Arts
Label Wars. Cake for Democracy. The Battle of Borscht. And Dining Domes.This week Joshna is joined by Laura Brehaut. Laura is a food reporter for the National Post. She earned a Culinary Arts Certificate and Professional Fromager Certificate from George Brown College. She graduated with a B.A. (Hons) from Ryerson University’s RTA School of Media, and a B.A. in Linguistics and Anthropology from the University of Victoria. She has an interest in the cultural significance of food and foodways, and believes in the importance of building culinary skills and access to healthful food for all.Instagram: @laurabrehautTwitter: @newedistThe European Parliament has voted against a ban on “meaty” terms like burger, sausage and steak to describe plant-based foods, but is calling for stricter rules on dairy-based language such as cheese, butter, milk and cream. Why are plat-based subjects so polarizing, and what’s at the root of these labelling attacks?An American tradition since 1796 is to bake an Election Cake, a bready bundt cake filled with dried fruit and topped with a whiskey glaze. The idea is that people are given a slice of this cake at the polling stations, after they cast their vote. Sadly, this cake has been replaced by a sticker, but wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a tradition where bakers across the country collaborate once every four years to prepare cakes regionally for Elections Canada? Would it help voter turnout?A Ukrainian chef is pushing for borscht to be declared “an intangible part of Ukraine’s heritage." He had heard that borscht was being described as a Russian soup in other parts of the world and wanted to set the record straight. These folks are serious about their soup, and it raises the question of who can claim what.Finally, domes, greenhouses, and fire pits. Can creative solutions to outdoor dining in cold climates help struggling sustain restaurants through the winter?