New Year's Gougeres

Today I was jonesing for gougeres, so I made a batch while listening to CBC Radio One--a program about the dire situation in Syria. I wish for peace for them. I made a lentil curry soup for lunch, with some spices I brought back from Montréal. Saturday I went for Sunch with some girlfriends at Chutney Villa, reminding me what a great deal it is (12.95 for brunch and chai) and how good it tastes. The sambar was better than average, so it inspired me to riff on that theme.

I have no idea what to make for New Year's eve Dinner. I did fall for the cuteness of some New Year's themed brownie bites at Whole Foods, so dessert is covered and we're going to drink the mead I received for Christmas. Everything I feel like making involves foods that my family don't like. Bummer.

Post Christmas Cravings

When I've had one glass of port and one Christmas cookie too many I find myself craving a cleansing soup. So today made a pared down version of my favorite Thai chicken soup, using lemon verbena instead of lemon grass, and cleaning the fridge out of leftover sweet potato, leeks, onions, and kale. I would also love some good miso soup, and that awesome soupy Vietnamese chicken curry. I have also found myself craving pizza, so went to get a slice of my mushroom pizza with its awesome chewy crust at Trilussa. I also love wild rice in soup. I've got to track some down.

We got a big hunk of chevre for Christmas, so tomorrow I'm gonna make a cheesecake!

As I prepare to head to Victoria next month for my annual trip, I am sad to hear The Superior and Daidoco have both closed. All is not lost: Daidoco has been reopened as Ochida with what looks like a similar menu, but the Superior will reopen in February for 2 nights a week as a live event club with rotating chefs.

Truffles and Mysteries

Okay, so I'll admit it. My favorite way to relax is to drink port, watch British mysteries and eat bonbons on the couch. I have found a great source of material to watch and have been going through the Dalziel and Pascoe shows. Today I ran two Christmas errands--getting pretty sick of doing so in the rain. I have been eating chocolates by DC Duby--particularly the fruitcake caramels and the s'more-style chocolates.

Tomorrow I'll be getting an Indian Head massage, which I am very excited about. I had a doozy of a migraine yesterday, but (knock on wood) it has stayed away today. No port for me tonight. I have hidden a stocking stuffer I can't find, but otherwise things are under control. Tomorrow we eat the oysters grandpa C gave us. Yahoo!

I was pondering massages today. I have had different kinds of massages and masseuses for over twenty years. I think I should write about my experiences--from the octogenarian ministrations of Gustav in Manitou Lake to the third-world style acupressure for morning sickness in Vancouver, each experience was uniquely traumatic. A Shiatsu practitioner gave me TMJ and made every fibre of my body swell up in pain. My German Feldenkreis practitioner blamed all my alignment troubles on my overladen top shelf. And so on . . . . Hopefully tomorrow will be all about the pleasure and NOT the pain. Actually I read up on the masseuse and she sounds absolutely lovely.

Night Skies and Tiny Mushrooms

Sometime last night before falling asleep I felt as though I had had enough. Enough buying stuff for the big day. I just want to put my feet up and RELAX.

We woke to find snow on the rooftops and so I put on my boots and headed to school with the boy so I could continue down the hill to Book Warehouse. I am happy BW is local and it's still here, but I must say, the cookbook collection was thin on the ground and left me depressed. Then I went to Chapters and got even more depressed. I know I needed to go to Barbara Joe's but it is hard for me to get there. Anyway, I did buy a couple of books and then headed to Banyen Books to get another book for Peter. I miss the big old Duthies book store down town where you could lose yourself in the scope and variety of books. It was the kind of book store that was full of possibilities and hidden treasures. I really miss those kinds of stores, the kind of places I spent many hours in on my trips to London, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Birmingham.

I wore my big furry hat, but it was too warm as the day went on, the snow turned to rain, then sleet, then hail and finally the sun came out. By then I was tired on my feet and headed to the number 7 bus stop to go home. I was waiting with a smiling senior wearing an awesome turban. She sussed that something was not right and she'd been waiting too long. Sure enough, a bus driver coming down the hill told us the seven was stuck in traffic. I jumped on his bus to go to Macdonald and we saw what the problem was: a protest parade in support the Rainier hotel. A float with black helium balloons and faux coffins was followed by a group of mourners in gothic finery. It was arresting.

And so now all I have left are my crafty gifts. I am currently obsessed with creating little night scenes and I am looking for miniature toadstools and gnome-related imagery. Yes, gnomes are trending right now. Well, at least they are in our household!

Critiquing Neo-Burlesque

I've been thinking about cabaret and burlesque since the performance on Saturday. I found a very insightful critique by Dan Savage. Burlesque creates a  strong dividing line between people who are "for" and "against". I think Savage is right when he says we need to critique the neo-burlesque pieces as theater and/or (I would add) performance art and the bottom line he says is that the work needs to engage your crotch and your brain. I enjoy pieces that are brainy and titillating, like the work we saw by Chicava Honeychild. So first of all, is it a well-constructed, well-rehearsed piece with high production values? Is it well-executed? And finally, is it a museum piece? Does it just produce a re-iteration of the heteronormative tradition, or is it a fresh, edgy take with a political edge?