First Coffee, Then Life

This morning, on my way to my day, I sat holding my freshly brewed, deliciously sweet, satisfying and completely blissful cup of coffee. I lovingly looked down on it wondering how anyone could live without this promise that anything could happen... Ok, ok, I understand that I might be placing a little too much emphasis on a cup of coffee. But it did get me thinking about rituals, and how we use these daily, or weekly or seasonal rituals to create positive bubbles in our life, and how often these bubbles are centered on food & drink.

Besides my necessary daily coffee (or NDC, just ask my husband how necessary that coffee actually is),  I often look to create ritual bubbles in a Sunday dinner, or a celebration or habitual seasonal gathering (read: Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas). I must always have some delicious, comforting culinary element to bring it all together. Skating parties must have hot chocolate and cookies. Dinner parties must have appetizers, wine and dessert. Christmas must have an endless array of homemade and purchased (sacrilege!) baking. I think that it gives us something to fawn over, to talk about, a start to a conversation or an end to a long day on your feet. Even if a guest cannot grasp the delicious intricacies of a well-made potato and onion tart with tarragon créme fraiche, or revel in the joy of cracking through the crisp sugar on a créme brûlée, there is still, inevitably, a kind of warmth in the moment; a sense of togetherness in the ritual bubble. And, regardless of what else may be permeating life in general (family feud or fallen soufflé), at least we can sit down to something satiating. 


I would like to know where you find inspiration for your ritual bubble. Do you have favorite traditions, recipes or other comments? What is your NDC? 


Just think, all of this commentary stemmed from just one little, perfect, steaming cup of coffee :) 

What's for Dinner?

So, I have decided to start this blog. I decided that I should write about something that I think I know about... my passion, FOOD! And all things associated with where to get it, how to enjoy it, what my thoughts are when it comes to our social commentary on the topic... 


My posts and point of view are coming from the city I live in, Calgary. So let's get to it...


My husband came home tonight with the perennial, mundane, vagueness that is the question, "What should we have for supper?" If you are like me, you are not a person that plans meals in advance, that has recipes and grocery lists set out for each weekday. I choose my meals like I choose most things, totally arbitrarily! I have to have lightening strike me with a delicious idea. I want everything to be as amazing and simple as tomato and garlic bruschetta on artisan bread with a great chianti. Alas, this didn't happen on this freezing cold, Monday evening. What to do?


We did something that we do about once a month, ordered Swiss Chalet! Ok, so I know what you are thinking... how can a self-proclaimed foodie possibly stoop to the level of pre-roasted, unimaginative chicken and sauce? I will say that there is a little bit of perfection in food that arrives to your door in less than 20 minutes, piping hot, in a throwback to TV dinner tray. In addition, there are no dishes to clean up, a real plus in my books! 


My first blog entry is a short ode to idealism and compromise in the empty fridge that is a brisk Monday night. What is your compromise when you are not struck by a Jamie Oliver-esque flash of brilliance?