Photos for a Happy Thursday

Today started out rather grim.  It was rainy and cold and quite miserable in the city.  The type of day where you want to stay home, curl up in a warm afghan, with a book, a big pot of green tea and hibernate.  My energy felt totally drained by the grey skies.

This afternoon, instead of coming straight home to spend the afternoon working, I decided to take myself to a two hour dance workshop that was being run not too far from the college where I teach.  Let me tell you, it was a blast.

Post dance class, my body is super sore from the work out as dance is not in my repertoire for exercise but I got to laugh at myself, and my apparently clumsy, and slightly uncoordinated movements (all important things). Sometimes you just need to switch things up a bit.  When I left the studio, lucky me, the sun had come out which is what I am looking at now out of the west facing window of my flat as I write this post.  I am keeping my fingers crossed the weather stays like this all weekend.

What is making you smile this afternoon?  Here are some photos that may help.

Round out tea with coffee: Fourbarrel

Yesterday I posted about an exciting tea expansion that will no doubt hit the tea world by storm.  Today I am shifting gears into coffee.  My fiance is currently in San Francisco attending a cool technology course on how to gamefy processes while I am in Prague slowly loosing my voice from lecturing four days in a row.  I used to sing and perform on stage and apparently I have forgotten the appropriate techniques for preserving your voice but still making yourself heard and projecting in a room without strain.  Mental note, go back and check up on vocal straining.

Back to coffee. One of the questions my fiance and I always toss around prior to travel, regardless if it is for pleasure or business is where will we get our daily fix?  He:coffee, I:tea.  I mean, that is one of the most important things to figure out after  answering”what hotel will I be staying in?” Blue Bottle coffee in San Francisco looks like it is the most talked about coffee business in the city, but I was immediately attracted to a spot called Fourbarrel, a coffee shop opened by Jeremey Tooker in 2008 in the Mission district.  This”vertically integrated” coffee shop is backed by some serious interior design and is for the coffee junkie who appreciates a good bean.  The company sources, roasts and serves coffee in a very modern, industrial setting, and to borrow the words from a review by the website, The Architect’s Library, this cafe “uses architecture to AMP up the conversation.”  There is also a lovely video about Fourbarrel coffee that I posted below, if you want a behind the scene’s look at their business.  Seven Summit Productions (the company who made the video) really did a terrific job with this one.

I am waiting to hear the report from my man on just how large of space Fourbarrel occupies, but from what I can tell, the scale of Fourbarrel looks massive.  It was designed by Boor Bridges Architects and truly imbues a large scale, industrial chic atmosphere with its wooden tables made from salvaged beams and its vintage metal school-or draftsman looking chairs. I’m drooling over the interiors and totally jealous that I am no in SF right now to experience it myself.  Next time/next trip!  Has anyone been to Fourbarrel?

Photo Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4

Kusmi Tea on the Up and Up

I got home from school this afternoon to read an exciting email about tea.  Word on the street from Adagio Teas is that one of my favourite tea brands from Paris, Kusmi Tea, is on the up and up with plans to embark on an international expansion of tea bars!  How wonderful that the world will be filled with more colourful, ornate tins of tea.

I love the story behind Kusmi tea.  Sylvan Orebi and his family who specialized in trading coffee and cacao, purchased the defunct Russian tea brand and revitalized the moniker turning it around into a luxury tea success story.  I am a big fan of their green jasmine tea as well as their Be Cool herbal blend with liquorice and mint.

Note, if you have never tried or purchased this brand before, I am warning you, don’t cringe at the price per tin.  This tea is not for those who prefer Lipton’s tea bags.  It is “special” tea to enjoy, versus sipping in mass quantity.  Kusmi can be particularly pricey depending on where you purchase it in North America.  Best bet is to find a friend in Europe and ask them nicely to bring you back a tin.  If the exchange rate is favourable, even better!   Any favourite flavours out there?

Photo Sources: 1, 2, 3 

Easter Markets in Prague

I spent some time walking around the various Easter markets that have been popping up all over Prague’s square this past week.  I snapped some shots  to capture the colour and vibrancy of these markets that will be replaced by the markets of the next holiday or farmer’s markets (my hope).

Prague’s colourful Easter markets are filled with sweet smells, colourful eggs, ribbons, bunnies, chicks, toys, flowers, honey, pussy willow branches, and small gifts made of wood and glass.  Also sold is the traditional whipping stick!

Whipping stick. You read it correctly.  Apparently the Czech custom (dating back to the Middle Ages) is for men to whip women on Easter day in order to bring fertility to the family.  There is another tradition involving the woman getting to dump cold water on the man’s head but that was anecdotal and I am not sure if the water is part of the official custom or just in retaliation from being whipped.

While I did not witness the public Easter whippings, I did enjoy walking around the markets!!  I have never seen anything like these markets before in my life.   Easter, as I recall, is not as publicly or festively celebrated in Toronto.

If you had the holiday off today, how did you spend it?

Passover in a Pinch: Recipe Ideas

This year both Passover and Easter fall on the same weekend which means lots of people around the world will be entertaining and sharing meals with friends and family.  I am going low-key this year attending a seder in the city on Friday and an Easter lunch the following day.  I am looking forward to both.

Like any entertaining event, the question of what to serve typically comes down to the following bitter pill:  Do I stick to the tried, tested and favourites of my guests or do I bust out a new set of recipes and go wild?  I personally prefer the later options but I understand that there is some comfort and simplicity in remaking the same dishes year after year that you know will please your crowd.  Either way someone will complain but don’t let that deter you from running your seder your way!  Entertain in a way that gives you pleasure and enjoyment.

If you are prepping to host or attend a seder on Friday or Saturday night and are in need of some inspiration on what to make or bring, I thought I would share a couple of my favourite ideas that I’ve been impressed with on Pinterest this week.  Since it’s Thursday and Passover begins tomorrow night at sundown, these ideas will hopefully help you out if you are in a pinch!  I think the chocolate matzoh shot (picture three) looks divine!