chocolate diamonds

I'm not a real blonde. Dirty blonde maybe but I think that just means light brown. I took the opportunity of a fundraising event at the Aveda Institute today to get my highlights done. While the foils cooked, I flipped through the March edition of Harper's Bizarre. Well isn't there a two page spread about chocolate diamonds. Guess what? They're brown. The colour of the diamond darkens due to the earth's pressure at the depth where the diamonds are buried. They're less expensive from their clear, white cousins and they're apparently found in Africa, Russian and the biggest mine being the Argyle Mine in northwestern Australia. A fun fact from ehow.com "The term "Chocolate Diamonds" is actually a trademarked brand of the famed Le Vian jewelry purveyor." That was the ad in Harper's. AnyHOW, back to the chocolate chocolate. I picked up a lemon chocolate bar, the other day - A 70% Organic Dark Lemon number from Vivani - product of Germany. A bit disappointing but kind of lemony thanks to a "hint of lemon essential oil". Next time I'm at the Market I'll get a bar of quinoa & melon (please start pronouncing it KEEN-wah and not kwin-OH-wah). Can't remember where it's from or why they would even make it. But they've got me thinking. The diamonds au chocolat...will have to wait.

food in wonderland

The only thing Alice eats in the recent Tim Burton rendition of Alice in Wonderland is a bite of carrot cake (or so it appeared) with white icing. The one that makes her grow to be a giant. The other food featured in the movie are the cakes and sweets at the tea party where the guests include the Mad Hatter, the March Hare and Dormouse. The party reminded me of the high tea they serve in Scotland. I visited parts of the country with my Uncle and Aunt in the late 80's. We had tea at a cafe in a little town and they served the loveliest little sweets. A three tray layered serving platter that included coconut cakes, vanilla cream sweets, and miniature cold pancakes with cold butter to spread on them. It felt like something out of a movie. And I'm not a big tea lover. At least I wasn't then. Times have changed. I now love my Nighty NIght or Lemon Zinger or Ginger tea before bed. I've heard the Hilton in Montreal serves a high tea similar the UK style. And of course there is The Red Tea Box on Queen West in Toronto. Toronto Life says this: "With its tiers of little cakes painted in lilac-, pistachio-, and indigo-coloured icing, this Queen Street tea room is a culinary fantasyland. There’s a bewildering array of desserts and teas, such as maple–brown sugar meringue cake, pandan coconut custard cake and chocolate crumble cardamom tart. Unlicensed." They also serve Asian style Bento boxes for lunch $25–$27. Lastly, speaking of tarts and back to the movie, there is the bit where the Red Queen freaks at her frog servant guards because someone stole her tart. She finds a tiny bit of purple jelly on the corner of the frog's mouth. He admits it. "Off with his head!" She is overreacting of course. But I'd be pissed too if someone at my tart without asking. However she has a tendancy to be a bit...overdramatic, greedy, selfish. Not into sharing. And food is a thing to be shared.

grilled cheese granny boots

Little did I know Wednesday nights at the Gladstone Hotel is home to Granny Boots, a cabaret featuring burlesque, female impersonators, strip teases and more. I met some friends for food and drink and we thought we'd be gone by the time the show started. We weren't. I shared toasted banana bread ice cream sandwich with my husband and watched a young Asian man strip from a marching band uniform. The performance finished with him covering his privates with a trombone (which he could play). We ordered one more pint of Steam Whistle to see Dainty Box do her burlesque act. Cute pasties. The fella hosting is a heck of a singer and paid tribute to big black men, of which, he is one. One who happened to be wearing purple velvet tights and a black sparkly top with fringe. My grilled cheese with apple slices on walnut bread is a good idea in theory but the cheese was only half melted (kind of the most important part of the grilled part of the sandwich). The cup of butternut squash and carrot soup was fine but I like the way I do it with orange and ginger. I'd go back. I like the place. But maybe not on a Wednesday.

do the chocolate walk

A man walks on the boardwalk with an open chocolate bar in his hand. He is strolling not walking. Dark glasses, bald, a black trench coat covers his suit. He breaks off another piece of the bar and doesn't notice me pass him. It's 1:15 on a Tuesday. Too sunny for early March afternoon. I am not close enough to see the type of chocolate he is indulging in but for him, it's working. The ducks are out on Lake Ontario, planes land regularly on the Island Airport's runway. The trench coat's chocolate stroll is inspires me. I pick up a handful of dark chocolate coated orange peels from Chocolates and Creams in Queen's Quay Terminal. Yummy expensive imported treats sold there along with a wall stacked with a wide variety of jelly beans and a decent gelato selection. My mission was Sobey's - to pick up fruit and something for dinner. I do. A ripe mango from Mexico, a couple of heavy tangelo oranges and two Maple Leaf chicken breasts. I am pleased I get to use my 50 cent coupon. $0.15 of that goes to Toonies for Tummies. Today's good deed done. This leaves room for a direct, firm and confident conversation that I prepare for after I hear the phone message. The real estate agent in charge of selling the townhouse in which I currently rent (soon to vacate) implies I am making his life difficult by not letting agents in to see the townhouse. If he were able to explain why I should rearrange my life to show my landlord's townhouse for her (and him) I would happily comply. Instead I leave her a message, tattling on him and they have postponed all showings until after we leave. Chocolate -1, Greedy Real Estate Guy - 0. I pick up a bar of Lindt's Fleur de sel because, as you know, I like salt. This salty chocolate blend is lovely. Only one of their many wonderful varieties that include: 70% Cacao, 85% Cacao, NEW! 90% Cacao, 99% Cacao, Peru 80%, Ecuador 75%, Madagascar 65%, Orange Intense, Intense Mint, Chili, Fleur de Sel, Extra Creamy, Crunchy Caramel. Warning: If you're not used to it, anything over 80% is going to taste like dirt. I think it's fun. Lindt''s site (http://www.discoverlindt.com/en/tasting.php) also has some great tips on how taste chocolate, including my favourite? "Chocolate is best tasted in a calm atmosphere so that you are able to concentrate on your senses." I will write about chocolate again.

oscar snacks: giant olives

I am in the middle of moving. Fun. Currently I am in possession of two apartments. I have four bathrooms, two parking spots, a laundry room, a laundry closet, a balcony, two dishwashers, a microwave, a walk out patio, access to a gym room, party room and no cable. Don't be impressed, all total it's pushing 2000' sq. Do the math. So invited myself to a friend's place to watch the Oscars. Did you know in additional to the Chinese year of the Tiger, 2010 is year of the dirty martini? Now you know. My friend makes a mean one, a recipe he got from Gweneth Paltrow. Good for Gweneth posting recipes for dirty drinks on her blog. I may follow suit. She's been having babies and doing the odd film since her Oscar win over a decade ago. Shakespeare in Love. You know the speech. Last night, while sipping our drinks we all sat in shock as Sandra Bullock made her way to the stage. Standing at the podium, statue in hand, thanking the moms that take in babies that don't belong to them. On the eve of International Woman's day I would also like to raise my dirty martini glass to Kathryn Bigelow, the first female director in Oscar history. Tip: use giant, vermouth soaked tipsy olives. It's a snack in a glass. Ladies, enjoy. It's about time.

the importance of labels

I need to label my spices better. A few weeks ago I made a ginger cake that called for cardamom and I used cumin instead. The women at the health food store laughed at me when I told them, but the cake was fine. Today, a similar dilemma. Flipping through Anna Olson's book, Sugar, I find a cardamom sugar cookie recipe. Rifling through my sorry excuse for a spice rack I find two baggies. One is cumin, one is cardamom. I think. Before my husband goes out to get groceries I sneak the following on to the list: "check if cardamom is brown or grey". He does. It's grey. The cookies turn out very well. Luckily we are moving to an apartment with limited kitchen space. The joys of city living. To celebrate that joy, I am going to treat myself to new spice containers. A friend of mine has is figured out. $20 at Canadian Tire gets you a 6-can magnetic canister set. Mounts to the wall, easy to fill, sleek/unique design. I might even get two.

march fourth

Yesterday. The only date that is also a command. Today I attended an early morning video shoot that included breakfast. Breakfast with the Media. Breakfast was: Activia yogurt sitting atop bowls of ice, coffee/tea, a variety of bagels and a variety of cream cheese to put on said bagels. Cream cheese varieties = strawberry, chives, plain. The bagels were fine. Fresh but not Montreal style. They never are unless you are IN Montreal. Maybe the 'style' part of 'Montreal style' is what allows them to trick people into believing the things are from Montreal. But they're not. Even the ones that someone told me once were shipped in from St. Urbain and are sold somewhere up on Bathurst Street North. I don't buy it. If you're not physically standing in a an actual bagel shop in Montreal i.e. Fairmount, St. Viateur, St. Urbain, REAL Bagels then they can't be from Montreal. Well they can be, but they'd be stale. And who wants a stale bagel?

my not so secret salad bar

Instead of packing, once in a while I treat myself to the salad bar for lunch. There is a Longo's in the underground food court near my workplace. Today was one of those days. It's per weight so brussel sprouts are not advised even though I enjoy them. The food is fresh and includes much variety including (but not limited to) asparagus (no rapinni today), pasta salads with smoked salmon (the full fish, not the thinly sliced stuff), a wheatberry/raisin/pepper melange, bits of sharp cheese wrapped in sundried tomatoes held together by tooth picks, large cooked shrimp!, fresh broccoli, cucubmer and pepper strips, bean salad, boccancini and tomato salad, greek salad, couscous salad with cranberry, cheese cubes - swiss and cheddar, enormous strawberries (genetically modified I suspect) and chunks of pineapple and a selection of grapes are positioned near the end of the line next to the scoopable cottage cheese and afterthought toppings of croutons, sunflower seeds and granola. There is a variety of oils, dressings and spice to personalize your plastic container. $12 well spent.

salt: it's essential

I am on my last few pinches of a rock sea salt I picked up at a high end kitchen store called Sur la Table, in Santa Monica two years ago. Yesterday at the market I took a peek to see if they had any of the same brand. No. However, there was over a dozen types: pink, grey, black, red, sea, rock, smoked. Well isn't Paul Kennedy's show Ideas on CBC Radio doing a two part documentary about...salt. A guy wrote a book - The History of Salt. People used to be paid in salt, believed to be the origin of the word 'salary' and 'soldier'. 'Wich' maybe from the Greek, implies: somewhere there is salt. Sandwich, Greenwich, Norwich. 'I like salt. We are bombarded with information about sodium and high blood pressure but salt is a complicated ancient commodity we take for granted. If you believe our origins are from the sea, be sure salt was involved. Salt is something civilization couldn't do without. Portuguese (salt cod), Egyptians (preserving the dead), Israel (Dead Sea), Ukrainians (welcoming visitors with bread and salt). Prior to the Industrial revolution we relied on salt for international trade. Locally, my shopping trip to the market shows that France is the biggest producer. And California. This is confirmed by Paul (Ideas) Kennedy who spends an afternoon of salt tasting with Elizabeth Baird (Canadian Living Magazine). His favourite: Malden sea salt from England that reportedly melts and explodes in your mouth. And they pointed out the grey fancy stuff form France is just dirty. Not in the good way. And it's more expensive. You're better off with Sifto. If you want to got upscale they suggest a Fleur de Sel from France or Portugal. France has an annual festival of storytelling in a small town where people told stories (lies) in a town square. A goat hangs in the middle of the square symbolizing the devil. Two little kids dressed in white (purity) come out with little bags of salt and offers it to the contestants. They form tails from this salt in their bag and whoever ends up with the most salt at the end, wins the tournament. And there is such a thing called the World Salt Symposium, now in it's 8th year. It's mostly men in suits, the suits of salt who spend time thinking of how to make more money off the stuff. TIP: Add some salt to ice water to chill your champagne in a hurry. I could write about Angelina Jolie's movie, Salt coming out this summer, but I'll stop here.

blue food

St. Lawrence Market is a good place for me to be. I go there to daydream and not talk to anyone but the guys who offer cheese samples from Alex Farms. I wander around midday to pick up fresh fish - tilapia, trout, sushi grade tuna (only a small piece) or oysters for special occasions. $7.99/lb for malpeques from PEI. Today I went to get some vanilla because I used the last of it in the pumpkin cranberry loaf. What I ended up with was: two pears, some fresh green beans, a bag of walnuts, a box of whole wheat couscous, small container of cilantro pesto (yum!), Finncrips, a can of Costa Rican hearts of palm, a small bag of dark chocolate covered ginger bits, and the vanilla. 100 ml of pure vanilla made by Horton Spice Mills Limited. The strangest thing I saw was blue maraschino cherries. They were also available in original (not really) red and orange versions. Are they organic? Food should not be blue. Neither should flowers. Berries yes, but they're acutally purple. Save the blue for bells and moons and tallships. For days you're feeling down or when you need a sky to dive in.

pumpkin + cranberry: what a pair

The pumpkin cranberry loaf was a hit at my writing class tonight. Other snacks included green apple and orange slices strategically lined up side by side on a serving plate. Chips and salsa, a dark chocolate bar and wine. Such great stories! Teacher says she’s never had a class with such a high level of writing. It was suggested we not go to work tomorrow. Live in the now and write! She’s right. I was excited walking over there in the cool, pleasant March evening. Stories ranged from Virginia arm wrestling tough girls to gay one night stands. Someone’s bitchy mother-in-law made relatable and funny and a tent perched on a soft beach. And Nathan. The ongoing saga of the eggplant parka trying to make his way though it all. But the pumpkin cranberry loaf was a hit. A good pair. Other pairs include: mocking birds, aces, twins, bookends, husband and wife, a figure skating couple, hot and cold taps, David and Goliath, Fred and Wilma, Fred and Ginger, Cain and Abel, Sonny and Cher, north and south, black and white, salt and pepper, up and down. I could go on but this is where my list ends.