04 Aug
Necessary Reminders

I have been a fan of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg for some time now. Never have I been more proud to say that.
For months, a debate has raged in New York as several groups have come out in opposition to the proposal to erect a mosque and Islamic cultural centre near the site [...]
30 Jul
My New Espresso Maker

There was a time in the not too distant past when I could not bring myself to let coffee run over my lips. It seems so long ago now! I tried to learn a love for black gold the way most do – by putting so much sugar into the cup that it more closely [...]
26 Jul
Beirut: Revisited

It’s been almost four weeks since Beirut Express opened its doors to customers on Fort Street in Victoria. It seems like just yesterday that store owner Charbel Hage excitedly saw me peering in his window on my way to the inner harbour for a few pre-fireworks drinks on Canada Day.
The affable Hage seems at [...]
19 Jul
Bonne Bastille

It seems I’ve gotten myself caught in quite the cycle of one-upsmanship. Most remarkably, it’s with myself. It began with the three-dimensional duck cake fir a coworker’s birthday and escalated from there. After making a three-dimensional duck, it became a bit of a challenge to determine how to recognize another coworker’s thirtieth birthday appropriately. After [...]
06 Jul
One Man’s True Love: The Story of Falafel

Like children at many schools, my elementary school offered regular treat days. There was hot dog day, pizza day and also doughnut day, which offered students the opportunity to purchase these treats, with proceeds from the sales going to yearbook fundraising or to our high school’s graduating class to defray the costs of prom. [...]
29 May
A Mountain of Mint

Spring is a wonderful time of year, with ready access a plethora of affordable and delicious fresh herbs, fruit and vegetables. At the same time, it can be a bit daunting trying to determine what to do with it all. I’m not just randomly mentioning this conundrum. While baking the carrot cake with Rose the [...]
28 May
Bakin’ By The Seat of Her Pants

Wednesday night after going for a run in the rain (a Victorian experience if ever there was one), I spent the evening as Rose’s baking assistant. Like myself, it seems Rose had gotten herself appointed head baker for her office and was going to prepare a carrot coconut cake from the Rebar cookbook for her [...]