FFWD – My Go-to Beef Daube (and a Happy New Year)

~ Teresa ~ 14 Comments

As I’m typing this, the beef daube is braising in the oven and I’m preparing peppermint patties and vegan truffles for a potluck we’re going to tonight. We’re ringing in the new year by meditating with my partner’s Buddhist sangha, D.I.Y. Dharma.

For me, it’s been a year of change, commitment and renewed creativity. It’s also been a year of profound losses.

My intentions for 2011 include solidifying my life’s path, while really seeing and valuing the people in my life. I hope 2011 brings you a full share of joy with your life’s challenges.

I’ll leave you with a few photos of the Beef Daube, since this is French Friday, after all. I’ll let you know how we liked it in the comments, tomorrow.

Happy New Year!



We’re doing things a little differently again for the month of December. We’re still posting weekly, but people are free to post this month’s recipes in any order. You can find many other blogged descriptions of this month’s FFWD recipes here: LYL: December 31

Commitment

~ Teresa ~ Leave a comment

I’ve really been enjoying blogging here thus far and my goal for 2011 is to keep doing so consistently, while working on my writing and photography skills.

So, in the interests of giving myself a little extra motivation, I’m signing up for the WordPress PostAWeek challenge – my personal goal is to post at least twice a week consistently through 2011.

I’m looking forward to the next year of blogging and hope that it brings lots of ideas, events and connections.

Labyrinth of Light

~ Teresa ~ Leave a comment

A labyrinth is not a maze. While a maze is devised to confound you, a labyrinth leads you into its heart and out again.

For seventeen years now, The Secret Lantern Society has marked the longest night of the year with its Winter Solstice Lantern Festival. This year, the festival included processions, dances, drumming circles and more across five Vancouver neighbourhoods. At Britannia Community Centre and The Roundhouse, the Society also hosted Labyrinths of Light, for walking meditation and contemplation.

According to the website:

“The labyrinth has long been used for meditation, prayer and sites of ritual in various cultures around the world. Created with over 700 pure beeswax candles, the winter solstice labyrinth invites you to warm yourself in a self-guided ceremony intended to help release old attachments and envision new possibilities as the darkest night of the year births a new season.”

The labyrinth at Britannia was held in a darkened gymnasium. On one side of the room, a stereo played sacred music, including plainsong and Buddhist chants. On the other, didgeridoos sounded quietly. Low benches were set up a short distance from the labyrinth for contemplation.

Walking the labyrinth meant negotiating the narrow spaces defined by the paper sacks which held the candles providing most of the room’s light. The way into a labyrinth is also the way out, so polite shuffling became a part of the experience. The design led you far inside and then back to the outer edges of the labyrinth again and again before you truly reached the centre. Then, after some contemplation, it was time to wind slowly out again. The heat from the candles, the music and the darkness helped to create a solemn atmosphere, but many people moved through the labyrinth with joy and one young woman danced back and forth through its passages.

It is a beautiful way to honour the year’s end, acknowledging grief and joy while opening oneself to the new year’s offerings.

If you’d like to experience labyrinth walking meditation, the World-Wide Labyrinth Locator can help you find one near you.

FFWD – Leek and Potato Soup

~ Teresa ~ 12 Comments

It’s been cold, blustery and wet for the most part lately, so it’s fitting that this week’s post features a warm and comforting soup. It’s also a versatile soup – the full title of this recipe is Leek and Potato Soup, Smooth or Chunky, Hot or Cold. Dorie gives a number of suggestions for variations and this soup could easily act as a base for many more. I chose to try one of the variations and added a handful of shredded spinach to mine near the end of the cooking time. Then, I partially pureed the soup and served it hot.

As with many of Dorie’s recipes, this soup was delicious and impressive without being time-consuming or difficult. I was able to get quite a bit of my Christmas baking done while the soup cooked slowly on the stove. I’m looking forward to the leftovers tonight.

I’ll keep this post short today, so we can all get back to baking. A very merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate it and I’ll see you again on Tuesday.

We’re doing things a little differently again for the month of December. We’re still posting weekly, but people are free to post this month’s recipes in any order. You can find many other blogged descriptions of this month’s FFWD recipes here: LYL: December 24

Holidaying on Main Street

~ Teresa ~ 3 Comments

After Saturday’s Baking Swap, I took my haul (including some beautiful squash and beets I’d picked up) and headed down Main Street. The stretch of Main between about 8th and 30th is full of eclectic stores, good coffee shops and excellent restaurants. There were holiday craft fairs at Little Mountain Studios and Heritage Hall and the shops along Main were full of present-worthy goods. I had something else in mind, though.

There’s a wonderful tearoom called Shaktea at 21st and Main and the chilly, damp day was making me crave a good cup of tea. (Those who know me will know that there is very little that doesn’t make me crave a good cup of tea, but it would not be kind of them to mention that.) I decided that I would indulge myself there for a break from shopping. I ordered a cup of their holiday tea, a black tea with winter spices, citrus and rose petals. Many winter or holiday spiced teas can be a little overpowering. This tea, though, was flavourful and fragrant, with just the right balance between the spices and the tea itself.

There were two harpists playing while I was there and I got to hear Greensleeves, one of my favourite traditional tunes. The tea, the music and the cosily appointed room all worked to make me feel relaxed and invigorated at the same time. If I hadn’t had to go meet my partner, I’d have had difficulty leaving. I consoled myself by buying a bag of holiday tea to take home and went on my way.

After some record shopping at Red Cat and more craft fair browsing, it was finally time for a meal. My partner and I chose Burgoo, a restaurant specializing in comfort food and a perfect choice for an increasingly cold and rainy day. Burgoo’s interior reminds me of a quaint English pub. Some of its menu would fit into that category, too. The rest is a selection of comfort food from around the world. My partner chose butter chicken, which he said was a healthier version of the traditional dish. The chicken was tender and the sauce was tasty and light, lacking the rich creaminess he’s come to expect elsewhere. I had the split pea soup with the ham and brie sandwich. The soup was fantastic, tasting of thyme and ham and with a chunkier texture than many versions I’ve tried. The sandwich was good, but I wish the brie had been warm and melty, rather than cold. It would have been perfect, then.

I have to admit that we went home that day without finishing our Christmas shopping, but I’ll be back on Main again this week, with a little more focus and a little less indulgence.

In the meantime, here’s a short round up of a few of the places you ought to get to know, if you’ve still got some names left on your list:

The Regional Assembly of Text
Urban Source
Front
Lucky’s Comics
Pulp Fiction
Three Bags Full
Bodacious

Shaktea on Urbanspoon

Burgoo (Main Street) on Urbanspoon

FFWD – Speculoos

~ Teresa ~ 10 Comments

At Christmas time, I invariably end up on Main Street. It’s my favourite street for gift-shopping. If truth be told, it’s also my favourite street for breaks and meals pre, mid and post gift-shopping. On Saturday, I had an extra incentive for heading out that way. The Winter Farmers’ Market had their first-ever baking exchange and I had the perfect recipe: Dorie Greenspan’s Speculoos.

I started the recipe Friday night, making the dough and chilling it overnight. The dough was a little crumbly when I was rolling it out, but by morning it was easy to handle. I worked quickly to cut out shapes and get them onto the pan, before the dough softened too much. When the cookies came out of the oven, I sprinkled them with sanding sugar. The best part, though, was testing one. I was so surprised at the crispness of the cookie. I never really expected it to measure up to the crunch of its commercial cousins. Other recipes I’ve tried were never more than crisp-ish. These would be perfect with coffee, especially if you indulged in a little dipping. I can also see the appeal of turning them into sandwich cookies with nutella or dulce de leche filling.

I only needed two dozen cookies for the swap, so I packaged them quickly (using an image I’d found online for the tags) and headed for the Market. I dropped off my cookies and did some shopping while I waited for the swap to begin. Cleverly, the organizer had set up paper bags with participants’ names on them and put our cookies inside. Since we’d all brought two packages of a dozen cookies, we couldn’t have a sample of each kind. Instead, we were invited to pick two bags, making sure they didn’t have our own names on them. I love the grab bag concept. I was pleased to find myself in possession of Roberta LaQuaglia’s Cherry Cornmeal Cookies and Jennifer Zuk’s Chocolate Oatmeal Maraschino Cookies. I’ve tasted them both and can attest that they are delicious. The rest are earmarked for holiday celebrations. Thanks to Robyn Carlson of the Market for organizing the swap – I’m already looking forward to next year’s!

On Tuesday, I’ll let you know what I got up to after the swap as I headed down Main Street.

We’re doing things a little differently again for the month of December. We’re still posting weekly, but people are free to post this month’s recipes in any order. You can find many other blogged descriptions of this month’s FFWD recipes here: LYL: December 17

In the Bleak Midwinter

~ Teresa ~ Leave a comment

In the bleak midwinter
Frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone

Christina Rossetti

Though rain haunts our region more than snow for most of winter, it’s still rough going for those who sleep outside. Blankets, warm clothes, mittens, hats and scarves are all needed to stay as healthy and dry as possible. The City of Vancouver has opened emergency shelters again for the winter, but inevitably, not everyone finds accommodations every night. People need to stay warm during the day, too.

If you can make, buy or give up warm items, there are a number of options for donation. Baaad Anna’s held their annual Knit-a-thon this past weekend, with items going to the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre and there are some ongoing clothing drives happening in the city. Here’s a great list compiled by Miss 604 of locations accepting donations. Coastal Health is also running its Sox in the City campaign again this year. Finally, warm clothing can be dropped off at the Info Booth at the Vancouver Farmers’ Market Winter location for donation to Lookout Emergency Aid Society. (Just remember that the Market won’t be running December 25th or January 1st.)

December is also the traditional month for food drives. The Vancouver Food Bank accepts donations of non-perishable food items. So does A Loving Spoonful, which helps people living with HIV/AIDS. Quest Food Exchange also accepts donations of fresh produce, which can make a real difference in the diets of the people they serve.

Remember too, that six months from now, when the sun is shining, there will still be people in the city sleeping rough and many more needing the services that food banks provide. It might then be time to consider another round of donations.

FFWD – Spiced Butter-Glazed Carrots

~ Teresa ~ 9 Comments

These days, the light disappears before I even realize it’s afternoon. Rain is forecast as far into the foreseeable future as meteorologists are willing to predict. Not even the unseasonable warmth seems to make up for the dark and the wet. It can be easy to feel overwhelmed.

But that’s not all of it. Often, the predicted rain falls while I am asleep and I wake up to sunshine, warmth and clean air. Even when that’s not the case, the darkness and the rain can be beautiful. It’s just a matter of perspective.

This is what I tell myself when I get frustrated. Like today, when I’m running late with everything and nothing’s working quite as well as it should. Except for dinner. Dinner is terrific tonight. The spiced butter-glazed carrots are so good they might almost pass for dessert and they make a great companion for Sam Sifton’s Asado Negro.

And if you were still hungry afterward, though I’m not suggesting you would be, you might turn to page 36 of the current edition of Edible Vancouver and finish your meal with some pots de crème.

We’re doing things a little differently again for the month of December. We’re still posting weekly, but people are free to post this month’s recipes in any order. You can find many other blogged descriptions of this month’s FFWD recipes here: LYL: December 10

What Lies Ahead

~ Teresa ~ 4 Comments

It is a commonplace that those who reach middle age lament the world that has passed and rail against the one that is coming into being. I keep that in mind when I feel curmudgeonly, but I don’t let that stop me from making my mind up about the rights and wrongs of our time.

I come from the generation whose grandparents experienced life in Canada without universal medicare or unemployment insurance. Our parents came of age here in the era of the greatest prosperity and the narrowest class gap of all time. Now, the gap between rich and poor is widening at a frightening rate and medicare is hardly likely to survive into my old age. In the face of these pressures, communities are engaging in discussions about food security and re-discovering techniques for self-sufficiency. Others are discussing the impacts of unchecked development, both within cities and on agricultural land.

I don’t mean to suggest that we return to a mythical golden era; we’ve certainly made strides in human rights and equality since then. I just believe that much is being lost right now that puts the best of our culture at risk.

This post is the introduction to a series of occasional posts about my neighbourhood and region, where I’ll explore my thoughts and fears about the suburbanization of the city, the loss of agricultural land and the growing economic gap that will affect city dwellers and outliers alike.

FFWD – Sweet and Spicy Cocktail Nuts

~ Teresa ~ 27 Comments

I’ve always loved baking, in an old-fashioned way. When I was a child, I started out as my mother’s helper in the kitchen and then slowly started to master the recipes in her cookbooks. At University, I became known for bringing brownies, cookies and cakes to parties and people would be disappointed if I didn’t. I’ve been doing it ever since.

It’s only been in the last ten years or so that I’ve encountered people who disdain dessert. In one particular circle, I’d bring a basket of cookies to a party and go home with them all untouched. I’d bring the cookies to work the next day and they wouldn’t last a half hour. I was baffled, until I asked the friend who’d introduced me to that crowd. She told me that no one wanted to indulge in unhealthy treats and that a party was no excuse for over-eating.

So, I began bringing cheese plates instead. Blocks of brie, camembert, blue cheese and aged cheddar disappeared, along with the savoury dips and spreads that lined the table. It’s enough to break a baker’s heart. Clearly, the injunction against indulgence really only applied to desserts and baked goods.

I’ve got another one of these gatherings coming up, but I have a solution that’s going to satisfy my baker’s urge and shouldn’t leave me with untouched offerings at the end of the night. Dorie Greenspan’s Sweet and Spicy Cocktail Nuts.

These are a lot like a brittle, with a spicy bite of cayenne and chilli, instead of the usual caramel. I added a touch of smoked paprika to mine and am pleased with the result. The only thing I’d change is the sugar I used. Next time, I’ll pick up some granulated sugar – the slightly coarse cane sugar I had on hand produced a bubbly, brittle texture that isn’t as visually pleasing as I’d like.

I’m going to present them with a variety of salted nuts. I predict they’ll be popular.

We’re doing things a little differently again for the month of December. We’re still posting weekly, but people are free to post this month’s recipes in any order. You can find many other blogged descriptions of this month’s FFWD recipes here: LYL: December 3