The day before yesterday I spent a lot of time doing one of the things on Michal's favourite things list:
Waiting for a plane in an airport.
I love that this is one of her favourite things and it certainly made my airport time more tolerable knowing that I was (without even trying to!) doing one of the things on her list. I flew to Texas through Detroit and Joel said that one of his favourite things in the Detroit airport is the fountain. Somehow I missed it. But only Joel could have a sublist of favourite things in American airports!
Friday, 19 November 2010
Saturday, 13 November 2010
montreal +
I am at a conference in Montreal now but really, really I am here to try all the Montreal favourite things suggestions. There are so many! Three of you noted a favourite restaurant in Montreal, and many of you also noted favourite stores, and cafes and places to hang out.
Tonight I followed Jennifer’s suggestion and went to:
Lele da cuca 70 Marie Anne Est (teeny little Mexican-Brazilian restaurant)
It happens to be in my old neighbourhood and I welcomed the opportunity to go alone with a book after a day spent listening to panels and talking to people. I loved this restaurant! Of all the favourite things I have tried so far it might be my-most-favourite-of-the-favourites. What I loved about it: getting there (I walked up St Laurent which was lively and loud and festive and then turned on to Marie Anne which was as quiet and deserted as St Laurent was rowdy); walking in (the restaurant has such a unique feel to it—it’s small and cozy and you feel as if you have entered another world); the menu (it’s wacky and took me ages to figure out until the waitress explained it all to me); the food (I was hungry and it was perfect); and best of all, the end (my waitress asked me if I wanted dessert and I said no thanks and then she brought me the cheque and a chewy chocolate on a plate and said “a little gift for you” which I’m sure she says to everyone (and which probably sounds strange because of the translation) but which felt as if it was just for me. And then she returned and said, “the boss, he says you should have a coffee, a little gift for you, yes?” Just for me again! I want to move to Montreal so that I can eat there every night (although then what would I do with all my kitchen gadgets?)
On the conference front: there is an entire panel dedicated to Mad Men tomorrow. Really. I was amazed. This is a Victorian studies conference but, still, I’m looking forward to hearing how I can justify watching Mad Men as work.
Tonight I followed Jennifer’s suggestion and went to:
Lele da cuca 70 Marie Anne Est (teeny little Mexican-Brazilian restaurant)
It happens to be in my old neighbourhood and I welcomed the opportunity to go alone with a book after a day spent listening to panels and talking to people. I loved this restaurant! Of all the favourite things I have tried so far it might be my-most-favourite-of-the-favourites. What I loved about it: getting there (I walked up St Laurent which was lively and loud and festive and then turned on to Marie Anne which was as quiet and deserted as St Laurent was rowdy); walking in (the restaurant has such a unique feel to it—it’s small and cozy and you feel as if you have entered another world); the menu (it’s wacky and took me ages to figure out until the waitress explained it all to me); the food (I was hungry and it was perfect); and best of all, the end (my waitress asked me if I wanted dessert and I said no thanks and then she brought me the cheque and a chewy chocolate on a plate and said “a little gift for you” which I’m sure she says to everyone (and which probably sounds strange because of the translation) but which felt as if it was just for me. And then she returned and said, “the boss, he says you should have a coffee, a little gift for you, yes?” Just for me again! I want to move to Montreal so that I can eat there every night (although then what would I do with all my kitchen gadgets?)
On the conference front: there is an entire panel dedicated to Mad Men tomorrow. Really. I was amazed. This is a Victorian studies conference but, still, I’m looking forward to hearing how I can justify watching Mad Men as work.
Thursday, 11 November 2010
favourite kitchen gadgets
There was an article in today’s Globe & Mail on a favourite kitchen gadget that has prompted me to write on kitchen gadgets from my five-favourite-things list even though I haven’t tried them all.
First the G&M’s kitchen gadget: the Thermomix. Apparently it is 23 appliances in one great machine. There are many things it does that sound good to me—slow cooking, hollandaise sauce (okay, I rarely make this but I’d like to make it more and the article made it sound like perfection with the Thermomix), risotto (ditto re. not making it much before but I guess the trick of advertising is that I’m now envisioning my food-happy life after the thermomix)—and there are many things I probably wouldn’t use it for—blood pudding (the example from the article) immediately comes to mind. Despite the fact that the guy who writes the article says that the device’s ability to make yoghurt, mill grain, and churn butter are unlikely to appeal to everyone, I’m thinking: I would do these things too!
The catch: this appliance (one can hardly call it a gadget) is . . . $1,600. So much for risotto with freshly churned butter on the side. Not to mention the homemade bread (it didn’t mention bread-making actually but surely it does this too?) from freshly milled grain. (Here’s the link to the article:http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/the-thermomix-23-appliances-in-1/article1792353/
On to more realistic favourite kitchen gadgets recommended by some of you:
1) the cuisanart smart stick (I have one of these and also use it all the time)
2) microplane (http://ca.microplane.com/MicroplaneClassicOriginalSeriesGraters.aspx) I haven’t used one of these but want to try.
3) ice-cream maker (I haven’t used one of these either; it seems complicated to me and I was amazed and impressed that this was someone’s favourite kitchen gadget)
My favourite kitchen gadget(s):
1) a wooden citrus juicer (it’s a stick with a ridged end that you rotate in the half’s of fruit for juice). Steve gave this to me and I love its simplicity. It’s not fancy (not $1,600, for example!) and it is efficient and easy to clean.
2) Cheese plane (for making super thin slices of hard cheeses)
First the G&M’s kitchen gadget: the Thermomix. Apparently it is 23 appliances in one great machine. There are many things it does that sound good to me—slow cooking, hollandaise sauce (okay, I rarely make this but I’d like to make it more and the article made it sound like perfection with the Thermomix), risotto (ditto re. not making it much before but I guess the trick of advertising is that I’m now envisioning my food-happy life after the thermomix)—and there are many things I probably wouldn’t use it for—blood pudding (the example from the article) immediately comes to mind. Despite the fact that the guy who writes the article says that the device’s ability to make yoghurt, mill grain, and churn butter are unlikely to appeal to everyone, I’m thinking: I would do these things too!
The catch: this appliance (one can hardly call it a gadget) is . . . $1,600. So much for risotto with freshly churned butter on the side. Not to mention the homemade bread (it didn’t mention bread-making actually but surely it does this too?) from freshly milled grain. (Here’s the link to the article:http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/the-thermomix-23-appliances-in-1/article1792353/
On to more realistic favourite kitchen gadgets recommended by some of you:
1) the cuisanart smart stick (I have one of these and also use it all the time)
2) microplane (http://ca.microplane.com/MicroplaneClassicOriginalSeriesGraters.aspx) I haven’t used one of these but want to try.
3) ice-cream maker (I haven’t used one of these either; it seems complicated to me and I was amazed and impressed that this was someone’s favourite kitchen gadget)
My favourite kitchen gadget(s):
1) a wooden citrus juicer (it’s a stick with a ridged end that you rotate in the half’s of fruit for juice). Steve gave this to me and I love its simplicity. It’s not fancy (not $1,600, for example!) and it is efficient and easy to clean.
2) Cheese plane (for making super thin slices of hard cheeses)
Sunday, 7 November 2010
ariadne's chocolate chip cookies
Chocolate chip cookies are in my top five favourite foods (really).
And one of my top chocolate chip cookie experiences occurred this summer when Ariadne baked chocolate chip cookies for us at the cottage. It was dark, we were sitting outside in front of the fire, the air had a late summer chill to it, and Ariadne brought us warm chocolate chip cookies that were the best I've ever tasted: chewy and crisp at the same time, full of flavour, perfect thickness [which is to say, quite thin], perfect amount of chocolate chips. They're the sort of cookies that make you speechless with appreciation except that Ted was there and so I couldn't be speechless for long since he likes chocolate chip cookies almost as much as I do and so we had to compete for the remaining cookie.
I asked Photini for the recipe in September and ever since then I have made these cookies about once every 3-4 days (in fact, I just finished eating one now). It turns out that Ariadne's chocolate chip cookies need Ariadne herself. I've followed the recipe exactly and yet still cannot seem to capture that amazing cookie moment at the cottage.
I have been searching for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe ever since I moved away from home (and away from mom's chocolate chip cookies) when I was eighteen. Mom gave me her recipe (turns out it was the Joy of Cooking) and yet, here too, my cookies were not the same as mom's. How is that possible?
Anyway, here's Ariadne's recipe (it is great, even if it can't be replicated without Ariadne herself)
Ariadne’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 sticks butter softened
1 ½ cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
¾ tsp salt
1 tap baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 bag semisweet chocolate chips – we like to use the Ghiradelli 60% cocoa ones or we like to buy valrohna chocolate and chop it into smallish pieces/chunks
Preheat oven to 350
Mix butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla
In another bowl mix dry ingredients (except chocolate chips)
Mix wet and dry (but not too vigorously) and stir in chocolate chips
Put golf-sized portions on cookie sheet (ungreased) and bake
Trick is to start checking them after 6 minutes and then every minute thereafter. Its important to take them out before they look done – they’ll cook more once you take them out – let them sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes then remove them to a cooling rack.
On other matters, this blog has taken a blow from Mad Men. But now that I'm almost finished the second season (two seasons in two weeks!) and, thus, almost finished David's second boxed set, there's hope that I'll be able to hold off watching for a while and return to normal life again.
And one of my top chocolate chip cookie experiences occurred this summer when Ariadne baked chocolate chip cookies for us at the cottage. It was dark, we were sitting outside in front of the fire, the air had a late summer chill to it, and Ariadne brought us warm chocolate chip cookies that were the best I've ever tasted: chewy and crisp at the same time, full of flavour, perfect thickness [which is to say, quite thin], perfect amount of chocolate chips. They're the sort of cookies that make you speechless with appreciation except that Ted was there and so I couldn't be speechless for long since he likes chocolate chip cookies almost as much as I do and so we had to compete for the remaining cookie.
I asked Photini for the recipe in September and ever since then I have made these cookies about once every 3-4 days (in fact, I just finished eating one now). It turns out that Ariadne's chocolate chip cookies need Ariadne herself. I've followed the recipe exactly and yet still cannot seem to capture that amazing cookie moment at the cottage.
I have been searching for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe ever since I moved away from home (and away from mom's chocolate chip cookies) when I was eighteen. Mom gave me her recipe (turns out it was the Joy of Cooking) and yet, here too, my cookies were not the same as mom's. How is that possible?
Anyway, here's Ariadne's recipe (it is great, even if it can't be replicated without Ariadne herself)
Ariadne’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 sticks butter softened
1 ½ cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
¾ tsp salt
1 tap baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 bag semisweet chocolate chips – we like to use the Ghiradelli 60% cocoa ones or we like to buy valrohna chocolate and chop it into smallish pieces/chunks
Preheat oven to 350
Mix butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla
In another bowl mix dry ingredients (except chocolate chips)
Mix wet and dry (but not too vigorously) and stir in chocolate chips
Put golf-sized portions on cookie sheet (ungreased) and bake
Trick is to start checking them after 6 minutes and then every minute thereafter. Its important to take them out before they look done – they’ll cook more once you take them out – let them sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes then remove them to a cooling rack.
On other matters, this blog has taken a blow from Mad Men. But now that I'm almost finished the second season (two seasons in two weeks!) and, thus, almost finished David's second boxed set, there's hope that I'll be able to hold off watching for a while and return to normal life again.
Wednesday, 3 November 2010
danny's favourite blogs
It seems apt to post Danny's favourite news blogs the day after the dismal American elections. Here they are (with Danny's comments!):
Favorite Website to Know What's Really Going On: wsws.org
If you want to know how the news effects the ordinary individuals without having to deal with over the top rhetoric, try the World Socialist Website news service. In particular, its regular column "Workers Struggles" keeps you abreast of strikes that take place in Canada and all over the world that are often not reported elsewhere.
Favorite Website When You're Tired Of All That Bad News: goodnewsnetwork.org
After a long hard day, one sometimes forgets how much good is going on the world every day. Try this site.
Neither website makes the election results any brighter (even the "good news" website can't do that!) but they are both great to know about.
Favorite Website to Know What's Really Going On: wsws.org
If you want to know how the news effects the ordinary individuals without having to deal with over the top rhetoric, try the World Socialist Website news service. In particular, its regular column "Workers Struggles" keeps you abreast of strikes that take place in Canada and all over the world that are often not reported elsewhere.
Favorite Website When You're Tired Of All That Bad News: goodnewsnetwork.org
After a long hard day, one sometimes forgets how much good is going on the world every day. Try this site.
Neither website makes the election results any brighter (even the "good news" website can't do that!) but they are both great to know about.
Monday, 1 November 2010
boqueria + favourite restaurants
Last weekend we were in New York for Louise’s 50th birthday and, happily for me, her birthday dinner was at a restaurant on my 5-favourite-things list: Boqueria. We went to the Soho location and had a prix fixe menu which was great because, just like my burger option at the other end of the restaurant spectrum, it meant that we didn’t have to make any decisions. The food was delicious.
Despite the delicious food, my favourite restaurant in New York is still Il Buco. I love the antiques and the wine and the olive oil tasting and the eclectic food; I also love that Bond Street is usually quiet and dark and deserted and so the restaurant is a surprise: you step from the stillness of the night into this warm and cozy and charming space.
My top 5 favourite restaurants anywhere: 1) the new place in Spain that Joel and I discovered on our bike trip this past March (it was also a tapas place and had a stupendous wine that I committed to memory so that I could buy again but have, alas, forgotten); 2) a tiny tiny restaurant perched in the side of a mountain in the middle of France (St Circ Lapopie) that you arrive at by dark twisting roads (that always used to make me sick but still were worth it) and that served an amazingly rich duck in prune juice dish that I would no longer eat but that, even so, is still one of the most rapturous things I have ever tasted (no doubt intensified by the fact that I haven’t been there in over 25 years); 3) a place in Florence that Marla told us about that is too expensive for ordinary people but that has a sidebar café which serves the same food; we had some tomato thing that is, to date, in the top five things I have ever eaten in my life; 4) a tapas place that Richard took me to in Oxford where everything we tasted was familiar but better than I’d ever tried before (the hummus was transformed into something otherworldly; ditto, impossibly, the cheese—shouldn’t manchego cheese just be manchego cheese? But it was better than other manchego’s I’ve tried; 5) the 4th Avenue Wine Bar—which will discredit me as any sort of judge of food since the food is fine but not like these other one-of-a-kind places but it is such a lovely place to sit and spend an evening and I need to mention some place in Ottawa! (Actually, there’s also the Zen Kitchen which is fabulous.)
I realize that I have only one name for my top favourite places; I will have to seek out the names of the other restaurants.
In New York I also went out early on Sunday morning to buy my favourite sticky bun in the world from Balthazar’s bakery on Spring Street. There was a line, people were boisterous and impatient, and there was a dog almost as tall as my shoulder waiting beside me--but the wait and the rowdiness was worth that first delicious bite.
And now I’m going to go downstairs and have some toast with butter and honey (my favourite “at home” snack).
Despite the delicious food, my favourite restaurant in New York is still Il Buco. I love the antiques and the wine and the olive oil tasting and the eclectic food; I also love that Bond Street is usually quiet and dark and deserted and so the restaurant is a surprise: you step from the stillness of the night into this warm and cozy and charming space.
My top 5 favourite restaurants anywhere: 1) the new place in Spain that Joel and I discovered on our bike trip this past March (it was also a tapas place and had a stupendous wine that I committed to memory so that I could buy again but have, alas, forgotten); 2) a tiny tiny restaurant perched in the side of a mountain in the middle of France (St Circ Lapopie) that you arrive at by dark twisting roads (that always used to make me sick but still were worth it) and that served an amazingly rich duck in prune juice dish that I would no longer eat but that, even so, is still one of the most rapturous things I have ever tasted (no doubt intensified by the fact that I haven’t been there in over 25 years); 3) a place in Florence that Marla told us about that is too expensive for ordinary people but that has a sidebar café which serves the same food; we had some tomato thing that is, to date, in the top five things I have ever eaten in my life; 4) a tapas place that Richard took me to in Oxford where everything we tasted was familiar but better than I’d ever tried before (the hummus was transformed into something otherworldly; ditto, impossibly, the cheese—shouldn’t manchego cheese just be manchego cheese? But it was better than other manchego’s I’ve tried; 5) the 4th Avenue Wine Bar—which will discredit me as any sort of judge of food since the food is fine but not like these other one-of-a-kind places but it is such a lovely place to sit and spend an evening and I need to mention some place in Ottawa! (Actually, there’s also the Zen Kitchen which is fabulous.)
I realize that I have only one name for my top favourite places; I will have to seek out the names of the other restaurants.
In New York I also went out early on Sunday morning to buy my favourite sticky bun in the world from Balthazar’s bakery on Spring Street. There was a line, people were boisterous and impatient, and there was a dog almost as tall as my shoulder waiting beside me--but the wait and the rowdiness was worth that first delicious bite.
And now I’m going to go downstairs and have some toast with butter and honey (my favourite “at home” snack).
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