A Taste of Toronto

Arlene Gryfe is a Toronto-based professional nutritionist and home
economist.

The title, “A Taste of Toronto,” is meant to be interpreted both figuratively and literally. A brief illustrated description of 30 landmarks and districts of the city of Toronto is presented, as well as 62 assorted recipes, some from noted Toronto restaurants.

The authors were intrigued both by the city highlights and by the diversity of its cuisine, and decided to combine these interests into one publication. Helen Duckworth has studied urban and regional planning and has long been interested in cityscapes and lifestyles. Hetty Blythe, who has a degree in fine arts, has created the book’s charming illustrations.

The dual nature of the book detracts from rather than adds to the appeal of the book. Readers who want to learn more about the city’s characteristics can become annoyed at the distractions caused by the insertion of recipes, or frustrated at the brevity of comments. There is little or no historical background, and no map is provided to locate the sites. For example, the paragraph describing the Windsor Arms Hotel is only three lines and gives no comments on architectural style, size, or location. Readers who want good recipes might be better advised to search out a one-purpose cookbook, preferably one that is spiralbound for easy use. The recipes are given both in metric and imperial measurements. However, there are some mistakes in the comparable measurements given. Some other measurements are vague, calling for one “package” or “can” without specifying size. Most Canadians cook by volume, not weight, and would have some difficulty measuring frequently indicated ounces or grams without a scale. Many recipes omit yield, and some lack pan sizes. The recipes are not necessarily related to the landmark that precedes them.

The presence of spelling errors and misprints indicates inaccurate proofreading. Pages are inconveniently numbered at inner rather than outer corners.

An index of recipes is included, but it is poorly compiled. For example, “Half A Pineapple Waikiki” is listed under “H”; “Baked Salmon” under “B.” There is no cross-indexing for recipes with two major ingredients, such as “Potato & Onion Casserole.”

The authors have done the topics and themselves an injustice by attempting to combine two such divergent subjects. Neither is well served.