Balance of Food

Mourning the loss of your favorite restaurant

Ouch. Surprised at how much this hurts. An end to decades of The. Best. Smoked. Meat. In. Montreal. https://t.co/BQsZWjSNEt

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) May 9, 2023

The funny part in Canadian politics is that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau doesn't often give his personal opinion on matters. Yet Trudeau declares the best smoked meat in Montréal as The Main comes to a close on St. Laurent Boulevard.

Canada has a parliamentary democracy so even the prime minister represents a riding. The deli was in the Laurier--Sainte-Marie riding, south of the Papineau riding Trudeau represents in the House of Commons in the federal capital of Ottawa.

Your humble narrator has eaten at The Main at 3864 St. Laurent Boulevard, a prominent north-south running street. (Technically, north-south in relation to the St. Lawrence River. Trust me, when you are in Montréal, you have to follow that logic.)

The smoked meat was quite good. I need more practice to know which smoked meat is the best, something I won't get to do at The Main anymore.

I have also had the smoked meat at Schwartz's at 3895 St. Laurent Boulevard. The famous Schwartz's can be spotted if you are sitting in The Main. You can see the much longer lines at Schwartz's than you saw at The Main. Yet the prime minister of Canada has officially gone on the record as saying The Main had better smoked meat than Schwartz's.

The smoked meat is also very good at Schwartz's. There is more of a carnival atmosphere at Schwartz's as you may have seen on food TV shows or perhaps a trip to Schwartz's.

If you spent enough time in Montréal, you could sample smoked meat from both places. Maybe one for lunch and the other for dinner.

Trudeau isn't the only major celebrity who loved The Main. The late Leonard Cohen was also a big fan of The Main.

Montréal has a bagel battle: you get asked which bagel you prefer between St-Viateur and Fairmount. Your humble narrator is on Team St-Viateur. The Fairmount bagel is better than most bagels you will ever eat, just not a St-Viateur bagel.

If one of those were to go down, eating a Montréal bagel wouldn't be as awesome, even if your place was the survivor.

End of an era with closure of The Main, an iconic Montréal deli (The Current CBC Radio)

Some might think the smoked meat battle isn't confined to the 3800 block of St. Laurent Boulevard. Yet the competition was mostly The Main vs. Schwartz's.

The funny story is how I ended up at The Main. I was in Montréal heading for Schwartz's. There was a small incident involving the fire department. Nothing significant but I wasn't going to eat at Schwartz's that afternoon. I saw The Main across the street and had their smoked meat.

The sandwich and food was very good. So was Schwartz's. That stroke of fate meant I got to try both places.

This report from CBC News gives an all too familiar explanation for the demise of The Main. Things weren't as good as they used to be. Quality allegedly shifted after the death of the long-time owner Peter Varvaro when the deli was then sold off. Like when you are dating a person and that person seems to change and not for the better.

BalanceofFood.com Canada food policy coverage

BalanceofFood.com travel coverage

I hope to get back to Montréal this summer. A city I adore and have not been there in too long. I have a list of favorites in Montréal and plan to try some places where I have never eaten.

Even if you have been somewhere before, that approach is wonderful. Some of your favorites and perhaps, some new favorites. Unfortunately, The Main will not be one of them. I would have trusted the opinion of a Montréal person — the prime minister of Canada. Guess I will settle for the second-best smoked meat in Montréal.

You may not be into smoked meat, bagels, or even Montréal. You can likely adapt this story, like Mad Libs, and use this as a template over one of your favorite restaurants.

Twitter capture: @JustinTrudeau
photo credit: CFCF Montréal/CTV News

Grocery rebate is a nice idea but only a short-term solution to rising food prices

Is a grocery rebate a grocery rebate if the rebate isn't tied to groceries? The Canadian federal budget has called for a grocery rebate targeted to 11 million low- and modest-income Canadians and families. The total of the rebate would reach $467 for eligible couples with children; $234 for single Canadians without children; and $225 for seniors, on average.

The money would show up as a one-time rebate through the goods and services tax (GST) rebate system.

Our American readers might wonder why the [bleep] we are writing about an initiative in Canada instead of the United States. The Republicans have a majority in the House of Representatives so there will be no bills concerning high food prices unless the Dems win back control in the fall of 2024. Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party (centrist party) has a minority federal government with help from the left of centre (center) New Democratic Party.

A bit of money will help but if you think grocery store prices are bad in the United States now, Canadians generally pay a lot more for groceries in their country in urban places such as Toronto, Vancouver, and Montréal. Rural places pay even more, whether that be Atlantic Canada or places such as Nunavut.

$467 will help a family in Toronto but not as much in Iqlauit, the capital of Nunavut.

Still, some grocery help is better than zero help. Yes, we are looking at the GOP-controlled House.

About That from CBC News Explore is part of a new trend in TV journalism going online and ideally delving more in depth with explaining the impact of the grocery rebate in Canada. Anchor Andrew Chang uses the whiteboard to go through the numbers and the significance of Canadians' personal budgets.

The U.S. has 24-hour cable news channels, 2 of which broadcast actual news. Steve Kornacki of MSNBC would have fun with a whiteboard but again, U.S. federal politics won't introduce anything new to help food prices until at least 2025.

CTV News also broke down elements of the grocery rebate, such as how Canadians would spend the money and answering questions about the rebate itself.

Besides high grocery prices, Canada also suffers from a monopoly on major grocery stores in Canada. The United States has had a wide-open regional battle that brings prices down. The Kroger-Albertsons merger will make things worse in the United States.

Comparison shopping helps you pay less for groceries, provided you have the energy and time to pull this off.

The Backbench podcast had an episode on soaring food costs. The Commons podcast delved into that monopoly and how the Competition Bureau is more of a theory than a relevant force.

Make the switch from grocery store eggs to eggs from local farmers

Shopping for vegetables is a reality, not a political stunt

You can reduce food costs despite inflation

Appreciate quality in grocery staples when shopping

Think food prices are high? Try the northern territories of Canada

The grocery rebate is psychological. The government is doing something. Are they addressing the virtual monopoly of Canadian grocery stores? Are they making grocery store CEOs nervous with threats of diversifying their dominance? No and no. They are offering a token amount of money.

I took advantage of a $25 gift card to my local grocery store. This would have had more value in 2020 or even 2022. Still, $25 made a difference. I did spend more but I will eat all of the food I bought. Psychologically, this was a boost. A reminder of the wonderful gift I got that I could definitely use.

I still have a gift card for food delivery. That is out of my comfort zone since I tend to cook more. Grocery store prices still don't compare to the cost of eating out, even these days.

Qu'ils mangent de la brioche | Let them eat cake

When I visited Paris a few years back, I was struck with how cheap baguettes were. They were amazing in taste and texture yet they were relatively cheap.

The French society incorporates that philosophy to this day, making sure bread is accessible to everyone.

The cheap food in the United States and Canada is usually made with high-fructose corn syrup and poor quality ingredients, which further amplifies the struggles of basic nutrition in countries where people have trouble buying even cheap groceries.

BalanceofFood.com Canada food policy coverage

$467 or $234 is like fixing a pothole in the spring. Nice but the potholes will come back. Better government leadership would address long-term society solutions. A grocery rebate will fix that pothole in Canada while Americans have a GOP-lead House who won't acknowledge those potholes exist.

video and photo credit: CBC News Explore

The difficulty in finding the old Grade B maple syrup

Spring time means maple syrup. The prime time to attach the buckets to the taps of maple trees in Quebec and Vermont.

Buying maple syrup used to be simple, especially if you loved the dark stuff. You didn't have to look for fancy or vague adjectives. All you needed to see was Grade B. There were several Grade As with different descriptions but if the label said Grade A, you could ignore the bottle.

The powers that be changed all of them to be Grade A variations. Ugh. Now you had to read the various descriptions. Unlike the above photo, you didn't have the comparison as you stared at maple syrup containers in the grocery store.

If your palate debates between the subtle nuances of Golden Delicate Taste and Amber Rich Taste, you might not appreciate where some of us are in the maple syrup world. Dark is better and not as easy to find.

Every grocery store, conventional or upscale, had Golden Delicate Taste and Amber Rich Taste. As easy to find as Log Cabin syrup (buy real maple syrup instead).

Finding Dark Robust Taste was also relatively easy to find. Trader Joe's and Whole Foods had Dark Robust Taste along with some conventional grocery stores.

All of these new descriptions were Grade A maple syrups under the old and new classifications. So what about the old Grade B?

Grade A Very Dark Strong Taste was impossible to find at conventional grocery stores. No tag, no product. Trader Joe's does not carry this category either. Whole Foods doesn't carry this category in its house brand. We did find a bottle of Grade A Very Dark Strong Taste maple syrup at Whole Foods.

So good news. We found one bottle at one store. Wow. Except. The cost differential between the old Grade A and the Grade B was visible but not significant.

When we shopped for this Grade A Very Dark Strong Taste at the Whole Foods store, the Grade A Very Dark Strong Taste maple syrup was $19.49 for a 16 oz. container. The Whole Foods version of Dark Robust Taste (next best) was $18.29 for a 32 oz. container.

More than twice as expensive as the next level. No Whole Foods discount for the good stuff. The old Grade B should be more expensive but not by this much.

The old Grade B was typically produced later in the season. Dark, thicker, more minerals, more maple flavor.

You could make a Golden Delicate Taste level argument that conventional stores shouldn't have to carry the old Grade B maple syrup aka Very Dark Strong Taste. They did before the reconfiguration.

Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. Carrying the Very Dark Strong Taste category is in their wheelhouse. They don't.

We don't think there is a maple syrup conspiracy to hide the good stuff from us. We also don't believe in coincidences.

What was Grade B was easier to find under the old system.

The maple syrup story as told in a new documentary

If you don't have a maple syrup preference — if you have childhood memories of the Log Cabin bottle — you might not even know that the old Grade B is so hard to find. Most shoppers stare at 3 choices: Golden Delicate Taste; Amber Rich Taste; and Dark Robust Taste. How can consumers choose when Very Dark Strong Taste is invisible on shelves?

Imagine if all you saw on Sex in the City was Carrie, Charlotte, and Miranda without Samantha. Let's be honest: Samantha is the equivalent of Very Dark Strong Taste. Why Sex in the City was better than And Just Like That.

I won't judge you if your ideal maple syrup is either Carrie, Charlotte, or Miranda. I may not eat pancakes at your house. I want you to have those options. I just want my Samantha on pancakes, waffles, French toast, and as a sweetener in avocado chocolate pudding.

Dark maple syrup lovers want to find what they want. You shouldn't need a fine print reader in a grocery aisle to figure out what is out there and all options on the table should be on grocery store shelves.

Daily Show has fun with Quebec maple syrup heist

We can't mention maple syrup and not refer back to the Daily Show coverage of the maple syrup heist in Quebec. You might know the Vermont version more than the Quebec version. Maple syrup is valuable in Quebec.

Cabanes à sucre aka sugar shacks is a part of the Quebec culture tied to maple syrup.

How the climate crisis is affecting maple syrup (Ici/Radio-Canada)

Why we should appreciate maple syrup, especially good quality maple syrup.

photo credits: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada/Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers; me; The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

Percy film is a useful tool to learn more about the dangers of GMOs

Based on a true story. What an amazing, actually true story. Not just the saga of Percy Schmeiser, a Saskatchewan farmer on the wrong side of Monsanto, but the thousands of farmers forced to settle with the large conglomerate.

We have written a lot about glyphosate and its impact on corn and soybeans as well as the feed that goes into animals that we eat.

Percy, otherwise known as Percy vs. Goliath, tells that story in a straightforward presentation. Not building characters but acting out the actual story, within reason. A direction that will help explain significantly complex material through a feature film setup.

From the review: "The film doesn't waste time in the beginning with an elaborate open. We pretty much are there at the beginning with the start of the story. The film is a blow-by-blow essence of the actual story. We apparently aren't here for character development, except for when Percy buys a large tractor in the beginning of the film."

Percy is a troubled film due to the absolutely terrible dialogue. Our sibling blog, Canadian Crossing.com, has a full review.

Canadian film review: Percy

We wrote about a very troubled film called Food Evolution full of questionable editing and deception and lies. Here are the stories we wrote on the topic.

Buying truly natural food is the best way to avoid Monsanto GMOs

Film review: Food Evolution

Food Evolution tries to show us GMOs aren't all bad

There are prominent Americans in the cast of this Canadian film. Christopher Walken plays Saskatchewan farmer Percy Schmeiser. Christina Ricci and Zach Braff plays supporters of Schmeiser's case.

What's Tempting: GMO-free Cheerios

From the review: "Glyphosate, the primary ingredient in Roundup, is a disaster to the American and Canadian farming industry. You may know the phrase GMO; you will learn a lot more about it in the film."

BalanceofFood.com film coverage

We are great believers in buying local from nearby farmers that are not plugged into a world that is glyphosate. If you are new to this idea, watching Percy can help you, even with this level of dialogue.

Percy is available on demand in the United States and on Crave in Canada.

photo credit: Percy
video credit: YouTube/Mongrel Media

Enjoy foods where you travel but be careful what you bring back

I arrived back from Canada earlier this week. I did bring back some Canadian treats. Ketchup chips. Butter tarts. I brought in all of this food legally. I have missed Canadian treats.

In preparing for the trip, I was thinking back to the time of Canadian fat cakes. Well, not actual Canadian fat cakes because they aren't real. Smuggling them back into the United States would not have been a crime, even if they existed.

The Canadian fat cakes episode of iCarly is now 10 years old. Jennette McCurdy, who played Sam, the one obsessed with Canadian fat cakes, is now retired from acting.

That may be more about what we learned in her memoir I'm Glad My Mom Died.

McCurdy talked about weight issues she had due in part to the stress her mother put on her. Having to pretend to be obsessed about a fictional treat, even as lovely as one as Canadian fat cakes, had to be difficult. I don't know much about her acting ability, but Sam had me jonesing for Canadian fat cakes.

I loved how the writers noted the contrast that American fat cakes had "corn fat" while Canadian fat cakes had "cane fat." This was 10 years ago. There was a time where I would have brought over Canadian Twinkies, back when there was a difference. The Jos. Louis cakes, which are real, have the dreaded glucose-fructose aka high-fructose corn syrup.

Your humble narrator hasn't been able to "smuggle" food in from Canada in about 3 years. If I were driving, my trunk would overflow from all the Canadian food I would love to bring back to the United States. All of it legally.

The rules haven't changed. Live food, such as fruits, vegetables, and meat, are definitely not allowed. Foods that were never alive, such as ketchup chips, butter tarts, and the proverbial Canadian fat cakes, aren't a problem.

These rules also apply to entering other countries from the United States. Each country has their own rules for what you can bring into that country.

Australia has very strict rules on bringing anything into that country.  

iCarly hits Canada in search of Canadian Fat Cakes

Temptation of the Week: Canadian fat cakes

Celebrating the Michelle Obama legacy for food and nutrition

BalanceofFood.com Canada food policy coverage

When traveling, enjoy the food of where you are. Bring some home as a souvenir. Just remember to follow the rules of where you are going. 

photos credit: iCarly

Shopping for vegetables is a reality, not a political stunt

Home-Ec was Episode 16 in Season 3 of Roseanne back in 1991. Roseanne ends up taking the home economics class Darlene is in to the Buy 'n Bag supermarket. Her tips are surprisingly sharp, including buying the generic cereal and putting the cereal into the name brand box.

The opposite end of that scale was watching Mehmet Oz shop for crudité in a video designed to show his "regular side" in his run to be the next U.S. senator from Pennsylvania to replace Pat Toomey (R-PA).

Oz picks out store brand salsa and guacamole among his purchases, lambastes the price of said purchases, and blames the high food prices on President Joe Biden. Oz, as you may have guessed, is from the Republican Party, so he blames the current president, who is from the Democratic Party.

As we've learned in the 1970s, the president is not responsible for inflation, regardless of party. The companies who are making record profits off of inflation are much more likely to donate to the elephants (GOP) than donkeys (Dems).

"Guys, that's $20 for crudité and that doesn’t even include the tequila."

In the video, the vegetables add up to $10. Not all of that would go into a crudité. The guacamole was $4 and the salsa was $6.

If Oz really wanted to save money, he could make homemade salsa and guacamole. The taste would improve and you save money. Buying from local farmers markets ensure that the money would stay in Pennsylvania instead of buying a salsa from New York City.

In PA we call this a... veggie tray https://t.co/nDp0Uw27zd

— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) August 15, 2022

Food prices were a concern even before the pandemic. Wages have been stagnant in terms of buying power for 40 years. Will Oz do anything about that? No.

Cheap, processed foods are often inexpensive compared to fresh produce in the supermarket. Will Oz do anything about that? No.

Food ads are dominated with relatively, unhealthy foods, while we, especially kids, don't see ads for fresh produce. Will Oz do anything about that? No.

You can reduce food costs despite inflation

Leaving avocados and oranges whole encourages learning about produce

Vending machines in France show new way to get produce from farmers

Showing kids that fruits and vegetables have merit through watching ads

"If John Fetterman had ever eaten a vegetable in his life, then maybe he wouldn't have had a major stroke and wouldn't be in the position of having to lie about it constantly," Rachel Tripp, Oz's senior communications adviser, said in a statement.

You would think someone working for a person who is an actual doctor would not be so inaccurate about health. Fetterman, the current lieutenant governor, is running against Oz on the Democratic side of the ballot.

Fetterman responded in a tweet. "I had a stroke. I survived it. I'm truly so grateful to still be here today. I know politics can be nasty, but even then, I could *never* imagine ridiculing someone for their health challenges."

Dine in restaurants when you feel safe, not because of a political stunt

Erin O'Toole, then leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, has his own cheap, food-related political stunt last year. Half off food but only Mondays and Wednesdays for a month. Paying the full amount to find a safer place to eat vs. a risk with a small savings. 

O'Toole lost that election and was soon booted out as the party leader, not because of this political stunt. This notion of needing to pull cheap, political stunts generally comes from conservative parties. O'Toole stole this idea from the UK Conservatives. 

If John Fetterman was pulling a similar stunt, we would crack down just as tough. Democratic and liberal politicians generally want to help people through government action. The other side is the dominant force behind cheap political stunts.

BalanceofFood.com farmers market coverage

Politicians of all stripes would benefit from a grocery store experience like what Roseanne gave in that episode. They should know how poor people actually shop. They aren't building crudité or even a veggie tray. They know their kids need nutritious food but aren't sure how to make that work, given the discrepancies at the grocery store. No political stunt will help them feed themselves and their kids.

photo credit: @DrOz
Twitter capture: @JohnFetterman

Summer 2022 notebook: Cracker Barrel outrage proves choice is always a good thing

MAGA on Cracker Barrel's racist & homophobic history: "Eh, that's ok. We like their food."

MAGA on Cracker Barrel serving Plant-based Vegan Meat: "Once you go woke, you go broke. I'll never eat there again."

I'm sorry, who are the snowflakes again? pic.twitter.com/gdLQrzupAr

— The Jewish Ginger Resister (@JewishResister) August 8, 2022

Your humble narrator is the one who goes down the grocery store aisle and says "we need more choices." Having few choices works only if what you want is among those choices.

Cracker Barrel decided to help those looking to eat less meat or no meat at all by serving "fake meat" options. The backlash from conservatives, who aren't known for their support of choice, was stupendous.

I grew up loving Bill Knapp's, a regional family restaurant. The menu had tons of choices. People love the au gratin potatoes. I never ordered them. I would tell people that they were good based on other people's perceptions, not mine.

Never got upset that this food item was on the same menu as whatever I ordered. Kind of sorry I didn't try them now that the chain no longer exists.

The conservatives who love Cracker Barrel aren't literally upset about the "fake meat" options. This is a political firestorm of people who feel this is a conspiracy against them and their beliefs. Their beliefs: meaning going against "liberal food."

I have generally avoided Cracker Barrel for its conservative values. I did find myself there in 2021 under unusual circumstances. The food (yes, I ordered meat) was pretty good and extremely bland.

I am a champion of not having food touch other food on a plate. Items on a menu don't touch each other.

Old enough to remember when some menus had a diet selection (cottage cheese, fruit). Never ordered from them. Never mocked anyone from ordering from the diet selection.

These conservatives could be afraid that if items are on the menu, they might be compelled to try them and becomes, brace yourself, liberals. Your humble narrator has tried them. They taste like bad fast food meat, which would fit in well at Cracker Barrel.

Eating plant-based burgers falls well within the spirit of Lent

Beyond Burger has a lot of ingredients but doesn't qualify as ultra-processed

Review: The Beyond Burger

We have poked fun at Americans who can't handle the simple concept of poutine, a Quebecois dish with French fries, squeaky white cheese curds, and gravy. They try different concepts, most of which are terrible. You can find "poutine" on some American menus but they have little resemblance to the actual dish.

The caramel popcorn (WTF) does come separately. This version contains red potatoes, cheese curds, pork lard, fried onions, pulled pork, and a signature maple and Amaretto sauce. Did we mention that the poutine is 1.2 kilograms (about 2.5 pounds)?

That description leaves out the word "gravy."

Montréal is the unofficial home of poutine. You can go to lots of places after the CFL (Canadian football) game and get a better poutine for a lot cheaper. You would not get a souvenir helmet.

The Montréal Alouettes got enough publicity for the $90 poutine, including this article. Go to Quebec and get the real thing. You can eat poutine for a week for less than $90.

2022 CFL Week 9 preview

BalanceofFood.com Canada food policy coverage

We are at the tailend of National Farmers Market Week running through Saturday. Can't leave a notebook without a word on farmers markets. Like grocery stores, farmers markets are better suited for families than single people. Smaller fruits, such as berries, works well for a single person. Peaches, very much in season, can be intimidating in buying a whole box.

Know your farmer. We know our local farmer. They will sell you an individual peach for a smaller price. Peaches are a great summer fruit. If all you can handle is a peach at a time, you are better off than ignoring them because the box is too intimidating.

Be nice and polite. Know they won't pick one of the boxes on display. They weigh the boxes so they don't want to mess with that setup.

Farmers markets in 2022: Back to some sense of normal

BalanceofFood.com farmers market coverage

Summer lasts at least until the end of September in a lot of places. Enjoy food in the context of summer. Be more adventurous.

Twitter capture: @JewishResister
photo credit: @MTLAlouettes

Romeo Eats can inspire young people to try new foods

I have a new eating hero and he is 4 years old. His name is Romeo.

Romeo Eats is the result of Romeo's eagerness to try all different types of fruits and vegetables. His family released an album Walk Off the Earth & Romeo Eats, Vol. 1 .

Romeo is the child of Sarah Blackwood and Gianni (Luminati) Nicassio, who are in the Canadian indie band Walk Off the Earth. The album got nominated for a Juno (think Canadian Grammy) making Romeo the youngest Juno nominee ever at 4. Romeo didn't win over last weekend.

Romeo has a passion for wanting to try new foods. "We gave him a massive bowl of olives when he was very young, like, right off the boob, for lack of a better term," Nicassio told CBC Toronto.

Avocados, mushrooms, exotic fruits: Romeo is into them and enjoys them.

They have 2 older children but Romeo stands out in a crowd.

The parents didn't push Romeo. He had his own curiosity. Children are curious about the world around them.

Curiosity is often stifled or misdirected when food is involved. "They tried it at 2 or 3 years old, well, that's it." That is the wrong approach. Patience. You are teaching them about food, one of the most valuable lessons to learn as a child.

Romeo Dines is a spinoff about Romeo in high-end restaurants. This also goes against the traditional grain where children and those restaurants don't mix.

The hope is that the videos and music can help encourage children to try new foods based on seeing Romeo in action.

Encouraging should be the key in helping your child try foods. Romeo has parents who help him try new foods.

Romeo may be a grand exception to the rule and a reminder that different children have different paths to food acceptance.

Maybe Romeo likes raw vegetables and fruit more than cooked. Follow patterns with your child. Is texture an issue? Smell? The five senses help children learn.

Have the touch the food, smell the food. Be ready if they don't like the food.

Love the child, even if the child isn't as good as Romeo is about food.

BalanceofFood.com advice coverage

Blackwood and Nicassio said as soon as Romeo started eating solid foods, "he ate everything." Appreciate the child who can do that. Appreciate the child who struggles to figure out how to make food work.

You can find their videos on YouTube.

video and photo credit: YouTube/RomeoEats

Canada help for U.S. baby formula shortage thwarted by poor trade deal

We heavily endorse breastfeeding here at BalanceofFood.com. We recognize the realities of baby formula.

The United States is suffering a baby formula shortage. While there are several factors involved, the United States can't import baby formula from Canada thanks to a truly stupid trade deal aka NAFTA 2.0.

Our sibling blog — CanadianCrossing.com — has an extensive story this morning on all the details.

Podcast: Sarah Palin, Michelle Obama, and the politics of breastfeeding

BalanceofFood.com Canada food policy coverage

One intriguing development is that the standards for baby formula in Canada and Europe are significantly higher than the standards in the United States. Once the shortages are fixed, the U.S. should look to increase the standards for baby formula. After all, why shouldn't babies get the best, unless there is some political reason.

As our colleagues note: "The party of the crybaby toddler is the party that is trying to take advantage of the political ramifications of the baby formula shortages."

photo credit: Dairy Farmers of Canada

Back in Time for Dinner is a great way to learn about food history

The Back in Time for Dinner phenomenon started in the United Kingdom. The CBC ran its own version in Canada in 2018. The Canadian version featured a Canadian family with how Canadians ate in each decade from the 1940s through the 1990s.

Host Carlo Rota guided the Campus family: mother Tristan, a registered nurse, father Aaron, a multimedia designer, 18-year-old daughter Valerie, 17-year-old daughter Jessica, and 15-year-old son Robert.

The Canadian version seemed an obvious choice to work its way to the United States, even if that took until late 2021 and early 2022 to arrive on the Cooking Channel.

There are some nuanced differences in Canadian food history versus U.S. food history. Canada has to deal with more significant war rations and for a longer period of time. Canada entered World War II in 1939 while the United States got into the war very late in 1941.

Later in the 1970s, Tristan and Val make yogurt and have to deal with the imperial system (U.S.) and metric since that was the decade Canada switched to metric.

Cooking with kidneys (1940s), salad in a Jell-o mold (1950s), and a cheese ball (1970s) is fun to watch from the standpoint of a modern family temporarily going back in time.

Cooking Channel picks up Back in Time for Dinner

We wrote about the show in great detail for our sibling blog, CanadianCrossing.com.

The food innovations had purpose behind them in terms of politics, the economy, and social trends. You might be surprised to learn about these trends whether you lived them or your parents and grandparents went through these decades.

Balanceoffood.com Canada food policy coverage

BalanceofFood.com television coverage

You can catch up on previous episodes from the Cooking Channel. The 1990s episode airs on Thursday at 10 pm Eastern on the Cooking Channel. Our Canadian friends can watch the episodes via CBC Gem.

photos credit: Back in Time for Dinner/CBC