June 23, 2010
It has been nearly three months since the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games were held in my hometown of Vancouver. Life after the flame was extinguished has basically returned to normal, although occasionally you will see people sporting our nation’s colours or spot flags hung proudly out front of houses and it is easy to remember the intense national pride and excitement that spanned the country from coast to coast during the Games.
I am an Olympic junkie, but my figure skating past endears the Winter Games closest to my heart. During the two week Olympic broadcast my television remained on virtually the entire time! Our household lived and breathed everything Olympic. Even my four year-old wore red and white everyday along with a maple leaf painted on her face.
Part of my daily Olympic routine included going online and reading posts from a blog created by Bill Pratt and Mike Greer. Bill & Mike’s Whistler Olympic Adventure detailed their cooking experiences for the Whistler Athletes Village. I was riveted! Their mission was to provide the best food and service to the Whistler Olympic and Paralympic workforce, athletes, coaches, and assistants. Led by Canadian superstar chef Michael Smith, Bill and Mike and the rest of their team cooked their way through the Games. As if that didn’t keep them busy enough, they somehow managed to find time to blog about their experiences. Throughout the Games Bill and Mike kept readers entertained and informed with behind the scene stories of their culinary adventure.
I recently had a chance to chat with Mike Greer about his time in Whistler. Click here to read the full interview.
2010 Olympic Taco Team! (6 guys, 4 hours, 1,400 tacos)
The Olympic Taco (yum!)
Whistler Olympic Dining Tent
Potato Leek Soup for 1,000 in the first kettle, and Tomato Olive Sauce in the second kettle
*All photos courtesy of Bill & Mike’s Whistler Olympic Adventure
June 19, 2010
Hello! Long time no blog (apologies for my absence). Thought I would bring you up to speed on what’s been happening in my life: We just finished moving to a new house! The combined chaos of packing and unpacking boxes plus a delayed internet connection are the reasons behind my online silence. We didn’t move anywhere exotic or overly exciting. In fact, we are only 15 minutes away from our old house. But we did trade this yard…
…for this yard…
But unfortunately that meant trading this kitchen…
…for this kitchen…
Understandably you can see how the foodie inside me was devastated! But the move has given me an opportunity to reflect on kitchen essentials. In particular, I found myself forced to determine what makes a kitchen functional, what are the vital requirements necessary for me to keep my sanity, what items am I willing to give up and what things would need to be pried from my cold dead arms? I may laugh now, but trying to answer these questions caused a significant amount of stress at the time and even resulted in a marital spat or two between Mr. Spock and myself. Seriously! Having been pre-warned about the numerous fights and quarrels that would arise during the whole moving process, I was quite proud of how my hubby and I worked together in harmony. We were a team! Mutual agreement wherever we turned, solutions decided unanimously every chance we got. But all of that beautiful togetherness ended the day we started organizing the new kitchen. Watch out! Sparks flew, temps rose, harsh words were spoken. It got ugly…real fast.
Bottom line is that the kitchen is the most important element of a home for both Mr. Spock and me. It’s always been the hub of our family life, the place where we spend the most time together. Whether baking cookies with the kids, entertaining friends and family, or testing a new cookbook, the kitchen clocks the most occupancy hours out of any other room in the house. And because we are both such big foodies, we’ve become a little particular (ahem ‘anal’) over the years as to how and where and what is positioned in this revered space.
In the end I am happy to report that Mr. Spock and I managed to overcome our differences and organize the kitchen. Even if it meant rearranging the glassware six times.
What are some of your kitchen essentials? Are there particular gadgets or appliances you absolutely cannot live without? I’d love to hear your thoughts about what makes a kitchen functional!
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