Here and Now
with Gill Deacon

Kale salad, cupcakes and cold-pressed juice. These are all food trends that we've seen sweep our city. Now there's another food trend that is growing here in Toronto. Literally growing. Because it's alive. Our food columnist Sarah Elton joined us with a story about kombucha, a live fermented tea drink that is growing in popularity here. She spoke with Dan Johanis of Pekoe Kombucha Bar, at the YogaTree, 123 Dundas Street West, 2nd floor. Listen (runs 7:04)

Mix flour with water and yeast and you end up with bread. Naan, pita, baguette-all sorts of different breads of different shapes, textures and flavours. In Toronto, we are lucky to be able to buy many of them. Our food columnist Sarah Elton was here to talk about one of these breads. Egyptian style pita, or baladi bread made by Essam Mantoura of Ancient Pita. You can find these pitas at: Adonis in Mississauga Town and Country Arz Fine Foods The Big Carrot Stop and Go at Eglinton and Erin Mills Botros Market at Mavis and Eglinton As well as at some churches in the city, on Sunday. Listen (runs 7:04)

The headlines have been dominated by economic news lately... The low price of oil. The falling Canadian dollar. There's been so much unexpected change that, yesterday, the Food Institute at the University of Guelph announced that it had to revise its outlook for food prices. Their revised food price report is now forecasting higher food prices this year, particularly for imported fruits and vegetables. Our food columnist Sarah Elton investigated how this is all playing out at the food terminal and at the farmers' market. Listen (runs 6:42)

The supermarkets might be full of diet products. Zero percent fat yoghurt abounds in the dairy case. And, you can even get fat free sour cream there too. But as our food columnist Sarah Elton was in to tell us, fat is back. First it was duck fat, then lard, now beef fat can be found in this city. Sarah visited Moo Frites for beef fat-fried french fries. She found rendered tallow and beef fat at butchers in the city. And corn meal muffins made with beef drippings at Leslieville Pumps. Moo Frites can be found at 178 Baldwin Street. Rendered beef tallow is for sale at Butchers of Distinction, at 738 Queen Street East. (Call ahead to make sure they have it). Or render it yourself from Cumbrae's (various locations). Leslieville Pumps bakes beef dripping cornmeal muffins every morning at 929 Queen Street East. Jennifer McLagan is the author of Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient, With Recipes. Her latest book is Bitter: A Taste of the World's Most Dangerous Flavor, With Recipes Listen (runs 6:57)