I am waiting rather impatiently for the December 1st green light to head over to Kitsilano Secondary to purchase our spruce or fir. The scent is intoxicating and every year we add a new decoration or two to the branches and add half a foot in height it seems. A cut tree is not cheap, and purchasing it from students in a basketball court while it’s raining is definitely different than trudging in the snow wielding an axe. But that smell…no matter how realistic they are constructed, the artificial petroleum alternatives leave me cold. Also, a Christmas tree is essentially a crop, grown on a tree farm and replenished each year. Occasional pangs of guilt are involved with cutting down a tree that gave 6-12 years of its growth for one month of pageantry. Yet tradition is hard to break, and trimming the tree brings such joy and evenings curled up in front of the beauty. Do you feel conflicted too? Two UBC forestry graduates have come up with a brilliant solution: Evergrow. Based in Burnaby, Sean Macalister and Jeff Ferguson started Evergrow earlier this year, a live tree rental service focused on earth friendliness and convenience. All trees are grown and nurtured in the Fraser Valley, with the idea that each tree will experience multiple holidays before outgrowing pots and graduating to the ground. The public is able to rent a tree for up to three weeks with the click of a button.

The only catch I see is hefty: $90 to $150 (plus $50 security deposit) depending on variety and size. The totals quoted on the site do include the fact that these trees need year-round nursery care before they make their way to your doorstep, as well as both delivery and post-holiday pick-up fees. It really bites the bullet that being eco-conscious always seems to cost an arm and a leg. It is a hard sell when someone enjoys weaving through rows of trees to hand-pick their perfect Charlie Brown greenery, and when the kind volunteers at Kitsilano Secondary offer to swing by your place at the end of the night with your tree. Not to mention the fact that Ikea boasts trees for $20 a pop with a $20 coupon as a reward, so it feels like a free tree. And you cannot really fault Ikea for this marketing plan to get people shopping in the slow months with their tree rebate; for every tree part of the sale goes towards planting new crops via Tree Canada.

Rent a designer handbag. Rent a wedding dress. Rent a tree. Accumulate less but keep the experience intact. Something to ponder while I pull out the ribbon and glue gun for a decoration-making blitz. What do you do each year? Mix it up (do you decorate your fern or spray paint a branch silver)? Ban all trees? Pull out the faker that pops open like an umbrella? Carry a fresh cut tree on your shoulders?

Last weekend I went to my first Circle Craft Christmas Market after missing the boat too many years in a row. It was by far the most glam and polished Christmas craft fair I have set foot in, other than maybe the Toronto One of a Kind show. No grandma knits or gingerbread man to be found at the Convention Centre! In fact I got the impression that most women were shopping for themselves rather than playing Santa’s little elves. The steep price tags also didn’t add much to the festive atmosphere. But don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t all Scrooge: I did watch a glass blowing demo put on by Totally Amazing Glass, which prompted me to pick up a Vancouver rain drop ornament by artist Malcolm MacFadyen. I had to pull my hand away from trying on some single wing necklaces by Vancouver designer Jessie Turner, and I regret helicoptering around Victoria’s family-run Coastal Prezence booth so many times without picking up a delicate red seaweed print. Circle Craft is just the beginning though, and I have a feeling there will be more to wet my whistle at the smaller, homier markets popping up in the next few weeks:

♦ Under the Big Top Etsy Sale: November 21, Cambrian Welsh Hall. 30 of Etsy’s best from the Vancouver region.

♦ Make It!: November 20-22, Croation Cultural Centre.

♦ Toque: November 27-28, Western Front. A good chunk of the Got Craft? kids will be here showcasing their wares, including Track & Field Designs.

♦ Portobello West Holiday Market: November 28-29 & December 12-13, Rocky Mountaineer Station.

♦ Got Craft?: December 6,  Legion Hall (Commercial). Some of my favourite local designers will be on hand: BuenoStyle, Cabin + Cub, A Farmers Daughter.

For someone who loves to cook I don’t seem to have many cookbooks, but what I do own I read like paperback novels. There are the classics (Joy of Cooking), the nouveau classics (Bon Appetit, Jamie, or Canadian Living’s “tested till perfect” series), and the niche of restaurant owners and bloggers turned recipe auteurs (Rebar: Modern Food, or the recently purchased Super Natural Cooking come to mind). The online treasure trove of recipes available for print cuts down on the obsessive purchasing of more books than my shelves can support. However, the abundance of creative and clever cookbooks and entertaining guides is starting to become too difficult to resist. I can’t pass a bookstore without leafing through Amy Sedaris’ I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence. I mean, you can actually learn a thing or two from this very cheeky guide to hostessing.

Some other flights of artistry that come to mind:

Canadian illustrator and food blogger Pierre Lamielle’s quirky Kitchen Scraps is stuffed full of illustrations straight out of a Roald Dahl-Quentin Blake oven. Each recipe is matched with a tale bound to spark your culinary imagination.

Heston Blumenthal’s The Big Fat Duck Cookbook is both autobiography of one of America’s most revered restaurateurs and a full-on love letter to the cookbook fiend. I don’t think I could actually cook a single thing out of this 10-pound volume with my regular kitchen gadgets, but the daydreaming that ensues from flipping through this beast is just as rewarding. (I must warn it is a wallet wounder).

Jennifer McLagan’s Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient has topped many a hit-lists for her detailed research paired with gorgeous recipes to highlight the role of fat in our diets, and the fantastical ways in which it can be used in the kitchen.

Molasses kisses until his teeth ached, liquorice allsorts until his stomach ached, chocolate until he couldn’t sleep: my dad was the king of the sweet tooth. He kept it reined in for most of the year, with a Mackintosh’s toffee added here and there to test the strength of his fillings. But come holidays it was a sweet tooth marathon, beginning with Toblerone melting in his coffee on Christmas Day, Purdy’s dark chocolate hearts in February, Cadbury Creme eggs in April, and the full hailstorm of loot that is Halloween. Born on October 31st, I am pretty sure he arrived ready to trick-or-treat. And along with his penchant for liquorice and toffee came a passion for costumes. All of my childhood memories of Halloween involve birthday cake while dressing up, and knocking on doors alongside my Dad dressed to the nines. Some of his favourite costumes: mummy (head to toe strips of muslin, and he was 6′ 4″), giant rabbit, manservant Lurch from the Addams Family (and I in turn was Morticia), and a “chick” magnet.

I must admit I don’t carry on this tradition faithfully, but put me up to it and it always involves A for effort. Whether it is sewing sequin by sequin at warp speed before a party (hey Mariachi band, when is our next gig?) or painstakingly applying body glitter to best show off my ballroom dancing form, or sweating in a pair of PVC pants in support of Sven and Kasha, the domanatrix duo…I have had my fill of pizazz to make up for the years where baking and old movies take precedence. If my child puts a sheet over their head and runs through the streets with a pillowcase scamming candy I will be so disappointed. In the spirit of pumpkin guts, sugar buzzes and good old fashioned tomfoolery, Happy Halloween folks!

The bakery-café culture of Victoria is unlike any other Canadian city. In fact, Victoria is host to the highest density of restaurants per capita in the country. The British high tea days have been transformed by roast experts, and instead of Earl Grey and scones (minus the decadent Empress Afternoon Tea) the city is brimming with brewed bliss. And these espresso machines are paired so well with local bakeries. Every trip to the island involves at least one lingering café afternoon. We honestly feel like it is written in fine print on our ferry tickets – must idle at one of the following establishments:

#1 choice Ottavio Italian Bakery & Delicatessen, Oak Bay Village, 2272 Oak Bay Ave
Family-run based on generations of Ottavios cooking in Torino, the cookie, pastry and bread recipes stem from Nonno et Nonna Ottavio’s 1920s recipes. The terrace overlooking the Winchester Galleries courtyard is the place to be on a sunny afternoon. Inside you can shop for decadent artisanal cheese and cured meats after a cozy cappuccino (Illy espresso and local micro-roastery Caffé Fantastico). They even make their own gelato, which I have yet to try. The Ottavio family is also very involved in bringing gastronomy to the community by hosting street festivals in celebration of the big cheese cut (a couple times of year they cut from their giant wheels), France, Quebec, Oktoberfest, Spain, e l’Italia certo.

#2 Pure Vanilla Bakery & Café, 6-2590 Cadboro Bay Rd
Strong coffee and chocolate-dipped coconut macaroons. What more do you need? After a much-mourned closing of Torrefazione on Government street, I no longer have to stare at my empty inherited Deruta pottery; Vanilla uses Torrefazione beans to great delight.

#3 Cascadia Wholefoods Bakery, 1812 Government St
Owned by Rebar, they have cheaper/rotating lunch options. Hearty soups, pizza, the famous Rebar carrot cake. And always a cookie creation to crave. Pair that with Torrefazione Italia Espresso and you are good to go.

Side note: Vancouver on the other hand has me longing for more. Despite the sufficient JJ Beans, Intelligentsia-brewing Wicked Café, Portland-vibing Prado and Gene cafés and powerhouse Artigianos (I just saw 49th Parallel for sale in Toronto!), the marriage between on site baked goods and café fare with robust beans has yet to merge. At least in our experience, the sight of stale banana bread wrapped in cellophane at these establishments leaves us cold. Until we remember Coco et Olive Fine Foods & Café. Intelligentsia chocolate Americanos that will leave your heart fluttering for hours, the best French pastries I have ever encountered and sandwiches that make the corners of your mouth curl into a smile…what harmony. Some sort of buttery creation is always baking in the country kitchen, wafting to the front and encouraging you to take a load off, stay awhile and just be.

Thanksgiving is upon us and this year we at the Den are fortunate to experience bicoastal celebrations. Last weekend I rolled up my sleeves and dove into pie-making territory. It certainly has been awhile. With so many crisp varieties of apples surfacing, it seemed silly to make anything other than apple pie. I am convinced the lemon zest sprinkled throughout the filling was the winning component to the tasty tart. That and the no-fail pie crust my mom introduced me to (water, an egg yolk and vinegar really do the trick when you are after a light, flaky crust). Over the holiday weekend we will be in and around Toronto, and I look forward to visiting the Saturday Farmers Market at St. Lawrence to find some local poultry and whatever harvest the Ontario farmers have to offer. Thank you bountiful fields, thank you hard-working agri-folk. Here is to families across the country cooking for and with one another, pausing to enjoy the merriment of seasons changing.

With just one month left of my Sunday Farmers market and the Wednesday afternoon UBC Farm stand, I am cooking as much local produce as possible. Kale, chard, purple potatoes, corn, shelling beans, pole beans, squash…a vegetable medley of any kind makes the long days brighter. And remember to stock up on seasonal garlic, there is nothing like the aroma of juicy garlic cloves.

In the kitchen this week: ratatouille stuffed squash and a pseudo pasta e fagioli with kale. Fresh basil is key for both. If only the Vancouver nights would stop killing my basil plants. At least sexy rosemary always sticks around to stay, ready to adorn plenty of roasted birds.

Jealous of the current TIFF revelry, I am looking forward to the next best thing west side: The Vancouver International Film Festival. Oddly enough I will be out in Toronto for half of the festival dates (October 1-16), so I will definitely miss some of my projected favourites (An Education, oh boo). Films I do plan to squeeze in include:

Pedro Almodóvar’s Los Abrazos Rotos (Broken Embraces) – Promises the chemistry of Penelope Cruz with the complexity of Almodóvar’s rich storytelling.

Atom Egoyan’s Chloe – With a stellar cast and charged eroticism, this looks like an accessible vehicle for Egoyan’s stylistic directing.

Oeke Hoogendijk’s documentary The New Rijksmuseum – Explores the lengthy on-going renovation of Holland’s most famous museum, and the trials and tribulations experienced by everyone behind the scenes and the public at large. The transformation of a national treasure rife with politics isn’t a new concept, but the way in which this issue is presented appears both amusing and revelatory of a specific cultural climate.

I am still working my way through the hefty program; with 377 films to choose from thumbing through these descriptions is a piecemeal effect .

Although not completely behind us, it is safe to say that summer is on its way out. Welcome fall! How I adore you in all your pre-rainy-season glory. The hopes and dreams of back to school bustle, the changing colours, the root vegetables, the drawers of sweaters that get a life again. Recent damp days nipped at my bones, which in turn screamed “I need a hot hug, I need the biggest bowl of soup imaginable!” Some of my favourite concoctions involve lentils, chickpeas or ditalini and whatever veg is on hand. This week I am fortunate to have kale and peas from the UBC Farm, with some leftover yellow chard that may need to be added during the last simmer minutes. Recipes are great for inspiration; you suddenly realize you can make soup with anything! A simple lentil classic is Rebar’s Greek Red Lentil Soup, with lemon, rosemary and feta. Or embrace the earthiness of Food and Wine’s Lentil Soup with Tubetti and Bacon. I like making a batch of this with a hickory smoked bacon or pancetta. And the summer temps we are currently blessed with don’t shy me away from constant cravings for auténtico Posole (minus the pork):

3 cans hominy, drained and rinsed
2 lb. chicken breast in cubes
1 garlic clove
½ onion
chicken broth (make with 2 cubes of Knorr Suiza if you can get your hands on it)
add some green chilies for heat

toppings
thinly sliced onion
lime wedges
avocado, diced
oregano (rub between palms)
thinly sliced radishes
iceberg lettuce, chopped

In a large pot with boiling water cook chicken, onion, broth and garlic. Add hominy, reduce heat and cover for 30 min. To serve, have toppings ready on the table for everyone to add to their own bowls. A side of nacho chips is key. Thanks Jen!

From vintage pins to my aunt’s gold chains from ex-lovers, to my tea for two brass necklace from A Farmers Daughter – I have embraced the golden hue. A large part of this conversion began with discovering the range of colour and warmth afforded by the constructions of Vancouver designer Emma Bracefield. When Mr. Dandy designed a sterling silver engagement ring with Emma, we knew there was no other source for our bands. Organic, polished, warm – Emma’s use of gold is so clean and resembles objects plucked from a sea bed. Our white gold wobble rings soften and glow the longer we wear them, while the weight of the band reassures like a heavy quilt, a cup of coffee, a long kiss. Her use of rose gold is stunning, and I can only hope that I find an excuse to squeeze a piece from that collection alongside a future sentiment.