A Palestinian teapot cozy for Suad

Assalamu alaikum everyone,

I’ve been out for a while, busy with too many projects and too little time. I’ve been working on one post for a while (and hope to have it up soon enough) and another series of posts is in the works for our trip out to the Maritimes (in the summer of 2011!). It’s late but better late than never as my mother is planning a road trip out there soon and I figured she might appreciate it (along with others).

Today’s post is concerning my latest knitting project. The original pattern is for a Matryoshka teapot cozy by Loly Fuertes (Ravelry link). She is beyond cute and I just had to try it out!

The perfect opportunity to use the pattern presented itself, unfortunately, with the moving away of a dear friend, Suad. She has some Palestinian ancestry and I was inspired by a picture of her wearing a traditional Palestinian dress “thobe“. Here are a few examples. 1 2 3

I used the pattern as a base and added in some colourwork (or intarsia knitting) – essentially doubling the thickness of the material (offers more insulation for your teapot in the end). I also switched up the pattern a bit for even increases and decreases (to keep symmetry in colourwork) and some embroidery. All in all, it took about 1.5 weeks of furious work! But it would seem it was really worth it.

Now I’m just waiting for Suad to tell me what she has named her.

Front – Devant

Bust closeup – Le buste de plus près

Back – Dos

Side view – Vue de biais

Hair bun and embroidery – Cheveux en chignon et broderie

Front skirt embroidery – Broderie sur le devant de la jupe

Embroidery on the back of the skirt – Broderie sur le dos de la jupe

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Assalamu alaikum tout le monde,

Ça fait un bon bout que je n’ai rien publié sur mon blogue; j’ai trop de projets et pas assez de temps! Ça fait quelque temps que je travaille sur un article (et j’espère le publier sous peu) et j’ai aussi une autre série d’articles à vous préparer sur notre voyage aux Maritimes (en 2011!). Oui, c’est très tard pour le rajouter au site mais ma mère compte faire un voyage aux Maritimes, en voiture, cet été, et donc, je crois qu’elle apprécierait bien que je partage ce qu’on a fait et vu lors ed notre voyage… Peut-être d’autres aimeraient ça aussi!

Aujourd’hui, je vais partager mon dernier projet de tricot. La patron original est pout un cache théière Matryoshka par Loly Fuertes (Lien vers Ravelry). C’est super quétaine et je voulais absolument en faire un!

L’occasion (ou l’excuse) parfaite pour utiliser se patron s’est présenté quand, malheureusement, j’ai su qu’une de mes bonnes copines quittait Montréal pour les États. Suad a quelques ancêtres qui provenaient de la Palestine et j’ai été inspirée par une photo d’elle et d’une de ces robes traditionnelles palestiniennes « thobe ». Voici quelques exemples. 1 2 3

J’ai utilisé le patron comme base et j’ai rajouté quelques éléments : tricot avec changement de couleur (intarsia) qui a, en effet, doublé l’épaisseur du cache théière et l’a rendu encore plus isolant. J’ai aussi changé les augmentations et réductions de mailles pour qu’elles soient plus symétriques, et j’ai aussi rajouté de la broderie. Ça m’a pris environ 1.5 semaines de travail fulgurant! Mais il semblerait que ça en valait le coup!

Maintenant, j’attends juste que Suad me dise ce qu’elle l’a nommée.

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All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others – Tous les animaux sont égaux, mais il y en a qui le sont plus que d’autres

This post is actually part of an email I sent to my mom this morning – again, we’re discussing what’s going on in Québec and the charter and her reply to a video sent to her by someone she knows. I won’t get into details about the original e-mail nor the response my mother sent back.

I am forever thankful to have a family that is open minded and won’t be duped by ignorance being spread about in order to create distrust, hate and division for political gains. Alhamdullillah.

Warning – it’s in “Franglais”. 😉 Translation into English will follow the french text and will be in italics.

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Cet article est tiré d’un courriel que j’ai envoyé à ma mère ce matin discutant de ce qu’il se passe au Québec et de la charte. Quelqu’un lui a envoyé une vidéo et, semblerait, qu’elle en a eu assez. Elle leur a renvoyé une réplique et m’a mis en BCC. Je ne vais pas rentrer dans les détails ni du courriel original ni de la réplique envoyé par ma mère.

Je suis tellement reconnaissante envers Dieu et ma famille. Alhamdullilah (Dieu merci), ma famille ne se laisse pas influencer par l’ignorance, la haine et la méfiance qui est encouragé de ces jours ci, question de gains et enjeux politiques.

Avertissement – ce courriel est en “franglais”. 😉

E-mail / Courriel

“…Je suis déjà tellement bombardé par toutes sortes de choses négatives au sujet de ma religion est des préjugés que ça fait plusieurs semaines que je n’ai pas écouté la radio.
I am already bombarded with all sorts of negative things and prejudices pertaining to my religion that it’s been a few weeks since I’ve tuned into the radio.

Les gens seront toujours mal renseignés et je crois qu’il y a parfois rien à faire. On peut leur parler et tenter de les renseigner, mais s’il ne veulent rien entendre ou comprendre…
People will always be misinformed and I think that, sometimes, there’s nothing to do. We can talk to them and try to inform them but if they never want to listen or understand…

Ce qui compte pour moi c’est que mes proches considèrent que, dans notre société, les droits sont garantis pour tout le monde; peu importe leur race, religion, langue, etc. Ce qui me fait de la peine c’est que des “Féministes” veulent enlever le droit de certaines femmes, voir même les isoler et les rendre plus dépendantes sur leurs maris. Comme si une femme était trop niaiseuse pour décider d’elle-même ce qu’elle veut porter. Et si une femme est forcée à le porter ou est dans une situation abusive, pourquoi ne pas s’assurer qu’elle a recours à des services ou ressources pour se sortir de cette situation? Bien non! Le problème n’est pas le manque de soutien pour les femmes, mais c’est la religion! BULLSHIT! L’Islam à donné plusieurs droits aux femmes au 7e siècle quand elle n’en avaient pas! (Je pourrais t’en reparler une autre fois) Toutes les femmes de notre société pourraient profiter de plus de services et soutien. Au lieu de diviser le monde, pourquoi ne pas tenter de tous nous rapprocher et de s’entraider?
What’s important to me is that those closest to me believe that, within our society, rights are guaranteed for all – regardless of race, religion, language, etc. What makes me sad is that these “Feminists” would like to take the right of some women, even go as far as to isolate them and make them more dependent on their husbands. As if a woman was too stupid to make up her own mind about what she wants to wear. And if a woman is forced to wear it (the veil) or is in an abusive situation, why not ensure that she has access to services or resources to get out of this situation? Of course not! The problem isn’t a lack of support for women, it’s religion! BULLSHIT! Islam gave women many rights in the 7th century, a time when they had none! (I can talk to you about this some other time) All women in our society could benefit from more services and assistance. Instead of dividing people, why not try and bring us all together to help one another?

Je vais terminer mon courriel avec une théorie et une citation (la dernière m’est revenue après plusieurs années).
I’ll end this e-mail with a bit of theory and a quote (the latter coming back to me after many years).

Théorie : Divide and conquer – wikipedia

In politics and sociology, divide and rule (or divide and conquer) (derived from Greek: διαίρει καὶ βασίλευε, diaírei kaì basíleue) is gaining and maintaining power by breaking up larger concentrations of power into pieces that individually have less power than the one implementing the strategy. The concept refers to a strategy that breaks up existing power structures and prevents smaller power groups from linking up…

…In modern times, Traiano Boccalini cites “divide et impera” in La bilancia politica, 1,136 and 2,225 as a common principle in politics. The use of this technique is meant to empower the sovereign to control subjects, populations, or factions of different interests, who collectively might be able to oppose his rule…

…Elements of this technique involve:

1. creating or encouraging divisions among the subjects to prevent alliances that could
2. challenge the sovereign (oui – la charte elle-même –yes, the charter itself)

aiding and promoting those who are willing to cooperate with the sovereign (oui – voir le Conseil du statut de la femme – “Le Conseil du statut de la femme (CSF) n’est pas un organisme indépendant du pouvoir politique” – Pauline Marois –yes, the Council on the Status of Women – “Le Council on the Status of Women (CSF) is not an organism independant from political power”- Pauline Marois)

3. fostering distrust and enmity between local rulers (oui – encore, la charte et la division “Pur Laine” vs “les autres” – yes, again the charter and the division between the “Pur Laine” and “the Others”)
4. encouraging meaningless expenditures that reduce the capability for political and military spending (oui – 1,9 millions $ pour publicités pro-charte, etc –yes, $1.9 million spent on pro-charter publicities, etc)

Citation / Quote
Et maintenant pour la citation, ce qui me fait un peu peur, mais je ne suis pas surprise.
And now for the quote, which scared me a it but I’m not all that surprised.

« All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others »
“Tous les animaux sont égaux, mais il y en a qui le sont plus que d’autres.”

-Animal Farm, , George Orwell, 1945. Bref: les droits de certains priment au dessus des droits des autres… Basically: the rights of some are more important than the rights of others.

Un très bon livre qui commente sur la révolution en Russie (Stalin) et que je devrais relire un de ces jours. Voici ce que Wikipédia dit au sujet de ce livre, certaines choses s’appliquent à notre situation :
A very good book that comments on the revolution in Russia (Stalin) – which I should read again one of these days. This is what Wikipedia says about the book, certain things apply to our situation:
«The novel addresses not only the corruption of the revolution by its leaders, but also the ways wickedness, indifference, ignorance, greed, and myopia corrupt the revolution. It portrays corrupt leadership as the flaw in revolution, rather than the act of revolution itself. It also shows how potential ignorance and indifference to problems within a revolution could allow horrors to happen if a smooth transition to a people’s government is not achieved. »

I think I’ve said all I have to say. ;)”

On the charter, yet once more – Sur la charte, encore!

Assalamu alaikum, I just wanted to share 2 more links concerning the newly proposed Québec charter of rights and values.

A petition that you can sign to voice your opposition to the proposed charter:
https://www.assnat.qc.ca/fr/exprimez-votre-opinion/petition/Petition-4339/index.html
Please note: once you fill in your information, you will receive an email in your inbox (possibly in your junk folder). You must open this message and click on their link to confirm that you did, in fact, sign the petition.

The next gathering/protest against the charter this weekend (Sept 29th). I hope many people will go – I plan on going.

Don’t have access to Facebook? The event will be at Place des festivals (Jeanne-Mance and Ste-Catherine) on Sunday, September 29th at 1 pm.

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Assalamu alaikum, je prends quelques minutes pour vous faire parvenir 2 autres liens concernant la charte des valeurs proposée au Québec.

Une pétition, que vous pouvez signer, qui est contre ce projet de charte:
https://www.assnat.qc.ca/fr/exprimez-votre-opinion/petition/Petition-4339/index.html
SVP notez: Une fois vos coordonnées envoyées, vous recevrez un courriel (possiblement dans vos “pourriels”). Vous devez ouvrir ce courriel et cliquer sur le lien pour confirmer que vous c’est bien vous qui avez signé cette pétition.

Le prochain rassemblement (ou démonstration) contre la charte sera cette fin de semaine (le 29 septembre). J’espère que plusieurs y seront; je comptes y aller.

Vous n’avez pas un compte Facebook? Le rassemblement se fera à la Place des festivals (Jeanne-Mance et Ste-Catherine) ce dimanche, le 29 septembre, à 13h00.

Changements à la charte des droits et liberté au Québec – La charte “des valeurs québecoises”

Bon, je ne suis pas certaine si je vais traduire le tout que j’ai écris hier en anglais; ce n’est pas mon meilleur texte et j’ai les émotions qui courent un peu partout. Que ressens-je en ce moment? Je suis triste, déçue, fâchée, même enragée par temps… D’un sens, je me sens aussi trahie par certaines personnes dans mon peuple, la culture dans laquelle j’ai été élevée. Bref, j’ai le cœur brisé…

C’est drôle, mes parents m’ont toujours dit d’être tolérante et ils m’ont élevés avec un esprit curieux, ouvert. Ils ne m’ont jamais montré comment différer entre une personne ou une autre basé sur la couleur de leur peau, la manière dont il(elle) se vêtit, leur pays d’origine, leur religion ou leur langue maternelle. Non, on m’a encouragée d’apprendre à connaitre et apprécier le monde basé sur leur caractère, leur personnalité, leurs valeurs.

Certains dirons peut-être que je suis naïve, mais j’essaie toujours de vivre ma vie de cette manière, de percevoir le monde à travers cette philosophie. Je ne peux m’imaginer à quel point ma vie serait limitée et vide si mes parents m’auraient inculqués avec une vision intolérante et fermée d’esprit.

Alhamdullillahi rabbil ‘alamin! (Louange à Allah, Seigneur de l’univers) En grande part, c’est grâce à eux et à la manière dont ils m’ont élevés que j’ai retrouvé mon chemin vers Dieu, que j’ai trouvé l’homme de ma vie, que j’ai eu la chance de m’entourer de gens magnifiques. Même si j’ai le cœur brisé avec ce qu’il se passe au Québec, je leurs suis infiniment reconnaissante de m’avoir appris que tout ce que je sais, y incluant que tout le monde est égal et que nous avons tous des droits; peu importe notre nom, sexe, origine, langue, foie, mode de vie, etc.!

Un positif dans toute cette situation; il semblerait que l’île de Montréal ferait une demande d’exemption pour cette nouvelle charte. Ceci m’a tellement remonté le moral. Toutes les municipalités et la grande Ville elle même, toute l’île, à l’unanimité s’oppose à la charte! Subhan’Allah! Voir l’article dans La Presse.

Je vais terminer ceci avec un lien vers un manifeste en français, écrit par un groupe surnommé Québec Inclusif. C’est un long texte mais ça vaut le temps de lecture.
Lien vers le manifeste
Et si vous aimez ce qu’ils ont à dire, je vous encourage à signer leur manifeste en cliquant ici.

Merci.

On the proposed changes to the Québec charter of rights

As some of you may or may not know, the government of Québec is looking to make some changes to the provincial charter of rights and freedoms. Usually, I would say that change can be good, but in this case I cannot agree in the least!

This post may be a bit all over the place – I’m that annoyed/disappointed/mad/enraged/heart-broken.

 

What are the changes proposed?

It would ban the wearing of “overt and conspicuous” religious symbols by any public/civil servants while on the job.

So what is an “overt and conspicuous” religious symbol anyway? Large crucifixes, turbans, hijabs, burqas and kippas. But feel free to wear a small symbol as jewelry.

 

Who is directly affected by the ban?

Public service extends to: judges, police, prosecutors, public daycare workers, teachers, school staff, hospital workers (doctors, nurses and other staff), municipal personnel.

 

Why is this ban being proposed?

To ensure the equality of the sexes and establish a secular society. *please note the whole “equality of the sexes” thing – anyone else feel this whole thing is really aimed at women wearing hijab?*

 

While it may not sound all that bad, the tensions this whole issue has created are horrible! It pits one group against another. As if non “pure-laine” didn’t feel unwanted enough, this gets thrown in their face. I would also like to point out that it’s not only Muslims, Jews and Sikhs that are affected, but Christians as well.

In a country and province that depends so much on newcomers to immigrate and establish lives and families here to help support the population, I think this is just absurd! It’s like telling a guest to come over and stay, permanently, that they are welcome. But then you turn around to belittle them and make them feel so unwelcome with every chance you get. “I don’t like the way you look/dress/think/lead your life – you are below me! – but keep paying me rent and respect me.”

How can this proposed change benefit anyone in this province?

It doesn’t! It actually creates anger between groups, encourages the “us vs them” mentality that is already poisoning this society, will cause further segregation between groups rather than encouraging people to integrate and contribute to society, will increase the jobless rate and will lead to loss of manpower to other provinces.

That means that your 8, 12, 17 hour wait in the emergency room could increase! Why? Because it would seem that being cared for by a doctor with a kippa is unacceptable.

On an endless waiting list for a daycare spot for your little munchkin? Wait a little longer, why don’t you? It would seem a woman wearing a hijab is unfit to care for your child.

Like feeling safe at home? Well, worry no more! That menace to society, turbaned police officer has been sent packing and criminals will be freer to roam your neighbourhood now! (I hope you can hear the sarcasm)

Remember that freaking awesome French teacher you had? Well, she’s been sacked too – turns out her cross was too big.

 

In a province where emergency room wait times are now averaging 19 hours. Where parents are knocking door-to-door and waiting months before they can find a subsidized a day daycare spot (and the quality isn’t all that great either). Where the dropout rate in high schools is set at average of 29%. Where crime has hit its lowest numbers in about 40 years (nationally) due to better tactics and hard work by officers and the justice system… Have we forgotten that we accept immigrants not our of “pity” but out of need? Who else is going to support our ageing population? Quebecers don’t reproduce enough to create the jobs and workers needed to support our asses and all the services we demand!

So why in the world do we want to discourage people from public service? Why chase them away? In all honesty, the last time you went to the hospital, or to get your license renewed, or had a police officer answer your call – did you get your panties in a bunch because the person serving you was wearing some form of religious symbol? I, myself, couldn’t care less as long as I am getting my service and as long as the person is dressed in a professional and clean manner.

 

Another question: Everyone here pays taxes for services provided by the government, no? I highly doubt people wearing religious symbols have some form of tax exemption – At least I’ve never heard of one. So why pay taxes to an entity that wants to actually take away your rights and freedoms? It’s like paying to get slapped in the face!

 

I’m honestly angry from all sides when it comes to this issue. As a Québecoise (or Francophone), I cannot believe that people still have this “us vs them” mentality. The whole “Le Québec aux Québecois” thing never made any sense to me – it’s a province built on immigrants. I guess people are quick to forget that the French were colonizers who took over the land of the Natives. Then came the English, and others followed. All contributed in some way, shape, or form to make Québec and Canada what it is today. Look at what we have all created. Look at the diversity – it is one of the most beautiful gifts Allah has given us.

So it pains me to hear what some of my fellow Francophones say. And I take it to heart even more because I am a Muslim. They would have me limited as to employment and segregated the day I choose to cover my hair. And how would they look at and treat our children? They will not have Francophone names, they may even look Arab, and I hope they will be good, practicing Muslims (insha’Allah)… Should they be discriminated against simply because they aren’t 100% pure Québecois “de souche”? Because they may wear a religious symbol?

 

How much farther would you like this to go? Not allowing people to speak any other language other than French in public? How about limiting jobs to only certain races? It sounds ludicrous, but it’s really not far off.

I thought our laws prevented against job discrimination based on race, religion, age. Isn’t this discrimination? By refusing gainful employment to someone solely on the basis of religious symbols?

 

Do we not have better issues to deal with?

• Unemployment – about 5000 jobs were lost in Québec last month while other provinces showed an increase in jobs!
• Emergency room wait times – 21 hours in Montréal, 17 in the rest of the province.  Why? A doctor and nurse shortage due to crap salaries and conditions and restrictions.
• Lack of family doctors – many people do not have family doctors. Again, salaries, conditions and restrictions.
• Medical specialists – did you know that you can easily wait 6 months to see a specialist in our wonderful province? What if you had cancer? Wouldn’t 6 months possibly make all the difference between life and death?
• Subsidized day care – parents are constantly searching for a spot, waiting months to get one and the quality of service isn’t all that much to write home about.
• Corruption – if you haven’t heard about the Charbonneau commission, I suggest you check it out! Our tax dollars are lining the pockets of the political elite and their buddies. Who knew?!
• Education – cuts in elementary, high school and continuing education but no increase in tuition to make up for it. How well is that going to bode? Already, McGill is no longer Canada’s top University. That didn’t take long! Again, did you not see the high school dropout rate posted above?
• Quebec debt – Seems it’s at about $258 billion. No problem there, right?

 

I’ll stick with this very simple way of summing it all up:

“Simple minds are distracted by simple things”

 

Anyone in Ontario looking to hire a graphic designer/translator and a procurement manager? I’m so sick of this xenophobic province!

 

 

Here’s a link to a petition, if you’re at all interested.

 https://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/le-gouvernement-qu%C3%A9b%C3%A9cois-parti-qu%C3%A9b%C3%A9cois-arreter-le-projet-de-loi-la-charte-des-valeurs-du-qu%C3%A9bec

And here’s what I wrote as my comment:

Ceci ne profite aucunement à notre société, ça ne fait que diviser les gens.

SVP, passons aux vrais problèmes : temps d’attente et services de la santé, éducation, création d’emplois, endettement, accès aux services, corruption, etc.

NOTRE GOUVERNEMENT TENTE DE NOUS DISTRAIRE AVEC DES CONNERIES! Mme Marois, cessez donc de gaspiller notre temps et notre argent et penchez-vous donc sur les problèmes qui nous touchent! Vous et votre parti ne fait qu’accroître la haîne entre les québecois et de nous faire honte en face du monde entier! 

 

Interested in further reading?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2013/09/10/f-quebec-charter-proposal-constitution.html

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2013/08/21/f-charter-quebec-values-jocelyn-maclure.html

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2013/09/11/kelly-mcparland-quebec-charter-is-an-embarrassment-to-canadian-values-and-human-dignity/

http://www.cjad.com/blog/TommySchnurmacherShow/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10586945

Gibby’s in Old Montréal (le Vieux port) – our first experience

Alright, this post has actually taken me a week to write – things are busy and I am currently under the weather with my ever so lovely flare-up I get from time to time. Just great! Oh well, I am dealing with it.

For Salem’s birthday dinner (en tête-à-tête), we decided to try out a restaurant we had never been to. A restaurant I hear about every single day thanks to CJAD talk radio. We went to the ever so posh Gibby’s in Vieux Montréal (Old Montreal).

I knew it would be expensive but I figured “what better way to celebrate my Habibi’s birthday than with a nice, expensive dinner”. With reservations made a few days earlier, all dressed up and perfumed, off we went to the resto.

There’s one really nice feature about this place, which you can enjoy from the moment you arrive: valet parking. Of course, Salem being as paranoid “cautious” as he is, decided he didn’t want anyone else driving his car and parked a block away and supported the greedy city of Montréal by feeding a few bucks into the parking meter. Thankfully, it was very mild outside and the sidewalk wasn’t covered with its usual winter black ice just yet.

Gibby’s is located in a nice, old stone building, which seems to have been stables at a point and time. Don’t worry, it doesn’t smell like horses anymore – far from it. There’s a coat check in the basement and a smiling hostess to receive you when you come in.

We were seated in a corner which is great considering how much I dislike being bombarded by the noise from tables all around me. This is when the hostess hands you your menu and the “catch of the day” card. Brought to our table: a fresh loaf of bread (it was still warm and covered with a cloth), butter, bowl of pickles and bacon bits (the waiter promptly took them away when informed we were allergic – the poor guy seemed embarrassed; it’s ok, no worries). The bread was great, but we were quite perplexed by the pickles – are you supposed to eat them alone? Or does it have something to do with the whole “bread and butter pickles”? I told Salem to take a look and see what the people seated at the other tables were doing, he found no indication. We had only ever been served pickles with coleslaw or smoked meat. We decided to slice the pickles and sneakily tried a slice with some buttered bread – “Act like we belong here!”. Not bad, but I’ll just eat my pickle as-is next time.

Salem at his birthday dinner. Boy do I have a handsome husband!

Our waiter came around and, of course, we refused drinks and just stuck to water. He didn’t even bat an eyelash when we said no alcohol, which was nice. I sometimes feel awkward or wonder “how much will the service suffer” when we don’t order alcoholic beverages. The waiter made a joke about “Château de la pompe 1968” being a very good year. I liked that he had a sense of humour and didn’t just rush off right away.

For the main course, Salem ordered the grilled arctic char (fish) with the marinated tomato and onion salad. I ordered the chicken Kiev along with the Gibby’s salad. Also available is the gazpacho. Here I thought the salads were side dishes, but no, they are more like starter salads. That was a nice surprise! Oh, and I have to mention the stance the waiter takes when he offers you freshly ground pepper; it’s like they are presenting you with a bottle of wine! It made me smile, maybe even smirk a bit. As we were finishing off our salads, the waiter brought us 2 little bowls with a ball inside and a small spoon. Salem “What’s that?”, Me “I’m not sure… margarine? *looks closer* It’s crystallized! Oh! I think it’s sorbet, you know, to cleanse your palate”. Indeed, it was a lemony-limey sorbet. “Don’t look at it too much, just eat it and act like you belong here!”

Salem opted for the tomato and onion marinade.

Caro and the rustic decor. I love it!

The Gibby’s salad: mixed greens with tomatoes, croutons and a light garlic dressing.

Cleansing our palettes with a little lemon sorbet. A pleasant surprise.

Our main course came soon after. Along with the arctic char and chicken Kiev, the plates came with asparagus and a baked potato (you can opt for sides other than the baked potato such as the Monte Carlo potato, etc). Salem’s fish was actually quite a large piece given what we’re used to getting in restaurants; and my chicken Kiev came with 2 pieces, not just one. It turns out that arctic char is somewhat similar to salmon, but the flavour being a hint more “meaty” while still being light and fluffy in texture. The chicken Kiev (chicken breasts stuffed with herbs and butter, breaded and topped with chives) was excellent! I wasn’t able to finish my plate so the 2nd piece and half of my potato were taken home in a doggy bag. I’d like to take a moment here to mention the other waiter that was also serving our table. He took my plate to prep the doggy bag and I was just surprised at the absolute care he took when bringing the doggy bag back to our table. I don’t know why it struck me, but he put the container in a Gibby’s bag and folded the bag over and then placed it on the table (almost as if presenting it). Man! I’m just glad if most places don’t just throw the half-closed container down on the table!

Gibby’s chicken Kiev: pan-fried chicken breasts stuffed with herbs, butter and chives. With baked potato and asparagus.

Salem telling me to take the picture quickly. On his plate: the grilled arctic char, baked potato and asparagus.

Caro ready to dig into her chicken Kiev.

We were having a hard time deciding on dessert and had to ask our waiter for his opinion. His description had me going for the hot apple croûte. I was thinking apple crumb à la mode but boy was I wrong. 2 forks are a must for this dessert! It’s basically a puff pastry topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, apple chunks and drizzled with a savory (not overly sweet) caramel with a bit of whipped cream on the side – AMAZING! Salem had a coffee and I opted for a cappuccino. The waiter chatted us up as we were finishing our meal – very nice fellow. He talked to us about the restaurant and the owner and the culture of the restaurant (ie customer service and care). It was really nice – I can’t remember the last time a waiter even chatted us up.

A nice, foamy cappuccino for me and our dessert… Mmmmmm.

Hot apple croûte – a puff pastry topped with bits of apple, vanilla ice cream and rich, hot caramel. 2 forks please!

All in all, yes, it was expensive but I think the food and experience were well worth the price tag. I guess I can say that I have fallen for Gibby’s. I wouldn’t fail to recommend it for special occasions and hope to return sometime. Total for 2: just under $100, plus tip.

It (was) harvest time! – C’était le temps de la récolte!

So, while I did post about my fire escape garden once, I never really did an update. I took a picture of one of my harvests but totally neglected to put it up here. Sorry!
The first harvest below dates from late July and has a bit of everything, minus the peppers. The other 2 pictures come from a bit later on, in August – the cherry tomatoes were coming out in full-force and I had one pepper (it never got bigger).

Je me suis rendue compte que, bien que j’ai écrit un article de blogue concernant mon jardin sur notre sortie secours, je ne vous ai jamais montré ce que j’ai eu la chance de récolter. J’ai pris des photos mais j’ai négligé de les rajouter au blogue. Désolé!
La première récolte date de la fin juillet et contient un peu de tout sauf les piments. Les 2 autres photos sont du mois d’août; on peut y voir que le plant de tomates cerise est en pleine forme et que j’avais aussi un piment (il n’est pas devenu plus gros que sur la photo).

Lettuce, mint, cherry tomatoes, tarragon and basil.
Laitue, menthe, tomates cerise, estragon et basilic.

Bang – cherry tomato explosion! Des tomates cerise pleine la face!

A tiny green pepper. Un petit piment vert.

La Panthère Verte: I guess this is like a restaurant review…

About a week or so ago, the man and I went out for dinner at La Panthère Verte – it was our second time there. Our first visit was a few months back and I had coupons (woot! woot!). I loved my sandwich so much that time that I ordered the same thing again this time. Yes, I know, that’s not very adventurous but I had been craving it since then!

The place is small-ish but cute, serves up organic food and has really friendly staff. The menu consists mainly of sandwiches, soups, salad and desserts which can be taken individually or as combos and trios. The prices do reflect the fact that this is ORGANIC food! Our 2 trios ended up costing us about $30 for 2 sandwiches, 2 side-salad plates and 2 drinks. While it may seem a bit expensive, I do think it’s worth a detour once in a while.

Il y a environ une semaine de cela, mon mari et moi sommes sortis pour souper à La Panthère Verte; ceci était notre deuxième visite à ce resto. La première visite datait d’il y a quelques mois quand nous avions obtenu des coupons rabais. J’ai tellement aimé mon sandwich la dernière fois que je l’ai commandé à nouveau cette fois ci. Oui, je sais, je n’avais pas le goût de l’aventure mais, plutôt, je rêvais de ce sandwich depuis notre première visite!

Le resto est un peu petit mais très mignon, la bouffe est bio et les employés sont très gentils. Le menu contient des sandwiches, soupes, salades et désserts qui peuvent êtres commandés individuellement, en combo ou en trio. SVP vous rappeler que ceci est de la bouffe bio alors le prix va en conséquence. Nos 2 trios nous ont coûtés $30 pour 2 sandwiches, 2 assiettes salades en accompagnement et 2 breuvages. Le prix peut sembler un peu salé mais ça vaut certainement le détour de temps en temps.

Here’s what we had – voici ce qu’on a mangé (nom, nom, nom!)

My plate: tempeh sandwich with 4 salads: a green salad, marinated tofu, sweet potato fries and quinoa with a tahineh sauce.

Salem’s plate: falafel fusion sandwich with 4 salads: a green salad, marinated tofu, sweet potato fries and quinoa with a tahineh sauce.

La Panthère Verte has 2 locations, but here is the address for the one we went to (since I cannot vouch for their other location). Ce resto a 2 magasins mais voici l’adresse de celui que nous avons visité (je ne peux pas donner mon opinion sur leur autre resto).
2153 Mackay
Montreal
Between – Entre De Maisonneuve and Sherbrooke, Métro Guy-Concordia

Pekarna Pâtisserie et Café – I’ll pass, thanks!

Rare is it that I will review a restaurant. Even rarer will I find a restaurant that I do not like. Unfortunately, such is the case today!
Recently, one of our favorite (even if slightly overpriced) dessert places within walking distance closed down. We just happened, by chance, to go to Calories on their closing night. I was really sad to hear the news as I like the cakes, beverages and I LOVED the atmosphere of the place. Not to mention that they had a small terrasse, perfect for nice outings with friends on a beautiful night. One lady there told me the owners may open up another place sometime in the future, but no timeline, area or more info was made available. Basically, I’m not holding my breath.
Since then, our only later-evening dessert option has become Pekarna – in the old Forum (corner Ste-Catherine and Atwater). When we first started going, about 2 years ago, it was alright. Even though it was a bit dark, the cakes were good, beverages too and the staff was nice. They renovated a few months back and that seems to have been the point where quality started going down the drain. Salem and I have been back a few times in the past couple of months, each time trying a new cake in hopes of finding something that we enjoy… No such luck.
From the “we’re out of iced coffee…. and x, and y, and z… we have regular coffee though”, to staff not knowing their menu, to not being helpful with suggestions for the customers… Not to mention putting the chairs up on the tables when a good third of the restaurant is still full of customers and more are coming in! Lets not forget their unstable hours! We’ve shown up at 9 pm only to see all tables and chairs on the terrasse have been put away. Some of the chairs and tables inside have also been made off limits. I’ve seen this place close at 9:30, 10:00, 10:30 and 11:00. You cannot rely on the hours posted on their website.
Now, apart from these things, lets get to the really important stuff – the food! I haven’t ordered a sandwich from there so I can’t say anything about that. Ditto for the ice cream. Here are my comments about the many, many, many cakes they have. You know the expression “Jack of all trades, master of none”? In this case, it would be “Jack of all cakes, master of none”. Sounds harsh, I know. The cheesecakes: I’ve tried a few and there is just something off about them… is it the texture? Somewhat gelatin-like, maybe a bit crusty or dry along the edges (how long has this been sitting here for?). Regular cakes: the fondant on the cakes is much too thick! I will always remember what my good friend, Michèle, told me years ago after finishing up her studies in pastry school “you can tell a good baker by how thinly they roll out their fondant”. She made our wedding cake, used fondant, and no one even noticed it because it was so thin. Pekarna… keep practicing your fondant-rolling technique or just get rid of the fondant altogether and go for a light buttercream icing. Tiramisu was a soppy mess, the mousse is alright though.
And now we come to last night’s experience – the “other” types of cakes. Salem and I decided to share a piece of cake. Salem requested something with chocolate. Knowing we wanted to stay away from anything with fondant and cheesecake-based, we decided on the brownie cake. The piece is fairly decent in size – maybe 2-3″ wide at the widest point and about 4″ long. While the batter was very much like a very dense brownie, the icing and ganache were over the top! We couldn’t even finish our shared piece and were very happy that we had coffee to wash it down (no sugar added). It was about 30 minutes later, on our way home and through our prayers that I started feeling nauseated. Yes, I felt sick because this cake was so freaking sweet! Thankfully, it passed but I learned my lesson. NO MORE DESSERTS AT PEKARNA!!!!
I’m sorry, but if you call yourself a “Pâtisserie”, you should at least be good at making cakes. I’ve read so many reviews that are similar to mine. Rather than having 20 (or whatever) different cakes that aren’t all that great, then why not reduce the menu to 5-8 great cakes?
So, I am still looking for a good dessert place, within walking distance, which just happens to be open pst 9 pm… In the meantime, unfortunately, I will keep going to Pekarna from time to time but sticking to a plain coffee and maybe a cookie – at least those are good… Or maybe I’ll just go to the Timmy‘s next door and pay half the price for the same thing.
Here is a link to some Urbanspoon reviews:

A quick look at my fire escape garden

This year, I decided to finally make a mini-garden on the fire escape, right outside our bedroom window. Unfortunately, we don’t have a balcony so I am limited as to what I can plant out there.

The garden is pretty low maintenance and includes the following plants: 1x cherry tomato, 2x green peppers, 1x lettuce, 1x lavender, 1x mint, 1x tarragon, 1x basil.

I have quite a few cherry tomatoes coming out but they have yet to start changing colour. I had one pepper coming out but some bastard squirrel decided to rip it off, tape a few bites of it an abandon it a foot away. It taunts me every time I look out my fire escape, just outside of my reach so I can throw it out. Bastard squirrel! Maybe I should send Pumpkin after him… I bet you it’s that furry rodent that keeps walking by on the fire escape railing while I’m in the shower. Scared the crap out of me once! I think my shout of surprised scared him too.

I’ve had some mint and basil a few times. The mint might be transplanted at some point since it’s quite invasive and I would really like to have the lavender grow a bit more.

So, while I wait for my lilliputian crops to grow, I get lots of veggies from my dad’s garden. We just came back with 4 bags full of veggies last night – pictures to come soon.

A look at my garden from our bedroom.

Top box: cherry tomatoes, green pepper, lettuce, green pepper.
Bottom box: Lavender, mint, tarragon, basil.