A Twist on Thai

Xaphire - pronounced "sapphire", is a new jewel of a restaurant featuring creative Thai cuisine that, as owner Charles Trinh and manager Athena Lui like to say, "...will entice your senses with simplicity and quality." Located along the posh strip of Eglinton Avenue West between Avenue Road and Chaplin Crescent, people have been flocking to Xaphire since its long-awaited opening this past December. The divine space is a stylish and modern combination of clean white, muted gray, warm wood and brushed chrome....

Making a Great Bagel

In the quest for the best bagel, one name reigns supreme - Gryfe's. For over 45 years Gryfe's Bagel Bakery has been making the best bagels in the world, let alone the city. So what makes a great bagel? A great bagel should be light on the inside, crusty and chewy on the outside. It should be just the right shape and size for shmearing - the technical term - with cream cheese, peanut butter or chopped liver. It should be tasty enough so that you have to eat one in the car before you even get home. And that, in a nutshell is a Gryfe's bagel....

Is there any truth to the idea that beer is a good hair conditioner?

My girlfriend claims there are no health or nutritional benefits to drinking beer.

Does the term 'alewife' refer to the brewer's wife?

Potatoes Savoyard

This classic recipe comes from the Savoie region of France, where potatoes are baked with stock in place of milk or cream, as in the familiar scalloped potato-dish. This is a great lower fat alternative that goes well with most main dishes, but is especially good with grilled or roasted meats. Compliments of Best Summer Weekends Cookbook by Jane Rodmell, published by Cottage Life Books.

Matching Food & Sherry

Most wine enthusiasts think of sherry as an aperitif, or a drink for in-between meals. Seldom will someone consider a sweet sherry with dessert, or in place of a dessert.

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Drinks of Bermuda

Recently I took a fabulous trip to Bermuda and enjoyed many of their local drinks. Two however, stood out from the rest: The Rum Swizzle and the Dark & Stormy.

As many of you may...