Jan
30
Visited Victoria’s own Sea Cider the other day for a tasting and came back with a new appreciation for fermented apples. First off, the cider house sits atop a sloping hill overlooking the ocean and their small orchard – and you get the perfect view sitting in their high-ceiling-ed tasting room – certainly makes a grand first impression.
Unlike other ciders I’ve tried, Sea Cider’s have flavour and depth beyond prickly sweetness. I like a pint of cider at the pub when I’m changing things up from beer, but I can imagine pairing some of these ciders with food.
And that’s just what I did last night…paired their tart ‘n juicy Pippins with pork schnitzel and sauerkraut:
The crisp clean taste and fiery bubbles cut through the fattiness of the fried pork and tang of the kraut. I’d say it’s similar to a sparkling white wine – off dry and a little sharp. And ringing in at about $12/bottle – it’s in the price point of many wines.
So… Michael Ignatieff did not ask for substantive changes to the buget and is, rather, putting the government on probation. I guess now we, as Canadians, can also put him on a probation of sorts until the time comes to decide on his merits as a potential Prime Minister.
Jan
28
Just found this month’s new favourite cookbook – A16 Food + Wine . Chef Nate Appleman and wine director (is that a real title?) Shelley Lindgren take you on a tour of all things good in southern Italy. Inspired by their food and adventures stemming from travelling along Italy’s A16 highway, the first part of the book leads an in depth discussion about southern Italian wines – the fabulous wine makers, regions, grape varieties and smartly…what foods to match with what wines. Love that.
Second part of the book is dedicated to the most wonderful sounding recipes ….Short Ribs alla Genovese, Grilled Shrimp with Pickled Peppers, Preserved Meyer Lemon, and Toasted Almonds, Bucatini with Fava Beans and Pancetta.
And speaking of pancetta….the last bit of the meat recipe section has some pages about specialty pork (yum) and recipes for home curing meats. I’m trying their recipe for Fresh Pancetta. Heavenly.
looks delish:
Jan
28
I see a lot of good in this budget, including $20-billion in tax cuts for the middle class and at least a moderate amount of spending in service of economic stimulation.
But for many women, particularly those with low-income jobs, the budget falls short of expectations. Read here for a good view on that argument.
And I must say, I’m particularly shocked that, after all those rumours, there was no change announced to allow self-employed parents to opt into Employment Insurance for maternity and parental benefits. Instead, Jim Flaherty & Co. have said the government will “[consult] with Canadians and [develop] options to provide self-employed Canadians with access to EI maternity and parental benefits.” What the heck does that mean?
So what now? Well, everyone’s still watching Michael Ignatieff — unexpectedly the most powerful man in Canada, at least for today — to see if he’ll support the Conservatives and approve the budget, or if he’ll side with the NDP and Bloc (but remember: Ignatieff professes to be cool on the notion of a coalition and on the prospect of another election).
Perhaps at the appointed hour — in about 20 minutes, to be exact — Ignatieff will emerge from sleeping on it for the night to demand a raft of changes to the budget. And if so, I doubt the Conservatives will agree to those changes. And perhaps that will push us to an election anyway.
Jan
27
It’s crazy at work right now: We’re deep into production for the April issue, while around us, construction workers are demolishing offices and cubicles and building new ones. That means, drilling, hammering and powersawing — and not a lot of quiet and concentration!
The noisiness should be over by mid-next week, but in the meantime, here are some bits of news that caught my eye:
- A new study identified three factors that could help women with breast cancer decide whether to have a preventative mastectomy.
- Another study linked teeth-brushing and premature births: Researchers discovered bacteria usually found in the mouth that could be responsible for up to 80 percent of early preterm labours.
- And have you seen any of these five food films that “deserved an Oscar nomination,” according to Treehugger.com?
