Soma – Sheryl Kirby

Awesome Thing – Soma’s Birch Branch

Two secrets that I will admit to you about today’s awesome thing – I have been known to break into the log song while cutting slices of this delicious treat. I have also been known to cradle it in my arm like the log lady from Twin Peaks (timely, huh?), except you can’t do that for too long because it will start to melt.

Alright, technically, the folks at SOMA Chocolatemaker consider this treat to be a branch because the mould was made from a birch tree branch from the forests of Lindsey Ontario. Either way, it’s one of the coolest chocolate treats you’ll come across.

Filled with a sour cherry jelly and hazelnut crunch, it’s a really lovely and unique creation that typifies the quality we’ve grown to expect from SOMA. And given that it might cause you to break into song, it definitely qualifies as awesome.

Awesome Thing – SOMA’s Calamansi Lime Chocolate Bark

How does that song go? You put the lime in the coconut… If lime and coconut are your thing, then this chocolate bark might also be for you. The awesome folks at SOMA Chocolatemaker have come up with this great combination, pairing the sour/sweet duo of the calamansi lime (sour juice and pulp but a sweet peel) with the sweetness of milk chocolate and roasted coconut. The touch of salt rounds it all out for a treat that exquisitely balanced.

Why it’s awesome: because it’s an interesting flavour combination that uses unique ingredients.

Lucky Dip – Tuesday, June 21st, 2011

They’re out there… they’re everywhere. You (hopefully) can’t miss fabulous local strawberries; eat them, they’re super good for you. [Toronto Sun] [Sweet Potato Chronicles] [Canadian Living: The Food Blog]

People are still squicked by the idea of artificial meat, but holy cow (heh), think of how great it would be for the environment. [The Guardian]

Especially when you consider how industrial farming is making everybody (humans and animals) sick. [The Daily Mail]

But – could the US Senate be ready to pass a bill banning anti-biotics in animal feed?!! [Food Safety News]

Fellow fatties, be forwarned, obesity is the last socially acceptable form of appearance-based discrimination, and with a push to cut back on “obesity-related” health care costs (most of which, as I rant about regularly, cannot be directly linked to obesity at all), that’s probably not going to change any time soon. [Globe and Mail]

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What’s On the Table – In Pictures

Okay, so I know you readers are divided on the topic of event recaps. Some of you hate them, preferring an event preview instead so you can actually buy a ticket and go – and for the most part, I agree. Who wants to hear about all the fun they missed? But others of you love the food pr0n, the piles of photos of gorgeously executed food and drink, particularity at events with higher ticket prices that might not be affordable to most.

Here’s our take on this – since the fancy events are usually charity fund-raisers we have no problem running a photo-essay after the fact, because it raises more awareness of the issues and the charity (even though the event is over, I’m sure The Stop would be happy to accept any donations our readers might want to make). And it also helps to promote the many wonderful restaurants that donated their time and product to such a worthy cause.

So if you hate the recaps, look away, and we’ll use the same images when we write the event preview article next year! But if you want to see the tasty treats offered to What’s on the Table guests, click on through and enjoy.

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Soma – Home to the True Chocoholic

Soma Chocolatemaker
Historic Distillery District,
55 Mill Street, Building 48, unit 102
416-815-7662

It’s a sad fact that many people who deem themselves to be “chocoholics” have never tasted anything made from good quality chocolate. That’s not meant to sound snobby, but I make the statement to illustrate a point. There are “chocoholics” who get their fix by buying a bar at the corner store and then there are those of us who make special trips, across town or around the world, for the truly spectacular stuff. In terms of the folks who create the confections, you can’t beat the devotion of Cynthia Leung and David Castellan of Soma Chocolates who installed an 80-year old Catalan Melangeur (that’s a chocolate grinder to the rest of us) via forklift, and then built the walls of their shop around it.

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