Robin's Birthday

Not only do I love a celebratory night out with my fav galpals, but I also love an opportunity to check out a new restaurant. 

When we got together for my lovely friend Robin’s birthday earlier this month, we made the trek out to Burlington to have dinner at Eatalia http://www.eatalia.ca. 

I have to be honest.  I was sceptical about the choice of venue.  I have driven by Eatalia a few times and always thought that it was a chain restaurant on par with the likes of Eastside Mario’s (blech!). However, this could not have been further from the truth.  Eatalia is an independent, stylish restaurant with a warm and welcoming staff and inventive menu. 

We could not decide on an appetizer so our server put together a meat and cheese antipasti plate for the four of us to share (more like devour!).  

I ordered the Bucatini Alla Matriciana which was tossed in a sauce made of tomatoes, basil, smoked bacon, pancetta and chilli peppers (you had me at bacon!!).  I literally wanted to lick my plate it was so good – sometimes couth is an overrated virtue.

Diane and birthday girl Robin had the quail with roasted mushroom and fig sauce served on a bed of pancetta polenta.  I have to be honest – I can’t for the life of me remember what Vivieen had.  Let’s just say A LOT of wine was consumed that night.

We refrained from having desert at the restaurant as we were heading back to Robin’s house for more wine and cake.  (Note - cake is not shown -- see too much wine note above).

I love going to Robin's house...not only because there is wine, but because her home is absolutely gorgeous!  Robin is such a creative talent.  I mentally made decor notes to use in my new abode. 

Like all of us, she is also a huge rock n roll fan, which reflected in our choice of birthday prezzies.  I'm hoping to borrow the Marc Bolan biography from her when she is finished!



You Light Up My Life

Well, the move happened.  I am settling into my new abode.  I forgot how much work is involved in moving and I am exhausted!  I have a lot more work cut out for me.  Although I lucked out in getting such a large space (hello, you had me at walk-in closet) that is located downtown in a clean, quiet building, it is an old apartment and it does require some cosmetic T.L.C.

First order of business – the dining room light fixture.    The lighting fixture looked like it fell out of the ugly tree and hit all the branches on the way down.  This eyesore lasted a total of 48 hours in my domain. 

I trekked off to IKEA to purchase a fixture that had caught my eye on a previous outing.  Although I am quite a handy chick, when it comes to plumbing and lighting I draw the line.  Luckily The Fella has electrical acumen and lovingly offered to swap out the fixture for me. 

The light fixture came with an extremely long chain - The Fella shortened it for me to hang at an appropriate height.

The Fella - You Light Up My Life

Hmm...could re-purpose this for naughty things....

 A world of difference!

Poutine-Off

Back in December my work mates and I went to Smoke's Poutinerie for lunch (http://thefreespiritz.blogspot.ca/2012/12/end-of-world-poutine.html).  During this outing, Peter started talking smack about how he could be a champion poutine eater.  Sarah and Audrey rose to the challenge and a date was set for February 15^th for what would be forever know as the Poutine-Off. 

There was daily trash talk from this initial lunch date through to the actual date of the Poutine-Off about who would reign supreme as the ultimate poutine eating title-holder.  The challenge was taken very seriously by my work mates.  Rules were drafted – the full portion must be consumed in the least amount of time, no performance enhancing drugs (i.e. laxatives), etc.   The winner would receive a Poutine-Off trophy and the glory of being undefeated – the loser would have to buy a round of coffee for the contestants and the judges.

I offered to participate as a judge – partly because I was curious as to how the challenge would go done and partly because I knew this blog would just write itself.    I also volunteered to make the trophy for the victor. 

The trophy - Monsieur Poutine tête...

...with his cheese curd afro

The big day arrived.   The excitement in the office was palpable.  Choruses of ‘ “Fry” of the Tiger’ could be heard being sung throughout the cubicles.  There was also arguments as to who as “going down” in this battle of gastronomic proportions.

At 11:30 a.m. sharp, we gathered at Smoke’s Poutinerie on Adelaide (www.smokespoutinerie.com).  The orders were placed and all bets were off. 

The champion was Carlos, who took the contest by eating the chicken fajita poutine in six minutes and sixteen seconds.   Fast on his tail was Sarah, with the pulled pork and bacon poutine, in just less than seven minutes.  Carlos, a gracious winner, said that was sharing the trophy with Sarah who he considered to be a worthy competitor.  It is now shared between both their desks.

And Peter the wise guy who started it all with his smack talk?  It was pretty much a tie between him and Audrey for third place.  To add to his crushing defeat was the fact that his subway ride did not bode well after the Poutine-Off.  I am not sure if his wooziness was caused by so much food in such a short span, or if was the chants about how he was beaten by a girl.

In last place was (Won’t be done until) May, who was disqualified for not finishing all of her portion.   She is treating us to coffee tomorrow.



Nobel Fashion Prize

The month of February begins the nomination process for the Nobel  Prize to recongize individuals in the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and peace. 

Why isn’t there a Nobel Prize for fashion innovation?  I would be happy to champion the addition of this category to the current list.   I duly nominate the following individuals who were responsible for the following advances in the world of fashion.

1.       The addition of Lycra to denim

Thank you for making jeans comfortable.  For those about to rock, we salute you. 

2.       The low waist cut

Your part in the abolishment of the dreaded “mom jean” style of high waisted jeans will go down in history.

3.       Victoria’s Secret Angel Bra

Not since the pyramids has there been such a miraculous feat of engineering.  It is architecturally fabricated to make your ladies look incredible and make the opposite sex marvel at their design.

4.       Silk screened tags

Thank you for conceiving the idea of silkscreening tags onto garments.  This revolutionary advancement has brought an end to manufacturers who formerly made clothing tags out of the most abrasive, itchiest fibreglass material  and strategically sewing them into garments in a way that made removal of the tag impossible without creating a hole in the item of clothing.

5.       The Wine Bag Purse

Sir or madam….will you marry me??

RENT Rant

Yay!  I'm moving! 

In less than two weeks I will be moving from my infamous veal pen in the sky to a way bigger place in a building  not far from where I am currently living.  I am so excited about the extra space and lots of storage.  Currently I have only one storage closet which is always reminds me of the closet in the movie  "Uncle Buck" -- I am terrified to open the door because inevitably a barrage of stuff will come raining down on my head. 

It's not just the space/storage issue, there is also major neighbour issues going on.  To the left is  the neighbour that I affectionately like to call "The Douche Bag" who likes to party until 4am (and I get up for work at 5am).  To the right of me is "The Nutbar", who looks a bit too much like Jamie Crumb (a.k.a. Buffalo Bill) from The Silence of the Lambs for my comfort.   I avoid him at all costs if he is in the hallway because I am afraid he will offer me a choice between a bottle of lotion and a hose.

I have been on the fence about renting vs. owning.  I’ve done both and each option has both pros and cons.  Owing a house is not for me.   The constant exterior care such as shovelling snow and mowing the lawn does not fit with my lifestyle.  There are also unexpected issues such as basement floods, sewage backups, roofing repairs/replacement, etc.  Been there, done that.  No more thanks.

As for condos, the fees are utterly ridiculous.  Starting at $350 per month if you are lucky (on top of your mortgage and taxes) they only cover the very basic of maintenance.  If any major building repairs are required, the invoice is divided and split amongst the condo owners.  There is also the issue of dealing with a condo board – which is comprised of owners in the building who are not property management professionals, who you have to seek approval from to do any sort of renovation.  The newer buildings also have what I refer to as  Stepford Syndrome – your exterior views must be uniform to the other units—therefore your choice of window coverings, etc. are dictated to you.  Sorry, I really don’t want someone dictating how my place should look.

For me, at this point in my life, renting makes more sense.  There is a definite snobbery when it comes to renters.   A home is what you make it.  Owning property does not make you a home – it just makes you a property owner. And there are plenty of condo and house owners who are douche bags like my neighbour – at least I will not be stuck living somewhere until I am able to sell the property.

Over the next year I will be blogging about the cosmetic DIY projects that I have planned for the new place complete with before and after pics.   Look out Home Depot, Rona, Lowes and IKEA.  Here I come!   Stay tuned!

                                     This is why I don't currently bowl.

I Can Azure You

Winterlicious, the Toronto food festival which features restaurants across the city offer discounted “prix fixe” three course lunch and dinner menus, kicked off it's tenth year this past Sunday (January 27, 2013).

The idea of a great meal at a reduced price makes my heart flutter.  Throw in a shoe sale and it’s the trifecta that would make make my heart pound similar to a bona fide cardio workout. 

The ‘licious festivals, (Winterlicious in Jan/Feb and Summerlicious in July), offer a great opportunity to try out new restaurants.  Some restaurants that I now frequent are a result of discovering them during a ‘licious festival.

Yesterday,  work mates Audrey and Sarah and I had reservations at Azure, the sleek, open concept restaurant located inside the Toronto Intercontinental Hotel.   We were greeted with a hostile reception by the hostess who apparently was doing us a massive favour by confirming our reservation and seating us at our table.  When I informed her that we were there for Winterlicious, you would have thought that we had just pulled up in the Jed Clampett mobile, fired our guns in the air yelling “YEE HAW” and asked for three glasses of their finest moonshine.  It was clear from the hostess’, and subsequently the waiter’s, attitude that Winterlicious customers were second class citizens to them. 

Here’s the thing – the lull between the December holiday season and Valentine's Day in mid February is not a great time of year for restaurants. Winterlicious is a great vehicle for restaurateurs to make money during a very slow period.  The City of Toronto chooses which restaurants get participate in the event.   Those who are not chosen feel the economic impact of not being included.  I’m sure that being located in a large hotel keeps business steady for Azure and if Winterlicious is so beneath them, why do they take a spot away from another restaurant that could use the cash flow?

 

 

The three of us chose the Organic Leaves salad with olives and fried goat cheese as our starters, which was the best dish of the three courses.  Based on the simplicity of the salad, this isn't saying much. 

Audrey chose the braised lamb pappardella as her main and said that it was tasty.  Sarah and I had the grilled flat iron steak sandwich with truffled fries.  Well colour me red neck, but the steak tasted like it was cooked by a hair stylists flat iron and the fries tasted like A & W's.  They were definitely frozen fries and they were not dressed with truffle oil as stated on the menu.   The waiter snidely asked us if we wanted ketchup for them.  I refrained from asking why he didn’t offer up any possum juice for the likes of us hillbillies. 

"That there is s'pose to be some fancy city food Jethro."

For dessert, we all finished with the upside down apple cake with sour cream ice cream, which was apparently like us – it had no taste.

Please do not let this put you off Winterlicious.  This is probably the first bad experience that I have had in the six years that I have been going to ‘licious.  It has grown from 35 restaurants participating restaurants in 2003 and now features 191 restaurants on the bill along with a host of other cool culinary events.  Winterlicious runs from now until February 7, 2013.

http://www.toronto.ca/special_events/winterlicious/2013/index.htm

Northern Comfort

Did everyone survive the deep freeze this past week?  Bloody hell I hate the cold.  I am yearning for the dog days of summer.  I’m not a sun worshipper – one look at my pale blue Scottish skin will tell you that – but I love the heat and no matter how stinking hot it gets in July and August I will never complain.  

These redonkulous frigid temperatures have caused me lose my mojo.  I have literally done NOTHING all week except wake up – go to work – come home – put my jammies on.  I have a tonne of things to do but when it gets this cold I lose all motivation.   Time for some comfort food to nourish the soul.

I have read that men tend to prefer savoury comfort foods like soup, stews and casseroles and that women lean toward sweet foods such as chocolate, ice cream and cake.  Yet again my theory that I am a drag queen trapped in a woman’s body holds true, because comfort to me is all about the savoury….with a side of boozy. 

So tonight's menu was designed was designed to test these gender theories and to lift the spirits featuring comfort foods...with a twist.  Yes, the twists are kind of creative, but they are rooted in unabashed laziness.  Lack of mojo is the mother of invention I say.  Also, I am in the middle of moving, so all baking utensils and pretty glassware have been packed up already (sorry for the boring photos).
 

Turkey Pot Pie Soup

1 cup cooked turkey (I used turkey to finally use up the frozen left over Christmas turkey, but you can sub with chicken)

2 cups frozen vegetable mix

1 can condensed cream of potato soup

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup

2 cups skim milk

Pepper (to taste)

Dried sage (to taste)

Poultry seasoning (to taste)

1 pre-made frozen pie crust

Combine turkey (or chicken), vegetables, soup mixes, milk and seasonings in a large sauce pan.  Simmer on low until it comes to a boil.  Note that the soup will be thin but this is what you want - the pie crust will thicken the final product.

Meanwhile, cook pie crust as per package directions.  Let cool and crumble with a potato masher.  

Ladle soup into bowls and top with crushed pie shell.

 

Chocolate Cake Martini

1 part Cake Vodka

1 part Chocolate Vodka

Pour into shaker and shake well.

The Wings Beneath My Wind

I've been feeling really nostalgic lately so when The Fella suggested going out to dinner earlier this week my choice of venues came from sentimental state of mind - The Gown & Gavel www.gownandgavel.ca.

The Gown & Gavel is a Hamilton institution. It was one of the first British pubs in Hamilton and has been the jewel in the former glorious crown that was Hess Village for close to three decades. 

I began frequenting "The Gown" in the late 80's and was in fact underage for the first two years of my patronage.  The regulars were a real motley crew ranging from students, yuppies, punk kids like myself and crusty old British blokes who grumbled about our mohawks and Doc Martens.  It was during these years at The Gown where I developed my love for beer.  In my teens I had tried Labatt's 50 and Budweiser at parties and decided (prematurely) that beer wasn't for me.  However, The Gown taught me what good beer was all about.  I began drinking pints of lager & lime, which was only a gateway drink that eventually led me to the good stuff.    I was encouraged to try Guinness by my friend Imants and I was immediately hooked.  My mind expanded and I began to try all of their lovely elixirs on tap -- Double Diamond, Harp, Newcastle, etc.  

The Gown became one of the premiere live music venues in the late 80's and early 90's featuring popular local bands such as The Dik Van Dykes, The Wet Spots and King Apparatus on the second floor.  There was also the record lounge, Moondogs, on the third floor that was run by Tom Wilson pre-Junk House fame.  Albums decorated the walls and they would spin an eclectic mix of vinyl.  I was asked to leave one evening for singing loudly along with the record (see beer lover explanation above).

It's not The Gown anymore.   The green velvet booths and tapestry wall paper are gone.   So is the entire third floor.  The Gown & Gavel  was completed renovated a few years back and it is now a sleek, modern space.  The second & third floor have been combined to make one space with high vaulted ceilings.  The great selection of British beers on tap has been ironically replaced by corporate beers such as Labatt's.  They have also bought the building next door and the patio space is now massive.  Don't get me wrong-it's a beautiful space, but it's simply not the same.  Neither is Hess Village for that matter.  It is no longer a cool, alternative pub area.  It is now a club area that mimics a mini version of Richmond Street in Toronto.  The dance music pounds, the police patrol for fights, the median age is of the patrons is 21 and it is now referred to as "Mess Village".  I am now the crusty old Brit who grumbles about this new generation.

One thing has the remained the same.  The Gown & Gavel still makes some of the best wings in the Hammer.  It was great to go back and have a few pints, eat some great wings and swap Gown stories with The Fella from our Hess Village glory days.  Those wings lifted my spirits, hence the reverse title of the Bette Midler song...well that and the wings were really the cause beneath the wind I had later that night...

Edge of Seventeen

If you have ever thrown a surprise party before you know how stressful it is.  Picking the venue, inviting the guests, creating an excuse to get the guest of honour to the party and all the other cloak and dagger manoeuvres involved in the planning and preparation, all the while hoping that no one inadvertently lets the cat out of the proverbial bag.   So, I ask you -- how do throw a surprise party at a popular Toronto club that is closed to the public, with approximately 160 guests, featuring the much anticipated reunion of  popular local band The Dik Van Dykes, who have not played together in 23 years?  And oh yeah, the party is for the band's drummer who will be expected to play the reunion show unbeknownst to him? 

To be honest, I have no idea how you pull it off - but pull it off they did.  Last month, drummer Stu Smith turned the big 5-0.  His surprise party was held at The Bovine Sex Club in Toronto -- the biggest surprise of all was having him get on stage and play with his former band mates for the first time since 1989. 

The Dik Van Dykes were pretty big in their day - in their four years together they played numerous clubs around Southern Ontario, released  a cassette and two albums (I did say it was the 80's) and opened for The Ramones over three nights in 1988 at R.P.M. in Toronto. 

I was seventeen years old the first time I saw The Dik Van Dykes at an art show in Hamilton.   They sounded like someone had take the Ramones, The B-52's and The Rezillos and shook them up in a bag.  Their lyrics were funny and poked fun at pop culture and local topics.  And they were so much damned fun on stage.  I was instantly hooked.  Shortly after this show, I made a concentrated effort to create a fake I.D. (which was pretty good and worked on most occasions) and I began sneaking into bars on a regular basis to see them play.  A turn of events which began my life long love of live music (and beer).

Watching the band I was immediately transported back in time and felt like I was seventeen again.  I jumped around and danced to all of their songs (yes that is my head that keeps obscuring the shot in the video below).  The next day my body (not so politely) reminded me that I was in fact no longer seventeen and had not been for some time.

The Dik Van Dykes sounded great - they were just as much fun as they were back in the late 80's.  Most of the members have continued playing in other bands over the past two decades and they sounded more polished and tighter than ever.  Here's hoping that this night was just not a one off.

Laslo Van Dyke

Pop Tarts Renee & Sarah

 Birthday guy Stu on Drums

Not the only one who went back in time

                                                   The lovely Robin & Eric
                                               

                                    Terry Pry-tooooo-la....Number six

Stu & The Lassie