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Love for Sale: My Christmas List
By Ivy Knight
I love Christmas, I love the overabundance of alcohol everywhere you go, the tacky decorations, the bouche de noel, the Dolly and Kenny Christmas Album and especially the Christmas themed clothing seniors pull out of their closets. I don't have a sweatshirt depicting a kitten in a Santa hat yet but I can't wait until the day I do.
One thing I don't like at Christmas, or any other time of year, is going to the mall. The thought of buying something, for someone lucky enough to have me in their life, that every other jackass in town could pick up, seems pointless to me. I like to give gifts that are unique and that don't require any mall time. If I can get through this holiday season without seeing any more fifteen year old girls in Uggs I'll be thrilled.
When I'm looking for gifts I usually end up looking to my friends in the food business for food inspired gift ideas, so what follows is a list of things that are lovingly handcrafted by people who are highly trained in the food industry and aren't trying to make a quick buck. These are, for the most part, small business owners putting their heart and soul into their products, and these products will rock your loved ones way harder than a gift certificate to the Keg or a cubic zirconia tennis bracelet.
Rather than a gift certificate to the Keg, might I suggest the Black Camel (4 Crescent Road) for some of the most delectable, succulent loose meat sandwiches this side of the Mississippi? The crew at Black Camel only uses meat from Cumbrae Farms, darling, and their homemade BBQ sauce is magnificent. Or get them a gift certificate to Sadie's Diner (504 Adelaide), where they have found the only vegan cheese in the world that will fool you into believing it's from a cow. There's also a serious Pez dispenser collection on display. And if you're already on Adelaide West, then walk a few blocks to 322 Adelaide and check out the preserves on offer at Ravisoups. Ravi and his wife Radha have made a variety of preserves to jazz up your lame turkey this season. They have Tamarind ketchup, Spiced Tomato Chutney, Red Pepper Jelly, Mango Chutney (ripe mango pureed with lime and Thai chili with a brunoise of green mango to add crunch and texture), and the famous Ravispice (a secret blend of spices that's way better than the Colonel's, give to anyone who can't cook - it will make their crappy food taste heavenly).
For people who like to read about food check out Table Talk by A.A. Gill, the world's greatest restaurant critic. Buy it, if only for the line "The mushrooms wouldn't have tasted wild if you'd soaked them in Ecstasy and given them guns." Fresh: Seasonal Recipes by John Bishop, chef and owner of Bishop's in Vancouver since 1985, is my favourite cookbook of the year. In it Bishop tells of how 20 years ago he got off the phone with faceless suppliers shipping him produce from all over the planet and started dealing with a local organic farm, forever changing the way he cooks and thinks about food. We've heard this all this stuff before of course but this is a very nice, accessible cookbook that gives readers a look into the relationship between a restaurant and a farm over the course of a year with some beautiful photography.
For the teetotaler or the hippy on your list go to Sandra Amarie of Moja Tea Gallery, for her line of sparkling ice teas. Sandra is offering beautiful gift bags containing two bottles of ice tea (Sparkling Spiced Pear or Apple, Thai Basil and Ginger) along with a selection of her own blends of green, white, black and red teas (all Moja products available at Ravisoups). Good for detoxification after the turducken.
For those pesky vegans in your life go to The Good Catch General Store at 1556 Queen West. Jola Sobolak and Daniel Hickox have brought an organic/vegan-minded shop to Parkdale and they are happy to provide you with a tofurkey feast - a whole vegan dinner that's ready to go after a 24 hour defrost. They also have vegan fruitcake rings, organic fair trade chocolate bars and hot chocolate and a raw fruit and nut mix that features goji berries, macadamias and cocoa nibs.
For traditional Christmas shortbread cookies shaped like snowflakes, Santas and Christmas trees head to one of Kensington Market's newest spots, Miss Cora's Kitchen (69 Kensington). Miss Cora is also making lots of gingerbread boys and girls. For a house to put them in go to It's the Icing on the Cake (1238 Queen St.) where they have two different sizes of gingerbread houses, peppermint bark, chocolate-coconut snowballs, shortbread, sugar cookies, truffles and chocolate sleighs filled with treats.
Timmie's Doggie Outfitters (867 Queen West) has gift boxes of homemade organic cookies for your dog. Supplied by Big Dog Bakery, these gourmet dog treats contain only local premium ingredients. They don't use any fillers, refined sugars, preservatives, added salt or artificial flavour. The cookies come with different varieties of ingredients like liver, peanut butter, spelt, oats, parsley or honey.
All of the above places make everything in-house from scratch. They were not made from scratch in Des Moines, Iowa and shipped here just in time for the holidays. They were made this morning and they will sell out and they'll be made again tomorrow morning in the spot where you buy them and the person that made them will be in the same room as you when you pay for your purchases. I think that means something these days; just consider what you're currently wearing and ponder what the odds are that you'll ever be in the same room as the little kid who stitched your Nikes, or the person who ran the machine that squirted out your Twinkie.
The little old lady who lived down the street and made sweets for all the kids is dead now, she's been replaced by a creep with a hypodermic needle. If you want old-fashioned, home-made love you either have to make it yourself or buy it. Al Gore wants you to save the planet, jerk, so turn off your oven and ride the rocket to any one of these places. There is love for sale this Christmas and you don't need a condom to enjoy it.
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