My Mother was a great cook, and I thank her for my love of culinary exploration. She was endlessly patient when 10 year old me would attempt recipes with the caveat that I could alter and change at will. It wasn't always a good idea. Perfectly good recipes would be deconstructed and rebuilt to incorporate chocolate, more sugar, strange fillings, and so it went on....... if ever my family were a little dubious about the results, I was quite happy to chomp my way through ~ the sweeter the better! But now I think how nice my Mother was to let me have a go, and with unlimited access to her pantry, she issued only one instruction.... 'Just clear the mess up afterwards!'
In my teen and young adulthood I loved baking for family and friends, savoury was fun enough, but for me, the main meal was just a way of getting to the sweet stuff ! At weekends I would happily potter in the kitchen preparing cakes for afternoon teas, or desserts for dinner parties. If an occasion called for lavish ~ I was a happy girl ~ I did lavish very well!
Since I became an Albany local, I have been lucky enough to indulge my love for creating pretty food ~ both privately and for the lovely people who reside here. I hope you enjoy this peek into my album......
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
Community at its best.
A grey clouded sky this morn did nothing to dampen the vibe within the Vancouver Cafe, in fact as we emerged from our front door, we could hear the music and laughter drifting down the street. Luxury 8 year old picked up the happiness trail (as they do) and did a jolly jig on the way!
The event was a breakfast hosted by Amnesty for the Human Rights movement. How lovely to see a good slice of the community backing such a worthwhile cause. When we arrived, the mechanics of the cafe were in top gear, staff dashing between tables, plates piled high with gorgeous breakfasts, the sound of the coffee machine hissing and the merry clatter of china on china. The jazz duo were in full swing ~ nothing like a sassy saxophone to get your foot tapping in the morning and just shake any darn blues away! Not that we had any ~ good timing ~ a local author, Richard Davy was just about to read excerpts from his poetry book. I love hearing original authors read their own work: you can get a better feel of how they want their words portrayed, and Richard peppered his time in the spotlight with interesting facts and insights, which led to particular inspirations.
Oh how I have to settle myself when jazz is being sung! That frustrated actress and singer in me is all too ready to sweep all aside and bask in the adoration of my fans..... except that's not what I do, I write without anyone to applaud when I finish a story....... still, the Ella Fitzgerald within me may one day take to the stage,we shall see!
Anyway, a bit of a sing along helped, and looking around, as people began to drift towards the door and towards work, home et al, I thought it was a very special thing that had just happened here in Albany ~ for this coming together of all types and all talents ~ all that energy and goodness, and a common goal in mind ~ thousands of miles away in Nepal, children who face troubles more than we can even imagine, will benefit from the money raised today, and a few more people will have become aware.....
The event was a breakfast hosted by Amnesty for the Human Rights movement. How lovely to see a good slice of the community backing such a worthwhile cause. When we arrived, the mechanics of the cafe were in top gear, staff dashing between tables, plates piled high with gorgeous breakfasts, the sound of the coffee machine hissing and the merry clatter of china on china. The jazz duo were in full swing ~ nothing like a sassy saxophone to get your foot tapping in the morning and just shake any darn blues away! Not that we had any ~ good timing ~ a local author, Richard Davy was just about to read excerpts from his poetry book. I love hearing original authors read their own work: you can get a better feel of how they want their words portrayed, and Richard peppered his time in the spotlight with interesting facts and insights, which led to particular inspirations.
Oh how I have to settle myself when jazz is being sung! That frustrated actress and singer in me is all too ready to sweep all aside and bask in the adoration of my fans..... except that's not what I do, I write without anyone to applaud when I finish a story....... still, the Ella Fitzgerald within me may one day take to the stage,we shall see!
Anyway, a bit of a sing along helped, and looking around, as people began to drift towards the door and towards work, home et al, I thought it was a very special thing that had just happened here in Albany ~ for this coming together of all types and all talents ~ all that energy and goodness, and a common goal in mind ~ thousands of miles away in Nepal, children who face troubles more than we can even imagine, will benefit from the money raised today, and a few more people will have become aware.....
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