August 29th, 2010 by Dawn

When you hear someone say menudo do you think of hot, young Latin men in a famous singing group that launched Ricky Martin’s career? Or are you like me, and immediately start drooling, not because of Ricky Martin but instead, envisioning a large steaming bowl of a traditional Mexican soup made with tripe, laced with chile peppers, hominy (a large dried corn kernel but not as sweet as the peaches and cream corn we’re used to) and topped with cilantro and a fresh squeeze of lime juice.   Above a closer look at a piece of soft tripe after it’s been simmered till tender on the stove top. Not at all as frightening as one would suspect when thinking about having a piece of stewed beef stomach. Sometimes the broth is clear and other times it’s red from the type of chile used in the soup, making a version known as menudo rojo.

Anecdotally thought to be a hangover cure, menudo is delicious anytime, even for breakfast. It can be served with warmed tortillas used to scoop the tender tripe and then topped with pico de gallo made of chopped fresh tomato, onion and jalapeno (or whatever chile is preferred) marinated in salt and lime juice. While it’s hard to find menudo on restaurant menus in Toronto – it’s a home-style dish more commonly reserved for family meals – you can find the Salvadoran version of menudo, called pancita, regularly at Tacos El Asador.

But why not make it at home, the way millions of Mexican families do, simmering a pot of menudo slowly on the stove. It is surprisingly simple to make. I would start with a trip to T&T Supermarket where they have a fairly large selection of offal including tripe. Just look for “Assorted Guts”. Only in a Chinese market can you see signage for assorted guts posted indiscriminately and without the slightest bit of humour intended. Tripe can also be found in many other Asian grocery stores and sometimes in European (read Italian or Portuguese) butcher shops.

I’ve made menudo using whatever tripe is on hand whether it’s rumen (pictured below), reticulum (which has the larger honeycomb shape), or omasum which is often seen in dim sum dishes or Vietnamese pho. Rumen has the best texture for menudo but as long as you simmer the version of tripe you have long enough so that it is meltingly tender then it’s really no matter in the end.  The most important part of making menudo is ensuring the tripe is clean. Tripe is typically sold in packages pre-cleaned where it will appear imcomprehensibly white. The problem with this is that it’s been cleaned with a portion of bleach that will leave an odour in your soup if you don’t get rid of it by first boiling it in a pot of water with a tablespoon of Kosher salt for 5 or 10 minutes.

Alternatively you can soak it in clean water for an hour. Discard any water used in the bleach removal process. The best test to ensure that you’ve soaked or boiled your tripe long enough so the ungainly chlorine scent won’t taint your final product is simple: Smell it. If there’s even a lingering hint of a swimming pool you need to boil it longer or if soaking, drain the water and re-soak in clean water.

You will also need a calf’s foot which you should also be able to get from the same Asian market. Ask the butcher at the counter to cut the calf’s foot in half for you. And finally, the last major ingredient is a can of hominy which you can get where they sell Latin American products.

If you’re in Kensington Market, stop by Perola Supermarket or Emporium Latino to choose from a variety of canned hominy. You can pick up your chile peppers, cilantro and limes near by too.

Mexican Menudo (Tripe Soup)

1 package of tripe (about 1 1/2 lb) preferably rumen (honeycomb tripe is also fine)

6 cups of water (more, if bleach removal process is required)

1 Tbsp canola oil

2 medium onions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp. Kosher salt (plus 1 Tbsp, if bleach removal process is required)

1/4 tsp. dried oregano

1 calf’s foot, cut in half

1 15 oz (425 g) can of hominy

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

2 limes, cut into wedges

1 jalapeno, sliced thin (or your choice of hot chile pepper)

6 soft tortilla shells

Wash tripe. If there is a strong bleach odour, boil in water with 1 Tbsp of salt until no odour remains about 5 or 10 minutes. Remove tripe, cut into 1” x 2” pieces and set aside. Discard boiled water.

In a clean pot, heat oil on medium high heat. Add onions and sautee until nearly translucent about 3 minutes. Add garlic, salt and oregano. Return the tripe pieces to the pot. Add the calf’s foot and cover with water. Simmer, covered for about 3 hours or until the tripe and calf’s foot is very tender. Add the undrained can of hominy. Cover and simmer another 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with chopped cilantro, lime wedges, jalapeno slices and warmed tortilla shells. Serves 6.

Options: If you prefer to have your menudo spicy right out of the pot, you can add the jalapeno slices when you add the hominy. You can also squeeze the juice of half a lime directly into the pot at the end and serve with extra lime wedges as a garnish, if you prefer to cut the tripe soup with more acidity. I also enjoy stirring in 1/2 of the chopped cilantro leaves into the pot at the end when you take the soup off the heat. Doing this creates a beautifully fresh burst of green cilantro aroma in the air. Be sure to serve extra cilantro on the side.

August 10th, 2010 by Dawn

When I went to Tokyo I became addicted to onigiri the very first time I tried it. Onigiri is a ball or triangle-shape of Japanese rice wrapped in nori (roasted seaweed sheets) stuffed with fillings like spicy tuna, umeboshi (pickled plum), and other savouries. You could find these tasty gems almost anywhere including convenience stores like 7-Eleven. It was at Ueno Station that I had my first onigiri and it was filled with fresh ikura or salmon roe. Biting through the crunchy seaweed and discovering that the divinely tender rice housed a healthy spoonful of salty bulging salmon eggs was sheer delight and my first delicious food memory of Japan.

In Toronto, we are fortunate to be able to get our hands on onigiri at a few places. My favourite by far are the ones you can find at Sanko, the Japanese food and gift shop located at Claremont and Queen Street West. Pictured above is a small sample of the variety that are available. My favourite isn’t shown – the organic eggplant – because that version never makes it all the way home. More than likely I’ll be trying to drive and shift gears while I undo the cello wrapper with my teeth all without breaking the nori sheet. As soon as the cello is off, I have to eat the onigiri right away while the seaweed is still crunchy.

Here is a close up view of the instructions for removing the cello. Done this way, the nori sheet stays intact, folding around the rice so your hands don’t get messy. Essentially, Step 1 is to peel back the tab at the top and pull it completely around the onigiri and off. Step 2, while holding the onigiri with your left hand pull the right side of the cello off. And finally, Step 3, remove the remaining cello wrapper completely and then take a bite. Think about doing that while driving with one hand and using your teeth. It’s doable.

You can also find the Korean version of onigiri, called gimbap or kimbap, at P.A.T. Central in the Bloor Street Koreatown. Next to Sanko, these onigiri are a pretty good runner up. Julian is fond of the kimchi beef and Cole likes the spicy chicken. Korean gimbap is usually made with laver which are roasted seaweed sheets that have been seasoned.

If you’re at P.A.T. Central and they’re sold out of gimbap, you might want to pick up what you need to make your own at home. All you need is some short grain Japanese rice (or even easier, buy some pre-cooked takeaway rice from a nearby restaurant), a plastic holder that you can use to pat the rice into a triangle shape available in the kitchen utensils aisle, pre-packaged seaweed in cello sheets, shown below, and whatever filling you like. I would then probably make a second stop at the St. Lawrence Market to pick up a jar of salmon roe or sushi-grade fish for the filling.

Manpuku and their new restaurant, Harapeko, located at 160 Baldwin Street, both have onigiri on the menu. The version at Manpuku is usually served while the rice is still warm and they only seem to offer what tastes like a mild tuna salad. Still it hits the spot and the rice is always perfectly tender. There were a couple more choices at Harapeko, such as mentaiko or salted cod roe shown below, but primarily Harapeko is all about the Japanese sandwich pocket so their onigiri suffers a little in quality.

Tokyo Kitchen also has onigiri on it’s menu but they make a version that only uses a thin strip of nori wrapped around the rice as an accent. To me, I need the crunch of the full sheet of fresh nori so I’d skip that and choose one of the other mouth-watering choices on the menu if I was there.

At T&T Supermarket, they offer a two-pack of onigiri for a steal at $2.99 per pack pictured above. I am usually a big fan of T&T but here you really get what you pay for. The T&T onigiri is one item YOU CAN AND SHOULD SKIP. I took one bite of the spicy salmon onigiri and immediately spit it out. The spicy salmon mixture was sour but worst of all the rice was hard. It definitely seems to be an attempt to use up old salmon and stale rice and it doesn’t work.

If you’ve had the misfortune of trying onigiri at T&T Supermarket I hope you will give onigiri another try at a different place. They can be amazing and if people start eating them regularly and asking for interesting fillings, we are sure to see more and better options offered elsewhere in Toronto.

August 1st, 2010 by Dawn

Sure you’ll hear some complaining about the heat and humidity we’ve been experiencing in the Tdot. We’re Canadians and we love to kvetch† about the weather. No matter which province you live in we are fortunate enough to get a sampling of all four seasons. Admittedly, each season doesn’t get its fair share of playtime across Canada. Here in Toronto, we’re definitely not used to such a long stretch of heat but I guarantee that we’ll be ankle deep in snow around the corner and complaining about that too.

For me, I love Canada for all of its seasons and specifically Ontario, which I think has the most beautiful fall — this coming from a born and raised Vancouverite. Cool, crisp Ontario air brings with it the changing colours of leaves that run the gamut of what you visualize when you hear the word “autumn”. Bright orange, earthy browns, shocking reds and deep purples paint a magnificent landscape in what feels too short for that time of year. Maybe those months are short because the fall is conference season when I’m staring at my computer most days working on the majority of events in my annual roster. Nonetheless, the fall is still a prize. Everything is at its peak and then it all begins to die. Everything outdoors must be picked or left to perish for the cycle will have no choice but to begin again. It sounds morbid but that cycle of life is why I love the fall. You can smell death gnawing in the air and I love that. Sure the plants may not but the birth of things new happens all over again in spring so don’t get depressed.Getting back on track, this heat has had a delicious side benefit — luscious, fat, heavenly vegetables and lots of them. Above is a shot of the restrained bounty I impulsively picked up at the Nathan Phillips Square Farmers’ Market this week. On Wednesdays until October 13, 2010, you’ll find tables set up there from 10AM to 2PM, easily accessible to city dwellers and workers in the core. Until August 25, you can even shop accompanied by on-stage entertainment over the lunch hour from noon till 2PM.

I couldn’t resist the vendors’ stalls all of whom wisely presented their wares in irresistible and seductive ways. The scent of bursting ripe plums, dripping chunks of cut tomatoes, corn leaping out of husks, the smell of fresh herbs (though it did lack a bit in selection), sharp headiness of hard neck garlic bulbs, and juiciest sweet peaches practically splitting out of eagerness to be eaten on the spot.

Please, sample this delectable morsel. How can one say no? I had to partake in this and I justified to myself that I was supporting sustainable local farming despite the fact that I would be mostly eating solo a pint of strawberries, a pint of sugar plums — Did I ever mention that I don’t eat fruit? — a significantly larger than ogre-sized handful of beans probably close to a pint as well, four healthy tomatoes, a pint of baby zucchinis, one onion and a head of baby cabbage. To be honest, I regret buying such a teensy cabbage. I could have made a quick batch of homemade sauerkraut to eat with sausages I have frozen here but the mini cabbage wouldn’t make much more than a serving and a half. Regrettable really.I talked about the Farmers’ Market at Evergreen Brickworks in my last post. This is just another one of many weekly outlets that provide fresh, from the farm to your table produce. Edible Toronto, a quarterly magazine that has a focus on promoting local food options provides an online list of Farmers’ Markets available in Ontario — a great resource if you’re looking for an at-a-glance schedule of local markets.

Full disclosure: I met the Publisher and Editor of Edible Toronto by chance when dining one night at Guu Izakaya. My friends and I happened to be seated at a communal table right beside Gail Gordon Oliver and her sister. I was, let’s say, highly “exuberant” that night and I failed to stop myself from sharing all of my thoughts about the menu choices with our neighbours. They took in my zealous food chatter in stride. Upon reflection, as an overactive thinker is wont to do, I know my comments were superfluous. Gail was a real charm for receiving me with my earnest intentions. You need only think of any Katherine Heigl movie for a vision of my over-the-top-ness. At the end of their meal, we did exchange cards and since then I have pleasantly seen her at a conference, while I hid my cringing memories. From the brief encounters, Gail was friendly and seemed quite down to earth. That being said, I share this Farmers’ Market list not because of that but simply because it’s a great list that I refer to. Bookmark it. You will need it one day.

†NOTE: I don’t know anyone who speaks Yiddish but I have always liked the word “kvetch” for its onomatopoeic quality. It’s what I hear when people complain making tiresome, polluting, infiltrating noise. Sounds like“kvetch-ing” to me. I pulled from another language. In turn, I will take no offence if you do that to my mother tongue. Go ahead and call that ludicrous random white guy insisting loudly on getting “cold tea” (a.k.a. beer innocently served in a tea kettle after hours but only available at certain Chiinese restaurants) a gwai lo. I’m good with that. Just say it properly, muttering under your breath, with a slight shake of your head like the elder, wiser Chinese would do. Again I digress, as I do so often…

July 19th, 2010 by Dawn

In my last post, I wrote about fulfilling my oyster cravings. And as the universe would have it, I suppose I will be eating more oysters soon. Specifically Malpeques from PEI. This past weekend, Patrick McMurray, owner of Starfish located at 100 Adelaide Street East by Jarvis Street, and also owner of one of my local hangouts, Ceili Cottage, is now selling Malpeque oysters at Evergreen Brick Works Farmers Market. You can get them unshucked for $1 each and shucked with condiments for $1.25 each. Unbelievable. The Brick Works Farmers Market is open every Saturday from 8AM to 1PM and features a great selection of local produce, cheese, fish and meat – everything you need to make a fantastic weekend meal. I’ll be going this Saturday to check it out myself and effortlessly toss back a few freshly shucked oysters on the spot. See you there.

July 15th, 2010 by Dawn

Is it July? Yep. And I’m eating oysters. My dinner plans changed tonight so I decided to pick up a few oysters, among other things, at St. Jamestown Steak & Chops located on Parliament. I posted about St. Jamestown earlier this year, one of my favourite local butcher shops, that also sells fresh seafood, vegetables, dairy and deli items. I love this place because their products are fresh, reliable and delicious and the staff are also very helpful.

As an aside, I live very close to another butcher shop that gives me the mental equivalent of hives every time I walk in. There’s a strange vibe at Rowe Farms on Queen Street East and the staff always make me feel like it’s my privilege that they are serving me.

St. Jamestown doesn’t come with attitude so I will drive to the next neighbourhood a couple times a week instead of walking a block away because I don’t like to spend money in a place that gives me attitude. And every time I have to breakdown and buy something last minute at Rowe Farms that I’d forgotten on my grocery list I try to get the hell out of Dodge as fast as I can. I feel like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman in the shopping scene every time I walk out of St. Jamestown with my bags and bags of fresh produce and slabs of meat and wonder if this is the day I will walk into Rowe Farms and say “See!!”. Oh but I digress.

It’s July and I’m eating oysters in a month spelled without an “R”. The idea behind this is that oysters spawn in warmer months and they aren’t as palatable. Pashaw I say. Oyster producers have developed oysters that are still worthy of sucking back in months spelled without an “R”. However oysters in colder months are definitely more plump and do have a somewhat cleaner taste. But I’m not one to deny myself of anything tasty even if it is July. When I’ve got a craving, a deep-seated hankering for something yummy, say if my eye is caught by the gleam of a fresh oyster in the shell, then I must not be denied. Denial makes for an unhappy me and why shouldn’t I be happy, happy, happy all the time.

By the way, these Malpeques from St. Jamestown were $1.50 each or $14 for a dozen. Really a steal for these briny bivalves that I shucked myself easily popping them open. I find Malpeques are one of the easiest oysters to open yourself at home as the hinge is easy to identify so inserting your oyster knife is fairly smooth and with a quick twist the shell muscles detach. St. Jamestown will also special order oysters if there’s a specific type you want, like my favourite Kumamotos. Ask away. I’m sure they would be happy to help you.

July 8th, 2010 by Dawn

Every summer I look forward to seeing the little old Chinese ladies sitting along Gerrard Street in the east end Chinatown on my side of town with their spread of golden wealth. What I’m talking about are zucchini flowers. And when you see them, grab them. They are definitely the upside of a heat wave. Today I did a 180 degree turn in my car when I spotted them on the other side of the street, screeching to a halt right in front of the sellers, with change dancing right out of my hand. Zucchini flower season does not last long so you have to get them while the gettin’s good. I got these three gorgeous bundles of zucchini flowers, fragrant basil and the freshest looking cilantro I’ve seen in a while, all for only $5. My very good friend, Jennifer, is coming into town tonight from Kitchener for an overdue gab fest. Tomorrow, I see zucchini flower quesadilla’s in our future, maybe for breakfast. Tonight, we’re doing our version of a pub crawl except in exchange for too much booziness, we’ll be eating too many snacks at multiple venues in this smouldering city.

And while we’re out and about, we will talk about what to do with these beautiful flowers. Should we stuff them with fresh ricotta or mascarpone, sautee them, coat them in tempura batter and fry them. The possibilities are endless. So the next time you spot this golden bounty, make sure you let me know and I’ll race over and pick up a bunch or two or three.

June 26th, 2010 by Dawn

The “economic downturn” became tangible to me last year when half of my regular clients were unable to pull together the funding and sponsorship dollars to host some of their regular annual events. I went into rethink mode about the event management company that I had been running for more than a decade, BPL Events, and I made the decision to stay true to the work I enjoy so much.

A year later, things have turned around completely. The networking and business development time I invested in the quieter part of last year has resulted in a bursting schedule of events that’s leading into 2012. And I couldn’t be happier with all of the new and returning opportunities.

During the midst of the decline last year, I decided to start BananaViews as an outlet for my secondary passions – all things food and how cultural upbringing impacts our sensibilities and behaviours.

With the idea to eventually draw more readers to my personal blog and to learn more about how larger blogging sites work, I also decided to write restaurant reviews for blogTO. It was a great learning experience and I have to say that I found Tim Shore, founder of blogTO, to be a patient, friendly guide. And it was an interesting experience to observe the miscellaneous comments from readers many of which were random, vehement, or completely off topic. This was a good opportunity to learn about making your opinions public and committing them to words and having to distance yourself afterwards, or not.

Despite these positive experiences, with the emergence of so many new and exciting event contracts, conferences and fundraisers, that I needed to put my full attention to I had to make a decision about writing reviews for blogTO – there are only so many hours in a day. I couldn’t grapple with the idea of doing a mediocre job and the pressure to keep up with a weekly review was simply stressing me out. This had nothing to do with Tim’s expectations as I found him to be understanding. Running a business myself, feeling like you’re letting someone else down really sucks. The end result, I had to drop blogTO.

After advising Tim, I was more than pleased when he invited me to come back to write for him again once my schedule settles itself out. I am thinking about it. So it’s so long but not goodbye blogTO. Here is my last blogTO review (for now) on Pearl Harbourfront. Thanks again to blogTO and Tim Shore for making me feel so welcome to the team.

June 12th, 2010 by Dawn

Before I went on my trip to Orlando, my only references to Florida were few. In one of my past jobs I used to be the Sales Promotions Manager at Tupperware Canada. Seems like a strange place to work but for a foodie and an avid home cook, it was pretty decent. It was also my first foray into the corporate side of marketing versus the agency where I came from. And the first time I was exposed to a real show stopping style of sales conference with on-stage skits for new product demos, screaming award winners running up to the stage under a follow spot and cameras shedding tears on the big screen, and herds of sales people doing line dances and sing-a-longs. Tupperware is a strange world but it works for them.

Coming from a fairly traditional Chinese family of non-touchers, it was a new experience being in this world of “huggers”, back then mostly decked out in sequins and polyester pant suits and perfectly French manicured white-tipped nails or glossy cherry red talons. I will admit I am now a fully converted hugger. It just feels good. But you can forget about the nails. These are working girl hands, made for chopping, dicing, slicing and typing.

The worldwide head office of Tupperware happens to be in Orlando, where my friend Daniel is from. It was on my wish list to do a drive-by viewing of the Tupperware fountain but it wasn’t in the cards on this trip what with the emergency hospital visit, tour of Disney World Resort, driving through half the state up to the border of Georgia and getting lost in a $100 USD taxi in Jacksonville. Scariest moment of my life which I’ll save to write about another time.

My other reference to Florida is from my former sister-in-law, Dana, who resided there. She was an extravagant person, lively, loud and what I thought was classically American. She also happened to be very funny though I think without knowing so. She used to travel the world with my ex brother-in-law as he was a huge car enthusiast, visiting the Porsche Zuffenhausen plant in Germany and one time to France, possibly to see Le Mans but I’m not sure of that. Upon returning from a whirl wind trip through Europe, the first thing she said about their vacation wasn’t how wonderful the scenery was, nor how interesting the people were, nor how fascinating the history was, nor how delicious the food tasted. Her first statement was this. “You know, you just can’t find a decent hamburger in France.” I still laugh when I think about how serious she was when she said that.

In that moment that statement established firmly in my mind what people from Florida were like. Although I don’t think that much differently now that I’ve actually been through half of the state, I do know that it’s hard to find a decent meal in Florida. Even the multi-starred Azurea Restaurant in the tourist trap called One Ocean Resort (entrance pictured above) in Jacksonville, failed to impress me. The service was mediocre, the food was over-sauced and the desserts were cloying. Below, a badly lit shot of the lobster and mushroom risotto I shared with Daniel. You can see two weird strips of melted cheese and the claw that looks like it was dumped on the top of the gummy risotto like an after thought. But of course, the company saved the day and it was there that we had laughs amongst friends that I will never forget. 

In Daytona, we went to a quaint place called Our Deck Down Under. It’s one of those places that you feel is a find because it’s tucked away under the Port Orange Bridge. The atmosphere is slightly rowdy and it has a shack-by-the-sea look to it. Unfortunately, the food didn’t live up to the ambience. The raw oysters on the half-shell were sickly – bad Florida oyster experience number two (you think I would learn) – the crab legs on the steamed platter tasted bland and now that I think of it were probably previously frozen (go figure “snow” crab prefer cold waters like those off Newfoundland so I’d be more likely to get tastier crab legs here in the T-dot). The spice on the shrimp, while pleasantly zingy, wasn’t marinated long enough to impart any flavours to the shrimp meat. The servers did remove the charge for the raw oysters since we only ate one. They were a really wacky bunch, gracious and perfect for this watering hole.

We also went to another kitschy spot called Joe’s Crab Shack. Yes, it seemed a touristy kind of place where they make the servers dance and sing in a line. What’s up with everyone dancing in a line in the south? The food had a lot of potential and from what I remember it was a worthy spot. Sadly, it was also a night of debauchery where our adult friends (Larry and Nicole) left the three child-like friends (that would include Daniel, Ronald and myself) alone with a six-pack of Corona’s and a full bottle of tequila. ‘Nuff said.  It looks like we ordered the Bean Town Bake on the menu which is a steam pot with 2 whole lobsters, 1 pound of clams, 6 shrimp, sausage, corn and potatoes. I’m very sad now looking back at the menu online to see that they also served crawfish which was high up on my must eat in Florida list. Very sad. Needless to say I didn’t get to eat any crawfish, also known as crayfish, mud bugs or craw dads.

And despite my memory of throwing a Krystal’s burger at Daniel at the end of the night, my regrets are few. I suppose it’s all about the story at the end. And here is not the place to tell it all. But stay tuned. There’s more to come on my trip to Florida.

May 30th, 2010 by Dawn

Living in Toronto for the last 25 years I’ve never made the Snowbird’s trip down to Florida. Florida is a popular haven for Canadians, especially those in Toronto who suffer from the harsh winter months and depressing lack of vitamin D, needing to regenerate and rejuvenate. But I’m allergic (not literally) to bland, generic food, buffets of any sort, watered down drinks and large flying insects like Palmetto bugs. I had much reason not to be interested in Florida.

Florida happens to be the home state of my friend and colleague, Daniel Chimento. He was born and raised in Orlando, the home of the mouse, that being Mickey and Disney World. My version of how Daniel got me to book is shortened as this:

Daniel: “We should go to Florida together. It would be fun.”

Me: Sipping on my third glass of straight Grey Goose on the rocks. “Sure.”

Daniel, a few minutes later: “Can I have your credit card?”

Me: “Sure. Can I have another drink?”

Daniel: “Sure.”

Next day, I check my email and see BMO has sent me a message saying that I’ve activated my online security code. I called them rather indignant and insisted that I did not do any such thing. “Perhaps, ma’am you booked a trip on-line?”. Hmm?

And that’s how I ended up here in Florida, and in Orlando of all places. To me, as an entrepreneur, vacations are like having children. There’s never a good time so you just have to do it. Everyone deserves to recharge their batteries. Unfortunately for me, Daniel (pictured below) booked us two weeks out from my next event, the PROFIT 100 CEO Summit, so this has become a working vacation. Fine. With wifi access in most places plus my trusty BlackBerry, I’m all set to stay connected on the beach. My main concerns right now are whether I’ll get too much sand in my netbook and will my cabana boy remember to refill my margarita glass?

There is an upside to visiting a place where your friend knows the local scene and still has friends and family there. You get to meet a lot of people, like my new friend Ronald pictured below! Plus you can stay with family gratis, saving valuable hotel dollars.

After three ridiculous days working from morning till midnight prior to leaving, making sure that I’ve got all of my clients covered, Daniel and I get a ride to the airport from our friend, Jay Deakin. Jay (pictured below) is one of the most down to earth, relaxed, easy going, gracious and charming Brits you’ll ever meet… except when he’s driving and then he turns into a rage-infused homicidal manic. When he’s pumping gas, he’s annoyed. When he’s changing lanes, he’s annoyed. When he’s passing cars, he’s annoyed. When he’s tailgating, he’s annoyed. I’m sure you get the picture. And by no means does this mean that I am not grateful for the ride. But I am even happier that Jay lives another day to drive again.

We arrive in Orlando an hour late, tired, and slightly tipsy from Bloody Caesers, knowing that we won’t be putting our lips to Clamato juice as easily in the U.S. Clamato is the main ingredient in a Caesar, a Canadian anomaly, versus the popular Bloody Mary’s that you’ll find throughout the States. Their loss.End up eating at some chain place, the Ale House, by the airport. First mistake? Ordering oysters. When asked what kind of oysters they have, the server says, “Raw or steamed”. I meant what variety, what kind of oysters are they? “No variety just raw or steamed.” I ate one and immediately felt queasy. I have a delicate stomach. Delicate when it comes to crap. We had $3.50 pints that tasted like watered down pee. Snow crab legs, clam chowder, and prime rib down the hatch. Our total bill $50 plus tip.

Later, on our journey to Jen’s house, Daniel’s unrelated sister of sorts, which will be the first stop for accommodations he’s set up, I have to ask Daniel to pull over. I have the pleasure of advising you that I left my mark or rather the oyster’s mark on a side road in Florida.

Oh, but the revelry doesn’t stop there. We finally arrive at Jen’s house a little after 1AM. After greetings, Steve, her husband shows us the guest room. Daniel showers. I lie down and start coughing. I instantly know where this is going. Those cute little dogs and that cat hiding under the chair are getting to me. I haven’t been around animals in ages, unless you count Daniel, but I’m not allergic to him. I start to wheeze and tell Daniel I’m going to sleep in the car. Orlando is humid my friends. And it’s humid in the car, normally my respite when the indoors, like mouldy cottages, get bad. I’m short enough to find comfort sleeping in the front seat but not today. I am wheezing like a banshee and I text message Daniel that we have to go to emerg. He just took a sleeping pill but we take the risk and drive 15 minutes down to the Saint Cloud hospital.

Did you know there is no medical coverage in the US? And thinking that I’m healthy and we’ll be staying with family doing nothing riskier than beach hopping I decline the $40 medical coverage. One asthma treatment and $220 later – I consider that a small price to pay to breathe – and a prescription for a week’s worth of prednisone, a heavy duty steroid that allows me to not die the rest of this week, I walk out of the ER around 6AM. We can’t go back to the cat house. Which the nurse advised me means a brothel or house of sin in Florida. But I’m not allergic to whores either so that would actually have been better for me.

And worse, Daniel, the fab event planner that he is, has our schedule jam packed including getting free passes to Disney World the next day to hang out with his mom, Wanda and twin brother, David. We need to be at Wanda’s house by 8:45AM to meet the free pass guy. And if you’ve ever been to Disney World, you’ll realize that an all park pass for four can run you about $800. There was no missing this meeting.

Exhausted, we decide to go to Daniel’s mom’s. She has two dogs too and it’s 6AM. Too early to wake her. So we park in the driveway to sleep for an hour. Apparently during that time Daniel’s mom, Wanda, woke up to walk the dogs, saw the car, poked a flashlight in and I’m only guessing here but I think she would probably have said WTF? Anyways, that was more or less Day One. Well the first 9 hours anyways. Stay tuned for more highlights from Florida.

May 19th, 2010 by Dawn

In March, I posted about working with Jangles Productions. Mark Jacot (pictured below) heads up Jangles and he brings together a great conference team to fill different roles for his variety of successful events. He’s a great example of a dream company to work for and you can see that by the contract staff who get in line to come back to work with Mark and the Jangles team, year after year.

Along with his wife, Margaret, who is also an extremely talented cook, they always throw a fantastic after-party for the team that brings us all together in a fun, casual environment. Mark and Margaret are seasoned world travelers and serious food people and it shows. I have to admit that I feel truly fortunate to be included in the Jangles crew and not just because I rolled out of their home with belly bursting. It’s a special gift to be able to run a big crew like this and keep everyone happy. Mark is like a mentor to me. He runs his business with honesty and integrity and that’s an amazing model for anyone. Thanks to all the Jacots for allowing me to be a part of this fantastic team.

I thought I’d share with you a few of the creations that the Jacots put together for the team party – everything is made from scratch (well not the cheese but they don’t have room for cows in the backyard with the outdoor pool). If you were invited and missed it, eat your heart out. More for me I say. Here’s what you missed and yes, you can be jealous. I ate everything.