When you spend good money on fancy chocolates, you want them to look gorgeous, right? Even before your first bite, you eat them with your eyes, taking in the perfectly drizzled coating, admiring the swirled patterns or glossy sheen. They […]
Arbitrary
From the Vault: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Giant Metal Baseball Bat
Over two dozen of my university friends have collaborated on a new book called Midlife 2, and we’re only a few days away from its November 24, 2023, release. Are you excited? Because I’m certainly excited. It’s fun making things […]
Arbitrary: Girl Guide Cookies vs. Global Pandemic
Every year, Canadian Girl Guides sell boxes of packaged cookies to raise money for their group activities, which often involve nature, camping and other inspiring outings designed to help empower girls to be smart, active citizens who care for their […]
Coronavirus PSA: Support Local Food Businesses. Please?
One of the amazing things about running a site like this is having a truly global audience. While I’m based in Edmonton, Canada, NEAROF has readers around the world, from the U.S. to Brazil and everywhere in between. It’s a […]
Arbitrary: Food book picks for pesky contrarians
Browsing for good books about food is difficult, not because such books don’t exist, but because bookstores make it easy to browse for one particular kind of food book at the expense of all others. If you’re looking for a […]
Arbitrary: On the Joy of Not Finishing a Terrible Book
By nature, I don’t like leaving books unfinished. Yes, I’ll put them aside for a month if I’m just not feeling it right then, but I rarely start a book without finishing it. Some of it comes down to the […]
List: 7 Quick Food Tips for Earth Day
Happy Earth Day! While there are loads of complicated and life-changing ways to consider the environment in your daily life choices, here are a few easy wins for anyone who loves food and wants to do right by the Earth. […]
Arbitrary: Thoughts on the New Canada’s Food Guide
In January 2019, the Canadian government introduced a new version of Canada’s Food Guide, and it’s caused a bit of a ruckus up here in the frozen-solid north. The resulting document is a fascinating study in what happens when you […]