Hot Plate

The fifth taste, first responder baking, an odd thing to use in a dark room, and a #weirdwidget.   Mirella and Joshna discuss the under-represented fifth taste: Umami. It's that funky (but not salty) taste you get in some of your favorite foods, but you might not know about it. Where do we find umami and how do we explain what it is?   First responder baking is a timely phenomenon. More people are baking to relieve their stress and help their friends cope with the world. Mirella doesn't find baking stress-relieving at all, but to Joshna there's nothing like a relaxing chocolate cake! (check out the quick cake recipe on our website).   Kodak and Dogfish Head Brewery have developed a beer together - which can develop photographs! Mirella and Joshna dig into the details. And finally, Joshna has a *crush* on this dangerous #weirdwidget.

The vegetarian solution, pouring problems, a #weirdwidget, and #curiouskitchen.Mirella and Joshna tackle two contentious subjects in the worlds of food and drink: Making space for vegans and vegetarians in a world of meat-heavy menus. Are we unrealistic in our expectations of meat-eaters? And are we collectively obsessed with putting protein first? How do we make a shift we need to make for environmental responsibility?Then, are self-serve beer taps a fad? Or are they here to stay? This could be a game-changer for the beverage industry but is it a potentially dangerous? On #weirdwidget, we test little gadget Canadians are sentimentally attached to. And finally, can Mirella and Joshna handle an intense but intensely popular Chinese spirit? They test out Baijiu on #curiouskitchen

Wellness beers, food banks serving up more than just food, and #curiouskitchen. Are wellness beers adding anything to the conversation? On this episode we weight the pros and cons of drinking for a healthier tomorrow. Then, how food banks are offering culinary skills training. How this change relationships to food and change lives too.  And finally, reactions to an Indian carrot-based treat in #curiouskitchen.

Beer before liquor, the hospitality deficit, and a #weirdwidget. This week Mirella and Joshna find out if beer before liquor actually makes you 'sicker'... the answer might surprise you! Then, is great hospitality a dying art? Or are tastes changing to favour less hospitable dining experiences? Find out who's right and wrong in the latest high-profile hospitality dust-up.  And finally, would you buy this highly suggestive #weirdwidget?

Chefs who can't smell, drinking too early, and #curiouskitchen. In our first episode, Joshna shares her biggest secret as we dive into the topic of Chef's who can't smell. Why do they hide it? Can their other senses make up for the deficit?  Then, How early is too early to drink? Recent changes to the Ontario alcohol laws mean some Canadians can buy alcohol earlier than ever before. Some expect chaos, but is that all just hysteria? And finally, Mirella and Joshna share their reactions to some unusual, squiggly snacks in our inaugural #curiouskitchen.