The Globe and Mail in 60 Seconds - Wines Sprung From Lava, Charcuterie Culture and Japanese Pizza

by Alex Van Buren, Posted Apr 3rd 2009 @ 2:30PM

•Volcanic vino – a critic samples wines sprung from the ashes of Italy's still-bubbling Mt. Etna.

•Charcuterie: Have we gone totally hog wild for cured, salty meats or is it merely a passing fancy?

• Japanese pizza hits Canada; critic pans it as the "Hello Kitty" of slice-ville.

• It's maple syrup season for our neighbors to the north, which they celebrate by visits to "sugar shacks" and concocting syrupy treats like "maple sponge toffee."

• British PM Gordon Brown, in a nod to the unsavory financial climate, picks Jamie Oliver -- aka "The Naked Chef" – to whip up a frugal (or at least foie gras-free) feast for G-20 finance bigwigs. Read more about that here.

Tags: charcuterue, foie gras, In Sixty Seconds, Jamie Oliver, JamieOliver, pizza