INSTANT GOURMET FOOD!!

A good friend of mine once lamented the time it takes to make healthy food. No offense intended to my friend, but to that I say Pah! Most people share this complaint, and so I have taken it upon myself to disprove this myth!!

First off. Eating healthy is all about ingredients. What takes time is your method of cooking. A lack of time only limits what you can cook and how. It doesn’t prevent you from cooking healthy.

I’ll say that again. A lack of time only limits what you can cook and how. It doesn’t prevent you from cooking healthy.

I think the real problem is that most people don’t know what their options are when it comes to cooking because you probably have to either go to cooking school, or religiously watch the Food Network for a year like I have. Since most of you don’t have the time for that, I have taken it upon myself to come up with quick, easy recipes that not only don’t take any time to prepare (and cook), but are healthy and very cheap.

For my first recipe, I have a fish pouch! It takes 15 minutes or less to prepare, and takes 15 or 30 minutes to cook, depending on how you prepare it. The cool thing is that you don’t have to use any of the ingredients I used if you don’t want them. What I am showing is a METHOD of cooking that will allow you to make easy, fast, healthy, and tasty foods!

What do you need?

The Hardware
1 medium sized bowl
Parchment Paper (though aluminum Foil will work too)
One Baking Sheet


The Food

1/3 of a cup of Bulgur Wheat (though any small grain will do)
One of those super cheap bags of frozen fish (usually they are 3 to 5 bucks each)
A handful of fresh beans
Two carrots
A small sprig of fresh Sage
One green onion
One Shitake mushroom


And now for the Sauce and Seasoning

Salt
Pepper
Soup Broth
Sherry Cooking Wine
Worcester Sauce


Okay, now on to making the thing.

Fist. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. By the time you are done making this, your oven will be hot.

Chop up the carrots. To save time I recommend NOT peeling them. It really doesn’t change the flavour; it’s still a carrot. Just wash them first. Don’t have enough time? Try cutting the ends off the carrots and breaking them up into three pieces with your hands. Just remember that if you do this, you probably want to use thinner carrots, because it may take longer to cook thicker ones. If you have peeled baby carrots, even better, because you don’t have to do anything to them (more on how to preserve them on another show).

Wash and chop the ends off the beans, I like to do more than one at a time to speed this up. You don’t need to chop these. That’s what the knife and fork are for when you are eating them.

Slice the mushrooms in whatever way is quickest for you.

Dice the Sage, or whatever herb you happen to like with fish. For even faster prep, use dried.

Then get out your fish. Cut any pieces that wont fit evenly in the bowl you have. One of those bags will have enough fish for two batches of this recipe.



Okay, now you want to get your bowl. Why the bowl? Well what you are going to be doing is piling food into a pocket of parchment paper, and unless you are cooking Lego blocks, they aren’t going to stay put, especially when you pour in the sauce. The bowl keeps everything in place.



Tear off a big sheet of parchment paper and push one side of it into the bowl as shown. You want to have enough of the paper to one side so that you will be able to fold it over and seal it.



Pour in 1/3 of a cup of Bulgur Wheat. You can use whatever grain you want though.



Next, layer a couple or a few pieces of fish on top.



Then throw on your veggies.



Next up is the herbage.



Now comes the Sauce. In a small bowl, mix up about 1/3 of a cup of soup broth (I used Organic Chicken broth), then one Tablespoon of Sherry Cooking Wine (though any wine will do. Put in what you like), and Two Tablespoons of Worcester Sauce. Mix.



Now sprinkle about 1/2 a teaspoon of salt on your pile of food (give up on the table salt and use kosher, sea, or anything but table salt. It tastes like a chemical refinery), and a few dashes of pepper. Then pour the sauce over the food.



Now fold over the other end of the parchment paper, and starting at one of the folds, twist the paper. Move a bit further along, and twist it tightly.



Keep twisting the paper along the edge. I know it looks complicated, but it really is much easier than it looks.



Then when you get to the fold at the other end, twist it into a tight point.



There. Now you have a parchment paper pocket. It is definitely easier with foil, but I find that a lot of the food ends up sticking to it after cooking, so I go with the paper. It’s more biodegradable too.


Now carefully move your pouch out of the bowl and onto a metal baking sheet. You have lot of water in there, but don’t worry. Parchment paper is water resistant. Put the whole thing in the oven for 15 minutes, or 30 if you are using frozen fish.


Come back when it’s done, and you get this.



Then you can move it to whatever plates you want and eat. Or you can eat it out of the paper if you want.


So there you have it. The measurements I used took a bit of time to figure out, so that there would be enough water to puff up the Bulgur and steam the rest of the food, but it is a very versatile meal and any ingredient can be replaced for another. The only reason I used what I used was because that was what I had in my fridge at the time. It took me 15 minutes to fully prepare, but depending on the vegetables and how you chop them it could take even less time.

Sound good. Put in 15 minutes of work, and wait another 15 or 30 minutes and dinner is done. It tastes good too. You also don’t have to wash any pots. So the next time you find yourself complaining as you slave over the stove, don't blame the food, get better recipes.

I will have another one later involving ramen noodles that can be made in 8 minutes, including cooking time!

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO STAPLES

Well as you may have guessed by the photo above, I am done. Yes. I am done. Three very simple words that sum up an awful lot of work.

I finished the first draft of the book at around 12:30 in the morning Sunday night, backed up three copies of it, and then spent the next hour and a half trying to calm down enough to go to sleep. I have been very quiet about the book’s plot, but I think, for those that know me, it’s a safe bet to assume that the story is a big adventure story, because it is. Now in order to write anything that is remotely interesting, I had to believe I was there, and the closer I got to the end of the book, the more intense it became to write. So, for me, it was the most intense writing experience I have ever had. It was visceral, fun, but very tiring. In fact I have been pretty consistent at writing about 10 pages a day for three or four days a week, since August. The most I had written in one day was 15 pages. On Sunday I wrote 30 pages. I don’t know what came over me, or how I was able to do it, but that’s how my Sunday went.

When I finished the book, it came in at a whopping 482 pages and 183 202 words. I didn’t realize that it would take that much to say what I had to say. I had an even bigger surprise on Monday morning when I headed off to Staples to print the thing off. They didn’t have the font I used, so the 12 point font it was printed on was apparently significantly larger than the 12 point font I wrote it in. So it printed out 576 pages!!!! There’s a lesson for all of us! Not all fonts are the same, even if you use the same points in the font!

I obviously now have no idea how many pages my book is. I will have to do more research and find a standard print font that even Staples has, and reformat it all. But that is what the second draft is for.

I think the problem I am going to have is that most people are going to take a look a 500+ page book and assume that the story meanders, and that I couldn’t be more efficient with the writing. That isn’t the case. The story is quite action packed. I have no patience with self-indulgence, so I don’t waste time with my plot.

So now the plan is to get plenty of rest, and then wait a month or two before re-writing the book. I plan to take the next year to sculpt the book into something that I feel comfortable sending out to publishers and agents. At least now I have something. I can actually say I wrote a book, though it will mean more if I get published.

THE RETURN OF THE SAVAGE...

Well, I'm back. A few of you have been wondering where I've been all this time, so I thought I tell you what's up and where I've been.

I took a break from Blogging for two reasons, one I was getting heavily full time in my writing, AND I thought no one was looking at my blogg site. In an effort to avoid junk mail I didn't want to give any personal info that is asked for when you get a site counter, I have also, unfortunately given up any way of knowing how much site traffic I get. Now I think anyone who has a Blogg site has to admit to a little need for peer gratification. Without the site counter, and because most people don't leave comments I felt like I was putting in a lot of work with no audience, and for an artist the audience is everything. I know it sounds childish, and I'm not denying that, but I'm just being honest. If I’m going to spend time talking, I’d at least like to know people are listening.

So I will just assume people are watching and post more often, since I have had requests from people to post more often.

Okay, now what has happened since the last posting? I went to the Ottawa Swing Dance Association and hung out there. They have a very well run machine, which makes for a lot of fun, even if you're nervous. There is no high school sitting on the sidelines here. They pair you up in a circle that staggers from boy to girl all around, and you switch constantly. This prevents any embarrassment of "oh I don't want to dance with you 'cause you look funny' crap going on, because you HAVE to dance with the next person in line. It was a good thing to do, but ultimately it isn't what I'm looking for. I still intend to go occasionally but with all the loud music and dancing, you never get to know people. All you get to see is what people look like, and if that's all you're interested in, great, go to it. But for me, as much as I like a sexy looking woman as the next guy, it's what the person is like that is most important. It's too important to me to want to know what a person is like before even wanting to date someone. I have a saying; "don't judge a present by the pretty wrapping." What I mean is, you could be the hottest looking person out there, but if you are selfish and insensitive? Trust me, you're ugly. So I will be looking for things to do that will put me in a position to meet girls and TALK to them.

Now what else has happened? Well I am literally days away from finishing my book. Yeah, I said finishing it. It has been a long road, this year, and a lot learned, both about writing and about myself. I have two or three chapters to go, and I will have finished the first draft, then I get to take a break and come back to it. I'm a long way from sending it out to publishers, but it is still no small feat to accomplish, especially since I am on page 452, and I'm not done yet. Yup, it's a big one, but I kinda have the belief that if you smack someone in the face with your book, and it doesn't hurt? Then it's not a book. Yes I like a good, long story, as long as it's good. Hopefully others who read mine will feel the same way about it. One never knows. I have never even published a short story.

I dreamed up the idea for this book in February and started to develop the plot. It wasn't until a month or so after than I thought about writing the ideas as a book. Then I had to write the outlines, because there are three books in the series. Once that was done, I wasn't able to start writing until August. So I'm pretty proud of how fast I have written the thing.

Now, early on, I learned some very hard and obvious lessons on writing that apply to art in general. If you feel you have to wait for inspiration to write, you are going to have a hard time doing it professionally. You need to be able to sit down at any time and work, and get something done. Imagine working at a cash register and find you can't do it until you get inspiration. You'd get fired pretty fast. Professionals need to be able to sit down and perform without hesitation. Now, I’m not putting myself in the company of professional writers because, like I said, I’ve never published even a short story, but I have managed to write a book that is going to be over 450 pages in about 5 or 6 months, so I like to think I have something to say about discipline. If you can't do that, don't worry, because there are many reasons why that have nothing to do with "not having the talent." You probably do, you just need to find ways that make you comfortable enough to write, draw, or whatever it is you do. Now I need to expand on this concept, because even though I have forced myself to sit and write on a daily basis whether I was inspired or not. This is what gets the work done, and every now and then you get your 'inspiration' and do you best work. When you are in the zone, you do your best work, but if you wait for those times, you'll have a hard time getting things accomplished. So don't worry if what you are writing, drawing or doing isn't your best, you are still working! And that is key. You can always come back and fix it later. That's what 2nd, 3rd, and 4th drafts are for.

What did I do when I wasn't in the mood to write? Well I sat out on my deck, weather permitting, and wrote. Or I'd get up and head over to the local Bridghead and grab a tea and a seat and write. It was funny because in my mind I was there to write, and I was able to trick my mind into thinking that people are going to notice I wasn’t' doing what I was there to do, and so I should get to work. The other thing is music. For a lot of people, music is key, and for me it was, is, and will always be paramount. If there is music that makes your mind click into gear and get active (and I don't mean dance, unless that's what you are trying to do), then use it to get motivated. Whatever the answer is for you, be it location, audio, visual, or even olfactory stimulation, these things all get you working, and if you can get into a groove for a full day, what you are doing is tempering yourself to put in a full day's work. You’re learning discipline, and that is crucial if you want to get the job done. You just need to take the time to explore what motivates you to work.

If this book ever gets published I am going to have to say a big thanks to the film composers whose music has inspired this book. For me, film music is like another instrument in the jazz band in my head. I listen to a piece of music, and wonder what could be going on to the sounds (because unlike ALL other form of music, film scores are designed to play alongside images). So I make up stuff, and listening to music has allowed me to imagine key elements to my stories. Hell, I got the ending to all three of the books from listening to three different pieces of music.

But I should probably go now. After rambling about discipline, I have to work, and finish the damn thing. But at any rate, I will try to post more often, and see how it goes.

Later.

A GOOD STEP...

Well Friday night is Swing dance night with the Ottawa Swing Dance Society. My brother has been involved for many years with this group. For once I will be going. I am scare sh***less, but I think I not only have to go, but it would be a good step to meeting some ladies. It’s a saddle I’ve put off riding for too long, but I’m sure the rewards will be worth the anxiety.

I’ll let you know how it goes. Nothing like an entire day and a half to wait and stress over it.

GREEN CAMERAMAN...

I hope you all took my advice and went out to see Bon Cop, Bad Cop. I don’t know how long it’s going to be in the theatres. They never advertise Canadian films as well as the American ones, so I doubt most people know it’s out there. Or they look at the poster and assume it’s going to be crap, which it isn’t.

I had some fun on the weekend, where I helped someone film a documentary covering the selection of the new federal Green Party candidate. I’ve never been to a political rally before, and I was right in there with the CBC, CTV, and CPAC. Wearing my trusty press card I moved through the crowd and shot what I could. You may have seen me on TV. Apparently I popped up on the CBC and CTV footage here and there. My arm sure got a good workout, having to carry around a Sony PD-150 from 9 am to around 6. It’s amazing how heavy a light camera can get when you hold it up for hours at a time.

Now, having spent the day seeing the behavior of the Green Party I have some interesting insights that you might want to consider come election time. They aren’t the wishy washy granola crunching Greens that many believe they are. They aren’t the European style Greens in any way. There seems to be two groups that comprise the Green Party, and the most dominant seems to be the Eco Capitalists. The serious eco-leftists seem to have been pushed aside. Yes I’m sad to say that the Green Party is actually right wing when it comes to economics. They have a lot of support from people in agribusiness, you know people that make money off the environment and want to ensure that there is a sustainable environment for them to continue making money off of. The problem is, is that they are still essentially capitalists. They don’t like a strong government that is going to tell them how to run things through legislation. They don’t want rules per say, but they think they are going to save the world through tax incentives. Though tax incentives can be useful, nothing serious is going to get done about the environment without legislation. Things generally don’t get done unless something dramatic happens that galvanizes public support, or the government passes legislation. Remember seat belts, air bags, product safety standards? Nah, we should do away with all that and let the corporate sector police itself! Throw a few tax incentive bones to guide them in the right way. Pah! So if you want to protect the environment, you might want to reconsider the Green Party of Canada. Do a little research and you will be surprised by how many Green Party people are ex-Conservatives! Hell, the new leader they just elected is a former Brian Mulroney Tory! I have a hard time believing that so many people can change their beliefs so drastically. The Greens sure ain’t Leftists.

Well on a completely unrelated matter, I hit a milestone this week. I passed the 100 pages mark in my book. It’s been going fast and fierce which is good. I’m really proving that having a well laid outline helps. I feel like it’s already been written in my head, so I just sit down and type to get it out of my head. I need the space for all the rocks. I still don’t know how long the first book is going to be, but I figure it might be around 400 to 500 pages. I crossed the 100 pages point and it’s still generally around the beginning of the story where the plot really gets moving. It’s a lot of fun, and I’ve let a few people take a look at what I have so far, which has been favourable. I’m kind of excited because I didn’t realize that I might be writing a fantasy book that people who don’t read fantasy might enjoy. It’s going to be a busy week, so I don’t know how much time I will have to write, but I want to have at least another 30 pages written this week. Maybe more If I get the time.

Bon Cop, Bad Cop, Good Movie!

I saw this film Bon Cop, Bad Cop on Saturday. I remember seeing the trailer last month and was excited by the idea of seeing a Canadian movie that didn’t have something to do with wheat fields, tragedy and necrophilia. There seems to be this conspiracy to ensure films that could only interest a small demographic get made in Canada. When you think of all the extremely successful Canadian talent that has gone across the border, you wonder what Canadian film would look like if they had stayed and took the hard road of building something here.

Well Bon Cop, Bad Cop is that answer. I haven’t laughed this hard watching a movie in quite some time. Bon Cop, Bad Cop is living proof that Canadian movies don’t suck. It’s a buddy cop movie that reinvents itself by satirizing everything Canadian. A lot of Canadian movies tend to scream at you “hey we’re Canadian!” and end up losing sight of the fact that it’s more important that the movie be good. This film never forgets to be good.

People in English Canada have fallen into apathy in regards to film. Make no mistake. 99% of what you seen are FOREIGN films. Everything you see is not us, it’s either American or the rest of the world. See your own country for a change and I think you will be surprised that you will enjoy it.

Bon Cop, Bad Cop is easily the best-written movie I have seen this year, and anyone who knows me, knows that I am one of the pickiest filmgoers out there. So I recommend that you take as many people as you can to see this movie. See it before Hollywood tries to take it out of the theatres!



Captain Canuck says "your country needs you." So go see a Canadian film today! This time they rolled out a good one for us!

Two Days of Wood..

Well I have been MIA from my blog for a while so I thought I’d let you all in on what I’ve been up to.
The cycling has taken a back seat. Wasn’t as much fun cycling on my own, since my brother had to go off to Montreal to train people to be WWI soldiers for a film. Very cool stuff. I got to take care of his cat, and I was lucky she didn’t jump all over the shelves knocking stuff down. Her nickname is Monkey for a reason.
Since I finished my book outlines, I started writing. It has been fast and furious, and I am now on page 79. I think the book is going to be a long one, because the story is just getting started. I better be able to find a publisher. That of course will be the really hard part.


The past week I spent at a friend’s cottage. They are perhaps the most generous people I have ever met.



I like camping so, weather permitting; I always bring my own accommodation as you can see above. There is this little patch of clear flat ground on the otherwise bumpy landscape that fits my tent nicely.



The cottage is lived in all year round, and heated with wood stoves. So I make a habit of helping to chop wood to be stored for winter. This weekend turned into a major blitz though. We started chopping, hauling, chain sawing at about 9:30 or 10:00 on Saturday and didn’t stop until it was time for dinner. Imagine lifting weights for 8 hours straight and you get the idea. Then on Sunday we started the day with lifting all the bits of wood we chopped up and moved them to the shed where they are stored. We did this until about 4. So we had two days of heavy lifting in a row.



My soft city skin got pretty scratched up, but you have to expect that.
So I’m back in the city, and last night I was writing under candlelight on my deck, and for the first time since I have been downtown (almost 4 years), I heard the squawking and screaming of raccoons! On top of that I started to get eaten alive by mosquitoes! I have never seen mosquitoes downtown! I had to deal with both critters while at the cottage on an almost daily basis. Did I perhaps bring them back with me?!
Well that’s it for now. Not much more to report. Back to the boring city. I’m hoping to make it back to the cottage again in September to help out with the wood chopping. I do take a great deal of satisfaction in that every time I show up, we chop as much wood as they get around to in a month (they have like, 14 jobs, and two kids, makes it difficult to waltz off into the woods to chainsaw). I plan to document the whole thing next time, and set up a time-lapse camera in the shed to show just how much wood gets moved. It might be funny, as we get more tired throughout the day, we might slow down so much that even in the time-lapse photography we end up looking like we are at normal speed!