Favourite New Hideway: Le Marché St. George

Tucked away in a quiet residential neighbourhood off Main Street, at the corner of East 28th and St. George, is the marvellous Marché St. George. Part café, part artisanal grocer, part lifestyle store and textile merchant, Le Marché is an absolute gem of a little shop, with fabulous coffees, teas, baked goods and comfy spots to sit and contemplate life. After hearing about Le Marché from friends who knew it would be right up my alley, I finally had a chance to stop by this week for a quick visit and to pick up a Paris Fog to go - a delicious tea latte made with Harney and Sons' Paris tea, steamed milk and vanilla. It was the perfect drink for a rainy December afternoon. I'll be going back to sit in a window seat with my pen, paper and a big cup of tea sometime soon...Le Marché is a place to be savoured rather than gulped.

Welcome.

Lots of gifts for foodies here, and a number of locally sourced products.




Christmas trees from Columbia Valley Tree Farm.

Comfy bench for sitting - maybe not on such a rainy day.

Holiday Advice from Wiretap

I love Wiretap on CBC. It might possibly be my favourite thing on the CBC. I have frequently had to pull over the car while listening because I was laughing so hard. So on Wiretap's Facebook page this morning, Jonathan Goldstein (aka my imaginary boyfriend #357) announced that Wiretap regular Gregor Ehrlich would, in the spirit of the holiday, answer burning personal life-questions from listeners. And he answered mine! My Christmas is now complete.

Bitten by the holiday spirit bug, WireTap regular Gregor Ehrlich has generously agreed to help solve your problems, and you sent them in by the dozens. Here's the first batch of his thoughtful replies:

"Dear Gregor: I keep buying weird things after I have had a glass or two of wine. Last night it was a giant plush snowman and multigrain ranch Pringles which were, frankly, disgusting. Please help. Signed, Danielle Lemon"


(Ed's note: True story. I did buy a giant plush snowman and multigrain ranch Pringles, and they were disgusting)


Dear Lemon:

Wine is for amateurs. Stick to my signature holiday cocktail of Tang

and Everclear. Way more efficient, packed with Vitamin C, and pretty

much shuts you down from buying anything after two glasses.

You can visit Wiretap's Facebook advice and see more of Gregor's wisdom here.

It Runs in the Family.

So I'm cooking Christmas dinner this year, at my brother and sister-in-law's house in Victoria. This morning, I received the following correspondence from my sister-in-law:

Season’s greetings Ms. Lemon,

I am pleased to announce that your application to cook Christmas Dinner at the home of your brother and SIL (herein referred to as “the Hosts” ) has been accepted. Kindly forward the application fee of three (3) jars of home-canned peaches and we will be happy to proceed with the planning activities listed below.

There are several key pieces of information that you must know prior to this dinner. Please read the list below in its entirety.

- Please arrive at least _ (blank) hours prior to the meal. This will be filled in after discussion with all parties and must be initialed by all parties to be considered binding.

- The guest list will include the following beings:

o Mr. Richard Lemon

o Mrs. Donna Lemon

o Mr. Alex Lemon

o Mrs. Laura Lemon*

o Ms. Danielle Lemon

o Mr. LB Lemon – Please note that this guest has special dietary needs. Mr. LB’s favorite food is turkey but he only enjoys white meat and he prefers no seasoning.

- The Hosts will provide beverages that consist of the following:

o Water

o Martinelli’s Sparkling Apple Juice™

o Assorted sparkling wines and non-sparkling wines

o Other

- The Hosts will provide a table set in the latest fashion. This will include the mandatory minimum of three (3) Christmas-y table decorations (TBD).

- The Hosts will be on hand to assist in the preparation of certain Christmas dinner foods.

- In lieu of a hosting gift, the Hosts would prefer cash ($).

In addition to the important points above, the hosts request that you provide further information in several key areas:

- Are there any ingredients needed for the dinner that the Hosts could pick up this weekend on their regular shopping trip?†

- Are there any other special things needed for the dinner that you require from the Hosts?

- Will the application fee arrive in time for this entire dinner to be pulled off?

Thank you for your application and we look forward to working with you in the near future.

Sincere Christmas regards,

The Hosts

* Denotes special guest

† Indicates mandatory response


My response:


Dear Sirs/Mesdames:


We are in receipt of your correspondence dated December 14, 2011.

With regards to the gourmet festive seasonal dinner (hereinafter, the "Dinner") to be prepared by world-renowned chef Danielle Lemon (hereinafter, the "Boss"), expert consultations with regards to the menu continue, which we hope to finalize with a binding Letter of Intent (the "LOI") by 9 a.m. PST, Friday, December 16, 2011. Schedule "A" of the LOI shall include a list of items to be delivered by the Hosts in relation to the Dinner.

This is of course subject to your acceptance of our revised fee offer of one (1) jar of home-canned peaches, to be delivered by the Boss prior to the Dinner. Due to other on-going projects requiring canned fruit goods, the Boss is unable to agree to your requested fee of three (3) jars of home-canned peaches and we find your request, to be candid, excessive.

Kind regards,

Currie F. Lemon, Esq. on behalf of

Danielle Lemon Law Group
"Fresh Advice"
375 Water Street, Suite 200
The Landing in Gastown
Vancouver, B.C. V6B 5C6

One Plus One: The Musical, January 6 & 7 at Havana


My dear (and talented) friends Gil & Sarah Jaysmith have written a beautiful musical called "One Plus One," which I have been lucky enough to workshop/demo with them on a number of occasions, singing one of the female leads, Madison. I am so excited that the show will be performed for an audience for the first time this January, at Havana Restaurant on Commercial Drive:

Two couples are fighting long-term infertility. A support group brings them together, but their own obsessions and fears are driving them apart. Undying love fades into personal apocalypse. They're backing out on their promises, finding out how fragile a life they've been leading...and all the while, the biological clock is ticking...it's ticking...it's ticking...it's ticking...

The show is going to feature some of Vancouver's leading performers, including Carman J. Price, Alex McMorran, Cathy Wilmot, and many more. The lovely and talented Caitlin Hayes will be on piano. This is a chance for us to get audience feedback on the book and songs, and we need you there - plus - when have you ever attended the world premiere of a new musical work? We will be doing three performances, January 6 at 8 p.m., and January 7 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Admission is free - you'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll be amazed at some of the talent this city has to offer, both on and offstage.




Guest Post by Woodwardsmile: Wrasslemania - Woodwards Holiday Tweetup!




This is a special post for the Vancouver Twitter crowd. Reaia, Dani and I live at Woodward’s and we’ve decided to organize a tweetup at La Casita’s across the street. We want to connect with people in the neighbourhood! And what better way to make a memorable first impression than with some good old fashioned wrestling?

FAQs:

1.What is a Tweetup?

A Tweetup is an event where people on Twitter meet in person. It is open to everyone on Twitter and showing up without notice is acceptable.

2. Who is Reaia?

Reaia is a working professional with many interests.

3. Who is Dani?

Dani is a performer, tech lawyer and blogger. You can find more about her at Dan With A Twist

4. Who is Zoe?

Zoe is a blogger.

5. Is the Woodward’s Tweetup only for people who live there?

NO! The Woodward’s Holiday Tweetup is open to everyone who lives, works or playsin and around Woodward’s. “In and around” can be loosely thought of as a one mile radius around Woodward’s which includes Gastown, Chinatown, Crosstown, Railtown, the DTES, and parts of downtown, Yaletown and False Creek.

5. What’s with the wrestling theme?

I thought it was really funny.

6. Are you guys really going to “wrassle” people who come to the Tweetup?

Yes. But, having said that, I do want to emphasize that wrestling is optional. We don’t want people to be discouraged from attending because they are reluctant to fight.

7. What is the hashtag for this event?

#Wrassle

I really want to encourage you to come to this tweetup, especially if you’ve never been to one before. You’ll find that Reaia, Dani and I are outgoing but gentle people, and we have different personalities, which means chances are good that you’ll like at least one of us.

If you are planning to come, please leave a comment on this post or message one of us Twitter!

@danwithatwist

@reaia

@woodwardsmile

See you at La Casita’s!


New Favourite: Juice Truck's To Die For Banana Bread Smoothie


We've all done it - licked the wooden spoon or the beaters after making a cake. And the problem is - there's never enough to really satisfy that cake-batter craving. Well, my pals at the Juice Truck and Erin Ireland, Metro food writer, To Die For Banana Bread empress, and all-around delightful lassie, have come up with something that fills that sinful void - the To Die For Banana Bread Smoothie.

The smoothie combines Erin's fabulous Banana Bread with banana, cacao nibs, vanilla, cinnamon and soy milk (with a few macadamia nuts for garnish) and the result is magical. And delicious. Any reservations you have about drinking your bread through a straw must be put aside. Trust me.

Smoothie Queen Aviya, Juice Tenders Zach and Ryan, and the lovely Erin Ireland and her nom nom Banana Bread.

Erin's Banana Bread really is to die for - it's not your Mom's banana bread, that's for sure - macadamia nuts, Callebaut chocolate, heavenly spices - it doesn't get much better. Her bread is available at several local retailers. Visit Erin's blog for more info.

The Juice Truck is at the corner of Abbott & Water, Monday through Fridays, rain or shine.

All images courtesy Erin Ireland, www.itstodiefor.ca

FCP Presents: The Temperamentals, Nov. 22 - Dec. 3


Fighting Chance Productions, who I've performed with in Sweeney Todd and A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum, is presenting the Canadian premiere of Jon Marans' The Temperamentals at the PAL, November 22 - December 3. The play is the story of the founding of the Mattachine Society, one of the first LGBT rights organizations in America. I interviewed the cast for Fighting Chance's websites, and my interviews (and tickets to the show) can be found here.

La Dolce Vegan Challenge: Scrumptious Banana Nut Bread

I'm trying to whittle away at the leftovers already in my fridge and freezer this week. To that end, last night's dinner was a repeat of Matthew's Spicy Tomato Peanut and Kale Pasta (p.134), and tonight's dinner was Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burritos (p.158). However, I started to feel antsy about not making things and so last night right before bed I whipped up a loaf of Scrumptious Banana-Nut Bread (p.281), which was a great breakfast this morning. Sorry for the small photo...

La Dolce Vegan Challenge: Chocolate Pear-zza

You may remember my post on Kim's Peach-zza (p. 232), which looked like this:


I had some pears that were about to go off sitting in the fruitbowl, so tonight I decided to make Chocolate Pear-zza (p.233), which was inspired by Kim's Peachzza.

I have to say, the more I make the All-Purpose Crust (p. 262), the more I like it. I didn't chill the dough for an hour, as required, and this time I used a pie dish instead of a cookie sheet and made a "deep dish" dessert pizza, but the crust still turned out just great, and held together really well. My dad the pie-nazi would be proud.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go read the new Jeffrey Eugenides, The Marriage Plot, while eating Chocolate Pear-zza. In the bath. One of the perks of living by myself.




La Dolce Vegan Challenge: Going Rogue

So, the challenge, being hosted by the Vegan Culinary Institute, has gone a little haywire since the Vegan Culinary Institute apparently no longer exists. Joel, Kelley, myself and a few other participants are still going, but we've changed things around a little bit. We're not being as strict as we used to be about keeping to the recipe calendar, and we've decided that we'll all share in the prizes at the end of the challenge.

I think these are positive changes for a few reasons: one, this has been a big commitment from all of us and I don't think it's fair that one person should claim all the prize haul. Second, it's been a real challenge from a time-and-money-saving point of view to have to cook all these meals in accordance with the very demanding schedule, or risk being kicked out of the challenge. There's only me in this house, see, and there's only so many friends who are willing to come over every night to be my guinea pig! And there's only so much money in the kitty for groceries every week. If it takes me a few extra weeks to complete all the recipes in the gosh darn book, I don't know that this should matter.

So, that being said, I'm toddling on with the challenge in my own way, and will endeavour to stick to the schedule as much as possible, while cutting myself some slack if I can't stick to it or substitute a different recipe. And to my fellow bloggers, I salute you for your continuing dedication!
Last night's dinner, Pun-Kin Pasta (p.128) with yummy Daiya cheese on top. This was supposed to be dinner tomorrow night. Now I'm getting ahead of myself! Actually, I'm swapping as I have guests tomorrow night, and want to make the Chocolate Coconut Bars which were scheduled for earlier this week, for them. Pumpkin puree was a great alternative to tomato puree.
Today's recipe, Wolffie's Dijon Maple Dressing (p. 98). Sweet n' tangy. All of Wolffie's recipes seem to be fool-proof.
Tuesday's recipe, Curry Almond Burger (p.160) with my new favourite thing, Veganaise. I may or may not have gone downstairs to the Charles Bar for garlic fries to accompany my burger...

Monday's Veggie Goulash (p.140). Epic fail. Mostly because I played fast n' loose with ingredients - substituted broccoli for cauliflower, threw green peppers in, used aduki beans that I had in the cupboard rather than pinto - the whole thing was a bland tasteless mush. Even the brown rice tasted like mush. Yuck.



La Dolce Vegan Challenge: Crunch Time

OK guys, time is running out. I have to catch up on everything by Sunday at midnight to stay in the challenge. Slight problem though - the Vegan Culinary Institute website, with our schedule of recipes, is down right now. So I had to do my best to remember what recipes I needed to make.

I knew that tonight's recipe was Seaweed Soup (p.104), which was very easy, and good too - you can't really go wrong with gomashio or udon noodles, really. The surprise ingredient? Lime juice.



Then it was time to catch up with Maple Streusel Muffins (p. 237), with a nice pecan and brown sugar topping:


And finally, Sesame Bread Sticks (p.278):


Thank goodness my dad is here this weekend and can help me eat all this food...good grief...