Canadian Crossing

Cooking Channel picks up Back in Time for Dinner

The Back in Time for Dinner phenomenon started in the United Kingdom. The CBC ran its own version 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.

Canadians had to deal with more abrupt changes, compared to Americans, in their diet during World War II due to war rations. The war also started in 1939 for Canada and most of the countries fighting the war. The United States didn't join the war until after the Pearl Harbor attack in late 1941.

They have to work with kidneys in the early part of the 1940s episode. By they, we mean (sadly) the women. Tristan does the vast majority of the work with occasional help from daughters Valerie and Jessica. Though Aaron does a lot of the cooking in the modern version, he and Robert are banned from helping in the kitchen for the initial episodes.

Meat arrives in the 1950s along with some odd food trends of the day. Reading about how housewives put a salad in a gelatin mold is interesting; watching someone do this offers a broader perspective.

Tristan and Val made yoghurt with a yoghurt maker. They had to do this with conversion in the 1970s episode. This was the time in Canada where the country transitioned from imperial (the U.S. system) to metric.

They figure out converting litres to cups (a litre is slightly more than 4 cups) but had trouble with the temperature of heating the milk. They had difficulty converting 45°C to Fahrenheit. Tristan is a nurse in real life, where you would know that 37°C (98.6°F) is the body temperature. Rota adds a voiceover to say 45°C was 113°F not the figure they got.

The U.S. audience would learn, if they didn't already know, that some Canadians get their milk in a bag.

The ladies also have to work without the modern technology of a dishwasher, as an example.

The Back in Time for Dinner episodes have improvements within the episode so the end of the 1950s episode is closer to 1959 than 1951.

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Food is a key portion of the program mixed in with history and social impact. Tristan has a surprisingly good attitude toward having to be the dominant cook of the times. Valerie and Jessica are much less enthused to being there. In the 1950s episode, Valerie disappears for most of the episode. Then when she finally returns, Jessica isn't in that scene.

The men have more of a role in the kitchen as the episodes progress. Everyone involved has trouble adjusting to the technology of the past.

The program does present heightened trends as being "everywhere." A lot of people weren't eating quiche in the 1980s.

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U.S. fans can catch up on previous episodes from the Cooking Channel. The U.S. channel airs the 1990s episode on Thursday at 10 pm Eastern. Canadians can watch the episodes via CBC Gem.

photos credit: Back in Time for Dinner/CBC

Canadian film review: The Husband

Maxwell McCabe-Lokos is not a loser in real life. He can pass for a loser on screen and so he co-wrote a movie about a loser who is having trouble dealing with a lot of horrible things.

Henry (Maxwell McCabe-Lokos) is a single dad to a toddler. He hates his job. He is a single dad because his wife Alyssa (Sarah Allen) is in jail for having sex with a 14-year-old boy. Alyssa was the boy's teacher.

Henry is very angry. He is upset at work, ignores his best friend Rusty (August Diehl), and stalks the 14-year-old Colin (Dylan Authors).

McCabe-Lokos uses a lot of non-verbal mannerisms to show that Henry is a loser. The deflection of his frustration to the child, as opposed to his wife, is as creepy as you would think it would be.

There are a lot of moments with no dialogue where we see how angry Henry is. The only positive trait is that he is a good father to his toddler.

Watching "portrait of a loser" might be a niche in filmmaking. The question is whether the film is genius in taking us into the world of someone who should be angry and how he handles that anger. Or is the film boring because you are watching an angry person who is almost always angry.

McCabe-Lokos co-wrote the film with Kelly Harms. Bruce McDonald directed this 2013 film. McDonald is a legend in Canadian filmmaking. The contrast for McDonald when directing a film he wrote is significantly distinct than directing a film written by others. Writing and directing your own films is more of a guarantee than just being the director.

You almost feel like McCabe-Lokos is running things from his spot as a co-writer and lead actor.

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The small parts in the film have some great actors in the mix. You have fun watching Stephen McHattie as his father-in-law and Jean Yoon as the nanny.

The Husband delivers on what the film promises. The angry man stays angry. The creepiness level, especially when trying to get revenge, is burning hot.

This film is a comedy on some level and a drama on most levels.

The Husband feels true in its anger. Best to watch when you are angry or so not angry.

video credit: YouTube/TIFF Originals
photo credit: The Husband film

Carol Off to leave As It Happens on CBC Radio

The last time As It Happens was looking for a co-host feels like a long time ago. Chris Howden took over for Jeff Douglas to host with Carol Off a couple of months before the COVID-19 pandemic. Douglas was the co-host for 8 years before leaving to host Mainstreet, the weekday afternoon CBC Nova Scotia show.

Now As It Happens is looking for a host to replace Carol Off, who is leaving the show after nearly 16 years. Her last edition will be February 25. Off will work on a new summer series for CBC.

With all due respect to Howden, Off is the primary host of the show in terms of conducting interviews. She had a long background in reporting around the world for CBC News before landing in As It Happens.

"I was a wild animal and I was never going to be a house cat," Off said.

Off replaced Mary Lou Finlay as the co-host in 2006 and worked with Barbara Budd. The almost 16 years Off worked on the show was the third-longest tenure on the show behind Alan Maitland (1974-1993) and Budd (1993-2010). Barbara Frum, mother of David Frum, was a host (1971-1981). As It Happens has been around since 1968.

New changes to CBC Radio in 2020

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"It's the hardest job I've ever had, for sure," Off said. "It's the emotional range of it. I've laughed. I've cried. I've become angry. I have learned something. I've had my head turned around. And that's in a single day."

Replacing Off will also be a hard job. Howden had been with the show since 2003 and head writer for the show for the previous decade. That may not be the path for Off's replacement.

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There will be guest hosts filling in for Off after February 25 so there will be quite a bit of time before we know the permanent replacement.

For a lot of listeners to the program, Carol Off is As It Happens. They will be very tough shoes to fill.

As It Happens airs for 90 minutes on CBC Radio One following the World at Six. The program airs in the United States through Public Radio Exchange on some NPR stations. The show is also available through the CBC Listen app and the podcast version is also an option.

photo credit: @cbcasithappens

Canadian film review: Hollywood North

The Canadian film industry, well, the English part of the Canadian film industry in 1979 was filled with tax write-offs and odd American leads. Hollywood North (2003) dives into this bizarre, yet sadly real, existence.

The film is an exaggerated version of this world. The film cleverly casts Matthew Modine (American) as the lead in this film given how the film his character is making has to have an American lead. Canadians do dominate the cast, including Saul Rubinek, Joe Cobden, Deborah Kara Unger, Alan Thicke, Lindy Booth, Fab Filippo, Clare Coulter, and Jennifer Tilly.

Bobby Myers (Modine) wants to adapt Lantern Moon, a low-key story about a Canadian schoolteacher who goes to teach children in Cuba. To get the American lead they need, Michael Baytes (English actor Alan Bates) wants script approval that blends in with his patriotism and paranoia. They also recruit a famous director Henry Neville (English/Canadian actor John Neville) who hasn't directed a film in 15 years. The Lantern Moon script suddenly becomes Flight to Bogota.

Part of what makes the film within a film Canadian is the source material, which has been completely ignored.

The fun part of the film is filmmaker Sandy Ryan (Unger) who films a behind the scenes approach to this film but intertwines her own serious film Human Voices. The indie film is more of a true Canadian film without the big budget.

As the overall film goes on, the film within the film loses control with pressure from the investors, of which Alan Thicke's character is in charge.

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The making of the film(s) is the plot of the film. The writers (Barry Healey, John Hunter, Tony Johnston) and director Peter O'Brian take us through the slightly exaggerated twists and turns of the film; we imagine similar situations happen quite often.

Hollywood North might be more informative than entertaining. The film could be considered a bit inside ball where some of the jokes are highly subtle. People who appreciate the filmmaking process — trust us, we see this at film festivals — will enjoy this film.

Even if you are not a film geek, there is a rather good story here. Ambition, ego, lots of suffering to try and get some reward: good enough for this Canadian film about Canadian films.

photo credit: Hollywood North film

Former Montreal Expos play by play announcer Dave Van Horne retires

Dave Van Horne recently announced his retirement from doing MLB play-by-play. While Van Horne spent the last 21 years in southern Florida, he will be best remembered as the English voice of the Montréal Expos from the inaugural season of 1969 through 2000.

Van Horne might have stayed to the end of the Expos run but broadcasting the games on the Internet in 2000 was a sign of things to come. Jeffrey Loria didn't get an English radio or TV outlet in Montréal for 2000.

Van Horne called the Expos games on radio on CKGM 980 (1969), CFCF 600 (1970-1988, 1991-1999), and CJAD 800 (1989-1990).

The Expos games were broadcast during Van Horne's time on CBC (1969-1989), TSN (1985-1999), a TV Labatt syndicated package (1987-1989), and CTV (1990-1993).

Van Horne worked with a number of amazing broadcasters. His most prevalent partners were Don Drysdale (1970–1971), Duke Snider (1973–1986), and Tommy Hutton (1982–1986). Drysdale, Snider, and Jackie Robinson (1972), who also worked on Expos games, were all members of the Montréal Royals minor league team as part of the Brooklyn Dodgers organization.

Celebrating Montreal Expos legacy in Washington, DC

Toronto Blue Jays help celebrate the 50-year anniversary of Montreal Expos

Montreal shows off its worth again as an ideal baseball city

Tim Wallach, Dave Van Horne make Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame

The Montréal Expos were the first MLB team for Van Horne. He spent 1966-1968 calling games for the Richmond AAA team, a farm team of Atlanta (MLB).

Van Horne received Jack Graney Award in 1996 by the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. He was the Ford C. Frick Award from the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011. Van Horne was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014.

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Van Horne was always busy during the times the Toronto Blue Jays played exhibition games at Olympic Stadium from 2014-2019 before the pandemic. Hopefully, the exhibition games will come back and Van Horne can be coaxed into the booth back in Montréal.

photo credit: CBC Sports

Stanley Tucci has plenty of love for Toronto

Full Release with Samantha Bee, the podcast not the TV show, doesn't mention Canada too often. Full Frontal with Samantha Bee loves its sarcastic Canadian references, mostly because the TV show is about comedy and current events.

Stanley Tucci, who has shown his love for Italy thanks to his CNN series Stanley Tucci: Searching For Italy, was on the podcast with Samantha Bee some time ago (a little slow catching up for your humble narrator).

About 10 minutes into the podcast episode, Bee talked about growing up in Toronto around Italian families though not Italian herself. She loved the liveliness of the dinner table in those homes.

"Toronto's really interesting. I love Toronto. Actually, if I were to move back to North America, that's where I would live. ... It's an amazing city."

Tucci said he thinks Toronto has the highest concentration of Italians outside Italy (4th behind São Paulo, Buenos Aires, and New York City). There are Italian pockets in Toronto: College Street West is the most prominent but certainly one of several areas, including Pelmo Park-Humberlea and Maple Leaf as well as Corso Italia on St. Clair Avenue West.

Stanley Tucci — Full Release with Samantha Bee (Earwolf)

Tucci mentioned Brothers, a tiny place near where he was staying to make a film about 4 years ago. Brothers Food & Wine did close in 2020 but that team is behind a new place called Restaurant 20 Victoria. Amusingly, the new space is even tinier than the old establishment.

Bee wraps up the talk about Toronto by asking Tucci about whether he loves Kensington Market. Tucci agrees with how great the neighbourhood and the city is for him.

Samantha Bee might be channeling Anna Maria Tremonti in her new podcast

Where to visit Canada in 2022

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Vancouver gets a lot of love for the weather and outdoor activities. Montréal gets a lot of love for its amazing food and cultural aspects. Toronto doesn't get as much love. Tucci lives in London so maybe he is biased toward Toronto or has done movies in Toronto. Toronto is a great gateway city, especially if you are an American who has never been to Canada.

Despite the food havens that are Vancouver and Montréal, Toronto deserves some travel love for its food and culture options. Toronto is a very cosmopolitan city. Kensington Market is very cool. Travel wherever you want in Canada. Don't dismiss Toronto without a bit of research.

Full Release with Samantha Bee comes out on Tuesdays. Full Frontal with Samantha Bee returns Thursday on TBS and CTV Comedy Channel at 10 pm Eastern.

photo credit: Full Release with Samantha Bee

Canadian film review: Sugar Daddy

If The New Romantic gave us a very fake presentation of the sugar daddy world, Shiva Baby presented the sugar daddy concept as the fortune cookie of a young woman's world, Sugar Daddy comes as close to telling a true story as long as the woman isn't having actual sex.

We wrote awhile back on the sugar daddy concept used in Canadian films, before we have seen all of the films. The New Romantic is one of those bad Canadian films in the Netflix queue. Shiva Baby is a really good film with no sugar daddy essence and barely Canadian. Sugar Daddy is definitely Canadian in a lot of respects and gives you, by far, more of what happens but not enough.

The scene where Darren (Kelly McCormack) talks about this sugar daddy world with her friends is worth the price of admission. The fact that McCormack wrote the screenplay is extra special. Darren is a struggling musician who can't sum up what her music is about at the moment. She is clearly talented but struggles to figure it out.

She find a "dating" service where older men pay to have dinner with her and spend time with them. The going rate is $300 Canadian and that includes dinner. "Can I get an order of beef carpaccio, steak tartare, a burger medium with blue cheese, and a basket of bread. And can you bring hot sauce, please." This is Darren's order at the first dinner with Gordon (Colm Feore).

She spends time with Gordon and on other occasions, Jim (Nicholas Campbell). Gordon is as cool as Jim is creepy. The scene where her friends ask Darren about her "career choice," the focus is on sex and whether women are property. Darren says she isn't having sex. Her friends don't believe her but the audience does.

Wendy Morgan directed the film. We noted that the three films had female directors and writers, pretty much necessary when dealing with this topic. Morgan sets up scenes where music tells part of the story, not quite like typical music videos.

The film features a number of familiar Canadian actors, including Amanda Brugel, Ishan Davé, Kaniehtiio Horn, Jess Salgueiro, Rob Stewart, Michelle Morgan, and Andy McQueen.

We could focus on why older guys would pay $300 to have dinner with a young woman who struggles to stay relevant in a fancier world. The film is really about financial survival while you try and figure out what you are doing.

Canadian film case study: Shiva Baby

Canadian film case study: The New Romantic

The sugar daddy concept making its way into Canadian films

Darren is a messed up character. McCormack writes her as being part of a group where most of them know more of where they are. Her writing is far beyond her years. The film chooses to not focus on the ramifications, good and bad, in exchanging sex for money. That is the worst flaw in an otherwise good film.

Accept the film will go in its own direction instead of maybe where you think it should go. Think of it as taking similar missteps as Darren takes in the film. There are plenty of really good moments in the film.

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

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The film received 3 Canadian Screen Award nominations. Colm Feore won for Best Supporting Actor. Marie-Hélène L. Delorme won a Best Original Song CSA for her song Timid Joyous Atrocious. Christine Armstrong was nominated for Best Editing.

Sugar Daddy is available on Amazon Prime Video in the United States.

video credit: YouTube/Movie Coverage
photo credit: Sugar Daddy film

Canada's role in using seaweed to reduce methane in cows

Seaweed, cows, and Prince Edward Island: the idea of cows eating local seaweed and having that seaweed reduce the impact of methane that comes from both ends of cows.

When your humble narrator first heard the story, that story seemed too good to be true. Further digging showed there is great potential in such a simple solution that would make a sizable impact on climate crisis.

We explored this topic for our sibling blog, BalanceofFood.com, in greater detail.

How seaweed can reduce the methane output from cows (BalanceofFood.com)

Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia also gets a mention in the story.

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Your humble narrator has walked on some Prince Edward Island beaches. The seaweed involved came from far western parts of the province, a different area from where my bare feet walked on in the province.

The seaweed is Canadian food in a truest sense. I was thinking of dulse from nearby New Brunswick. Dulse is seaweed that is used in different kinds of food. Dulse is truly a New Brunswick food that I have had and enjoyed. A bit of an acquired taste but worth trying if you are in New Brunswick.

video and photo credit: CBC News

Canadian film review: Dreamland

We love Bruce McDonald. We loved Pontypool. Dreamland incorporates Stephen McHattie, Lisa Houle, writer Tony Burgess, and McDonald in the director's chair.

Pontypool was wonderful at building suspense about an unknown force. Dreamland is a chaotic mess.

McHattie plays a dual role as a strung-out heroin-addict jazz trumpet player and a hitman who works for Hercules (American actor Henry Rollins). Hercules, who is into child trafficking, wants the pinky finger of the trumpet player.

The hitman doesn't like the child trafficking element. This includes his neighbour Olivia, whom Hercules has kidnapped. The hitman attacks Hercules and rescues Olivia for the moment.

American actor Juliette Lewis, who worked with McDonald in Picture Claire, plays the Countess, whose brother is the vampire who will be Olivia's soon-to-be husband. Olivia is all of 14. Lewis is great in an oddball role but doesn't have a lot to do here.

The oddball and disturbing elements might be okay if the film was more endearing as a cohesive work. Dreamland is a smattering of scenes designed to be gross without being effective or interesting. No one is having fun in this film, not even McHattie in a dual role. The trumpet player barely functions as a human being in the film.

Tony Burgess, who wrote the original novel Pontypool Changes Everything and the screenplay for the Pontypool film adaptation, co-wrote the Dreamland screenplay with Patrick Whistler.

Even if this is not your scene, the question to ask whether this is still a good film even within this genre. Those fans deserve a better written fate. Dreamland is lost in a drug-induced world of torture for no apparent purpose.

Canadian film review: Weirdos

Canadian film review: Picture Claire

Canadian film review: Pontypool

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

We've waited 4 years since McDonald's last film Weirdos (2016), which remains a charming film. Dreamland (2020) is not charming on any level.

If you are looking for a gross, inconsistent, not terribly interesting Canadian film shot in Luxembourg and Belgium, you are in for a treat. As for Bruce McDonald, you can't win them all.

Dreamland is available on Amazon Prime Video and on demand in Canada.

video credit: YouTube/ReelSuspects
photo credit: Dreamland film

Letterkenny shows the U.S. audience the different ways to make a Caesar

We are in fact drinking Caesars. America you need more clam juice @BaronessIFC @aurorabrowne @carolyntaylord

— Jennifer whalen (@JenniferWhalen) August 3, 2017

Americans call the drink a Bloody Mary. The Canadian Caesar is a similar drink with enough distinctions. IFC seemed confused and transferred that confusion, forcing the Baroness von Sketch Show in 2017 to change the wording in a sketch from "Caesar" to "Bloody Mary." How embarrassing this was for IFC that some untalented programming idiot didn't think people could do an Internet search such as "what is the difference between a Caesar and a Bloody Mary?"

Fortunately, Hulu had no issue with Letterkenny doing an episode devoted to the Caesar in its many forms. By doing nothing, Hulu proved to be smarter than IFC.

The basic difference between the drinks is that the Caesar traditionally uses Clamato juice, an actual product with clam juice and tomato juice as well as high-fructose corn syrup (glucose-fructose in Canada) and MSG. The Caesar usually has more elaborate garnishes than you will find in a Bloody Mary.

We can't vouch for a lot in this Reddit thread but this proves most Americans don't know the difference.

IFC should applaud the unique drink that is a Caesar

Happy Holidays 2021 includes Season 10 of Letterkenny

The New York Times introduces Americans to butter tarts and more Canadian food

Celebrating the Caesar

Even among Canadians, there are variances on what can go in a Caesar. Here are the recipes from Season 10, Episode 2 Dealership.

Hicks
Base	Booze	Rimmers	Boosters	Garnishes
100% clamato juice	3 oz. vodka	lemon juice	dash of Tabasco	celery stick
		celery salt	dash of Worcestershire	dill pickle
		Montréal steak spice	shot of pickle juice	Slim Jim

Hockey players
Base	Booze	Rimmers	Boosters	Garnishes
50% clamato juice	3 oz. vodka	lime juice	Frank's Red hot sauce	dill pickle
50% tomato juice		celery salt	10 dashes of Worcestershire	pickled pepper
		Montréal chicken spice	shot of dill pickle juice	pickled egg

Hard to see a Caesar and not want a Caesar.

— Letterkenny Problems (@LetterkennyProb) May 18, 2019

Skids
Base	Booze	Rimmers	Boosters	Garnishes
50% clamato juice	3 oz. Beefeater gin	soya sauce	horseradish	Baffin Island jumbo cocktail shrimp
50% V-8		celery salt	lemon juice	Salt Spring Island Dungeness crab leg
		lemon pepper	Macarico piri-piri sauce	PEI Malpeque oyster

Women of MoDean's
Base	Booze	Rimmers	Boosters	Garnishes
100% clamato juice	2.5 oz. vodka	Louisiana hot sauce	Slappy Mama hot sauce	jalapeno-stuffed olives
	0.5 oz. moonshine	Old Bay seasoning	spicy horseradish	spicy dill pickle
		Cajun spice	spicy garlic dill pickle juice	black pepper habanero beef jerky

Those are some amazing combinations. The Women of MoDean's went a very spicy route. The use of moonshine was new to me. The Skids scored wonderful points mixing in some V-8. Their garnishes are supreme, very tasty, and extremely Canadian.

The hicks get points for using Montréal steak spice though 100% clamato would be difficult to take. The hockey players added extra protein with a pickled egg though surprised jerky wasn't a garnish. Not sure about Montréal chicken spice; hopefully the spice is from Portuguese chicken from Montréal.

Your humble narrator
Base	Booze	Rimmers	Boosters	Garnishes
100% tomato juice	2 oz. vodka	lime juice	10-12 dashes of Worcestershire	deep fried dill pickle spear
2 oz. clam juice		celery salt	shot of dill pickle juice	singular ketchup chip
		Montréal steak spice	horseradish	buffalo jerky

My arrangement has the taste of clam without the excessive ingredients that take away from the taste. Clam juice is easy to find. My version is weaker on alcohol though the episode did state that 2 oz. was the standard portion. Prefer lime juice to lemon juice. Buffalo jerky is a nod to the Prairies. The ketchup chip is a highly unique flair selection but feels Canadian. (Picture not included.)

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Both sides of the border can get on board with making a homemade Caesar. Nothing wrong with doing a virgin Caesar if alcohol does not fit into your life. You have some very good designs with which to start enhancing your drink making experience.

Jared Keeso & Jacob Tierney co-wrote the episode. Letterkenny was created by Keeso, developed by Keeso and Tierney, and directed by Tierney (who makes occasional appearances as Glen).

Letterkenny is available on Crave in Canada and Hulu in the United States.

Twitter captures: @JenniferWhalen; @LetterkennyProb
photos credit: Letterkenny/Bell Media