Lists

I am all about making lists these days - which is really nothing new. I've always been a list-maker. Now, along with my weekly grocery lists and constant to-do list, the other lists have to do with baby things. Things to buy and things to do. I feel like there is still lots to get done ... but, I trust that this baby will wait long enough until I have time to do it all! (Or at least the really necessary things.)

Here are some of the nicer things on the list

} Get a haircut (long overdue)
} Visit the art gallery (also long overdue)
} Go for brunch with J – maybe to Culina?
} Make these cookies - one of my favourite flavour combinations
} And use the extra egg yolks to make this amazing curd again
} Organize all the adorable baby clothes we have received

And of course there are some things that will be not so much fun ... but I'll feel so good when they are done!

} Reorganize our filing system (talk about overdue ... I have been meaning to do this since we moved last September)
} Purge stuff taking up space in the baby's room
} Clean out the freezer (to make room for food we can eat after the birth)

About that last point ... I am planning to make a bunch of meals that I can freeze so we don't have to worry too much about food in the first crazy days after the baby is born. What are your favourite meals that can be frozen? I am thinking lasagna and other casseroles, and soups, but I don't have too much experience freezing stuff. We don't have a deep-freeze so room is limited. If you have suggestions please let me know!

Gluten-free in Banff

A few weeks ago we spent the weekend in Banff with friends. It was a really nice getaway, especially as the birth of our baby gets closer and closer. We hadn't been to the mountains since last summer, and I always feel like I need to take advantage of their proximity while living here in Alberta.

Banff is a very gluten-free friendly town for tourists. Here are a few of the highlights:

We stayed at A Banff Boutique Inn, a B&B on the edge of town. I'd definitely recommend it. We got a deal on our rooms so it was a very reasonable price - not sure we could afford to stay here in the high season. It's an old house built in the 1940s, and the rooms have retained some old-fashioned charm. There are hardwood floors, big windows, and simple, classic furnishings. Our room had a cute little built-in vanity with two closets on either side. The rooms are comfortable but not big, and we were in a wing of the house with a shared shower/sink and shared separate toilet. It worked well since our friends stayed in the other room of the wing.

The breakfast they offered was fantastic. It was continental but quite deluxe: all kinds of breads and bagels, hard-boiled eggs, yogurt, fresh fruit including berries and pineapple, homemade granola bars and banana bread, cereals, nuts and dried fruit, coffee, and a good tea selection. And ... gluten-free bread and cereal! Unfortunately there was only one toaster so I didn't take a chance with the bread, but the cereal (Nature's Path Mesa Sunrise with raisins) was delicious, especially with all the nice toppings. I also enjoyed delicious chocolate mint rooibos tea from the Banff Tea Company.

There's a wonderful bakery in Banff, Wild Flour, that sells many gluten-free baked goods. We went there twice in two days so I could sample their treats. The mint "rawreo" (in second photo above) had a delicious mint flavour, though the texture of the cookie was a bit weird - I guess that's because they're raw. The next day I tried a ginger peach muffin which was a bit dense, but otherwise really good. Sadly I didn’t feel like I could indulge in the Mexican chocolate cookie or the brownie as well. The bakery also makes a delicious cappuccino and a yummy lunch, with lots of GF options for soups and salads. And of course, there are plenty of gluten-filled baked goods and fresh-baked breads.

We went to the Bear Street Tavern for supper because I read online that they have gluten-free pizza. I chose one with wild mushrooms, pine nuts, and pesto, which was just as delicious as it sounds. The crust was thin and crispy, with none of the beautiful puckering and air-filled holes of the gluten version, but still good. J unfortunately was disappointed with his pork belly mac and cheese, since the pork was rubbery and the flavour nothing special. But we all enjoyed the atmosphere of the place – casual and trendy.

We also had a taste of home in Banff at Cows Ice Cream, the company from PEI. We introduced our friends to the joys of 16 percent butterfat and whimsical flavours like Gooey Mooey (burnt sugar with chocolate caramel cups) and Wowie Cowie (vanilla with english toffee swirl, chocolate flakes and Skor bits).

When you enter the store, the intoxicating scent of freshly baked, sugary waffle cones (with just a hint of almond) hits your nose. Sadly, I can't eat the cones anymore, but my cup of Chunky Chocolate Mint was still delicious, and reminded me of summers on PEI.

The next time we visit the mountains it will be with our baby. With our baby! I still can't quite believe it. 

What I am excited to eat again

… after I give birth:

1. Runny eggs. I really miss these. One of my quick go-to meals is a fried egg with whatever is in the fridge ... and fried eggs that are cooked until the yolk is hard are simply no good. It also really limits my brunch options in restaurants.

2. Sushi. There is plenty of great sushi that doesn't involve raw fish (just look at that luscious avocado up there!), but my choices are always even more limited because of not eating gluten. So going to a sushi restaurant and having some more choice will be wonderful.

3. Deli meats. You know, I really didn't think I would miss this
much at all. I rarely buy deli meats. But something about not being able to eat a food makes you want it more. I think on one of our first shopping trips post-baby I will stock up on some delicious prosciutto, maybe some salami, and other goodies at the Italian Centre.

4. Rare meat. We don't eat meat often, it's true. But on the few occasions we eat out for dinner, it would be great to be able to indulge in a beautiful medium-rare steak.

5. Alcohol. Yeah, this one's pretty obvious. It's not like I'm a big drinker, but the thought of that first sip of a crisp glass of white wine, a cold (gluten-free) cider or a refreshing mojito is awfully tasty right now.

Only a little more than two months to go! Our baby is moving all the time, and it’s crazy that you can see my stomach rippling when it really gets going. Sometimes I wonder what exactly it’s doing in there.

Of course the best part of post-birth will be meeting our baby and getting to enjoy what parenthood is like. But I must say indulging in these foods (and drink) again will be nice too.

Venice and Food

My sister Claire and her husband Alex were lucky enough to spend this past Christmas in Venice. Every year Alex’s family gets together for the holidays in an exotic locale. Since Claire joined the family they’ve gone to India, Syria and Rome – J and I happily got to tag along on that last trip for Christmas 2010.

They liked Rome so much that it was back to Italy this year. Claire has been to Venice before, but never for so long a stay, and they all had a fantastic time. (The photos of Venice in this post were taken by them.)

I feel that in a small way, I got to visit Venice too, through the pages of the wonderful book they gave J and I as a Christmas gift: Venice and Food.

Part artbook, part cookbook and part history book, Venice and Food is a fascinating and beautiful read. It’s written by an American woman, Sally Spector, who’s lived in Venice since the 1980s, and it was first published in 1998. There is an Italian version as well, and we’re not sure which book is the translation. Claire saw both of them in the store where she bought it and neither had translation credits. Perhaps the author wrote them both.

The book takes you through the history of Venice’s food culture, made up of sections of Venetians’ major food groups: Rice, Grain and Pasta, Polenta, Fish, Vegetables, Spices, and Sugar and Sweets. The book opens with an essay on Cicheti, which are Venetian appetizers or snacks, and another on how Venetians through history have accessed their fresh water. Through her writing on how the food of the Veneto region has been grown, raised, caught, made, and sold throughout history, the author tells the story of how Venice eats now and ate throughout the ages.

There are stories about how the fork came to Italy, how a winged lion became the symbol for Venice, and how the many guilds, or scuoli, for food vendors or producers in Venice were founded and their many regulations.

One thing that makes this book so special is the fact that it’s completely hand-lettered and illustrated by the author. It is rare to see such books these days. The drawings range from full 2-page scenes of Venetian street life, to different types of vegetables and shellfish, to replicas of historical machines and sculptures that have to do with food. The hand-lettering gives the book an intimate feel, as though you’re reading along in someone’s private journal. I think that’s what made me feel like I was really visiting Venice.

There are also nearly 50 recipes for authentic Venetian dishes. I haven’t tried any of them yet, and some are definitely a little too authentic to attempt here in Edmonton – like Cuttlefish Stewed in its Ink or Rice with Castrated Lamb – but several of them have caught my eye. I’d love to try the Pasta e Fasioi (Pasta and Bean Soup) and the Risi e Bisi (Rice and Peas), one of Venice’s most famous dishes.

Venice and Food would make a fantastic gift for anyone interested in food, culture, travel, or Italy, especially those who have visited or are planning to visit Venice. I definitely hope to go there myself one day, all the more after reading this.