Je me souviens
Monday, March 27, 2006
Friday, March 17, 2006
Mother Gayture
I was hanging out with friends Kristiina and Adam after the panel discussion for the show hic at Hart House, University of Toronto (of which Kristiina is a part), and somehow the topic of conversation got to talking about gay penquins. Over the loud music, I thought I heard Adam say something about Mother Gayture when in fact he said Mother Nature. This is what happens if, like me, you repeatedly refuse to wear earplugs when listening to earsplitting music...your ears get fucked up and you get stuff wrong, all the time. I digress.
Well, we marvelled about 'gayture' and its newfound usage in our personal lexicon. Little did I know a Google search would reveal that it's already a term used moderately. I liken this to the time when I was in grade 9 and came up with an art project involving barbecue sauce in a spray bottle. It was meant to be an absurd joke, until I opened up my Mum's Canadian Living magazine to discover that it was available through mail order. Smart of them. Dammit.
Well, we marvelled about 'gayture' and its newfound usage in our personal lexicon. Little did I know a Google search would reveal that it's already a term used moderately. I liken this to the time when I was in grade 9 and came up with an art project involving barbecue sauce in a spray bottle. It was meant to be an absurd joke, until I opened up my Mum's Canadian Living magazine to discover that it was available through mail order. Smart of them. Dammit.
Monday, March 06, 2006
Easy Peasy
I found out that ganache is as easy to make as it is fancy sounding . It's equal parts good chocolate and cream-I would say at least 18% milk fat.
Melt the chocolate (I like a combination of milk and dark) in a double boiler, add the cream, and whisk it to a silky consistency. Then pour onto your dessert and refrigerate until ready to serve. I made this yesterday morning and pooled it onto the surface of a cake I baked- even easier than frosting. Unless you are my friend Reesa, who makes the most insanely fluffy frosting ever. She's a pro bar none.
Melt the chocolate (I like a combination of milk and dark) in a double boiler, add the cream, and whisk it to a silky consistency. Then pour onto your dessert and refrigerate until ready to serve. I made this yesterday morning and pooled it onto the surface of a cake I baked- even easier than frosting. Unless you are my friend Reesa, who makes the most insanely fluffy frosting ever. She's a pro bar none.
Friday, March 03, 2006
Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey
I just saw this documentary tonight and it is pure gold. Having been a recreational user of the more pop sounds of metal in my youth (early Led Zep, Metallica, AC/DC), I decided to check this out. I had been looking forward to this all week. In fact, my friend Ashalyn could see the delight in my glistening Satanic pupils when I met up with her and fiancé, Tim. Afterwards, Ashalyn told Tim (who plays in the Toronto death metal band, Slit, Writhing Elizabeth) and me to go home, calm down and then compare notes tomorrow. I’m still so revved up, I sat on the streetcar home unable to wait to get my hands on Metallica’s symphonic metal masterpiece, S&M. I have renewed interest in metal these days, and am going to spend the rest of the night downloading old metal faves onto my iPod. Metal is the answer to tomorrow!
There’s something to be said about good metal. I admire the virtuosity in the entire operation- whether it is the solid graphic design in band logos, the dedication to fashion or most importantly, how well the musicians play their instruments. I appreciate the whole punk movement of making music without having the skill and technique of a concert pianist, but the classically trained musician in me just screams “GODDAMN, I LIKE IT WHEN PEOPLE CAN PLAY THEIR INSTRUMENTS WELL!!!”
I can remember fondly the essay I wrote in high school comparing Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring” with Metallica’s “Sad but True”. Both are amazing and hold so much that’s true with classical music and metal. Ah, the story of my life, high art colliding with what’s apparently low. Check out: http://www.metalhistory.com.
Double devil horns out,
Charlene
There’s something to be said about good metal. I admire the virtuosity in the entire operation- whether it is the solid graphic design in band logos, the dedication to fashion or most importantly, how well the musicians play their instruments. I appreciate the whole punk movement of making music without having the skill and technique of a concert pianist, but the classically trained musician in me just screams “GODDAMN, I LIKE IT WHEN PEOPLE CAN PLAY THEIR INSTRUMENTS WELL!!!”
I can remember fondly the essay I wrote in high school comparing Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring” with Metallica’s “Sad but True”. Both are amazing and hold so much that’s true with classical music and metal. Ah, the story of my life, high art colliding with what’s apparently low. Check out: http://www.metalhistory.com.
Double devil horns out,
Charlene