A Holiday Round Up

December 10, 2013May 5, 2014 ~ Teresa ~ 2 Comments

We’re well into December now and we’ve even had some snow here, so it’s hard not to feel a bit of holiday spirit. There’s a lot going on this month, with some of my favourite craft fairs yet to come, seasonal music and performances, and more. It’s been a while since I’ve done a round up, but what better time of year? Here’s your holiday hit parade.

Arts & Crafts

Shiny Fuzzy Muddy is the sophisticated older sister of the craft fair. It’s the place to find investment pieces in art, clothing, and jewellery. Which makes Got Craft? their slightly alternative cousin. I’m going to drop the metaphor before I get to Circle Craft, I swear. Well, one more. I don’t know whether Craftacular is the punk rock youngest or the mischievous middle child – you decide. A short look at Refresh‘s vendor list might take care of a good chunk of your gift list (or your wish list). Another upcoming favourite is Blim, which looks like it has some fun in store. And if your heart needs a little melting, I think the Winter Wonderland Children’s Art Fair should do the trick. It’s an opportunity for ten to nineteen-year-olds to sell their wares, from art to crafts to baking.

Most of these are taking place this upcoming weekend, but for the truly last-minute shopper (putting down the mirror, now), there’s still hope. The Eastside Flea and the Last Chance Christmas Craft Fair have got you covered. They’re both on that last weekend before St. Nick arrives.

Food

What better place to start than the Vancouver Farmers’ Market Holiday Market? Then, there’s Gingerbread Lane, a fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which technically involves food, but might get you arrested if you actually try to eat it. So, go to the Vancouver Christmas Market afterward and get your fill of Glühwein, Schupfnudeln, and Flammenkuchen. And don’t miss the Winter Solstice Festival at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Gardens. There will be Dragon Spice holiday tea to drink and hot buns to eat while you enjoy the lanterns placed all around the gardens.

Performance

There’s more music, dance, and theatre performances than my fingers care to type up at this time of year, so I’ll just mention a few. The York Theatre is back in action with it’s first post-reno show, Jack & the Beanstalk: An East Van Panto – everything you ever wanted to know about my neighbourhood but were afraid to ask. Another locally set Christmas tale, It’s Snowing on Saltspring, has long been a Christmastime theatre tradition here. Music and stories take centre stage at Pacific Theatre’s Christmas Presence. Speaking of music, Musica Intima‘s Christmas concerts are always profoundly beautiful. Early Music Vancouver is presenting Festive Cantatas for Christmas, featuring their Bach Cantata Project. And the Vancouver Bach Choir will be presenting Handel’s Messiah. If it’s the Nutcracker you’re after, you’ve got two choices. Goh Ballet and Ballet BC are each having a crack at it, so to speak.

Fun

I’ve already told you about Christmas at Canada Place and the rest of the events at the Winter Waterfront District, but there is lots more going on. Free skating at Robson Square, the Festival of Lights at VanDusen Gardens, or for those who are suffering from holiday fatigue, MOV’s Play House: The architecture of Daniel Evan White exhibition.

Like I said, it’s a busy month. I’m going to try to make it to at least some of the events on the list, but I’ll also make sure to make some time for hot chocolate and It’s a Wonderful Life, holiday baking, and visits with family and friends.

Now it’s your turn – what’s up this month where you live?

Christmas at Canada Place

December 3, 2013March 12, 2016 ~ Teresa ~ 2 Comments

I attended a media tour and event preview of Christmas at Canada Place as a guest of Port Metro Vancouver. Nevertheless, all opinions in the following post are my own.

This time of year can get a little expensive, especially for families. It’s not just gift-giving and holiday feasts that can strain the wallet, but also the events and activities that pop up just in time for the school break. Even taking a family of four to a Christmas movie can run to nearly $100.00, if you include a trip to the snack bar.

Christmas at Canada Place is a welcome antidote to the premium prices that families face with many other holiday activities – it’s free! For the 26th year of festivities there, they’ve expanded their offerings considerably. Along with the display of Woodward’s iconic Christmas window displays, there’s a range of activities that could keep a family engaged for hours. The theme this year is Christmas in Canada and they’ve provided both curling and skating rinks (with artificial ice on loan from Park Royal Shopping Centre), miniature train rides (provided by CN and staffed by wonderful volunteers from the West Coast Railway Association), and an interactive virtual tour of the Northwest Territories. There’s also a craft area, featuring different holiday crafts each day, a #ChristmasinCanada photo booth, and visits from Santa on weekends. Food and drink will be available, with food trucks showing up mostly on the weekends, featuring Canadian foods – think bearclaws and poutine.

What most impressed me about how this event’s been organized is how much planning has gone into making this a low cost affair for attendees. Though you can purchase food there if you’d like, folks are also encouraged to bring along their own meals to share at the gift-wrapped picnic tables. You can purchase professional photos with Santa, with packages ranging from $10.00 to $20.00, but staff will also take photos for you with your own camera. There’s a suggested donation of $2.00 for activities, which goes directly to Strathcona Community Centre’s Backpack Program, supporting food security for kids. In the case of the train ride, the funds are split between the backpack program and the West Coast Railway Association, another worthy recipient. There is also free entertainment at two stages throughout the month. When I spoke to Gillian Behnke of Port Metro Vancouver, this year’s lead presenter at Canada Place, she told me that making the event financially accessible was a planning priority for the event. This thoughtfulness makes this event a model for corporations and institutions wanting to connect with the community around them.

Speaking of community, the entire district has come together for the first time this year to provide activities and festivities for the public throughout the month of December. I’ll tell you a little bit more about the Winter Waterfront District tomorrow, when I talk about my trip to FlyOver Canada. In the meantime, don’t forget to bring some non-perishible goods with you when you head down to Canada Place, as they’re aiming to fill a shipping container with donations to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. You can’t miss it – it’s the enormous gift-wrapped container on the plaza.

FFWD – Floating Islands

September 1, 2013September 1, 2013 ~ Teresa ~ 17 Comments

I struggle to reconcile my contradictions, sometimes. I can be a book snob, but secretly loved it when my oldest niece requested that I read the Harry Potter series, so that we could discuss the novels’ themes. I love trying new restaurants and exploring interesting shops, but I’m horrified by the displacement of the poor that’s happening in some of our newly hip neighbourhoods. Suburban-raised and city-dwelling, university-educated and a little downwardly-mobile, my contradictions are predictable, but bothersome all the same.

One contradiction I’m not so bothered by is my love of both old fashioned, family-style cooking and complicated, elegant fare. I’ve been making simple cookies like Snickerdoodles and Chocolate Crinkles since I was a child, but I was just as happy to learn how to make this week’s French Fridays recipe, Îles flottantes. Especially since, like so many of Dorie’s recipes, it’s easier than it looks.

Dorie’s recipes for both the meringue and the Crème Anglaise divide nicely, so I was able to make just enough for Kevin and me (there may have been seconds involved, but I’m pretty sure there are no witnesses to attest to that).

I thought about making some of Dorie’s Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce to serve with the Floating Islands, but instead ran down the street to Woodland Smokehouse and Commissary and picked up some Earnest Ice Cream. Their pints, in adorable, and returnable, little jars, are just indulgent enough for the two of us. I passed over Whiskey Hazelnut, Tahitian Vanilla, and Cardamom, settling on Milk Chocolate, instead. It’s like a Dairy Milk in a jar and was a perfect counterpoint to the intense vanilla of the Crème Anglaise.

I’m quite positive that I’m going to continue to be of two minds about a lot of things, but not about this dessert. Now, if I can just manage to make it to Dîner en Blanc next year, I think I’ve got a perfectly elegant picnic dessert up my sleeve.

You can find many other blogged descriptions of this week’s FFWD recipe here: Floating Islands

FFWD – Boulevard Raspail Corn on the Cob

August 23, 2013August 23, 2013 ~ Teresa ~ 27 Comments

This is the season when I find myself making meals out of whatever comes from the garden, no recipes needed. Steamed chard or runner beans, slices of cucumber and yellow zucchini, whole radishes – mostly topped with nothing more than salt and pepper and perhaps a little olive oil or butter. Why muddy the flavours of such fresh produce with anything more? This week’s dish fits right into my late summer eating habits. The corn is roasted in its husk in the oven (or on the barbeque, for those who live in hotter climes), then dressed sparingly. We opted for a butter, salt, and pepper. I’ll use this method again, especially when the weather is as mild as it will be this week. I’ve got more of the sweet Chilliwack corn my mother dropped off for us just waiting in the fridge.

All that vegetable goodness doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten about other treats, though, and yesterday I got to sample some lovely pastries at Beaucoup Bakery with Mardi of eat. live. travel. write. We’re the only two active Canadian participants in French Fridays, so I was glad she was able to fit me in during a very brief visit to Vancouver. I enjoyed our visit.

I don’t make it out to the Fairview neighbourhood very often, perhaps because there are too many tempting shops there. I managed to avoid Books to Cooks this time, for which my groaning cookbook shelves will thank me. I missed my bus, though, so ended up doing a little shopping at Murchie’s and Cookworks while I waited for the next one to show up. There are a lot more shops and restaurants worth visiting in this district, and I’m adding Beaucoup Bakery to the list. Their croissants alone seem worth another trip.

The Fairview district also includes Granville Island and Gallery Row, so there’s a lot to see. Perhaps I’ll spend a day there soon and make a full post of it.

You can find many other blogged descriptions of this week’s FFWD recipe here: Boulevard Raspail Corn on the Cob

Kerrisdale

August 6, 2013May 4, 2014 ~ Teresa ~ 2 Comments

I’m an Eastside girl, so my forays west of Main aren’t frequent, but this past Saturday, I made the the trek out to Kerrisdale for A Very Special Occasion, which I’ll share with you soon. Kerrisdale is a generally affluent neighbourhood, with something of a reputation for being staid and British, though that’s not as true as it once was. One of the holdovers of that reputation is the Secret Garden Tea Company, which is a favourite of mine. A bag of their signature tea or Creamy Earl Grey doesn’t last very long in my kitchen.

West 41st is the main shopping street, with a mixture of mid-to-high-end chain stores and independent businesses. Some of the highlights include Benton Brothers Fine Cheese, which could give les amis du FROMAGE a run for its money, the macarons at Faubourg, and the excellent espresso at Caffè Artigiano. If you want to explore a little more, there’s a full listing of shops and services at Kerrisdale Village.

The way that neighbourhoods have developed in Vancouver, for the most part, is that there’s a similar range of independent shops in each, with the balance reflecting the character of the neighbourhood. So, Kerrisdale has Moore’s Bakery and The Drive has Fratelli, each of which offer beautiful bread and pastries. But, the Secret Garden has Kerrisdale written all over it, while Storm Crow Tavern couldn’t really be anywhere else but Commercial Drive. It makes for fun explorations and comparisons across the city.

I think on my next foray west, I want to do an Eastside/Westside photo essay. The manicured gardens of Kerrisdale versus the front yard veggie explosions in Hastings-Sunrise. As a for instance. I think I could get some interesting contrasts.

FFWD – Tzatziki

August 2, 2013May 4, 2014 ~ Teresa ~ 14 Comments

The neighbourhood next to mine is called Hastings-Sunrise, though it’s also been branded The East Village by its business association. It’s only a few blocks away, but it’s in the opposite direction from my regular shopping route, so I don’t get over there as often as I’d like. This afternoon, I decided to get out of my usual routine and head east rather than south. My first stop was Black Rook Bakehouse, which I’ve been meaning to check out since it opened. They’ve got gorgeous pies, cakes, and cookies, along with breads and savoury pot pies, but I settled on a slice of chocolate-threaded banana bread, for an after-errands treat. The lovely shopkeeper threw in a loaf of potato bread, since they were about to close for the long weekend. I’ll be back for some more of that, on my own dime next time. Next, I stopped in at Donald’s Market, for some late-season strawberries and some gluten-free oatmeal. (There are going to be basil-blackberry crumbles all summer long, I think, so I need to be well-stocked with oatmeal.)

You’re probably wondering right about now what all this has to do with this week’s recipe, aren’t you? My next stop is the segueway. Rio Friendly Meats lives up to its name, or rather, its staff does. They stock an array of house-made sausages, along with great cuts of meat. It was the chicken breasts marinating in Greek spices that I came for, though. I thought they’d go perfectly with this week’s Tzatziki, and I was right.

We ate quite late tonight, so I don’t have any photos for you, but I served the oven-roasted chicken with a dollop of tzatziki and a salad on the side (which included the first of the yellow zucchinis from my garden). The tzatziki was also wonderful as a dip for vegetables and rice crackers this afternoon. Tomorrow, the leftovers are going to stand in for cottage cheese in a Greek-style version of last week’s Dieter’s Tartine on that amazing potato bread (for me) and some Udi’s gluten-free bread (for Kevin).

I’m not sure why I haven’t been making my own tzatziki up until now, but I’ll be making up for that omission in future. At a quarter of the recipe, it’s just right for us for two or three days of Greek-inspired eating.

And as for Hastings-Sunrise, I hardly did it justice with my three paltry stops today. If you’re interested in what the neighbourhood has to offer, the folks at Vancouver East Village have done a wonderful job of covering all its businesses and amenities.

You can find many other blogged descriptions of this week’s FFWD recipe here: Tzatziki

Hello, August

July 30, 2013May 4, 2014 ~ Teresa ~ 2 Comments

The organized folks I know are planning (maybe even planting) their fall vegetable gardens, now. I need to take some time away from tracking the development of my beans and squash and plot out the chards and kales and lettuces of the coming cooler weather, I guess. It’s awfully tempting to stare at my sunflowers a while, instead.

Even so, I’ve managed to clear out the garden space that’s destined to become a tiny meditation garden for Kevin. I’m excited because it’s going to include a fig tree from the garden of my mother’s friend Gina, who also provided me with about seventeen dahlias that are getting ready to bloom, now.

Summer’s full of things to do beyond the backyard, though. Here are a few that might tempt Vancouverites away from home in the next little while:

We’re in the midst of Pride Week here, with a raft of activities, including the enormous Parade, which has been officially declared a civic event for the first time in Vancouver. Then, starting mid-August, it’s the 25th Anniversary edition of the Vancouver Queer Film Festival.

Twenty-five years may seem like a long run, but the Powell Street Festival, is in its 37th year of celebrating Vancouver’s Japanese community. It’s this coming weekend and it’s always great.

West Vancouver (a separate country, really) has a festival this weekend, too. The Harmony Arts Festival includes music, film, food, visual arts, and performance.

Or for some genuine high culture, with a view to boot, head down to Bard on the Beach. They’ve got a fantastic line up this year and my personal pick is Elizabeth Rex, by the much missed Timothy Findley.

Emily Carr University’s Yellow Crane Festival is running from August 1st through 4th. You can pick up some pieces from current students or recent alumni, while enjoying the atmosphere of one of Vancouver’s prettiest urban spots.

That’s just a smidgen of what’s on offer here, of course. So tell me, what’s going on in your neck of the woods this summer?

Turn to the Sun

June 11, 2013 ~ Teresa ~ 7 Comments

My camera’s SD card is filled with the best of intentions, or rather, it’s filled with photos I’ve been meaning to use in a post. Sometimes, the photos start to feel a little stale-dated and never make it here, but sometimes a belated post isn’t such a bad thing.

Which brings me to the sunflower sale I attended last month. A friend of ours has been helping to organize this event for nine years now, raising money for the Stephen Lewis Foundation‘s work in Africa. This year’s sale earned $5,380.00, which will go directly to the Foundation’s programs in Africa.

Turn to the Sun‘s volunteers, including kids from two elementary schools, grow sunflower seedlings for the sale, which takes place each year around Mothers’ Day. It’s truly a sidewalk sale, with tents covering almost a whole block of pavement, to protect the seedlings and the customers from our uncertain spring weather.

This year, I came away with three very tall varieties, a Velvet Queen, an Earthwalker, and a Claret. They’re just waist-high, gangly teenagers right now, but they’re avoiding the snails and slugs that plague my garden sometimes and they’re already following the sun. I have visions of sharing their seeds with my co-op neighbours, family, and friends in the spring, but I’ll also be at next year’s sale. A little earlier though, so I have a chance to pick up some of the dwarf varieties for my brutally sunny front balcony. I think they’ll love it there.

Next year is their tenth anniversary, and I expect it will be bigger than ever. Get in touch with them if you’d like to help out, or if you’d like to start your own satellite sale where you live.

EAT! Vancouver

May 28, 2013March 12, 2016 ~ Teresa ~ 2 Comments

This weekend, I was lucky enough to attend EAT! Vancouver, courtesy of tickets I won from Bee VanCity and EAT! Vancouver. My Mom was my trusty tasting buddy and we ate and drank our way through a delightful afternoon.

Some favourites:

The bites we had from Ebo
The caviar on brioche and the delicious chocolates from Secret Location
Kitchening & Co.’s macarons
The folks at the Swiss booth setting up a lovely raclette photo for me
Schokolade Artisan Chocolate
Maple liqueur and chocolate wine
The variety and quality of the gluten-free goods we sampled

Here are a few more photos from the day:

Aquatic Inspiration

April 16, 2013April 18, 2013 ~ Teresa ~ 3 Comments

Vancouver Public Library, along with about twenty partners, has introduced a new way for locals to experience the attractions that are usually left to visitors to Vancouver. Over a two-week borrowing period, the Vancouver Inspiration Pass allows patrons of the library to visit local attractions and recreation facilities for free. It’s a nice way to play tourist in your own town.

My friend Tricia has one of the passes right now and today she took me along with her to the Vancouver Aquarium for a photo visit. It was a challenging environment for photography and I only got a few shots that I was really pleased with. I’m sharing a few that I like for photographic reasons, and a few more that I’m fond of despite their flaws. (You can find some more professional shots from Tricia, here.)