Are You a "Food Racist"?

I stumbled upon this really funny article one day from The Atlantic: Diary of a 'Food Racist' - Andrea Scotting

I'm pretty sure that I'm not as extreme as the author, Andrea, when it comes to her food cravings. She claims that whenever she meets a person of a different ethnicity, she immediately forms a picture in her head about the food from the place where that particular person is from. Here are some examples from her article:

- "Whenever I get in a taxi with an Indian driver, it kicks in: almost immediately, I start craving a plateful of creamy, tomato-y tikka masala. Pillowy naan. Saag with cubes of spongy paneer. Chut. Ney. Yes. Please."

- "When the Korean mailman says "good morning," I smile back and daydream of tender bulgogi wrapped in crisp lettuce. A steaming bowl of bibimbap topped with oozy egg yolk. Lacy kimchi pancakes."

- "When our kindly Trinidadian office security guard greets me, it's all I can do not to turn around and race right out for a bowl of callaloo." 


She goes on and says that sometimes, it doesn't even need to be a person to trigger these cravings - she can start imagining about food from reading the news:

- "Google is having all those issues in China, so juicy, porky soup dumplings sound nice. But look at what's happening with Israel, so maybe some crispy falafel is in order. And Afghanistan! Horrific! Kebabs!"


She realizes that she is just truly, deeply, and madly in love with food. The rest of the article talks about how 'racism' may be the wrong word since it is associated with such negative connotation and it's not that she has any dislike towards any group, just that she tends to "frame everything in life through food".


Personally, I think it's questionable when it comes to her proclaimed and extreme love for food. I'm not sure if she's just writing it for entertainment purposes, or is she really that crazy about food.  It seems so out of this world! So obsessed to think about food whenever she talks to a person from a different ethnic or skims a newspaper article (although she did admit that she is food obsessed). It just seems a bit exaggerated, no? I can't imagine how she wouldn't be like 300 pounds by now if she is how she claims to be. One thing for sure is she cannot live in Toronto, or any multicultural city at that. However, seeing that The Atlantic is based out of Washington, D.C. and not some hick town, she can't be that deprived of food.


Nonetheless, her article is a really enjoyable read and made me smile. It's always entertaining to read the thoughts of another "foodie". Having said that, do you think you are a "Food Racist"? =)

Taste of Asia 2010

Every year, the Federation of Chinese Canadians in Markham (FCCM), the Association of Progressive Muslims of Ontario (APMO), with the support of Canadian Heritage, Social Services Network (SSN), Canadian Federation of Intercultural Friendship (CFIF), York Regional Police, Asian Canadian Entrepreneurs and Professionals (ACEP) in cooperation with the Town of Markham and the Regional Municipality of York, all take part in hosting a multicultural event called Taste of Asia. According to its website, Taste of Asia began in 2002 during the SARS period in hopes to boost the local economy as well as creating "harmony between different ethnic groups through an event of mutual respect and co-operation". 


Taste of Asia is a two-day event on a weekend. This year, it was held on Saturday, June 26th, and Sunday, June 27th. Several streets were blocked off for easy pedestrian access to over hundreds of street vendors, various concerts and shows, a kid zone playground area, a job fair, a car show, a pet show, and the largest 3 on 3 Street Basketball Tournament.


I went to Taste of Asia for the past two years (this is because my boyfriend was a participant in the basketball tournament). Not sure if it is bad luck or what, but it rained for both years =( Nevertheless, I managed to sneak in shots of some of the food vendors when the rain was taking a breather.


First up, we have smelly/stinky tofu. There were 3 to 4 stands selling smelly tofu, this one being the most popular based on the lineup. 

For those who don't know what smelly (or stinky) tofu is, it is a form of fermented tofu that has a very very strong stinky odor, akin to a toilet smell. It is a popular snack in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Mainland China, where it is usually found in night markets or roadside stands, or as side dish in lunch bars.

My Chubby Cinnamon Buns

Not many things can beat the taste of a cinnamon bun, especially during times when you are suddenly craving something warm, something doughy, and something really really sweet, then a cinnamon bun will definitely do the trick. 


Although I say that, I know not many people like cinnamon buns either because 1) they are not a healthy snack (an average cinnamon bun with frosting contains over 500 calories, with lots of fat and no nutrients), or 2) because they are too sweet (probably enough to create hyperactivity lol), or 3) some people just don't like cinnamon, or 4) they like cinnamon buns but they don't like it enough to buy them at Cinnabon, one of the most obvious place to get a cinnamon bun. I fall into category 2 and 4. I sometimes think they are too sweet, especially if they slather on too much frosting. And in terms of actually buying them, not sure if I'm just cheap or something, but I usually don't feel like forking out $4-$5 for a snack made of dough, cinnamon, and brown sugar, all of which are super super cheap ingredients. 

Personally, I don't know how many times I have walked by a Cinnabon at a shopping mall and think "wow that smells soooo good". Probably every time! It is just plain dangerous because the aroma of cinnamon buns can travel far and wide, even before you SEE the Cinnabon store you know it's coming up. So then, how many times have I actually stopped by to buy one? Two times. That's a pretty low number considering how much I go to the mall lol.


Solution? Make my own cinnamon buns without the frosting, although I did include the recipe for the frosting in case you feel your cinnamon buns would be incomplete without it. The cinnamon buns turned out absolutely wonderful and delicious - my boyfriend loved them too =) These chubby bad boys are quite filling.

Caplansky's Delicatessen

WARNING: THIS POST CONSISTS OF MANY MOUTH-WATERING PICTURES THAT MAY MAKE YOU DROOL - PLEASE HAVE KLEENEX NEARBY IF YOU ARE READING THIS AT WORK. =)


A few days ago, I attended my first ever Tweetup at Caplansky's. For those who do not use Twitter (and I hope that at least you have heard of Twitter), a "Tweetup" is an organized or impromptu gathering of people that use Twitter; so a "tweetup" is a play on words for a "meetup" for people who "tweet" on Twitter. The DeliTweetup wouldn't have happened if it weren't for Jaollore (@clickflickca), Joel (@foodie411), and Zane (@Capalansky) for organizing it, so THANK YOU GUYS! =) 


I had great fun seeing some of the fellow foodies again, several of whom I met from my Stratford culinary trip a few weeks ago. I also met a few new people who I already tweet with regularly but haven't had the chance to meet them in real life. Whether or not they were self-described "foodies", I'm sure each person who attended this DeliTweetup embraces food and good conversation.  


Here's a picture of us taking up the whole patio at Caplansky's . We originally expected around 12 people, but somehow 20 of us showed up. No matter though, the more the merrier! 

Below is Zane Caplansky, owner of Caplanky's Delicatessen. He gave us a brief introduction about himself, his restaurant, as well as what his menu is all about. On the left is Zane in his work attire, and on the right, is also Zane but in his time-to-relax attire =)

My Love for Ruby Watchco

When I found out about Ruby Watchco, I knew I had to go. Why? Because of many reasons, one being that the owner / head chef is Lynn Crawford! The Lynn Crawford who I saw in the episode of Iron Chef America where she competed against Iron Chef Bobby Flay (Chef Lynn is the third Canadian chef to appear on the show). The Lynn Crawford who appeared in the Food Network's show Restaurant Makeover. The Lynn Crawford who has her own new show now called Pitchin' In (also on the Food Network) in which she goes and takes on the challenge of getting the freshest local ingredients. The Lynn Crawford who was formally the executive chef at the Four Seasons in Toronto AND New York, the most prestigious job in North American hotel cooking. And precisely the Lynn Crawford who has resigned from that job last fall after 24 years, and has now opened a restaurant at Queen street east where she would be preparing and cooking all the dishes herself.  


I know many people out there are skeptical when it comes to "celebrity chefs" and their ability to produce consistent high quality food and to run a restaurant. But hey, I personally think it is cool to have previously seen Chef Lynn on T.V and now have the opportunity to have meal prepared by her.  In all honestly I knew I would go to Ruby Watchco. Nothing, and no one, could've stopped me...it was just a matter of when.


But thanks to Ray, my wonderful best friend, who surprised me one day during work by bbm'ing me, saying that he got both of us a reservation at Ruby Watchco for my birthday (which was earlier this month). I was sooooo deliriously happy!!!


We arrived at 6pm (the restaurant only has two seatings available for dinner, one at 6pm and the other at 8pm). Once I walked in, I fell in love with the decor. I was really digging the dark brown / mahogany tables and chairs, the simple lines, and the lighting.

Father's Day BBQ

We shucked oysters at my brother's house for Mother's Day, and a month later it is Father's Day. Should we go out to eat this time? But like most of the time, we didn't feel like getting ripped off by restaurants, especially Chinese restaurants, with their "Father's Day Special Set Menu", nor did we feel like joining the herd of people trying to get a table, and ending up eating over-priced mediocre food. So should we stay in again? If we stay in, what were we gonna eat? Don't know if we feel like oysters again lol. Well thank goodness for the beautiful weather this past Sunday, my Dad suggested we get together at my brother's place for a nice little BBQ to celebrate. 


The weather on Sunday was actually perfect for BBQ-ing. It was not humid, and even in the shade you wouldn't feel cold. At times there was also a nice little breeze. The weather on Sunday, being the day before the first day of summer, was way better than the weather we are having right now in Toronto as I'm typing this (today is the day after the first day of summer, and its pouring outside, with the forecast predicting rain for the rest of the week *sad*).


My brother and my sister-in-law prepped everything, from the cutting of veggies to marinating the meats, to grilling the food too. Oh yeah, my Mom prepped the salad as well. That leaves only my Dad and I, so I guess our duty was to eat. O, how lucky we were =) 

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I was itching to bake one day. Itching. But I knew I was also too lazy to go out and get ingredients at the store - I basically wanted to bake in my pajamas without having to change. Solution? Rummage around the house to see what's available. 


I wanted to use up the white chocolate that I bought extra the last time I made the Earl Grey White Chocolate Chunk Muffins, so I went to allrecipes.com, typed in "white chocolate" in the ingredient search field, and found this Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies. Perfect! My mom has a huge bag of Craisins that she uses for her biscotti, and my house always has oats because my parents sometimes make oatmeal for breakfast.

I ♥ Sukhothai

Many people often ask me where I would recommend for Thai food, or in other words, what is my favourite Thai restaurant? Before having dinner a few weeks ago at Sukhothai, I would've answered "Sorry, I have no idea". Not that I don't like Thai food, I love Thai food. It's just that I honestly haven't been to any Thai restaurant in Toronto that has "WOW'ed" me, so I feel like there was no point in telling people about those average-at-best Thai restaurants. 


There are several Thai restaurants that I've been to where I would come out afterwards feeling indifferent. Or worse, I would feel like I ate something that had an identity crisis. Not sure if you know what I mean, but for example at Spring Rolls, their menu consists of dishes from Cantonese dim sum, to Szechuan noodles, Vietnamese pho, to Japanese chicken teriyaki, Thai mango chicken, and back the good ol' Chinese wonton soup. Once I had the mango chicken there and I felt like I was eating sweet and sour chicken, which can also pass for a Chinese dish. So what is Spring Rolls exactly? I know I know, Spring Rolls' theme is "Pan-Asian" so it has an excuse to provide such variety, but it doesn't help when every dish they serve at the place is so...blah. Not only targeting Spring Rolls, I find that a lot of "Thai" restaurants these days are trying to please too many people by adopting this "Pan-Asian" approach. Do you get my point?  Even if you don't, I was just sick of these "jack-of-all-trades" places that label themselves as a "Thai" restaurant but at the same time having a menu that's 80% non-Thai. I gave up on trying to find a decent and authentic Thai restaurant after awhile. 


About two months ago, a friend of mine, Anthony, told me about Sukhothai. He told me that it is his favourite Thai place and I must go try it out. He says it has a small menu but serves very authentic Thai food and that I must go early because it is a very small restaurant with only 6-7 tables. He recommended me a few dishes to try there and told me he was sure I wouldn't be disappointed. Let me just say now that everything he said to me is 100% accurate.


My friend Julia and I went one day after work. It wasn't busy then but that's because we were there around 5:30 or so. We didn't doubt that it would become very busy later on since Sukhothai is located pretty close to Ryerson University.


The laminated menu is small yet very colourful with a picture for each dish. And yes, every dish on the menu is Thai.

Potato Pancakes

I'm not a huge potato fan. Actually no, let me clarify, I think the only kind of potato (preparation wise) I don't like would be mashed potatoes - it's a bit too bland for me...well unless it has lots of butter in it. And if I'm having a baked potato, it needs to be "loaded" with sour cream, bacon bits, cheese, green onions, etc., basically the "works" you know? With lots and lots toppings piled up high. Oh, I also love fried potatoes (as in french fries, chips) or pan-fried potatoes pancakes or fritters. Basically, I like all unhealthy ways of preparing potatoes. 


I bought this BIG BOOK of BREAKFAST long time ago, several years back probably. Haven't really used it at all because the book has no pictures. OK I admit it, I only got it because it was on sale for super cheap. If it was selling for regular price, I probably wouldn't have got it. Recipe books without even one picture in them will not inspire nor motivate me to make whatever is in it. Go ahead, judge me!!!


Anyway, I digress. My boyfriend has this huge bag of potatoes at his place which he doesn't know what to do with (the bag of potatoes were given to him by his mom, don't know why, so don't ask haha). I decided to to flip through this book in hopes of finding a recipe with potatoes, I mean since it is a breakfast book . I found this potato pancakes recipe and it was perfect because he also had green onions and yellow onions at home. 


I like this recipe because it is quick and easy, and it doesn't necessarily have to be eaten for breakfast (we ate it during dinner with other dishes). And most importantly, it is PAN-FRIED! I truly believe that if you put together a bunch of seemingly boring ingredients together, combine them together, fry it or pan fry it, there's a pretty good chance that it will come out at least decent - that's my theory lol!


Oh, this recipe is also good for all of you out there that had once wanted to just buy maybe 5-6 potatoes for dinner, but opted for the big 5lb bag instead because it was a "better deal", and is now stuck with it, forever.

Grano? "NO!"

Grano is an Italian restaurant near the Yonge and Eglinton area. One day I met up with my friend Jean and instead of going to Grazie, which is also nearby, we decided to try out Grano, which is also in the neighbourhood. Before heading down, I took a look at their website. The restaurant seems to be very well established - according to the website, Grano will be celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2011. The restaurant also sells its own gift cards, does catering, and offers Italian lessons along with dinner (a 20-year tradition at the restaurant). They have also recently hosted the post premiere screening party for the film Letters to Juliet for 300 people. Sounds promising, right? All I gotta say is, thank goodness for the yummy desserts at Panorama afterwards or else it would've been a sad, sad night in terms of food.


Well, the front of the restaurant looks cool and stylish, I give them that.

Wedding Feast - Third of Six for 2010

Last Saturday, I attended my third wedding reception out of six this year. For those who may not know, I was invited to six weddings this year, one in each month since April and all the way up to September (I'm half way done now). What can I say? Love is certainly in the air this year!


In any case, the married couple, Vince and Caroline, are friends of my boyfriend. Last Saturday was actually my first time meeting them both! Obviously, I was quite honored to have been invited. 


The classy reception was held at Hilton Suites in Markham. Upon arrival, I see families and friends mingling in the reception hall. Live piano music was playing in the background, bowls of fruit punch were set out at the guests' disaposal, wine was being poured, and tasty-looking hors d'oeuvres were being served by waiters. As you can imagine, me, being the foodie that I am, was thrilled at the sight of all this good stuff.


Fruit punch - refreshing!

Strawberry and Almond Shortbread Thumbprints

After making the Award Winning Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies and various kinds of muffins, I wanted more of a "challenge". Although I'm a novice baker and may sound like I'm jumping the gun by saying that, these Strawberry and Almond Shortbread Thumbprints seem quite "do-able" and at the same time, are different than normal cookies. This receipe is taken from allrecipes (I'm addicted to that site) and again, they are highly rated (4.5/5.0 stars from 910 reviews). I substituted raspberry jam with strawberry jam (hence the name change) since my boyfriend only had strawberry jam at his place.


I love shortbread cookies. Actually I love butter cookies, especially those Danish butter cookies in the big blue tin cans. Yeah you know the ones I'm talking about! Because come on, nobody ever remembers that they are made by Royal Dansk haha.

Oh, how I miss them! Although these Strawberry and Almond Shortbread Thumbprints are actually shortbread cookies, not butter cookies, to me the two are pretty much interchangeable (since shortbread cookies also contain lots of butter as well). 

Stratford Culinary Tour: Shakespeare Pies and The Best Little Pork Shoppe

Our last two destinations of the day were at Shakespeare Pies and The Best Little Pork Shoppe. Shakespeare Pies, owned by Susie and Gerry Wagler, sells fresh pies made from scratch with fruit from surrounding Mennonite farms. They also carry different varieties of meat pies, tarts, cookies, jams, relishes, pickled eggs, maple syrup, apple butter, honey, and many more neat stuff. You must drop by Shakespeare Pies on the way home if you're a pie or tart lover.

Stratford Culinary Tour: Candy Making Workshop at Chocolate Barr's Candies

I love sweets. I am a "dessert" person, a "must save room for dessert" person, and "can never be too full for dessert" person. I can have chocolate and candy any time of day. Before dinner? "Sure!" Before going to bed? "Great!" During a meeting at work? "Perfect!" You get my drift. Needless to say I was ecstatic at the thought of making candy at Chocolate Barr's Candies with owner Derek Barr. 

Derek Barr, along with the help of his wife, Jacqueline, opened Chocolate Barr's Candies  back in 2003. They open 7 days a week and have all sorts of goodies including brittles, candies, nutty pop, chocolate (many different kinds of bars, caramels, jellies, truffles, etc.)

Here are just some of the many cute chocolates at Chocolate Barr's:

Stratford Culinary Tour: Tea Workshop with Karen Hartwick

After a delicious lunch prepared and cooked by Chef Neil Baxter of Rundles, I was getting droopy eyes and was feeling a tad too comfortable (nap time?). I'm sure, to a certain extent, everyone at the barn that day felt the same way after lunch.  But who can blame us? The delicious 3-course lunch paired with VQA wine from Niagara was just too good of a combo. So what's the solution? A tea tasting of course - caffeine usually does the trick. Although I'm not an avid tea drinker, I still enjoy tea from time to time. I usually can't escape from tea if I go for dim sum, and it's pretty much standard to have tea when eating out at Chinese restaurants. For relaxation,  I like to sip on a hot cup of tea at home and curl up with a good book. For functional purposes, I also drink tea when I need to stay awake and study (since coffee doesn't seem to work for me). So I guess I drink tea more often than I thought.

We were very lucky to have Karen Hartwick, a certified tea sommelier and accredited by the Specialty Tea Institute in New York, to lead a tea tasting workshop for us that day. More than a tea expert, a tea sommelier is a rigorous designation compared to that of a wine sommelier, and much more rare as well. Karen is also the owner of Tea Leaves Tea Tasting Bar in Stratford.

A Disappointment at Hinote Sushi Restaurant

WARNING: THIS IS A VENT POST

My family and I just came back from dinner at The Keg. We literally came back half an hour ago, but I just cannot help myself and have to blog about my experience at Hinote right away since I'm still fuming about it.

So you're probably wondering why I would blog about Hinote when I just said I came back The Keg? Well, LISTEN TO THIS.

I've been to Hinote a handful of times, and I have to admit that it is one of the better Japanese restaurants in Mississauga. It does not have a fancy front. It's located in a strip mall beside Price Choppers. I remember I was pleasantly surprised after my first time there (my friend Ed introduced me to the restaurant), and even brought my parents there too. The sashimi is always very fresh, the maki rolls are always tightly rolled, and the presentation is always nice and neat on the serving plates. The dishes are priced modestly as well, although it may be a bit pricey for some. But you pay for what you get. Anyway, I thought it would be nice to have my birthday dinner tonight with my family - drink some sake, order some a la carte specialty rolls, maybe a sushi/sashimi boat to share, etc. I made a reservation two days ago (Wednesday) at Hinote for 6 people at 7pm. The person who answered the phone cheerfully said "No problem! Thank you!". Great. I love people who sound cheerful on the phone. Birthday dinner with the family is good to go. Everything confirmed. Or so I thought.

My parents, my boyfriend, and I got to Hinote at 7pm. My brother and my sister-in-law were already there, waiting at a two person table that was smack in the middle of the restaurant. When I look around, all the big tables were already seated with people. Mind you, Hinote is a very small restaurant; there are maybe four booths that seats four on one side, and the other side has maybe three table that seats six people, two tables that seats two people, and one two-person table that is kind of in the middle of the restuarant (which my brother and sister-in-law were waiting). Confused, I asked my brother what was going on, "how come there is not table for us"?. He said that the waitress gave him some response like "sorry.....didn't know the customers would eat for so long......please wait a bit". I was not only confused by the time, I was outright pissed off. Why? When I look around, I see that the people sitting at the bigger tables have only just sat down, or just started eating.

I walked up to the waitress, and sternly told her that I made a reservation two days ago for 7pm. It's 7pm, and none of those tables look even close to being done. How long do we have to wait? I think she was taken back by how mad I was, and said she will check and see. But all I saw her doing was continue serving customers. My brother told me to just forget it and leave, and to tell them to bring back the birthday cake (my brother brought it to the Hinote). I walked up the waitress and lectured her. I basically said:

"Why do you even bother taking reservations when you don't even bother reserving a table? Why do you even offer customers the option of reserving tables when you don't even honour the reservation?! Is it so hard to save a table? Isnt' that what a reservation is all about? We were on time, no actually, we were early. Do you know it's my birthday?! Bring me back the cake, I am leaving!". She quickly fetched the cake and actually looked genuinely looked sorry and apologized many times. But still, not once did she try to persuade me to stay. 

It may not have been her fault that this happened, but really, I do not care. It is my birthday, and I was PISSED OFF! The worse thing is, it's not like Hinote accidently forgot or missed my reservation, they actaully acknowledged the existence of my reservation, but they chose not to do anything about it!

I've decided to never go back to Hinote. Such a pity though because like I said, their food is quite good. However, I don't think I can forget about tonight's experience...it's just SO UTTERLY DISAPPOINTING! The reviews from Urbanspoon about Hinote are mostly positive as well, and anything negative is usually about their service, which is evident to me now. 

Afterwards, we went to The Keg at Heartland Town Centre. The restaurant was modern and sophisticated, my rare rib steak was tender, juicy, and delicious, the service was superb. We only had to wait 10 minutes for a table, without reservations.

I shall end of this post with a quote from Seinfeld, which I find to be quite suitable for this situation:

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Agent: Unfortunately we ran out of cars.

Jerry: But the reservation keeps the cars here. That's why you have the reservation.

Agent: I know why we have reservations.

Jerry: I don't think you do. If you did, I'd have a car. See, you know how to take the reservation, you just don't know how to hold the reservation and that's really the most important part of the reservation, the holding. Anybody can just take them.

Agent = Waitress, Jerry = The Food Junkie, Cars = Table

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Note: Pictures are courtesy of Urbanspoon Toronto. You would have to be silly to think I was in the mood to take pictures tonight.

Stratford Culinary Tour: Soiled Reputation Barn Lunch with Chef Neil Baxter

Time for lunch. Lunch was served in the barn at Soiled Reputation. I have personally never ate in a barn before, have you? Coupled with good food, good wine, and good company, that day's barn lunch was really something special; I think I will remember it for the rest of my life. The pictures here really don't do justice in terms of the atmosphere in the barn that day, but it's the best I can do =) 


To start off, we were served cold organic herbal tea. This was so refreshing after being out in the sun at Fred de Martines' hog farm and Antony's farm just before. We were  also served Pilsner from the Stratford Brewing Company  and wines from Malivoire. I admit, I was greedy and had all of the above.

Stratford Culinary Tour: Perth Pork Products

After visiting Soiled Reputation, we headed over to Perth Pork Products. Perth Pork Products, like the name suggests, is a hog farm started by Fred and Ingrid de Martines, who immigrated from the Netherlands about 30 years ago. Fred is a certified Swine Specialist with European training and experience. They have been selling pork products in Stratford since 1992 directly to the public on the farm and to local restaurants and stores. Chefs are loyal customers of the farm due to the exceptional quality of their products. To the foodies out there, they supply to places like The Black Hoof, The Drake, L'unita, and The Healthy Butcher.

Here is Fred de Martines with Emily Chandler from the Stratford Tourism Alliance.

Stratford Culinary Tour: Soiled Reputation

After visiting Monforte Dairy, we headed over to Soiled Reputation. Soiled Reputation is a farm owned and run by Antony John and his wife Tina VandenHeuval, where they had their farm showcased as hosts of "The Manic Organic" on Canada's Food Network and House and Garden TV (the show was subsequently sold to over 50 countries around the world). Soiled Reputation is a certified organic farm and greenhouses, growing custom sald mixes, seedlings, and leafy greens all year round. They have been supplying top restaurants, markets, retail locations, and homes in Toronto, Stratford, and Niagara for 15 years. Below are pictures of one of their many greenhouses.