Also, I've uploaded a bunch of pictures of her onto Facebook recently if you haven't seen them. Just click here.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Toque Tales
Just a few quick pics from our little monkey who loves any hat she can get her hands on, especially if it's Mommy's!
Also, I've uploaded a bunch of pictures of her onto Facebook recently if you haven't seen them. Just click here.
Also, I've uploaded a bunch of pictures of her onto Facebook recently if you haven't seen them. Just click here.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Bacon Bomb
Last night we had some friends of ours over for games, drinks, dinner, ... But this time, unlike others, we pulled out the stops and did everything in our power to clog our arteries from now until kingdom come! We decided to pair meat with... meat!
You can check out the original experiment here and where we got our inspiration - lots of great photos!
It's called Bacon Explosion and consists of melding 2lbs of bacon with 2lbs of sausage, mixing in some BBQ sauce and calling it dinner. I'm not joking.
It was quite the experiment and actually turned out really well, not nearly as fatty as I expected. I made a mean hickory, chipotle BBQ sauce for it, a good BBQ rub, slow cooked it in the oven first and then transferred it to the grill to crisp it up. Here's a picture of us men with our creation:
I only show a picture of the men because the women were grossed out by the idea of so much meat and fat.
As my friend said, I think there's a reason that women live longer than men on average....
You can check out the original experiment here and where we got our inspiration - lots of great photos!
It's called Bacon Explosion and consists of melding 2lbs of bacon with 2lbs of sausage, mixing in some BBQ sauce and calling it dinner. I'm not joking.
It was quite the experiment and actually turned out really well, not nearly as fatty as I expected. I made a mean hickory, chipotle BBQ sauce for it, a good BBQ rub, slow cooked it in the oven first and then transferred it to the grill to crisp it up. Here's a picture of us men with our creation:
I only show a picture of the men because the women were grossed out by the idea of so much meat and fat.
As my friend said, I think there's a reason that women live longer than men on average....
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Beer, Please Meet Scotch
My loyal readers will know my affinity for a good beer. I also love a good scotch. What do do when you love both? Never fear!
Big beers are often aged in liquor barrels, especially bourbon. On occasion you can get a good beer aged in scotch barrels and Harviestoun Ola Dubh is one of those beers. It's a Scottish beer whose name means engine oil, and truth be told it kind of looks like engine oil!
Scotch is aged for various time periods in barrels to give them a distinctive flavour. The longer you age them, the smoother they get....
also the more expensive they get! Ola Dubh is aged in Highland Park scotch barrels which offers their product aged for 12 years, 16 years, 18 years, 30 years, and 40 years. I've had the pleasure of drinking the 12 year old Highland Park but the 40 year version is about 1,000 Euros a bottle so I don't imagine I'll be drinking that any time in the near future!But I can afford to try the beers that are aged in Highland Park barrels. Ola Dubh is unique in that Harviestoun has aged the beer in each of the different Highland Park barrels, 12-40. I've had the pleasure of having the Ola Dubh 30 before on-tap and the other night I dug into the cellar to drink a bottle of the Ola Dubh 12 and the Ola Dubh 40 side by side. Drinking them beside each other allows me to see how the time in the different barrels has changed them in unique ways because the base beer is the same in both cases.
As you can see, they're pretty spiffy looking bottles. When a beer is aged in whiskey or bourbon barrels they pick up the characteristics of the liquor and the barrel; the longer they sit in there the more of the characteristics they pick up.
From what I remember of the Highland Park scotch, it has some very distinct peat and smoke flavors. When I crack the Ola Dubh 40 and 12 this is confirmed - smoke and peat. Here are my tasting notes from the Ola Dubh 40:
Pours a jet black almost opaque, just a glimmer of brown around the rim when held to the light. A finger of khaki head builds up on the pour and settles to a collar with a few swirling patches of bubbles.
Nose is much more subdued than the 12, earthier with a hint of peat and much smokier. Roasty malt, a hint of dark baker's chocolate, wood, a good dose of scotch.
Such a smooth sipper. Silky presence of the barrel - oaky wood with a hint of ash, vanilla, a touch of peat, smoke. All beside a nice roasty malt base, dark chocolate, a touch of bready malt, raisins, a hint of dark fruits, just a faint hint of alcohol and a light warming in the finish. Silky smooth, creamy mouthfeel; not overly full or robust but perfect for 8%, scary drinkable.
As you can tell from the picture, they look quite similar in the glass. The Ola Dubh 12 is a little fruitier in the nose, much less creamy in the mouthfeel, and a little less integrated. Using the Highland Park 40 year barrels has made the peat and the smoke more prevalent in the beer and had more of a mellowing effect: mellower scotch = mellower beer.
The Ola Dubh 40 is much pricier (aged in pricier whiskey barrels) but it's significantly superior in my mind. Can't decide between scotch or beer tonight? Ola Dubh should make that decision a little easier.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Fly By
Just a quick update to the blog so that no one thinks I've forgotten it!
I am knee deep in what has turned out to be the busiest time of the year. Not only are my two final papers due this month (Using Indigenous Knowledges to Decolonize African Universities and Africa and the Black Diaspora: Crossing Borders through Senegalese Hip Hop) and not only do I still have the chapter in the book that I mentioned a while back, but I am now co-editor of said book which is a ton of work, I have another paper being turned into a chapter in another book, AND I have been asked to contribute a chapter to yet another book. Nolana's away in Victoria with Daija visiting it up and it's a good thing because I am putting long, long days in at school.
So, while I am off busy writing and editing here's a fun little link for ya.
The internets are abuzz over Mother Jones' map which covers celebrity involvement in Africa, otherwise seen as the "celebrity recolonization of Africa".
I am knee deep in what has turned out to be the busiest time of the year. Not only are my two final papers due this month (Using Indigenous Knowledges to Decolonize African Universities and Africa and the Black Diaspora: Crossing Borders through Senegalese Hip Hop) and not only do I still have the chapter in the book that I mentioned a while back, but I am now co-editor of said book which is a ton of work, I have another paper being turned into a chapter in another book, AND I have been asked to contribute a chapter to yet another book. Nolana's away in Victoria with Daija visiting it up and it's a good thing because I am putting long, long days in at school.
So, while I am off busy writing and editing here's a fun little link for ya.
The internets are abuzz over Mother Jones' map which covers celebrity involvement in Africa, otherwise seen as the "celebrity recolonization of Africa".
Clink on the link and see a history of celebrity involvement in Africa. The original map (not this screen grab) is interactive and you get to see who wrote a song about which country, who adopted a baby from where, and just how many celebrities go on "fact finding missions".Saturday, March 27, 2010
Miscellany links from/about Africa
How to Write About Africa - genius!
An excerpt - "Among your characters you must always include The Starving African, who wanders the refugee camp nearly naked, and waits for the benevolence of the West. Her children have flies on their eyelids and pot bellies, and her breasts are flat and empty. She must look utterly helpless. She can have no past, no history; such diversions ruin the dramatic moment. Moans are good. She must never say anything about herself in the dialogue except to speak of her (unspeakable) suffering. Also be sure to include a warm and motherly woman who has a rolling laugh and who is concerned for your well-being. Just call her Mama. Her children are all delinquent. These characters should buzz around your main hero, making him look good. Your hero can teach them, bathe them, feed them; he carries lots of babies and has seen Death. Your hero is you (if reportage), or a beautiful, tragic international celebrity/aristocrat who now cares for animals (if fiction)."
Go read it it all, it's masterful.
The Economist on the chances of a fair election in Ethiopia (slim to none). Not only that, the current Zenawi government is propped up by US aid (one of the largest recipients) and Zenawi is championed among the "new breed" of democratic leaders in Africa. Uh huh.
Last election was also marred with violence and arrests, tampering, etc... In my time in Ethiopia I never met a single person in the city who had voted for Zenawi and many of my students had stories about older brothers being arrested, etc... A friend of ours remembers being quarantined to their compound and listening as gunshots echoed through the city. Most people are thinking/predicting this next election will be even more unfair and violent...
Musical Break! Malian Rokia Traore. Not sure if I love the video but I love her music.
An excerpt - "Among your characters you must always include The Starving African, who wanders the refugee camp nearly naked, and waits for the benevolence of the West. Her children have flies on their eyelids and pot bellies, and her breasts are flat and empty. She must look utterly helpless. She can have no past, no history; such diversions ruin the dramatic moment. Moans are good. She must never say anything about herself in the dialogue except to speak of her (unspeakable) suffering. Also be sure to include a warm and motherly woman who has a rolling laugh and who is concerned for your well-being. Just call her Mama. Her children are all delinquent. These characters should buzz around your main hero, making him look good. Your hero can teach them, bathe them, feed them; he carries lots of babies and has seen Death. Your hero is you (if reportage), or a beautiful, tragic international celebrity/aristocrat who now cares for animals (if fiction)."
Go read it it all, it's masterful.
The Economist on the chances of a fair election in Ethiopia (slim to none). Not only that, the current Zenawi government is propped up by US aid (one of the largest recipients) and Zenawi is championed among the "new breed" of democratic leaders in Africa. Uh huh.
Last election was also marred with violence and arrests, tampering, etc... In my time in Ethiopia I never met a single person in the city who had voted for Zenawi and many of my students had stories about older brothers being arrested, etc... A friend of ours remembers being quarantined to their compound and listening as gunshots echoed through the city. Most people are thinking/predicting this next election will be even more unfair and violent...
Musical Break! Malian Rokia Traore. Not sure if I love the video but I love her music.
I'm a big fan of South African Desmond Tutu, the man is not afraid to criticize just about anybody if they're messing up. That includes Africans who discriminate against gay and lesbians ("Hate has no place in the house of God") and South Africa's ally the U.S., calling the war in Iraq an "immoral war". Speak it brother!
Africa's entry in the "Uncyclopedia" - more genius!
'The only thing positive about Africa is HIV."
African exports include: Ebola, Madagascar (the movie) and "Apos'trophes t'hat s'erve no' purpo'se".
Musical Break #2! Do you know where Mauritius is? Most people don't and would never have heard music from there - but this last summer at Toronto's AfroFest, Menwar wowed me and here's a clip of him playing at Montreal's International Jazz Fest. We're already stoked about this summer's AfroFest!
Finally, I would be remiss not to mention one of the best blogs about the continent, as well as where I found some of the articles, Texas in Africa. Go check it out.
Africa's entry in the "Uncyclopedia" - more genius!
'The only thing positive about Africa is HIV."
African exports include: Ebola, Madagascar (the movie) and "Apos'trophes t'hat s'erve no' purpo'se".
Musical Break #2! Do you know where Mauritius is? Most people don't and would never have heard music from there - but this last summer at Toronto's AfroFest, Menwar wowed me and here's a clip of him playing at Montreal's International Jazz Fest. We're already stoked about this summer's AfroFest!
Finally, I would be remiss not to mention one of the best blogs about the continent, as well as where I found some of the articles, Texas in Africa. Go check it out.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Free Speech in Canada
Recent news out of Ontario is that American conservative speaker/writer Ann Coulter is here. For those of you who might not know her, she enjoys "stirring up the pot" through right-wing rhetoric racism. She wrote the book, If Democrats had any Brains, They'd be Republicans and has been notoriously anti-Muslim, advocating that no Muslim should be allowed to fly, instead they should take flying carpets. I am not joking, there is no way you could make this stuff up.
Of course you can guess my reaction to such a person. She uses racism as a tool to incite people, blatantly using ignorant, inflammatory comments to make the news and sell books, and ignores the power of what she says. In today's speech, when a Muslim student asked her about her "flying carpets" comment, nothing that she didn't have one, Coulter told her "to take a camel" instead. And she made the news.
Still, her vast store of idiocy is not what this post is about. What I want to do is relate this issue and Coulter's recent foray into Canada to something else I had previously written about here.
British MP George Galloway was denied access to speak in Canada at an anti-war protest due to his attacks on Israel and connections with the Palestinian Hamas (who Canada labeled a terrorist org.) which include being part of the Viva Palestina convoy bringing food to Gaza to promote peace. At the time I noted that we had allowed George Bush to cross the border to speak, why were we denying Galloway? My question remains: If we allow people such as Coulter across the border to spew her vitriolic rants why was a British elected official (Galloway) banned?
I think part of the answer stems from what Galloway represents - a critique of Israel. He highlights atrocities in Gaza, sides with Palestinians and Arabs as a whole and roundly denounces American foreign policy that supports such atrocities... policy that Canada seems to agree with. I know Israel is a touchy subject but his views are not welcome and even less welcome than the racist rants of Coulter? He's involved in initiatives to promote peace and equality for Muslim people's and Coulter advocates against Muslim people. We talk about free speech in Canada but this one exclusion (Galloway) and one inclusion (Coulter) speaks to what is allowed in Canada, what is deemed acceptable, and what is allowable to say.
Free speech in Canada... as long as you agree with our policies and don't like Muslims.
Of course you can guess my reaction to such a person. She uses racism as a tool to incite people, blatantly using ignorant, inflammatory comments to make the news and sell books, and ignores the power of what she says. In today's speech, when a Muslim student asked her about her "flying carpets" comment, nothing that she didn't have one, Coulter told her "to take a camel" instead. And she made the news.
Still, her vast store of idiocy is not what this post is about. What I want to do is relate this issue and Coulter's recent foray into Canada to something else I had previously written about here.
British MP George Galloway was denied access to speak in Canada at an anti-war protest due to his attacks on Israel and connections with the Palestinian Hamas (who Canada labeled a terrorist org.) which include being part of the Viva Palestina convoy bringing food to Gaza to promote peace. At the time I noted that we had allowed George Bush to cross the border to speak, why were we denying Galloway? My question remains: If we allow people such as Coulter across the border to spew her vitriolic rants why was a British elected official (Galloway) banned?
I think part of the answer stems from what Galloway represents - a critique of Israel. He highlights atrocities in Gaza, sides with Palestinians and Arabs as a whole and roundly denounces American foreign policy that supports such atrocities... policy that Canada seems to agree with. I know Israel is a touchy subject but his views are not welcome and even less welcome than the racist rants of Coulter? He's involved in initiatives to promote peace and equality for Muslim people's and Coulter advocates against Muslim people. We talk about free speech in Canada but this one exclusion (Galloway) and one inclusion (Coulter) speaks to what is allowed in Canada, what is deemed acceptable, and what is allowable to say.
Free speech in Canada... as long as you agree with our policies and don't like Muslims.
Barista-in-Training
No, I haven't gone and acquired a job at Starbucks (though the free coffee is tempting!) Instead, I am training Daija to go work at Starbucks and get that free coffee for me! What else are children for?
It's actually quite cute, every time I go to make coffee she wants to help. She puts the filter in for me.
She knows where I keep the grinder and the beans.
She pushes the button on the grinder until the beans are all done and then signs "all done".
Then, she gets to push the on button.
We smell the beans and she imitates me, saying "Mmmmmmmm."
The ultimate goal is to get her to the point where I can wake up and tell her, "Daija, go make Daddy coffee and bring it to him in bed!" Now I just need to teach her how to fry up bacon....
It's actually quite cute, every time I go to make coffee she wants to help. She puts the filter in for me.
She knows where I keep the grinder and the beans.
She pushes the button on the grinder until the beans are all done and then signs "all done".
Then, she gets to push the on button.
We smell the beans and she imitates me, saying "Mmmmmmmm."
The ultimate goal is to get her to the point where I can wake up and tell her, "Daija, go make Daddy coffee and bring it to him in bed!" Now I just need to teach her how to fry up bacon....
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