Lingering Impressions From Last Weekend

After we all rose from our mac 'n cheese coma last Saturday, we hit the streets to see what all the fuss was about. We started out with a Seabus ride, and then jumped on the Skytrain. Along the way, we had to change trains and spent some time hanging out on the Nanaimo Street train platform. , We watched train after train whizz by as we waited for the right train to come our way. My favourite image was this one in which these two little faces were pressed up against the front of the train in the driver's position.

We made a quick pit stop at CODE Live, to let our American pals, Paul and Lisa, experience a slice of Canadian culture. We were mesmerized by this installation called Breaking the Ice in which an identical window is set up in Montreal, and you interact with the person standing on "the other side of the glass". The "window" ices over, and you can crack the ice, melt the ice and make your way towards communicating with a complete stranger on the other side of the country.

Here's the program note: "Breaking the Ice is an installation developed by the Society for Arts and Technology [SAT] that connects in real-time the audience at CODE Live 1 with participants at the other end of the country. As audience members in Vancouver approach the installation’s screen, they encounter an icy window displaying their counterparts thousands of kilometers away in Montreal. Through real-time telepresence, participants can connect, interact and proceed to play using a human size touchscreen. After virtually melting the digital frost between the users, a live video transmission from the other city is revealed. Users can play in this frosty atmosphere, hand-drawing in the ice, using snowflakes to re-freeze the scene. The ice might also break completely, requiring participants to piece together the shattered fragments. Through one of the fastest internet lines in the world, and with live audio/video streaming, this game will allow audience members in Montreal and Vancouver to literally “break the ice.”"

Then we headed down to Granville Island. After a botched attempt to get into Atlantic House (closed for a private function), The Swiss House (turns out it is just a fondue restaurant with a big wait time), we went to another installation called Candahar in which Belfast artist Theo Simm's has recreated a popular Irish bar. There are performances in the evening, and I was mighty sorry we were there in the day, because I really felt we missed out on something. Mister Man did interact with the artist who was tending bar. He ended up hearing a great story and being presented with a nifty button. Also - the boys got to drink beer, and we all had a bowl of Irish Stew.

And then we take Manhattan. Okay - actually we didn't take anything. We, along with about a gazillion other folks, went downtown, where we were thrilled to see people in the sky and painted into stairs.

Culture abounded. The Vancouver Art Gallery was not only FULL of artwork, but wrapped in it as well. (Dear Provincial Government - can you please remember this moment before you foolishly slash arts funding in this fair province?)

But the best thing about the day was simply getting to hang out with people we love in a city that was truly abuzz with energy.

Oh. And the Earl Grey Martini we had at Uva. Now THAT is deserving of a medal......

A Little Something Sweet (Chocolate Espresso Torte)

Here's what I made for Doodie's FIRST birthday celebration (which was also a celebration for AJ as well). This is lovely and dense and chocolatey.

Chocolate Espresso Torte)

(from Fine Cooking Magazine - truly the best foodie mag in the universe)

Serves 12

5 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/4 lb. (8 Tbs.) unsalted butter, cut into pieces; more for the pan
4 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brewed espresso or double-strength coffee, cooled to room temperature
1 Tbs. sifted, finely ground espresso beans (from about 1 heaping Tbs. whole beans)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup all-purpose flour; more for the pan

Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch square pan and line the bottom with kitchen parchment. Butter the parchment and lightly flour the pan, shaking out the excess.

In a small, heavy-based saucepan over medium heat, melt the chocolates and butter, stirring frequently. Set aside. Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, whip the eggs, sugar, brewed espresso, ground espresso beans, and salt on medium-high speed until thick and voluminous, at least 8 minutes. Turn the mixer to low and mix in the butter-chocolate mixture. Turn off the mixer. Sift the flour over the batter and fold until all the ingredients are fully incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Set a plate over the torte and carefully invert the torte onto the plate; peel off the parchment. Flip the torte back onto the rack to cool completely before slicing. I used a round biscuit cutter to cut it into 5 lovely rounds which I dusted lightly with icing sugar and served with a dollop of whipped cream that was made with about 1/4 cup of icing sugar and a 1/2 teaspoon of finely ground instant espresso.

The Red and the White

Last weekend, we were joined by a whole pile of our wonderful friends who gathered in our wee abode to watch the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. Paul and Lisa came up from Seattle to take in the sights and the sounds reverberating through our fair city. And they also came to stir the pot. "Which pot?", you might inquire. Well, see - when Lisa read about the Great Mac Off of months gone by, she kinda threw down the gauntlet. Yup. She challenged us to a Mac Off because she was convinced that SHE made the world's best Mac 'n Cheese. When Paul got wind of all this posturing, he too wanted to join in the fun with his "old school" homage to creamy goodness. "Old school?" you say. Did I mention that there are only 4 ingredients? One of them is pasta. The other major ingredient is Velveeta.

So we decided that there was no better way to watch the launch of some winter games, than with a big ol' mess of yummy comfort food. In the spirit of competition, four of us cooked up our own special variety of Mac 'n Cheese. We invited Lori and Shayne, and Pooter, and Annie and Lara to join us for a slice of life and a slice (or 4) of Mac 'n Cheese as we all entered the fray. It was delicious. Every single Mac was completely different from the one that came before.

And with those kinds of odds, you could say that everyone was a winner. Well, actually no. NOT everyone was a winner. Paul was the winner. I won the silver medal. Lisa was our bronze medallist. And - um - [leans in and whispers] well, Mister Man was kinda last. Shhh. He gets all pouty if you bring it up, so let's just leave it at the door shall we? Here's our prize winner, merrily holding his booty.

I will also tell you that Lori made her first layer cake, and it was delicious. And beautiful. So fitting, don't you think?

It was a red velvet cake. Delectable.

The rest of the weekend was filled with much fun, and more red and white than I've ever seen in my life. It was enough to fill a gal's heart with a teary kind of pride. Here are some red and white highlights for you.

And here's a gentle reminder of history - the truths that have come before. Because, contrary to popular belief, it's not all fun and games.

And the Sign Said

Here were some things of note in Whitehorse.

Frost that sticks to the car window in snowflake patterns.

Signage in the bathroom.

Signage in the airport taped to the window overlooking the runway.

Very cool bike lockers.

Best bike rack EVER.

Wondrous Winter

I love living in Vancouver. I love the green grass that grows in February and I love the fact that a jean jacket was plenty warm in January.

That being said, I also kinda LOVED the winter I just experienced in the Yukon. It was crisp, clear, cold and absolutely gorgeous. Sure, I might not have loved it quite as much if the winds had been gusting to 40 kilometers an hour or if sleet had been slicing my skin like a ginsu knife. But that wasn't the case. It was simply glorious in the Yukon.

Walking around downtown Whitehorse is sort of like stepping back into the past.

And then there was the sun and the snow and the freshest air you've ever inhaled.

And, if you listen really hard, you can even hear the snow crunch underfoot.

The Super Bowl Snack Food Smack Down

This was Mister Man's idea. And what a great idea it was. I'm not one with the football, but I love an occasion that involves a number of fabulous people descending upon our apartment bearing platters of assorted snack food. I also love watching people discuss sports and hoot and holler when their team does something either splendid or stupid. It's sort of life-affirming to me as I sit in the corner playing Scrabble with anyone who'd rather yell at a board game rather than a football field. Sunday was no exception. It went a little like this:

It started with the curling. There was curling on television. Who knew that we had a room full of curlers (many of them American. And as Mister Man says, if you're an American who takes up curling of your own volition, you should be issued your Canadian citizenship card without question!)

I need to point out that in the following picture, most of the pointing "splainin' fingers" belong to American friends who are discussing the finer points of "GO HARD" to others in the room.

Then it's on to football. Here, two of the men discuss the finer points of running around the field toting a small inflated pigskin.

But here's the REAL reason most of us were here. The snacks. We're looking at Mister Man's short rib sliders, Andrew's bean dip and the chips that were used to scoop Kari's curry crab dip. Missing from the photo were Annie's kick ass beef chili and my veggie chili and maple cornbread biscuits. Not to mention Lara's most amazing chicken wings.

There was also the dessert table, featuring Andrew's killer lemon tart, Aileen's world famous nanaimo bars, and my chocolate sheet cake.

Just in case you're wondering HOW delicious those nanaimo bars are, let me illustrate by saying:

The game begins and the tensions rise. Annie feels compelled to put her fist in her mouth.

Tamara feels compelled to put bread in her mouth.

The tension continues to build:

Until something funny happens. (darned if I can remember WHAT)

But all that laughter felt great. Even IF Tamara was annoyed with her tiles!

The snack food smack down results were tallied towards the end of the game. Mister Man won the savory portion of the contest with his sliders. And Andrew took the cake with his tart. Here he is proudly displaying his prize.

But really the whole event was a sham - a flimsy excuse to get people together so that we could chat (but only during the commercials!!), laugh, and enjoy food prepared lovingly by each other. And there's NUTHIN' wrong with that. NUTHIN'