January 31, 2015: Cheesing! Toronto’s best rum cakes! And a script update!

“You’re cheesing me,”said Akemi.

“Cheesing you?”I asked.

“Yes, cheesing me.” ��She elaborated: “Making fun of me.”

“You mean teasing me,”I corrected her. ��“Teasing. ��With a t.”

She frowned, brow furrowed, genuinely perplexed by the revelation. ��“But cheesing makes more sense.”

“It does?”

“Yes because cheese is like a food bully, kind of aggressive, always going around covering other things. ��Also, cheese has a lot of other meanings like That’s so cheesy!”

Good point.

Akemi and I have our weekend routine. ��We sleep in, visit the farmer’s market, drop by Loblaws, swing by my favorite comic book shop (The Comic Pile:��http://www.thecomicpile.com��where I pick up the few titles I’m still reading: The Walking Dead, Saga, and Alex + Ada), then stop at THE spot for Toronto’s tastiest rum cakes: Don’t Call Me Cupcake (https://www.facebook.com/DCMCbakery��and��http://dontcallmecupcake.com). ��Owner Tova (pictured above) opened the shop a couple of years ago and has been baking up all sorts of delicious treats – cupcakes, cookies, cheesecakes, brownies and lemon squares – but my favorite are her bite-size rum cakes that are, apparently, a slightly tweaked version of her grandmother’s rum cake recipe. Today, my timing was near impeccable as I arrived while a fresh batch was cooling. ��I waited patiently, killing time by chatting with Tova – and eating one of her sweet and crispy chocolate chip cookies – until the rum cakes were cool enough to ice. ��And then…

Moist, creamy, and slightly boozy. ��It makes my list of Top 10 Things to Eat in Toronto!

I’m pleased to report that while prep and production on��Dark Matter��continues to motor along, script work on our thirteen episode first season is almost complete. Yesterday, we sat down to a ��note session with Executive Producer Jay Firestone and discussed episodes #110, #111, and #112. ��Amazingly, the typical pre-note session angst I’d grown accustomed to over my many years as a television writer has disappeared. ��It’s nice to sit down with someone and not have to fight for your vision of a script or argue over seemingly trifling expository additions that will weigh down or sink a scene. ��Never, over the course of these 12 script meetings with Jay, have we been asked to dumb down��explain or clarify or make so absolutely clear that even a trained chimpanzee could follow along. ��With Jay, it’s all about the characters and their respective relationships – which is, ultimately, what this show is about. ��The input has been really good, really positive, and I have yet to flip a desk, throw a script, or kick a script coordinator. ��Yet.

Jay checking the set for design flaws. From here, it’s a short walk over to wardrobe to weigh in on the costumes. You think I’m kidding?

Monday, we start production on episode #103 with director Paolo Barzman. ��I’ve only known the guy less than two weeks and I’m already a big fan. ��I really appreciate his passion and positive energy. ��Also, the great photos he took of Lulu the last time I brought her into the office:

Also on Monday, prep begins on episode #104 with a certain fan favorite assuming the directing reins. ��Who, pray tell, could I be talking about? ��Well, let’s just say it’ll be a Stargate reunion of sorts.

Tagged: best rum cake in Toronto, Dark Matter, Dark Matter t.v., Don't Call Me Cupcake, rum cakes, The Comic Pile