaging with special guest Michelle Genttner, no-waste menus at home, alcohol and creativity, and a #weirdwidget We welcome our first ever guest! Michelle Genttner from Unboxed Market knows food packaging inside and out. She and her partner have opened Toronto's first Zero Waste Grocery Store. Michelle joins Mirella and Joshna to talk over-packaging, and why it's even happening in the first place. Also, there's a "no waste" menu trend, hot now in restaurants. But is it really just a ...
Apr 30, 2019•36 min•Season 1Ep. 7
We’re about to have our first guest in the Hot Plate hot seat: Michelle Genttner from Toronto’s Unboxed Market! Look out for the new episode streaming to you Tuesday.
Apr 26, 2019•58 sec
A closer look at how Canadians eat - food insecurity and Canada's food guide. Then, distilling food scraps, and where's the booze in #curiouskitchen? Visit www.hotplatepod.com for links to people, articles, recipes, and products. In this episode Mirella and Joshna delve into recent changes to Canada's Food Guide, which was revised in January 2019 by Health Canada. Aside a move away from meat, what changed? What do the changes mean about how we eat? What's realistic to expect? Are there any encou...
Apr 23, 2019•35 min•Season 1Ep. 6
The fifth taste, first responder baking, an odd thing to use in a dark room, and a #weirdwidget. Mirella and Joshna discuss the under-represented fifth taste: Umami. It's that funky (but not salty) taste you get in some of your favorite foods, but you might not know about it. Where do we find umami and how do we explain what it is? First responder baking is a timely phenomenon. More people are baking to relieve their stress and help their friends cope with the world. Mirella doesn't find baking ...
Apr 16, 2019•30 min•Season 1Ep. 5
The vegetarian solution, pouring problems, a #weirdwidget, and #curiouskitchen. Mirella and Joshna tackle two contentious subjects in the worlds of food and drink: Making space for vegans and vegetarians in a world of meat-heavy menus. Are we unrealistic in our expectations of meat-eaters? And are we collectively obsessed with putting protein first? How do we make a shift we need to make for environmental responsibility? Then, are self-serve beer taps a fad? Or are they here to stay? This could ...
Apr 09, 2019•32 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Wellness beers, food banks serving up more than just food, and #curiouskitchen. Are wellness beers adding anything to the conversation? On this episode we weight the pros and cons of drinking for a healthier tomorrow. Then, how food banks are offering culinary skills training. How this change relationships to food and change lives too. And finally, reactions to an Indian carrot-based treat in #curiouskitchen.
Apr 02, 2019•26 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Beer before liquor, the hospitality deficit, and a #weirdwidget. This week Mirella and Joshna find out if beer before liquor actually makes you 'sicker'... the answer might surprise you! Then, is great hospitality a dying art? Or are tastes changing to favour less hospitable dining experiences? Find out who's right and wrong in the latest high-profile hospitality dust-up. And finally, would you buy this highly suggestive #weirdwidget?
Mar 26, 2019•32 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Chefs who can't smell, drinking too early, and #curiouskitchen. In our first episode, Joshna shares her biggest secret as we dive into the topic of Chef's who can't smell. Why do they hide it? Can their other senses make up for the deficit? Then, How early is too early to drink? Recent changes to the Ontario alcohol laws mean some Canadians can buy alcohol earlier than ever before. Some expect chaos, but is that all just hysteria? And finally, Mirella and Joshna share their reactions to some unu...
Mar 18, 2019•35 min•Season 1Ep. 1
