Holy crow. It's been a fun-filled, excitement-packed couple of weeks with a few more to come! The book keeps getting media love, with new reviews and coverage from Daily Hive Toronto and Rural Delivery Magazine. Then, I got invited to go on CBC's early, early morning show, Fresh Air and that was way too much fun. You can listen to me yukking it up with Errol Nazareth here.
On Saturday I spent the morning at The Royal Winter Agricultural Fair with "my kids" from Georgian College who were competing in the Cook the Books part of The Taste Canada Food Writing Awards. They were up against a recipe and team representing the Neal Brothers' book, Goodness. I think Goodness may have prevailed this day, but we won't know until Monday night at the awards!
Me with Chef Scott MacNeil of The Stop at Cook the Books. Photo by Sabrina Falone.
Before all this excitement, I spent two wonderful days exploring farm country with Mel Bozzo, the brain behind The Plant yyz, a new kind of shop in Toronto's Junction neighbourhood. It's going to open in the new year and Mel's hired me to help curate products and help put together great videos and content for the blog. It's the funnest work I've ever done!
We went to visit my pals Murray at Murray's Farm, Chef Jason Bangerter at Langdon Hall, then Tony Armstrong at Headwaters Farm, all the while yakking our heads off and basically having the best time ever!
Murray's piggies. Photo: Lelania Little.
Chef Jason, me, and Mel in the Langdon Hall greenhouse. Photo: Lelania Little.
But that's not all! Tomorrow night is the BIG NIGHT! The Taste Canada Awards Gala and Happy Hens has been shortlisted, so I'll be there with bells on...and by "bells on" I mean bellied up to the bar. Yup, I'm a tad nervous. I mean, it's kind of a big deal. Come dinner and drinks time, I shall either be drowning my sorrows or celebrating. Either way: booze!
Murray will be there too, having supplied Kind of the 'Q himself, Ted Reader, with some gorgeous heritage pork for the night, and so will Mel and Sophia Saunders, the talented gal who did the adorable chicken sketches in the book. I have every reason to believe a party may well break out! Wish me luck folks! I'm up against some pretty fierce competition in my category, so I'm going to need it!
And as for that Super Moon, well, I just nipped out to see what I could see and, well, being in the heart of the city, I didn't see much. I'll try again in a little while, when it's moved a bit. I better see it this time, I may not be here (you know, like, on planet earth) the next time it comes around in what? 2034?