A Life, Lived

Happy Birthday Paul!

It's a big day here - someone turns 42.

Paul was born in 1975. Here in Canada there was a bunch of stuff happening .. .

Canada started to introduce the metric system throughout the year (and after 38 years of the metric system I still don't naturally 'think' metric)

Pierre Trudeau was Prime Minister

Television cameras are allowed to film in Parliament (Canadians, horrified by the undignified behaviour of their elected politicians started to tune out of the political process) 

The beaver becomes an official symbol of Canada (causing Canada to become the butt of jokes worldwide)

The CN Tower was built, the largest free-standing structure in the world until 2008. After it was constructed people realized that it was rather phallic in shape. Opps

The Soviet Atlantic fishing fleet is banned from entering Canadian ports due to overfishing. Of course this did nothing to stop the overfishing and the fish stock collapsed 25 years later.

Ontario schools begin to teach exclusively using the metric system. A young student named Jerry DeQuetteville got lost in math and never caught up.

The SS Edmund Fitzgerald, based in Sault Ste. Marie sinks. Had it not been for Gordon Lightfoot writing a song no one would ever remember the name of the ship.

The wearing of seatbelts is made mandatory in Ontario. Dirt bags protested the government intruding on their god given right to die young and stupidly if they want to.

The famous children's story Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang  was written by Mordecai Richler.

Anne Murray and Oscar Peterson each win a Grammy Award.

Joni Mitchell - releases The Hissing of Summer Lawns. A bunch of other mediocre music that no one has heard of since was released as well.

Saturday Night Live, produced by Canadian Lorne  and also featuring Canadians Paul Shaffer and Dan Aykroyd, premieres in the United States. this proves that it is possible for Canadians to be successful in the entertainment industry - if they leave Canada.

Michael Bublé, singer was born. How embarassing. Mind you, it is immensely superior to Justin Beiber having been born.. .

A list of people no one even remembers won the Governor General award. Well, I bet their family might remember but that is it.

In the middle of the oil crisis oil jumped to $ 13 a barrel and gas prices rose to 44 cents per gallon. people protested and gas panics ensued.

Believe it or not, "streaking" is the latest fad to seize North America. It involves running through a crowded room stark naked and at full speed. The object is to get in and get out as soon as possible, hence the name "streaking." mind you, once your inadequacies have been exposed to the world it doesn't really matter how quickly you run away, people have memories. Thank goodness we didn't have social media back then - can you imagine?

It is such a popular fad that Ray Stevens turns The Streak into a number one hit. A streaker even dashes across the stage at the Academy Awards.

The golden age of 60s music is over, and disco is still several years away. This is known as the music the world forget - deservedly so.

Something called the Arpanet has been set up by the American military to maintain communications in the event of a Soviet nuclear strike. Eventually, it will be opened to the public and re-named the Internet.

Canadian Seasons

Travel Tuesdays - Ottawa

I'll be heading to the capital in a couple of weeks for the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Teachers' Federation.

I am sure that the city will be all fancy for the celebrations of Canada's 150th birthday.

These shots are from a less-celebratory time but equally as impressive.

Bacon-Wrapped Halibut Fillets

Everything goes better with bacon, so the saying goes! And that goes for a mild flavored white fish like halibut, which often needs a little something extra for best taste.

This recipe for bacon wrapped halibut fillets combines a nice mix of fresh spices with lemon and halibut. The parcels are then wrapped in bacon and cooked on the barbeque grill.

This recipes is for a main course but you could even cut the bacon in half and then make the halibut pieces smaller and wrap and secure with a toothpick and serve as an appetizer at your next drink’s party.

Bacon-Wrapped Halibut Fillets

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
1 tsp fresh oregano, minced
1 tsp minced garlic
¼ tsp Kosher salt
pinch of cracked black pepper
4 halibut fillets (about 6 ounces each)
Zest of one lemon
1 lemon sliced thinly
8 slices of center cut bacon

Prepare the grill for direct and indirect cooking over medium heat (350° to 450°F).

In a medium bowl combine the marinade ingredients. Add the halibut and turn to coat each fillet thoroughly. Let marinate at room temperature for 5 to 30 minutes.

Place one or two lemon slices on each fillet. Using two slices of bacon, wrap a fillet by starting with one end of a bacon slice on the underside of the fillet. Wrap it around in a slight spiral, bringing it back to the bottom so the edges of the bacon slice overlap only minimally. Wrap the second slice the same way to cover the rest of the fillet as much as possible. Secure the bacon with toothpicks. Repeat with the remaining fillets.

Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the halibut, underside down, over direct medium heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until the bacon is browned and the halibut is opaque in the center, about 10 minutes, turning once or twice (when flare-ups occur, move the halibut temporarily over indirect heat). Remove from the grill and serve warm.

The end of the year

Teachers in Ontario are almost at the finish line for another year.

I wonder how many will receive a t-shirt like this?

National Aboriginal Day

June 21^st is National Aboriginal Day in Canada. In 1996, t
he former Governor General of Canada, Romeo LeBlanc, proclaimed June 21 to be known as National Aboriginal Day. This is an event growing in importance in Canada when the outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Metis are being recognized.

At the office we stopped our work at 11 and gathered in a large meeting room. One of our colleagues is of FNMI descent. She lead us through a thought provoking presentation after which we gathered in the atrium for cake.

Travel Tuesdays - Montpellier

A number of years we ran an AQ course in France. I got to travel with the candidates for a short period of time to see that everything was up to our standards in the program. It was a tough gig.

Here are some shots from that trek.

'Tis the season . . .

150 Years on the Farm

This is a big year for us here in Canada - our 150th birthday. Of course the land has been around and people have been eking a living on it for far longer but from a legal perspective we turn 150 on July 1.

Canadians do not really 'do' bit celebrations. We are far too quiet and reserved for that sort of thing.

Lately though I've noticed that lots of people are getting into the Canada 150 spirit.

When we were in Niagara a few weeks ago for our anniversary, one of the wineries had this sign out front.

Farro Salad with Tomatoes and Herbs

Farro, also called Emmer, is an ancient wheat strain similar to the very first wheat cultivated by ancient Mediterranean civilizations. Farro dominated the fields of the Near East, northern Africa and Europe until early farmers of Ancient Rome crossed wheat species to produce modern strains like durum. 

Chefs and home cooks around the world are rediscovering farro as a hearty side dish, a protein replacement or a salad compliment. Farro is very high in protein, with strong, cohesive gluten. It makes beautiful pasta flour—Italians have been making pasta with farro for centuries.

When I recently cleaned out the pantry I discovered that I had taken on a new role as 'farro hoarder'. In my defense, there was a period where it was quite hard to find here in the Toronto area so I used to bring back packages from trips to Italy. Rationale aside, I had plenty and needed to start using it up.

In the summer I enjoy making farro salads. Mom was over for dinner last week so of course I added this farro salad to the menu.

The recipe is easy to follow (yeah), quick (yeah), and tasted great (yeah), making this one to keep.

Farro Salad with Tomatoes and Herbs

4 cups water
10 ounces farro (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
1 pound tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 sweet onion (recommended: Walla Walla) chopped
1/4 cup snipped fresh chives
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Combine the water and farro in a medium saucepan. Add 2 teaspoons of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the farro is tender, about 30 minutes. Drain well, and then transfer to a large bowl to cool.

Add the tomatoes, onion, chives, and parsley to the farro, and toss to combine.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, vinegar, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Add the vinaigrette to the salad and toss to coat.

The salad can be refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving.