This week, we learn what the elements that give beer flavour, just in time to cheers to the end of another season.Matt Park is the Operations manager at Toronto's Burdock Brewery and he loves yeast. We learn how yeast impacts the taste of beer and how to maintain flavour when brewing low alcohol beers. Yum!…

This week we talk to the son of a farmer about his photographic homage to his upbringing, currently on display at Toronto's St Lawrence Market. Fittingly for one of Canada's oldest farmers' markets, Andrew McGill's work displays scenes from his hometown: farm life, county fairs and local characters.What happens when you book most of your work in th…

Workplace safety is known as a basic right in our country, however political collective Justice for Migrant Workers is working hard to spread awareness of the realities of the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program for some of Canada's migrant farmworker population.On this week's episode, we speak to one of the J4MW organizers, Tzazná Miranda Leal, a…

How access to food, water and the Internet shapes one northern community; the people of Attawapiskat First Nation cope with the high cost of living on reserve. We chat with Kathy and Stephen Stoney- a teacher and a minister- about the barriers that currently exist and what they hope to see for the future of eating in their subarctic First Nation.…

When life handed Michaela Kutaj a diagnosis that kept her close to home, she prescribed herself backyard chickens.This week, Jess takes a trip to the Mississauga to visit a woman who is reaping more than just the obvious- albeit illegal- rewards (i.e. local food, healthy compost, active lifestyle) of backyard chicken farming.…

What is the best way to get more people eating healthy food? We've seen a lot of work in this area, since the advent of the slow food movement, with community gardens popping up in urban settings everywhere. But what makes someone value locally grown and sourced goods? And how do we take healthy & local foods from being regarded as the exception to…

Discussions of safe space and equal treatment are popping up across an array of industries right now, but identification of the need for safe space is an easy place for the discussion to end. This week, we talk to a long-time Toronto service industry vet about growing up in restaurants during a rougher time and how this informs the way he runs his …

This week, we talk to a former financial advisor about the decision he made to forget the money and pursue his dream to own his own restaurant. Normally, this would mean forfeiting time with family, but not for Bruce Le. We head to B's Banh Mi to learn how opening a sandwich shop in the suburbs allows him to express his heritage, his taste and his …

This week, we talk institutional food. In particular food in hospitals: what are the challenges with feeding people in this setting, how food is viewed by the medical community, how we can introduce healthier foods into this system and what the impact might be. Lulu Cohen-Farnell and David Farnell, owners of a "healthy catering company for child ca…

In the last few months, it feels like a lot has changed, leaving some of us feeling pretty overwhelmed about the world around us. We kick off Season 4 by hearing why- and how- one Toronto bartender uses her off time to volunteer. Christina Veira is a long time food & beverage vet, known for making a killer cocktail and also just being really nice (…

2017 marks the 150th Anniversary of Canada. It also happens to be the 75th anniversary of Bryan's grandparents being sent to work on the sugar beet farms of Alberta during the Japanese Internment camps during World War II. This week, we hear Bryan conversation with his grandparents, Gen & Gene Miki, recorded at their Hamilton home in August 2011. W…

In the last few years, the way we plan to dine out has changed drastically. While technology has improved visibility for restaurants and made connecting with them much easier, their are some negative side effects impacting small business owners who have chosen one of the riskiest businesses out there.This week we speak with restaurateur, Darcy MacD…

What goes in to making a cup of coffee? A lot more than the question begs. Lee Knuttila tells us why he loves coffee and gives us the flavour, history, science and politics inspiring the new era of coffee purveyors.By Jessica Walker and Bryan Goman

How is it that one of the most essential skills for life is so rarely discussed? This week, we chat with a lactation consultant about why first time moms rarely know what it takes to breastfeed their child. And then we get really philosophical about life and the human experience.T & I: @foodstuffslifeF: facebook.com/foodstuffslife…

This week, we get dispatches from the front lines of internet dating: once known as a partier, Dawn Ayre knew it was time to settle down and look for true love, so- naturally- she turned to Tinder. What's it like to start a new chapter, when you've got a reputation for answering late night calls? And how difficult is it to let go of old, often self…

Joe Dorgan of Seacow Pond, Prince Edward Island, knew that his cows loved eating local seaweed, but he never thought about why. We talk to the farmer that inspired research that could help save the planet.T & I: @foodstuffslifeF: facebook.com/foodstuffslifeBy Jessica Walker and Bryan Goman

The man at the helm of one of Toronto's most respected restaurant dynasties surprised everyone when he opened a diner in one of the city's low income neighbourhoods early this October. We chat with Grant van Gameren about the decision to buy Harry's Charbroiled in Parkdale and why it's proven to be one of the most difficult projects he's taken on t…

In collaboration with a lab at Trent University, one company is learning to harness DNA sequencing technology for the benefit of us all.Thanks to Geoff Lumby, President of Sterisense (http://www.sterisense.com/), for speaking with us.Please consider donating to the CIUT funding drive: http://www.ciut.fm/They are a huge reason that we are able to do…

This week, we speak with a fish farmer who has a lot to say about how the public views his industry. What do you do when your country chooses a stance on your livelihood and doesn't question it?Thanks to Gord Cole of Aquacage Fisheries in Parry Sound, ON for appearing on the show. Like the show? Don't forget to tell your friends!Find us on Instagra…

Foodstuffs is back for Season 3! This season, we're bringing you a brand new interview every week. We're excited, because this lets us be with you more often and go deeper on the topics we share with you. For our first interview of the season, we go to Royale's Luncheonette on Dundas West in Toronto to speak with a 20 year kitchen vet about why he …

For our last instalment of Extrastuffs, we head to Bar Lisa Marie on May 2, 2016. On this night, restauranteur & food photographer Kyla Zanardi and chef & instagram star Christine Flynn brought together a diverse cross section of women working in the food industry to discuss what it means to be female in this line of work. What resulted was the sta…

(Extended cut)Glenford Jameson, food lawyer and host of the podcast "Welcome to the Food Court" discusses ethical labeling and food marketing practices, and how he (and we) can affect change.By Jessica Walker and Bryan Goman

Have you ever considered what it takes to courier food by bike? Have a listen to our chat with one of @foodora's foodsters, James, to get a better sense of what it's like transporting fragile goods to hungry customers in the big city.This fall, we're revisiting some stories from Season 2 of Foodstuffs and bringing you weekly instalments of bonus co…

For this week's instalment of Extrastuffs, we've got the extended version of our chat with YouTuber and Vegan vlogger, Lauren Toyota. In this longer cut, we include more of our conversation about working in media and what it takes to create a successful brand in this day and age, along with learning about Lauren's transition to veganism.Leading up …

This week on Extrastuffs, we revisit our conversation with sake champion, Stu Sakai. We learn more about the difference between wine and sake and how to begin when getting in to sake. If you're a fan of a drink with dinner, take this opportunity to question why we drink what we drink, and to consider expanding your horizons to alternatives like sak…

Welcome to Extrastuffs Season 2!For the next six weeks, we're bringing you additional content from Season 2. This is a place for us to provide extended cuts of interviews aired last season on Foodstuffs, along with bonus content that expands understanding of some of our juiciest content. Up first, we go deeper with kosher chef, Eran Marom. We hear …

We've reached the end of Season 2!On Ep 20, we look back at the season, Bryan talks with an old friend who went from working on a well respected TV channel to creating her own job as a vegan multimedia entrepreneur & then Jess stops by the Newcomer Kitchen.Bryan meets up with Lauren Toyota to learn from her experience growing an audience for her ve…

On Episode 19, we hear how Tero Isokauppila of Four Sigmatic is dedicating his life to extolling the powers of the mushroom kingdom. And then we learn more about how we get one of our most precious and fundamental resources from a water treatment operator who came up in the post-Walkerton e. Coli outbreak era.…

Episode 18 has us waking up to the many barriers new food entrepreneurs face in Toronto, and then we figure out how to fix ourselves the right stiff drink for the occasion.First, Jess speaks with Vanessa Ling Yu about how to demystify the process of starting a food business for marginalized Torontonians.And then Mark Bylok helps Bryan craft the per…

This episode, we think about the future of food delivery and then we make Pigs in Straw House, a recipe that has never before seen the light of day.Jess finds out about how the combination of technology and the sharing economy is putting restaurants in touch with a new customer base.And then we meet Bryan's friend Rudie, a man who loves to 'Keep it…

This episode, we speak with two women about how they're addressing inequality in the food spaces they occupy. First, Bryan speaks with the Director of the Black Creek Community Farm- Toronto's largest urban farm- and finds out how this urban agriculture project is making the most of their seven acres, by creating meaningful programming for the comm…

On Ep 15, we look at the power of bringing people together to think about food: learning from the past and bettering the future.Jess learns about the origins of a night that aims to bring women together to support one another in the hospitality industry.And then Bryan finds out how one event company wound up being the world leader in teaching drunk…

For Ep 14, the influence of cuisine around the world is felt here at home- in the dining room and on the farm.Jess speaks with a former coworker who is channelling his desire to push himself as a chef into collaborating with peers and creating beautiful plates of food for charity.And Bryan speaks with a corn, wheat and soy farmer who would rather s…

For Ep 13, we learn about food law and one story of restaurant ownership.Bryan meets with Food Lawyer, Glenford Jameson, to ask what- if anything- the Canada Food Guide has to do with what is deemed healthy.And Jess meets with her friend, Garab Lama, owner of Tibet Kitchen, to learn more about his story and why he opened a restaurant in Parkdale (a…

Ep 12 has us day drinking and thinking about food waste.First Jess meets with with a man who thinks sake should a viable drink option to go with your dinner.Then Bryan finds out about the origins and future of an integral part of the Toronto food system that has been too easily overlooked for the last 30 years.^^^^^^^^^^^^^www. foodstuffs.life…

On Episode 11, there's two stories of how food made two chefs elevate themselves, even outside of the kitchen.In the first, Jess talks to Chef Christine Flynn, AKA Instagram's @chefjacqueslamerde, about what her alter ego taught her about herself and chefdom.Then Bryan meets up with Chef Eran Marom to learn how he's combining his French training wi…

In our final episode of Season 1, we are looking back and looking forward. For our first interview, Bryan speaks with a Lebanese-Canadian business owner who is offering work and learned wisdom to new Syrian-Canadians. And then Jess catches up with the General Manager of Honest Ed's and talks about their final turkey giveaway at the iconic Bathurst …

Episode 9 has us thinking about the different ways we try to preserve food for posterity.First, Bryan meets a different sort of librarian, who doesn't necessarily check in the same things he checks out.And then Jess finds out about some of the many perks associated with working for a food stylist (hint: free food and lots of it).^^^^^^^^^^^^^THANKS…

Episode 8 has us talking a lot about the different health benefits of liquid diets and juicing. First, Jess catches up with someone who virtually wasn't able to swallow for nine months straight; not food, not water, not even his own spit.Then we phone the west coast and Bryan speaks with an expert about the non-psychoactive & health benefits of a n…

Episode 7 looks at two examples of what it takes to get communities to come together to feed their people.First, Bryan heads to the Dixie Gurdwara to understand how an amorphous group of volunteers ensure that a hot meal is available to anyone- Sikh or non-Sikh- 24/7.And then we peek inside the process involved in getting six communities in the Hal…

Episode 6 looks at ways to care for the community and an individual by way of the stomach, and employing very different means to do so. First, we discuss the impact of one Montreal restaurant that's business relies heavily upon- but also gives back to- their neighbourhood.And then we talk to a woman who's Crohn's Disease diagnosis wound up leading …

On this Extrastuffs, we hang out with Alberto Deleon and Bryan (and his wife Simal!) as they continue their discussion of indegenous the Central Mexican boozy beverage, pulque, pre-hispanic Mexican cuisine and Mexican politics.Episode 6 of Foodstuffs comes out Wednesday, October, 21.By Jessica Walker and Bryan Goman

Episode 5 of Foodstuffs takes us away from home; we head to Montreal with Jess to talk about food and politics and then Bryan leads us to Mexico to learn about the rich history of a silky- and healthy?- alcoholic beverage.First up, Jess visits with Diana Bronson, Executive Director of Food Secure Canada, to discuss how voters can impact their repre…

This August Bryan took a trip to Newmarket's upStream Aquaponics to learn how they're using tilapia to provide healthy produce for York Region. On this weeks Extrastuffs, upStream Coordinator, Tricia Richens, gives us the tour of the facility and explains why she hopes to build an aquaponics system in her own home one day.…

On Episode 4 of Foodstuffs, Jess and Bryan take road trips to talk about two different self-contained food (and drink!) systems.Jessica stops by Bucky Buckler’s to talk moonshining, cider, and Sackville, N.B.Then Bryan meets with Joan Stonehocker to talk about the way the York Region Food Network is harnessing the power of a school to provide a dif…

Jessica talks to John Polanyi CI business students Sara, Hilary and Aditya about the role the PACT garden has played in their school and how their using the harvest to make a change in their neighbourhood.Post-2015 SAGE Global World Cup Update:JCPI's C.I.T.Y. student delegation did an incredible job in Seoul: they brought home the award for meeting…

On Episode 3 of Foodstuffs, we look at how a meaningful relationship with food is best seeded early in life.We talk to David Lockett, founder and volunteer president of the PACT Urban Peace Program, about PACT's Grow to Learn curriculum at John Polanyi Collegiate Institute, and about how he's looking to change the world by engaging local business t…

We spend Episode 2 of Foodstuffs considering plants, community & space.Bryan speaks with Jacob Kearey-Moreland, one of the people at the helm of the Wiki Farm in Orillia, Ontario. We learn about the way Jacob is creating an alternative to what makes an "ideal" community gardening location and how he's harnessing the power of the Internet to help hi…

On episode 1 of Foodstuffs, we shared a part of our interview with photographer Connie Tsang.This was only one interesting section of the interview, so here we include the uncut version, where we discuss growing up in an immigrant family in small town Canada and the lengths it took for her parents to create this life, among many other brilliant Con…

With unabashed confidence that only our friends will listen to our first episode, we foray in to Episode 1 of Foodstuffs, fully forgetting to identify ourselves. For our maiden voyage, we consider Canadian identity, question authenticity, and value emotions that get expressed through the eyes.Do you notice how you can always find a Chinese restaura…