Food Fetish: Cilantro

Where would we be without comedy? How many bad moods, break-ups, job losses and general melancholic moods have each of us battled victoriously with a good dose of humour?

Personally, I have an emergency pile of DVD's on hand that will put a smile on my face no matter what. So it's no surprise that I have a soft spot for people that make the world laugh.

Local actor Nicolas Ouellette does his part for humanity in a comedic cops & bad guys web series that he co-created.

In the following interview, he shares how that project got off the ground, and also offers a privileged peek inside his charmed life here in Vancouver. And of course, gives a first hand account of his freshly picked food fetish!


V: Why Cilantro, Nic?

NO: Cilantro compliments pretty much anything! It’s good for soups, salads, sandwiches. It's my go to herb.

V: You're native to Winnipeg. What brought you to Vancouver?

NO: I love it out here. The weather, the coffee, the beer, the restaurants & bars, the new friends I call family, my girlfriend, camping. Not to mention Grouse Mountain, 3rd Beach, the seawall. And the bike trails are pretty rad too.

But it was Vancouver's acting scene that initially lured me out here.

V: When did you start acting?

NO: Almost a decade ago. I first trained under teacher/producer Onalee Ames in Winnipeg. I cut my teeth on film and TV during that time, and also secured my full union actor status before moving to Vancouver four years ago.

It's been a blast. I had the opportunity to be Christopher Lloyd’s “ghost son” in an episode of “Fringe”, and I just finished shooting a guest-star appearance on the YTV show “Mr. Young”.

Right now most of my energy goes into the action-comedy web series POLICE COPS: a fast-paced, character driven, sexy-action romp, uncensored by industry “big-wigs”.

Myself and fellow co-stars write, act and produce all the episodes ourselves.

V: How did you land that opportunity?

NO: Three years ago I was talking to my colleague Suzanne Kelly who was also a fairly new arrival to the West Coast. We had both come to the same realization: if you want work out here, the easiest way to get it is to create your own project.

We teamed up with actor/co-creator Martin Van Steinburg and editor/co-creator Bryan Sullivan and found inspiration to write POLICE COPS. The four of us really love being able to use the show and its characters as a vehicle to explore issues that inspire or shock us.

Since then, the four of us have written and shot six episodes. The first 4 episodes are online right now!

V: What else keeps you busy?

NO: I work at Chill Winston in Gastown. Working there has opened my eyes to a lot of amazing food. Ethical Eaters will delight in the “ethically sustainable” Kangaroo Carpaccio. The highly inventive cocktail list and relaxed atmosphere certainly warrant the name “Chill” Winston.


Photography: Kristy Montgomery





________
Check out POLICE COPS to watch Nic's character "Lazlo Hartigan", his partner "John Farraday" and clumsy femme fatale “Birdie” take on a "deadly gang of international Chinese guys"...



_________


SPICY PUMPKIN CILANTRO SOUP

1 small pumpkin or medium kabocha
1 can coconut milk (+ additional coconut cream for garnish)
1 T grapeseed oil
1/2 bunch cilantro
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 t salt
2-3 T ginger, minced
pinch of cayenne

Peel and cut pumpkin into chunks. Boil in coconut milk and oil until very tender. Add most of the cilantro, garlic, salt and blend all until smooth.

Turn off heat and stir in ginger. Add more salt if necessary.

Serve garnished with cilantro sprig, coconut cream, cayenne as desired.


CILANTRO COOLER

1/2 C chopped cucumber
cilantro leaves, 2 sprigs (one to muddle, one for garnish)
2 oz vodka
1 lime juiced
1 oz simple syrup
club soda to taste
ice

Muddle cucumber and 1 sprig cilantro.
Add other ingredients and shake well.
Serve on ice.

Food Fetish: Blackberries

Amid the smothering asphalt and relentless traffic of the city, flora persists. Dandelion takes advantage of cracks in the sidewalk. Grasses take root where ever a break in the pavement allows.

Blackberry bushes, with their thorns and inky hued fruit, insinuate themselves along buildings and line alley ways.

Some things are so magnificent, so resilient, nothing can contain them.

Film editor Alex Leigh Barker has an entirely nostalgic view of blackberries. She grew up on Denman Island, home of the "Blackberry Fair", where as a child she joyfully picked the fruit with tiny purple stained hands, and sold them by the bucket-full to the corner store.

In the urban sprawl she now lives in, each blackberry is a miniature reminder of her childhood home.

Recently, Alex reconnected with her favourite fruit in an industrial area of Vancouver.

Her partner Ian Buchko captured the moment in photos.





It was her love of film that lured Alex off the idyllic island and to Vancouver. A self professed "Pop Culture Junkie", she is keenly aware of the massive effect film, TV and art have on society.

"Pop culture mirrors and shapes society at the same time, which is exciting to watch, and even more exciting to have an active part in. The presence of the film industry in Vancouver offers me that opportunity."

Alex has uses her talent in a multitude of ways. Once a screenplay writer, she most recently became interested in post production work, in particular film editing.

She views her work as having two strong elements: the technical and the creative. Like any art, it is imperative to master the first. Now that she has done so, she has more opportunities to explore her creative side.

Most recently, Alex had an integral role in the editing of "Winning America." The film documents the trials and tribulations of Canadian band Said the Whale as they try to break into the American market at the SXSW Festival in Austin Texas.

"Winning America" aired on CBC Radio 3 this summer and is due to be shown this December 31st 2011 on CBC TV.

Alex's future personal projects will likely involve photography as a means to tell a story. Given her talent with word and film, I'm looking forward to her character based visions becoming manifest in photo format.

Like all Vibrant Food Fetish Stars, not only is Alex beautiful, intelligent and talented, yes folks, this woman can cook as well. She makes good use of her kitchen and loves to explore new recipes as the seasons shift.

She invites you to make use of these decadent recipes for Fall brunch party for 2. Or 20.

Enjoy!


COCOA CREPES WITH BLACKBERRIES

For the Cocoa Crepe Batter:
2 large organic eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa powder, fair trade
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 cup whole milk

For the Mascarpone-Blackberry Filling:
2½ cups greek style yogourt or keffir
¼ honey
1 ½ pints blackberries


For the Cocoa Crepe Batter:
Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve and let rest in refrigerator for one hour or up to two days.

Over high heat, warm a non-stick sauté pan or crepe pan, lightly coated with non-stick cooking spray, until very hot. Reduce heat to medium, ladle about 1 ounce of batter into pan, swirling batter until it evenly coats base of pan. Similar to a pancake, cook the crepe until small bubbles appear and batter is matte in color. Gently flip the crepe and cook for about 5 more seconds. Invert pan over a plate or parchment-lined tray, lay crepe flat to cool, and repeat until with remaining batter.

For the Yogourt filling:
Puree half a pint of blackberries and mix into yogourt or keffir.

Dollop about 2-3 tablespoons of filling in the center of each crepe, top with 5-6 blackberries, and gently fold crepe in half twice. Scatter remaining blackberries over folded crepes.

adapted from: www.seriouseats.com


BLACKBERRY MIMOSAS

blackberries, muddled
OJ, fresh squeezed
champagne

Even when you are mixing alcohol with juice, it is never acceptable to use foul tasting cheap stuff. If you cannot afford a nice bottle of Veuve Cliquot, go for her younger sister, the inexpensive but tasty Veuve du Vernay. My cheapie favourite for over a decade now.


Photography: Ian Buchko

Head-piece: Alex Leigh Barker

Food Fetish: Seaweed

We are in the midst of a major food crisis. The consequences are far reaching and the causes are complex.

The issue cannot be easily bundled into a neat little package that we can sell on an infomercial and then throw money at. But that's no reason to shy away from the topic.

The crisis involves, but is not limited to, rising food prices, destruction of farm land, depletion of soil, lack of nutritional knowledge and the pitifully uneven distribution of wealth.

In stark terms: a significant portion of the world's population remains poor and malnourished, while their farm land is reserved for cash crops grown only for export.

Meanwhile the consumers of those cash crops in richer countries remain "mysteriously" malnourished.

Stuffed, yes, but malnourished, as evidenced by disturbingly high rates of obesity, diabetes and cancer.


The media at large often defines the food crisis in terms of the increasing cost of foods such as meat, wheat, dairy, oil and sugar. However these foods are not indicative of a healthy diet. They are luxuries indicative of wealth.

The goal should not be to make everyone affluent enough to afford doughnuts and steak.

We need to find a practical & affordable way for people of all income brackets to actually nourish themselves.

In order to thrive, humans require access to a high quality diet consisting of chemical & GMO-free fruits & vegetables, un-medicated proteins and clean water.

Humans have often turned to seafood as a source of protein-rich high quality food.

But with fish stocks in crisis, a seafood heavy diet has become as tacky as fur coats or ivory piano keys.

Perhaps the ocean holds other treasures ready for our consumption.

Ahoy!

Along comes a piece of the puzzle that was never really missing, just overlooked: Seaweed.

It's relevance is due to its impressive nutritional profile discussed below, as well as the ease with which it can be grown and harvested. It is a lightweight food that can easily be transported to landlocked areas, and requires very few resources to grow: only salt water and sunlight.

Folks, we have a winner.


SEAWEED PROFILE

Sea vegetables are amongst the healthiest food on the planet. They are used not only as food, but also as medicine, especially in TCM.

Seaweeds contain: calcium, iron, iodine, B vitamins, trace minerals, potassium, live enzymes, phytochemicals and amino acids.

Seaweeds are said to:

• balance hormones
  
• stabilize blood sugars
  
• balance cholesterol
  
• cleanse the intestinal tract
  
• reduce water retention
  
• flush heavy metals
  
• enhance immunity
  
• act as antioxidants
  
• help with weight loss
  

Imagine if our school lunches included sea vegetables, if our doctors recommended we eat seaweed on a regular basis, and our international food aid included kombu and dulse. Imagine we dismantled factory farms full of livestock and instead built sustainable seaweed farms.

Imagine the resources and costs saved, the cruelty averted, and the burgeoning health of the average individual.

Yup, I just saw the light bulb go off! Now be a doll and share the vision with a friend.

On my twelfth birthday, I made the following wish as I blew out the candles on my cake:

End World Hunger!

Looking back, it's easy to think that my wish sounds childish and daft, however the sentiment has never been more relevant and necessary than today.

I dare you to make that wish with me again and follow through with the following actions:

Avoid foreign cash crops by eating locally

Support organic and Fair Trade programs and certifications

Campaign for more effective aid programs

Educate yourself about nutrition

Do what you can to spread information and vibrant ideas, in your own unique way

Support your local seaweed harvesters!




Dulse and Goat Cheese Salad

1/2 C tightly packed dulse (lightly baked for crispier texture)
3 C mixed greens (arugula, frisee, dandelion greens etc)
11-oz log of mild goat cheese sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
6 T walnut oil or extra virgin olive oil
4 T apple cider vinegar
4 T balsamic vinegar
1 C toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

For vegan option substitute 2 avocados, sliced, for goat cheese

serves 4







Recommended Reading

"Forget everything you know about seaweed! This cookbook guide explains how to prepare dried seaweed into the perfect weight loss and nutritional, flavor-enhancing food-additive.

Learn to make seaweed into an inexpensive weight-loss Liquid, for fat-free shakes, teas, and frozen cocktails; or a taste-enhancing Jelly, for savory soups, dips, and stews; or a mineral-rich emulsifying Paste, which adds creamy textures to cakes, puddings, and breads."








Model: Shauna Eve

Photographer: Caitlin Das

Location: Boundary Bay, Tsawassen BC

Spring Side

Spring crops are a shameless display of freshness and youthful exuberance.

Crisp bunches of asparagus, with their deep purple tips and bright green stalks, are a favourite of mine at this time of year. They're a perfect side dish, and don't require much doctoring at all. The secret to perfect asparagus is to barely cook it so it stays crunchy and crisp.

Here's a simple take on the first asparagus of the season, with a refreshing nod to early summer.

ASPARAGUS WITH LAVENDER & GHEE

1 bunch asparagus, blanched
1 Tablespoon melted ghee (clarified butter)
1/2 lime, juiced
pinch of sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoon of lavender, crushed

Cut asparagus into 2 inch bits then blanch (drop in boiling water for 1-2 minutes. Remove and dip in ice water for 30 seconds to stop cooking process, then drain.)
Add melted ghee, lime juice & sea salt and toss. Garnish with lavender, crushed between your fingers.

To make this dish go from delish to decadent, dip asparagus in wasabi mayo. But remember: when it comes to eggs, go organic, or go home. Vegan mayo and margarine are always an option

Bon Appétit!

Santé, Maman!

A lot of how and what we eat is based on learned habits and cultural traditions.

Plant-based diets come naturally to me, and I have my parents to thank for that. Some of my earliest food memories are of home made lentil burgers and cheezy broccoli soup.

Drool!

Food is a well known conduit for love. And the kind mom makes is always the best, isn't it?

Apart from vegetarianism, my mother also instilled in me a lively French-Canadian brand of joyfulness around eating. Dinners in our house were festive, social affairs, especially on weekends. Our house would fill up with friends, wine and conversation would flow, and my mother would keep a steady stream of food coming.

In honour of Mother's Day, I'd like to thank mine for the delicious and wholesome food she always provided, and the good habits she passed along. I'd also like to share a couple of her vegetarian comfort food recipes. They remind me of being home, and being fed by her.


CAULIFLOWER AU GRATIN

1 (3-pound) head cauliflower, cut into large florets
sea salt
4 T (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
3 T all-purpose flour
2 C hot milk
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
3/4 C freshly grated Gruyere, divided
1/2 C freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 C fresh bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cook the cauliflower florets in a large pot of boiling salted water for 5 to 6 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture and stir until it comes to a boil. Boil, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, or until thickened. Off the heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt, the pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup of the Gruyere, and the Parmesan.

Pour 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of an 8 by 11 by 2-inch baking dish. Place the drained cauliflower on top and then spread the rest of the sauce evenly on top. Combine the bread crumbs with the remaining 1/4 cup of Gruyere and sprinkle on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the gratin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned. Serve hot or at room temperature.



GARLIC ROASTED ROOT VEGGIES

2 potatoes
2 yams
1 onion
4 carrots
1 bulb of garlic, smash cloves
grapeseed oil
fresh thyme, minced
sea salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Chop all veg into bite sized pieces toss with garlic, oil, salt, pepper and thyme.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until browned. Serve hot.

Food Fetish: Avocados

¡Feliz Cinco De Mayo, todos los guapos y guapas!

What a perfectly timed celebration. Nothing makes people feel more festive than a long awaited Spring. Finally we can show a bit of skin, feel the warm breeze on our faces, enjoy a patio, let fresh air reinvigorate and inspire us.

East Van native and life-long Vegetarian Caitlin Das is an avocado enthusiast. She shares her seasonally appropriate killer-guacamole recipe with us, and also gives us 24-hours worth of reasons to shake ourselves free from the daze of a long hibernation. It's time to wake up and reacquaint ourselves with this fair city!

Photographer Yoshi Tanaka, a regular on Vibrant, and the exquisite Miss Caitlin captured the delicate balance of sexiness and whimsy of 1950's pin-up photography for this photo shoot.

The result is completely charming.


V: Why avocados?

CD: I love avocados because of their creamy texture, versatility and cultural ambiguity. They are definitely a staple in my diet.

V: You are a rare breed having been born and raised in Vancouver. Do you still love it here?

CD: Like most Canadians, I often have a love/hate relationship with my hometown.

I find the night life here is sometimes lacking as Vancouver struggles to find its identity, somewhere between "large Canadian town" and "world class city". Despite that, there are some diamonds in the rough. If you are willing to do the detective work, you can always find something to do any night of the week.

One of the reasons why I absolutely love Vancouver however is the long list of fantastic vegetarian-friendly restaurants. I have a tonne of childhood memories at Cafe Deux Soleil, which is still one of my favourite haunts even though I live in the West End now. I could eat my way across this city and back!

V: I'd love to see what that would look like.

CD: I thought you'd never ask.


24 HOURS IN VANCOUVER: A JOURNEY FROM WEST TO EAST

Breakfast, Monday morning: Melriches Coffee / Panini & Americanos / horoscopes, friendly service, lively communal tables.

Jaunt on the Seawall!

Lunch: Yuko Maki on Davie Street / Yam, Avocado & Cream Cheese maki rolls, deep fried! /clean, excellent service, creative makis.

Beach!

Dinner: The Templeton / $5 dollar milk shakes / Juke boxes, cheeky service and comfort food.

Dancing: The Ice Cream Social / The Waldorf / Sock Hop inspired music, poodle skirts, and bourbon filled root beer floats. An evening filled with fun people & youthful vigour.

Breakfast, Tuesday Morning: Cafe Deux Soleil / Teriyaki Tofu Scramble / inexpensive & hefty breakfasts, Commercial Drive charm.

*Vibrant Chef, Caitlin Das and any establishment mentioned above completely absolve themselves of any responsibility for weight gained over the course of this journey. But please note that it is absolutely worth it!

Featured on Caitlin are locally made & designed clothes: a Kimono Top by WE3 and Reversable High Waisted Bottoms by Clementine Clothing, both available at Twigg & Hottie on Main street.

The Twigg & Hottie boutique is yet another reason to love Vancouver's Main Street and provides a pretty strong incentive to shop locally. Part owner of the boutique, the WE3 line, as well as chief designer for Clementine Jess Vaira was instrumental in choosing an outfit that is both retro and fresh. The styles featured below are available now in a variety of hot Spring colours. Going local has never been more chic!


GUACAMOLE PICANTE

3 avocados, cubed or mashed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 roma tomato, diced
2 sprigs green onion
1 lime, juiced
1 pinch sea salt
1/4 t cumin
1/4 t pepper
1/4- 1 whole jalapeño minced

Use more or less jalapeño depending on desired heat. You can remove the seeds to get flavour without full spicy intensity.

Smash it up, chica!




Photography: Yoshinori Tanaka

Wardrobe provided by: Twigg & Hottie

Special Thanks: Shauna Eve

The Antidote to Apathy

Federal Elections are at last upon us in Canada. As grateful as I am to live in this magnificent country, there is always room for improvement within our government.

Yes, it is possible to be simultaneously grateful for what you have and at the same time strive for more. Let's not forget that we all have a responsibility to protect our rights, and to keep our politicians in line.

We live in a world where many will face threats of punishment or even death in order to vote. I live in a country where the right to vote was granted to women less than 100 years ago. Personally, I cannot take my ability to vote without fear of intimidation or violence lightly.

Indeed we have so much to be grateful for in Canada. Let's keep it that way.

Dave Meslin offers some well-timed and inspirational words via TED Talks:

Food Fetish: Samm'iches!

Sandwiches.

The ultimate lunch food, the ultimate finger food, the ultimate fast food.

Simplistic in design as it may be, there are a thousand variations upon the theme.

People's preferences are as intimate and unique as ones' choice in music.


Luckily we have local Drum and Bass Royalty, Kir Mokum, an aficionado of both sandwiches and music, to give us the low down.

Kir Mokum began to perfect his craft in the hey-day of 1995, and is now a member of the esteemed SHAH DJ crew in Vancouver, as well as an up-and-coming d'n'b producer in his own right.

Despite his hard Junglist veneer, Kir Mokum is a gentleman at heart. He is not the type of man to tell a woman to make him a samm'ich. Not only did his mama raise him better than that, in all honesty he just doesn't trust many people, man or women, to do the job correctly.

To Kir, sandwich making is an art. As such it should not be rushed. Nor should it be over-thought, done without design, intent, or precision. Surely, a sloppy sandwich is indicative of a sloppy mind. And who could possibly want to consume such a gross indiscretion? Lunch food or not, there is always room for perfectionism. And a little Wu Wei goes a long way.

Yoshinori Tanaka captured Kir Mokum as he sat on a patio to enjoy a dinner sized sandwich, two or three Guinness, and a golden hued sunset over charming East Van.

V: Describe the perfect Sandwich.

KM: [bread]toppings[/bread]

V: Does your vision of the perfect Sandwich extend to other areas of your life?

KM: I think one's personal philosophies inevitably permeate every aspect of one's life. So yes, I am just as particular about my music whether I'm DJing or producing. I don't want to say I'm a perfectionist as that implies a certain amount of obsession with the unobtainable, but I definitely strive for excellence and integrity.

V: Your talents extend to music graphic design and visual art. As an artist, what inspires you?

KM: I'm really inspired by artists doing amazing and moving things. There's a lot of cross pollination in those influences too ie: films influence my graphic design; visual art influences my music, etc.

I've never been content to just be a passive observer. I need to experience creative processes to understand them. I get excited not just with the end result, but with the process itself and trying to understand the more esoteric traits of an art.

I get inspired by the idea that I have a vehicle with which to push the envelope and introduce new sounds to the audience, and by reminding them what's come before.

V: Does d'n'b in particular allow you to do that?

KM: Yes, but not always. Like any genre, there is a wide range within it. There will always be the Pop version of d'n'b that is all about being as crazy as possible, appealing to the audience on a very base level. I'm not saying that mainstream d'n'b doesn't play a role, it's just not the role I've chosen.

For me it's about digging deep into the emotive niches of the genre while keeping the audience engaged and moving. The idea of music being equally effective on the dancefloor as it is on a home stereo has always been a measure of quality for me. Striking a balance between moving, feeling and thinking is my MO.

There is a lot of really inspired music out there right now that is made to evoke a dynamic range of emotions. Artists like Blu Mar Ten, Calibre, d:bridge, Seba, Rockwell... they're all producing music that I feel people need to hear.

V: Name some of your top favourite shows you've played.

KM: Overall, I love playing outdoor festivals. Especially early morning, when I have license to play some really deep music that the audience isn't as receptive to at peak time-slots.

More specifically, I recently played a benefit for Japan's earthquake and tsunami victims hosted by Vancouver's Lighta! crew.

Not only was it for a good cause, it was also very exciting for me because I wasn't playing to a strictly d'n'b crowd. I chose to play a deep and dynamic style of minimal d'n'b that I like to call Liquid Chunk. It brings back the experimental aspects of the genre that were big in 1995/96. It's big in the UK, but no one in Canada seems to be really pushing it right now. I took a risk playing something new, and people loved it. Bam!

V: Kir, what is the meaning of life?

KM: Wash your bowl.














KIR SAMM'ICH

deep house / deep techno / or deep d'n'b mix
3-4 Guinness
hearty bread
mayo or pesto spread
avocado
tomato
porter cheddar / smoked gouda / havarti / or lightly baked dulse


Latest tracks by Kir Mokum

Special Thanks to Yoshinori Tanaka

Food Fetish: Coffee

When Vancouver experienced a water shortage a few years back, the city's residents took it in stride.

We happily stopped watering our lawns. We jumped at the excuse to share steamy showers with friends and lovers. We gave in and bought over priced and wasteful bottled water. We went to the beach instead of the pool.

But when it came to coffee, we lost our minds.

At the café where I worked at the time, I was offered all manner of bribes to get that espresso machine up and running, muddy water and all. As much as $20 was waved in my face to whip up an Americano on the sly. Talk about addiction...but also, talk about LOVE!

Almost everyone I know loves coffee, but it's usually a conditional love, dependent on sweeteners, syrups and dairy to smooth the bumps of their affection.

This month's food fetish star, however, is a true Connoisseur. Miss Emilie Nagahama appreciates coffee in its rich unadulterated form. In her journeys she has uncovered the most delicious roasts, sourced the most ethical farms, and experimented with the best brewing methods available. When you are this meticulous, you are bound to hit on something very special.

We caught up with Emilie at Momento, deep in the heart of Kitsilano. As a special treat, photographer Vasho Pekar came along to document the evening. A member of SHAH, Vancouver's premium D&B crew, Vasho supplies brilliant visuals, and sharp photography. He's also known for his stimulating and brilliantly curated underground art shows. He beautifully captured our favourite Coffee Angel's craft.

V: Is there really much more behind coffee other than it's spectacular mood enhancing qualities?

EN: Absolutely. Lots of people drink coffee without ever really appreciating the actual ‘taste of coffee’. Crazy but it is true. A medium roast vs. a dark roast takes a bean in two very different directions.

Ultimately it comes down to your own personal preference, of course. But there is definitely a lot of marketing and blinding techniques used by big corporations. Mainly: in roasting beans dark as can be, the beans become more bitter, so you’re more likely to use cream/milk and sugar. These create an additional craving in the body other than caffeine.

V: Tricky! But even straight-up black coffee is touted as being a guilty pleasure. Is it that bad for you?

EN: There’s talk about our bodies not being alkaline enough these days. To be perfectly honest, dark roasts aren’t going to help on that front, and they are notoriously difficult to digest. Medium roasts on the other hand, allow you to explore the nuances of a coffee's flavour because it hasn't been completely cooked out. They're also easier on the gut. Drink a glass of water afterwards to ease digestion. If consumed in moderation, coffee is definitely an indulgence your body can handle.

V: "Cash Crops" have a pretty bad reputation these days, especially those imported to Canada from abroad. How can we fit coffee into our lives without supporting unethical practices?

EN: It's true, many people are not familiar with where coffee comes from, nor do they realize the lack of sustainable practices used to make coffee for the 'usual suspect' big corporations. Most farmers make next to nothing for their hard work.

It’s important to recognize the value in supporting Fair Trade, Direct Trade and Organic Farms. Under these systems, farmers and farm hands receive fairer treatment and wages, as well as greater security. Your favorite big name café may not be in line with these values – it’s something important to consider when purchasing coffee. In Vancouver we're lucky to have an abundance of cafés that serve Fair Trade coffees, so the choice is easy.

V: What drew you to the world of coffee making?

EN: I’ve been muddling about the coffee industry for the past few years uncovering the relationship between coffee farms and sustainable practices.

I love my work. It’s great to be able to impart the knowledge I've gained to the customer, rather than simply smile and send them on their way. I may not work as a Barista forever, but for the time being it’s my way of doing something beneficial to the sustainability movement while also gaining a greater appreciation for the things I choose to consume.

V: So what are some trade secrets on making the perfect cup?

EN: Making coffee is an art form that requires a lot of attention to detail as there are so many brewing variables. I love the environment in a café. There is always the opportunity to try something new and properly made. But it can add up to many dollars at the end of the month.

In the spirit of being economical and a conscious consumer, take the time to try brewing coffee at home as well. Sitting around with friends after a big night out is a great time to make some fresh brew to share.

Emilie's Coffee home brewing tips:

•Buy freshly roasted beans, and make sure to use them within 10 days of their roast date. Perhaps consider some of the great local roasters: 49th parallel, JJ bean, Origins, Moja etc… There are also numerous cafés binging in amazing beans being roasted in other parts of Canada and the States. Try buying smaller bags to be able to keep it fresh.

•The right grind makes all the difference. A little coarser or finer will change the body immensely. Burr grinder can be pricey but worth the investment. Avoid pre-grinding your beans, as they will lose freshness faster.

•Get to know your Brewing method.

I'm keen on the ceramic Cone dripper at the moment, which we use at work instead of a drip machine. It’s easy to clean and makes for a clean cup of coffee as well. Nuances in the beans will easily be accentuated.


The French press is also great, especially for anyone who has cream/ milk in their coffee. It gives the coffee more body due to the water being in contact for a longer period of time with the grinds.

For more information about brewing methods visit brewmethods.com



COFFEE CAKE

For the crumb topping:
1/3 cup melted non-dairy butter, such as Earth Balance
1/2 cup turbinado sugar or brown sugar
1 cup spelt flour
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For the cake:
1 1/2 cup spelt flour
3/4 cup natural cane sugar, organic if possible
2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teasp salt
1 flax egg ( 1 tablespoon flax meal + 3 tablespoons water)
1/2 cup non-dairy milk of your choice
1/8 cup apple sauce
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Prepare the crumb topping – melt butter, set aside to cool. In a medium bowl combine sugar, flour and cinnamon. Then add butter and mix until ingredients are fully wet. You will have globs of sugar mixture.

Prepare the cake – Combine flax and water first. Then in a medium bowl combine milk, apple sauce, vanilla and flax egg. Mix well. Then add dry ingredients. Mix until all flour has been combined, but be careful not to over mix.

Pour batter into a 9 x 9 baking dish that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Now evenly add your crumble to the top of the cake batter.

Bake for 40 minutes. Check with a toothpick to make sure cake has fully cooked.

Serve with coffee. Duh!

Photography: Vasho Pekar

Coffee Cake Recipe: The Clean Eating Mama

Special thanks to Rick Martin at Momento Café

Technology for the Future: Lesson for the Present

It sounds like Science Fiction. Giant, transportable, self-contained biospheres where we can grow our own organic crops and live quite comfortably.

The biggest lesson from the following talk is not how to inhabit space or other planets, but rather that we have a profound impact on our biosphere, and as such we have no choice but to live consciously and responsibly.

Enjoy!

Food Fetish: Spirulina

Gong Hey Fa Choy!

In this New Year of the Rabbit, it is forecast that we shall indulge in many comforts. But not because we'll have more at our disposal, rather because we will truly appreciate what we already have. This lunar year will allow us to slow our pace, leisurely enjoy family, friends, and food.

Hmmmm. Is this a calm before the storm of 2012's year of the Dragon and Mayan Apocalypse? Who can say. Either way, it's best to enjoy this luxurious reprieve while it lasts.

How do you successfully make that switch from a roaring and boisterous year of the Tiger to a contemplative and serene state of mind where less is more? It's time to look at that list of 'must haves' and decide if everything on there is worth the pain in the ass to acquire. You might decide to remove a few of the material items, and instead consider adding your own vibrant health to that list.

Improving ones exercise and diet routines are obvious paths to good health. But there are other little gems out there that wait like little faery helpers, ready to boost our vitality into the stratosphere: Superfoods! Rather than spending hundreds on vitamin and mineral supplements, capitalize on the bounty of high quality Superfoods. Get your nutrients from your food like Planet Earth intended for you.

"Superfood" is an admittedly vague term, but the way I use it here refers to unprocessed foods which have an exceptional nutrient profile, containing high amount of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants.

This month's Superfood Star is Spirulina . Never heard of it before? Don't be fooled. This is no spiral shaped pasta, to be eaten with cream and other naughty sauces. This is a nutrient-dense blue green algae and a power-house of nutritional goodness. I'll forgive you if you stop reading this in order to sprint to the health food store to pick some up.

Our conversation today is with Mishku. With a back ground in Anthropology and Environmental Studies, and a Vegan Chef herself, Mishku has a strong interest in food security. Take note: she is not interested in feeding the poor, she is interested in nourishing them. A huge fan of Spirulina, she is convinced that this deceptively humble blue green algae can help nourish the world if given the chance. Shauna Eve interviews her in this expose, where the naked truth about health and food politics takes center stage.

We had the good fortune of snagging photographer Zipporah Lomax on her way through Vancouver. This San Francisco native and exceptional talent was just back on the continent after a year in India. Her fresh eyes have the uncanny ability of capturing an air of intimacy and a touch of magic.


SE: Why Spirulina?

M: Spirulina is the epitome of clean, fresh, vibrant food. It is so chock full of nutrients, other more humbly put together foods say "Dang Spirulina! You make us look bad!". And I do not underestimate the psychological effects of knowing this. I supplement my diet with this Superfood every morning by adding it to my shake, juice, or chilled tea (heat destroys spirulina's potency). I have the good fortune of living in a region where I can easily procure it, so what good reason would I have not to do so?

SE: You seem to draw a pretty clear connection between good health and diet.

M: Absolutely. It seems strange to me that this is still up for debate. Henry Rollins once said that we are all born as Ferraris, but we end up treating ourselves like beaters with crappy food and other unhealthy lifestyle choices. How is it that he could capsulize the concept so aptly in that one metaphore, yet doctors are still scratching their heads in fascination at the escalating rates of heart disease and cancer?

Vibrant health is not as mysterious as we make it out to be, but we're all waiting for Oprah to verify our facts for us. Or worse yet, for pharmaceutical companies to concoct a fix-it-all drug that promises salvation from responsibility.

I don't make much money, so my retirement plan is my own healthy body. If you can't afford to have someone change your diapers, make sure you keep fit and clean so you can change your own. HA! No, but really, I believe in taking control of having the second half of your life be just as enjoyable as the first.

SE: What about people who can't afford good quality food?


M: That is an interesting question. If you live in Canada and smoke, drink, indulge in 'retail therapy' or drive a car, you probably qualify as someone who has enough disposable income to afford high quality food. I can't imagine being able to afford driving a car everyday, and some people who drive everyday can't imagine being able to afford organic food. It's a question of values and priorities. If you don't prioritize your health, you risk falling into poor shape. The choice is yours.

There are a lot of people for whom this is not the case. It embarrasses me that in a country so full of bounty, we have people who suffer from malnutrition, either through ignorance or poverty.

Our Food Bank system is a great concept, but often falls short of helping nourish people. What do we donate to food banks every Christmas like clock work? All the crappy processed food at the back of our cupboards that we would never feed ourselves or our families. Kraft Dinner is not food, Chef Boyardi is not food. The people on the receiving end of this help deserve high quality food, not processed and flavoured filler.

If through our tax dollars we can afford to help people when they are sick, we can certainly afford to help people prevent sickness in the first place, no?

SE: What options do we have to deal with this?

M: I had the amazing opportunity to prepare meals and snacks for Vancouver's Downtown East Side Neighbourhood House. I prepared high protein plant based meals. "Cheap and cheerful" food bursting with colours and nutrients. People loved it. People in all segments of society crave clean fresh food, and community. Sharing meals in itself is a therapeutic activity. That's what the Neighbourhood House provides. It was an honour to be a part of it. The world needs more places like that.


SE: So with all your cheerleading for healthy living, do you have any vices?

M: Mmmmm, don't we all? I believe in balance, not abstinence. The trick is enjoying sinful indulgences as treats, not habits.

SE: Mishku, make me dinner will you?

M: Of course, darling.


Photos: Zipporah Lomax
Spirulina:E3
Claw foot tub: Care of Shauna Eve
Eye lashes: Shu Uemura, Holt Renfrew


Green Dream Smoothie

1 T Spirulina
handful of blackberries
1 banana
2 C hemp milk
1 t hemp butter
1/2 C chilled green tea

Blender it up. Serves two.



*Disclaimer: The spirulina species of blue-green algae contains the chemical phenylalanine. This might make phenylketonuria worse. Avoid Spirulina species blue-green algae products if you have phenylketonuria.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/923.html

New Year's Resolution: Eating In

When our hominid ancestors first put flame to food, it must have seemed like quite a magical endeavor. And just imagine the excitement when humans realized that not only could fire give us light, heat and degree of protection against wild animals, but that it could also transform the flavour and texture of our food!

A whole world of edibles opened up including many roots, tubers and leaves that are too tough to eat raw.

There remains a certain amount of mystique around this simple act of applying heat to food. An unfortunate by-product of this can be feelings of intimidation or simply an unwillingness to cook or experiment in the kitchen.

Don't let a few botched attempts at an extravagant recipe discourage you!

It's in your best interest to conquer these feelings of intimidation. Namely because home cooked eating is less expensive than eating out, and it's healthier. What of the convenience? Well, you do have to do your own dishes, however you can also eat in your underwear, while watching TV, with your favourite animal friend by your side. Sign me up!

Here are a few tips to help you enjoy your time in the kitchen:

Attitude:
Food is a conduit for love. Making a meal full of things your body needs is an act of love, as is making a meal for family or friends.

Feeding yourself and others can bring an intense sense of fulfillment when viewed in this light. Revel in it!

Proper tools:
Let's keep things simple shall we? You need a chef's knife and a steel to sharpen it with. These two things are the key to all going smoothly and efficiently. They are desert island type requirements.

Get a proper sized knife that fits comfortably in your hand. Let it be an extension of your arm. Ask the vendor how to hold the knife properly and how to use the steel to sharpen it.

All you really need now is a wooden cutting board and fresh ingredients!

Everything else is gravy. You can use hand me down pots and ancient spoons. Your food will still come out just as delicious. Once you get in the swing of things, you may decide to upgrade a few items. When you do, avoid Teflon and plastic.

My personal guilty pleasure is a small inexpensive rice cooker (under $20). You will never EVER burn your rice again. Turn it on and forget about it until you are ready to eat.


Atmosphere:
Cooking should not feel like a punishment. Create an atmosphere that is comfortable. Include anything that elevates your mood: music, company, lighting, snacks, refreshments. What works best for you?

Enjoy solitude when working? Kick everyone out of the kitchen and tell them it will be worth their while! Want company? Ask a friend to pull up a chair, or a cutting board.

Think about what puts you at ease and flow with it.

Personally I love when I have the kitchen to myself, great music I can sing along to, a huge mug of spiced rooibus tea (or glass of white wine if the evening is more festive), and of course a clean kitchen to start off in.

Hosting:
The food you choose to share does not have to be fancy or exotic. If things are taking a bit longer than planned or you are anxious about the way a recipe turned out, distract guests with snacks, yummy beverages, or booze. (Shhhhhh! Don't tell anyone I said this, but a tipsy guest loves almost anything you put in front of them). Keep dessert small and simple. It usually goes unnoticed by the majority of guests anyway.

If you're caught up in trying to show off how fabulous your hosting skills are, you've immediately set yourself up for a stressful evening. Comedienne Amy Sedaris says that when you have people over for a meal, you are basically saying "I like you!". Let that sentiment carry you through your preparations and don't get too bogged down in the details of the recipe or the display.

Food Preparation:
Recipes involve a bit of chemistry, a bit of love, and super fresh ingredients.
Remember, you are more than an observer in their execution. Most recipes are created on the bland side to suit most palates. Your creative hand is required! Add a little more spice, salt, sweet or sour. Be bold and your dish will mirror your confidence.

Feel restricted by recipes? Ditch your cookbooks, or just use the pretty pictures as inspiration. Don't worry, this is the one kind of book for which no one will judge you for only looking at the pictures.

Now the really fun part: how you are going to spend the money you save on take-out and tips?

Food Fetish: Eggplant

Beauty and mystery are everywhere you look. Sometimes all it takes is a subtle shift in perspective to turn the mundane into the sublime.

The humble eggplant is filled with such mystery. The shade of a moonless midnight sky, with smooth shiny skin and earthy flavour. It's plumpness and name symbolic of fertility. When mixed with staple ingredients such as garlic, seasalt or miso, truly amazing things can happen.

Naturopathic Doctor Carmen Tanaka loves beautiful things. She also has a knack for uncovering the type of beauty that lays in wait for a worthy observer. For this shoot her refined aesthetic, along with her photographer husband Yoshinori Tanaka 's sharp eye, guided the way.

Carmen is newly graduated from The Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine, and is about to have a baby. What better way to celebrate the New Year than to celebrate new beginnings? And life is definitely unfolding in beautiful ways for Dr.Tanaka right now.

Vibrant Fare is honoured to have the opportunity to capture this spectacular moment, and her fabulous glow.



VF: Training in Naturopathic Medicine must give you a very wide range of knowledge. What modalities do you plan on focusing on?

CT: I am of the mind that there is no separation between the emotional, the mental and the physical. You cannot treat one without the other. My practice will revolve around uncovering the mental and emotional causes of illness: an area often over looked in medicine.

When you're helping someone to heal, you have to start by looking at the basics: is the patient getting enough sleep/water/clean food? Simply correcting deficiencies in these areas will cure a large amount of ailments.

When these basic conditions for health are met and illness still persists, it's time to dig deeper. Lifestyle and emotional counseling are good tools for uncovering non-physical imbalances, and so will play a large part in my practice. I also find a combination of acupuncture, herbs, and homeopathy to be highly effective for rectifying those imbalances.

VF: You became pregnant in the last months of your schooling at Boucher, and are expecting any day now. That must have changed the course of your life immensely.

CT: Yes and no. It might be cliche to say this, but you are never fully prepared for the immensity of creating a life. But priorities naturally shift when you become pregnant, and everything suddenly becomes feasible.

While in school, I was in a very yang mentality: studying, working in the clinic, transforming into a doctor and career woman. Since becoming pregnant and graduating from school, I've settled into a yin state: calm, contemplative, inward facing. The timing turned out to be perfect as I can let all that I have learned at school settle within me, and I have the luxury of a chunk of time to envision the future I desire.

This personal experience will also translate beautifully into my professional life. Pregnant women are notoriously complex to treat. Most adult treatments are inappropriate for the growing fetus. Going through the experience of pregnancy myself will make the prospect of treating pregnant women less daunting.

VF: You are obviously very passionate about the Art of Medicine. What else gets you going?

CT: Food. Every aspect of it. From picking out the perfect ingredients, to preparing them, and especially the act of sitting down to share plates of food.

VF: Why did you choose eggplant?

CT: Having never had it as a child, eggplant seems very exotic to me, which I find appealing. I also love the colour and texture. For me it is a comfort food: soft and grounding, and such a great conduit for an array of spices. I love them in thai green curry, and my husband makes a delicious Japanese miso-eggplant dish that I adore, by itself or on a bowlful of Haiga rice.


Thai Green Curry featuring Eggplant and Bamboo Shoots

1 japanese eggplant, cut into thin half moons
1 fresh bamboo shoot, sliced into chunks
1 red pepper, sliced thin
1/2 cup peas
1 shallot
1/2 red onion diced
3 cloves fresh garlic, chopped fine
1 1/2 cups veggie stock
1 can coconut milk
2 kaffir lime leaves
1 inch lemon grass stalk
1 T Thai Green Curry Paste
1 t grapeseed oil
1 pinch seasalt
1 inch fresh ginger, grated

In a saucepan heat oil and onions and shallots, with a pinch of salt.
Saute until translucent and add garlic, veggie stock, coconut milk, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass.

In a small bowl, dissolve curry paste in hot water.
Add curry paste to pot and heat. Add eggplant and bamboo shoot, and simmer on med-low for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Make sure eggplant has lost all of it's toughness and feels mushy. Stew longer if necessary.
Add red pepper and peas in the last few minutes of cooking.

Serve on short grain brown rice or brown jasmine rice, and garnish with fresh grated ginger.








Japanese Miso Eggplant



6 tablespoons shiro miso (white fermented soybean paste)
3 tablespoons rice vinegar (not seasoned)
1 1/2 tablespoons water
3 3/4 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons vegetable oil plus additional for brushing pan
6 Asian eggplants(about 8 inches), halved lengthwise
2 scallions, finely chopped

Preheat broiler.

Whisk together shiro miso, vinegar, water, honey, and ginger until honey is dissolved.

Brush a large shallow baking pan with oil and arrange eggplant, cut sides up, in pan. Brush tops with 2 tablespoons oil (total). Broil eggplant 4 to 6 inches from heat until it begins to turn pale golden and soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Brush generously with miso mixture and broil 2 minutes more. Brush eggplant with miso again and rotate pan 180 degrees (do not turn eggplant over), then continue to broil until eggplant is tender and glaze is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve sprinkled with scallions.


Photography: Yoshinori Tanaka

Special thanks to 'Nugget'