Cynthia Talks Life (DelectablyChic! or Otherwise)

Thanks so much for listening to this podcast!

WTF is with all of this anti-diet culture? Really bugs me that people people feel this way - what's wrong with limiting exposure to ultra-processed foods? And is someone who eats healthfully REALLY super-privileged?

Opening Theme: "Progress is Inevitable" by Black Rhomb

Closing Theme: "Landing Place" by Mark July (both courtesy of ShutterStock)

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In this episode, Cynthia talks a bit about her son and day camp, food issues for both her son and herself and getting Jr. Mintz ready for back to school!

Opening Theme: "Progress is Inevitable" by Black Rhomb

Closing Theme: "Landing Place" by Mark July (both courtesy of ShutterStock)

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Cynthia talks about the end of the school year, day camps for four year olds, Father's Day, the air quality and more!

Opening Theme: "Progress is Inevitable" by Black Rhomb

Closing Theme: "Landing Place" by Mark July (both courtesy of ShutterStock)

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Just an update with what's going on with me and the Cheng Mintz family! We're looking forward to a fun Mother's Day weekend, which will include going to a buffet brunch for the first time since 2019. And it'll be the first Jr. Mintz will remember. And not to mention, eat at.

Opening Theme: "Progress is Inevitable" by Black Rhomb

Closing Theme: "Landing Place" by Mark July (both courtesy of ShutterStock)

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Cynthia talks about looking forward to going to her first in-person Seder since the Before Times and a rant about diversity, identity and feeling shamed about being who she is.

So Nordies is shutting down Canadian stores.  Who's going to take over?  Simon's?  A comeback from an old Canadian brand?  And vocal identities.  The Toronto Star article from last week really struck...that people might be able to tell what someone's background is based on HOW they speak CANADIAN English (that is, people who don't have accents).  So what does Cynthia sound like?  

Opening Theme: "Progress is Inevitable" by Black Rhomb

Closing Theme: "Landing Place" by Mark July (both courtesy of ShutterStock)

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Cynthia and her family returned to the annual tradition of the "Spin of Prosperity" dinner at the CN Tower after a two year absence (thanks, Pandemic!!!).  It was Jr. Mintz's first time there!  Hear what she had to say about the meal and more on kids' menus!  Also, she'd love to hear your thoughts on kids' menus!

Opening Theme: "Progress is Inevitable" by Black Rhomb

Closing Theme: "Landing Place" by Mark July (both courtesy of ShutterStock)

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Happy Lunar New Year!  Happy Year of the Rabbit! :) 

Opening Theme: "Progress is Inevitable" by Black Rhomb

Closing Theme: "Landing Place" by Mark July (both courtesy of ShutterStock)

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What's the deal with restaurant children's menus?  Why haven't they changed much in the past 40 or so years?  And why are they so...unbalanced?  Rarely do you see vegetables, for example.  Have restaurants surveyed parents?  Do you think this makes kids more picky?  Shouldn't parents be exposing kids to a wide variety of different foods?  Isn't it their job, and thereby, restaurants (since they're paying and often ordering for the kids, anyway)?

Opening Theme: "Progress is Inevitable" by Black Rhomb

Closing Theme: "Landing Place" by Mark July (both courtesy of ShutterStock)

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Wishing everyone a very happy holiday season - plus an update on Jr. Mintz and what the family has been doing as well!

I hear about this all the time from various "minority" groups.  Can someone explain this?  Everyone always makes it sound like it's an on/off switch.  I don't think I'm doing it.  Am I?  

Opening Theme: "Progress is Inevitable" by Black Rhomb

Closing Theme: "Landing Place" by Mark July (both courtesy of ShutterStock)

Host Cynthia Cheng Mintz wishes everyone in Canada a very happy Thanksgiving!!  What are YOU doing this long weekend?

Opening Theme: "Progress is Inevitable" by Black Rhomb

Closing Theme: "Landing Place" by Mark July (both courtesy of ShutterStock)

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Cynthia wants to know why it's so difficult to find Chinese food-specific meal kits/prepped family meals in the Toronto area.  The market is certainly there, both for seniors and younger families.  

Opening Theme: "Progress is Inevitable" by Black Rhomb

Closing Theme: "Landing Place" by Mark July (both courtesy of ShutterStock)

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From COVID to loss of internet and cell service to finding a piano teacher for Jr. Mintz, Cynthia updates listeners on how her summer has been!

Opening Theme: "Progress is Inevitable" by Black Rhomb

Closing Theme: "Landing Place" by Mark July (both courtesy of ShutterStock)

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Mother's Day is May 8!  My plans for the day and my thoughts on motherhood, society and Mother's Day past.

Opening Theme: "Progress is Inevitable" by Black Rhomb

Closing Theme: "Landing Place" by Mark July (both courtesy of ShutterStock)

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Have things really changed for the Cheng Mintz family since March 2020?  How am I feeling?  What about my son?  

Cynthia discusses Pixar's Toronto-set movie, Turning Red and how she thinks there's too much of a focus on the main character's ethnicty.

Cynthia talks about her fitness addiction issues and how it came to be. Old DelectablyChic! post about my grandmother's views of ballet Instagram video on fitness addiction

Opening Theme: "Progress is Inevitable" by Black Rhomb

Closing Theme: "Landing Place" by Mark July (both courtesy of ShutterStock)

Contact info:

Opening Theme: "Progress is Inevitable" by Black Rhomb

Closing Theme: "Landing Place" by Mark July (both courtesy of ShutterStock)

Contact info:

Opening Theme: "Progress is Inevitable" by Black Rhomb

Closing Theme: "Landing Place" by Mark July (both courtesy of ShutterStock)

Contact info:

It's the season finale!  Cynthia wraps up the season by discussing which episodes she liked most and what to expect next season! What do YOU want to hear about next season?  Drop us a note!

Ontario had one of the longest lockdowns in the world and things are only NOW getting back to normal.  In this episode, Cynthia talks about what she did did during that year and a half!   

Cynthia didn't grow up in a family of good home cooks.  In fact, it, for the lack of a better term, sucked.  Meals were boring and sometimes even dreadful  But as an adult, Cynthia got to do things HER WAY, often using harder-to-find, alternative ingredients.  She rarely follows recipes to a "T," often subbing flours and sugars.  Or sometimes, she'd even change things to the point that it needed a name change (such as her Cin Cin Mien)! 

Recipes: 

Cynthia Cheng Mintz discusses her issues with being petite - short - and small-footed.  Not only is shopping tough, but comments from people can be a little bit....insensitive.  Short people are NOT lucky - they have just as many challenges as other-sized women - even when they're thin.  

Opening Theme: "Progress is Inevitable" by Black Rhomb

Closing Theme: "Landing Place" by Mark July (both courtesy of ShutterStock)

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Cynthia on parent (mom) shaming.  She discusses issues including education, feeding, and even the amount of cultural heritage a child is exposed to.  WHY DO PEOPLE DO THIS??!!!  Do they have too much time on their hands?

Opening Theme: "Progress is Inevitable" by Black Rhomb

Closing Theme: "Landing Place" by Mark July (both courtesy of ShutterStock)

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Let's put it this way, the way diversity and inclusion is stressed these days is, well, quite frankly, stressful.  The constant discussion in media is probably one of the reasons why so many of us are seeing therapists - especially when everyone expects you to fit into some sort of "box."  Top that with "cancel culture" and you have trouble!

Opening Theme: "Progress is Inevitable" by Black Rhomb

Closing Theme: "Landing Place" by Mark July (both courtesy of ShutterStock)

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Growing up, my family and I not only ate a lot of Chinese food, but non-Chinese as well.  I remember going to many different restaurants in Toronto, ranging from dim sum, mostly NOT in Chinatown as well as "Italian" places like Mother's Pizza and Pat & Mario  Of course, there was the requisite visits to fast food joints as well.  Many of these places have long gone, but I have many fond memories of going!

Opening Theme: "Progress is Inevitable" by Black Rhomb

Closing Theme: "Landing Place" by Mark July (both courtesy of ShutterStock)

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Cynthia believes mainstream Toronto media (such as 680News, the Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, etc...) are too 416 (Toronto proper) focused. And this is especially the case during the pandemic.  Vaccination rates, especially among some ethno-cultural groups, focus only on those in the 416 and not often the 905/suburbs (and 905 area code regions NOT part of the Greater Toronto Area such as Hamilton and the Niagara region).  Even if residents in that particular suburb are dominated by those from that cultural group.  Why is this the case?  Suburbs too boring?   

Opening Theme: "Progress is Inevitable" by Black Rhomb 

Closing Theme: "Landing Place" by Mark July (both courtesy of ShutterStock) 

My son was diagnosed as expressively delayed late last year, likely due to the pandemic (because he hasn’t been exposed to other kids, in person) and because he’s living in a bilingual environment.  

Opening Theme: "Progress is Inevitable" by Black Rhomb

Closing Theme: "Landing Place" by Mark July

(both courtesy of ShutterStock)

Why are some calling to "cancel" Canada Day?  And why aren't immigrants/children of immigrants who think otherwise saying anything?  Are we too afraid that we're going to be called out for not being politically correct?  What's wrong with us?  I say acknowledge our past, but celebrate the country we've become.  Many of us have family who come from countries which don't have the freedoms we have here.

Opening Theme: "Progress is Inevitable" by Black Rhomb

Closing Theme: "Landing Place" by Mark July

(both courtesy of ShutterStock)