Tuesday 30 March 2010

croissants






























the sign went up last week,
my favourite bakery is closing.
the owner is retiring after 33 years.
the building where he is located
has housed a bakery
since 1910. 100 years.
traditional privately owned bakeries
are becoming scarce,
replaced by cupcake shops and
franchise bakeries where the batter
is delivered in vats
and baking technicians extrude it
into glutinous forms.
what is replacing the bakery
you ask?
an anti-aging clinic.
i did not consume the platter of
pastries in one sitting... honest.

Monday 29 March 2010

chicks and eggs












































at
the shops
these days,
chicks in a bowl,
yellow egg candles
and
a decorative
boiled egg.

Sunday 28 March 2010

earth hour observed and dinner












































it was not unexpected to read in today's
paper that not as many people observed
earth hour this year. the city hydro authority
recorded a 10 per cent drop in power use
compared to 15.1 per cent last year.
this did not surprise me,
more lights were on in my
neighbourhood.
disappointed, yes.
it is still rather cold here, last night's dinner
was a warming chili and wholesome cornbread.
the avocado and lime were not locally grown,
hmm.

Saturday 27 March 2010

sunshine






























intense sunshine
tree branches
are sprouting
decorations
daffodils in pots
shiver
from the cold.

Friday 26 March 2010

clock






























let's
meet at
the clock
same time
any time.

Thursday 25 March 2010

warmth






























spring arrived
the temperatures
have dropped.
yellow flowers
warm rice pudding
brighten
the day.

flamingo












































flamingo is one of those happy words,
saying the word flamingo
makes one want to dance,
flamingo!
a porch detail on an old house
and from my favourite
old stock department store
thermos flasks made in czechoslovakia
and hungary.

Wednesday 24 March 2010

baked goods








































































a very cheerfully yellow shop front,
and some real baked goods,
not from the same bakery.
the cupcakes are vegan, i was not able to
sample one, the café attendant disappeared
for an unusually long time...
the only treat i took home with me
from an interesting bakery
was the portuguese custard tart,
looks nice but was disappointing.

Tuesday 23 March 2010

shopping


























































today was a good day to go
shopping in
kensington market,
there is always something
to see.

Sunday 21 March 2010

greeting spring






























spring arrived with greyness,
snowflakes and cold temperatures.
a canada goose greeted us
from a distance.

for colour inspiration visit dear ada
and definitely continue to frances pelzman liscio.

Friday 19 March 2010

rose coloured day









































































spring is arriving tomorrow
and what a better way to confront
urban lovelessness but shop
for spring clothes.
at the grocery store a cheery display
of umbrellas ready for april showers.
then a break for excellent cappuccino
at zaza, an italian expresso bar
in yorkville.
home for tea and a pastry from my
favourite bakery that I will take
you to in the future...
all in all, an excellent day
in the big smoke.


Thursday 18 March 2010

out of love












































i have
fallen
out of love
with
the city.

Wednesday 17 March 2010

march walk


























































under a blue
sky
we walked by the
dangerously swift
muddy river.
in the woods
there were
signs of
construction
activity.
spring is almost
here.

Tuesday 16 March 2010

pumpkin seeds and soup






























needing something restorative for dinner and
having the ingredients on hand, i tried the
pumpkin soup with spicy seeds (page 77) in
david leite's book the new portuguese table.
the squash i had was rather small
so the soup came out on the thinnish side, and
i could not push the solids through a very fine
sieve successfully, so it did not look as pristine
as in the book's photo. i used a vegetable stock
instead of the recommended chicken.
the soup was very good (next time i will use
a more generous butternut squash),
and the spicy pumpkin
seeds were excellent. this method will be
a great way to spice up the halloween pumpkin seeds.
david leite has an interesting site here, have a look.

Monday 15 March 2010

carpet factory

























































many old industries have all but disappeared,
i love to visit old and new industrial buildings.
commemorative murals of this carpet factory
complex serve as a colourful reminder of
the past.
at least the buildings were put to good use
and not torn down.

Sunday 14 March 2010

white flour and a musical chair








































































having been house bound
for a few days
due to a cold,
it was exciting to see
a massive white flour delivery
at an industrial bakery
and
experience the dulcet tones
of a musical bench.