Simon Helberg: Funny as Helberg

When told I would be interviewing Simon Helberg, best known for his role as Howard Wolowitz on the hit TV show The Big Bang Theory, I thought it was because our female writers were just too afraid of being seduced by an overly sexual, Jewish aerospace engineer. Not one to be afraid, I stepped up to the dish, only to be delighted by a witty conversation with a humble and humorous actor.

Q. Howard’s the most sexually forward character on the show. What’s the worst pickup line you’ve ever used on a girl?

Oh gosh. You know, I never was somebody for pickup lines. I think my flaw was being too honest. I didn’t have the game that Howard has; Howard may have a terrible game, but he has a game. I would walk up to talk to somebody, a girl at a party, and then immediately tell them I loved them, and I think that we could be Read more

Chef’s Challenge: Cooking for a Cure

When six culinary masters enter a kitchen arena – cooking utensils at the ready – leading a team of amateurs into gruelling cooking combat, who will walk out the winner? Why, Mount Sinai Hospital, of course.

That’s because these cuisine-creating warriors won’t be taking up arms against each other, but instead, will be turning their blades towards cancer at the second Chef’s Challenge. Six iconic Food Network celebrity chefs will gather at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on Nov. 26, 2011, to whip up food and funds, all in support of breast and ovarian cancer research at Mount Sinai.

“I feel I have the responsibility to get involved in my community,” says David Rocco, host of David Rocco’s Dolce Vita, and one of six celebrity chefs competing in the Chef’s Challenge. Read more

The Feel of a Fiat 500

Since the turn of the 20th century, one car company has been at the forefront of the Italian automotive industry; a manufacturer at the grassroots of Italian car racing; the enterprise that brought the Lancia name to fame; the brand that tamed Ferrari, Alfa Romeo and Maserati, and pulled Chrysler from the abyss of bankruptcy. An acronym for “Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino,” that brand is Fiat, and with the Fiat 500 once again rolling onto North American asphalt, Canadians can finally grip the wheel of this revived iconic ride.

“The car was made to really appeal to the public, and that’s what it did,” says Remo Ferri, president of The Remo Ferri Group of Automobiles, regarding the original Fiat 500 that launched in 1957. “And of course, the car made so much history, in movies and so on, that it became part of the Italian style in life … It’s part of the Italian heritage.” Read more

Brett Wilson’s Risky Business

As much as I love the Hollywood classic Risky Business, I’m not sure I want to see a remake where former Dragons’ Den star Brett Wilson rocks out in his underwear to Bob Seger’s Old Time Rock and Roll. What’s that? Wilson’s Risky Business is a high-risk, high-reward investment TV show? That sounds more like it.

Based on the British series Beat the Bank, Wilson’s latest on-air venture creates opportunities for investors and entrepreneurs alike. An investment-inclined couple is introduced to two opportunities and selects the one they fancy to finance; Wilson backs the other. The two sides then have 30 days to see their prospects flourish or fail.

“Real people show up with their own money,” says Wilson, who entertained over 700 business opportunities on Dragons’ Den. “We do real follow-ups on real deals in real time and we get Read more

Francesco Comito: Make it Raw

Like most Italians, Francesco Comito was born into a family of kitchen connoisseurs where food wasn’t just appreciated, but celebrated. “I was always trying to help her,” he says, reminiscing about his mother’s culinary exploits, “asking if I could do this or that. And then I would start to feel calm and relaxed around food and that is where my passion began.”

In 2000, Comito journeyed west to try his luck on the Canadian dining scene, and soon landed a sous chef position at a happening restaurant in Vaughan. Health issues, however, began to stifle his progress; issues he attributed to an imbalanced diet lean with fruits and veggies and weighted with pastas and meats. Read more

Amma, Embracing the World

As I’m motioned towards the floor, pleasantly asked to kneel behind other huddling devotees, the overwhelming tempest of activity swirling around this single individual sparks mixed emotions of apprehension and exhilaration. Crowds of believers, both young and old, have descended on Toronto’s Doubletree by Hilton hotel, all to bear witness to the worldwide spiritual leader now sitting before me. The woman known as “mother;” the woman now offering me her embrace: Amma.

It wasn’t until I casually strolled into the congested lobby, however, that the scale of the night’s event actually revealed its weight. A seemingly endless line of chatter and anxious anticipation filled the foyer: a mass congregation for Amma’s Devi Bhava, and the final night of her 25th North American tour. Read more

City Search

We’ve done all the legwork, all you need to do is pick your favourites.

From the classic to the innovative, Studio Sposa’s diverse collection of wedding dresses features renowned designers that continuously push the envelope of elegance. www.studiosposa.ca

This floral lampshade will keep summer on the mind all through the cold. www.anthropologie.com

Selene nestles Italy’s unmistakable style comfortably into your home with simple and modern furniture that is as refined as it is revered. www.selenefurniture.com

Planning for an autumn wedding? Dizennio Floral’s custom arrangements are beautifully orchestrated and won’t let any detail fall to the wayside. Read more

Technology: Wrapped in Wicked Wires

Our connected world heavily relies on Internet access, but with the weighty costs of connectivity, Canadians might want to switch out the leather and tighten their belts with an Ethernet cable.

According to studies by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the cost of Canadian Internet access is substantially higher than other developed nations (see sidebar). With the tight data caps imposed by major internet service providers, costs to Canadians are becoming constricting.

Through Bell, for example, data caps range from 2 gigabytes (GB) of downloading for $28.90/month, up to 75 GB for $62.90/month. A standard 25 GB package goes for $38.90/month. Varying download speeds aside, you’re paying roughly $14.45/gig on the bottom and $0.87 on the top end. Read more

Plastic Money Makes perfect Sense

This November marks a historic first for Canadian currency, as the Bank of Canada (BoC) begins rolling out the latest $100 banknotes, the Polymer Series, acquainting Canadians to plastic money.

If money is power, these polymer banknotes are king. Lasting 2.5 times longer than cotton-based bills, these plastic notes utilize a biaxial-oriented polypropylene substrate developed by Australian manufacturer Securency International.

This innovative substrate, known as Guardian®, has already shown its face in 32 countries since the Reserve Bank of Australia embraced it in 1988, and will denote the first time anything other than paper is fully used for Canadian notes. Read more

Under Rowling’s Spell: The Power of Potter

Love it or hate it, there is no denying the massive worldwide phenomenon that is Harry Potter. It’s more than just a children’s book, it’s an international juggernaut that made J.K. Rowling the first author to earn a billion dollars; one of only five self-made female billionaires in the world. It’s a book series that reintroduced a generation to literature, a collective that shamelessly aligns itself under the “Generation Hex” banner; spawned a mountain of spinoff products, including films, toys, video games and an amusement park attraction at Universal Orlando Resort; and its guaranteed Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. a financial monster every year it released a new Potter film. But how did this first-time author living on government welfare mange to enchant a global audience with the tale of a simple orphan-turned-wizard? Read more

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