Category: local

  • Book review – Blood on the Breakwater

    Although better known for its tea rooms, English architecture, and a seemingly inexhaustible 12 month blooming cycle, Victoria has rarely been thought of as a petrie dish of murder and intrigue – and yet, award winning journalist Jean Paetkau hits us squarely in the face with a bracing and salty tale of betrayal, dogged journalistic determination, and a hundred year old family scandal!

    In her debut foray into crime fiction, Jean has successfully made the leap from children’s books into a very crowded genre often crying for originality. And while I often have the skepticism of a character from a Mickey Spillane novel, I found myself hooked within the first few passages of chapter one.

    In Blood on the Breakwater, our heroine, Helene Unger, an often exhausted and bedraggled solo parent, finds solace and comfort from sunset walks on our historic waterfront. And while Victoria and its horizons seem to have sprung from a Toni Onley painting, something more sinister awaits waterside. Her life with “Vancouver Island Radio…” has been one of routine and ritual soon to be shaken up with the appearance of a lifeless woman, Lucy Marino, floating off shore.

    Blood on the Breakwater

    To my delight, Jean leaves few Victoria anchors uninvolved and outside the realm of suspicion; the arts, the business of city blooms, bakeries and coffee shops! For residents of our fair garden city, Blood on the Breakwater appears to touch on every hot button issue facing our privileged gilded boulevards – whether it’s bike lanes or ferry traffic or street parking!

    While our Helene might be a couple of Fluevog foot steps behind any number of suspicious characters, closely on her heel is Detective Kalinowski who has the shop worn cynicism of a gumshoe twice her age, the twitchiness and suspicion of too many encounters with the dark side of humanity.

    Honestly, *Blood on the Breakwater* is as much a surprising thriller as it is a banter masterclass in the witty/pithy exchanges between detective and civilian investigator (Helene).

    Suspects dodge and weave with the unpredictability of sedans in the Douglas-Hillside-Government intersection. I found myself held in place, by the scruff of the neck, as the denouement approached like a runaway steam train over the Malahat. It was exhausting and ultimately satisfying. Begging for more, I only began to imagine the potential sequel and pathways our heroine would uncover in future volumes and adventures.

    *Blood on the Breakwater* is a breezy and tantalizing read – and a must have for Island residents. The book is available at all of your favourite shops – from Munro’s to Bolen Books to Russell Books and, oh yes, very online at Amazon

    Colin Newell is a Victoria resident and writer of words online since 1995. Always on the hunt for a choice piece of fiction, his hand is either holding a coffee cup or a paperback!

     

  • About the author

    Editor and Creator of the CoffeeCrew Blog - Colin NewellColin Newell has been writing for the website CoffeeCrew.Com (Formerly the Coffee Experts Group) for 25+ years.

    That is a long time in internet years.

    This blog was created as an outlet for some of my stranger ideas, which sadly, outnumber my truly bright ideas.

    Bio Stuff

    The Coffee as website concept thing has served me well. In our heyday we averaged about 75,000 unique viewers per month – and that works to about 1.7 million unique views per year!

    Brags

    I worked on an episode of CSI Las Vegas (Season 3 – Last Laugh)… Surprised even me.

    And have appeared on an episode of WTN’s The Shopping Bags, spoken at length about coffee culture on SHAW TV – in B.C. and on CTV News World.

    Did a syndicated radio thing on CBC 1 one morning from 3 AM until 7 AM and reached over 2 million Canadians. That was fun.

    I have developed more website solutions than I care to remember

    Radio, TV, magazines and the walls of caves…

    I have done TV, radio and newspaper interviews; CTV Newsworld Express, The National Post, Globe and Mail, CNN, Canwest Global, SHAW and others as well as CBC Radio 1 and 2.

    If you are looking for a specialist in cafe culture and specialty coffee to talk about 20 years of progress in coffee and espresso pop culture, then I could be your guy.

    Feel free to e-mail me for additional contact and scheduling information.

    Anyway. Enjoy the website and stay amused!

  • Book review On Borrowed Time by Gregor Craigie

    Broadcast journalist Gregor Craigie has been on the radio; CBC Radio 1 Vancouver Island, CBS, the British Broadcasting Corporation and Public Radio International in the United States as well as CBC Television as a political reporter…



    Audio snippet – the thinking behind the book

    Vancouver Island’s largest historic earthquake was a magnitude 7.3 event that occurred at 10:13 a.m. on Sunday June 23, 1946. The epicentre was in the Forbidden Plateau area of central Vancouver Island, just to the west of Courtenay and Campbell River.

    This earthquake caused considerable damage on Vancouver Island, felt as far away as Portland Oregon, and Prince Rupert B.C. and brought down 75% of the chimneys in the closest communities, Cumberland, Union Bay, and Courtenay and it inflicted damage in Comox, Port Alberni, and Powell River. Bricks and chimneys were shaken down in Victoria. Remarkably only two deaths were recorded, one due to drowning when a small boat capsized in an earthquake-generated wave, and the other from a heart attack in Seattle.

    In 1973, I spoke to a neighbourhood couple who were eye witnesses…

    “My boyfriend (and future husband) were 19 years old at the time and working on a farm near Cumberland. We had just wrapped up some morning chores when the ground started moving back and forth and then up and down. My first instinct was to drop to the ground. It was difficult to stand. The ground (and we could see a mile or so in every direction…) was undulating like a Northwest wind pushing waves on a lake. In a minute, maybe two, the worse was over…”

    No one, ever, forgets the sensations, sounds and smells following or during a calamity. Earthquakes have that unique ability to wipe away everything we believe in and rely on in the World around us.

    My personal experiences with ground shaking have been largely limited to Richter scale 6 temblors on Vancouver Island and in the Hawaiian Islands (during volcanic activity…) – and without exception, these were amongst the most frightening physical experiences of my life.

    In Gregor Craigie’s debut book, “On Borrowed Time”, he takes us on an unrelenting journey through the physics and geology, topology and psychology of the earthquake. From San Francisco (1906 and 1989), Christchurch (2011), Alaska (1964), Indonesia (2004) and Japan (2011) and more.

    Christchurch, New Zealand, a city that eerily matches Victoria, B.C. in layout, architecture and seismic vulnerability, takes centre stage…

    The quake struck in the noon hour, when many office workers in Christchurch’s central business district were out looking for lunch. As earthquakes go, the February 2011 temblor was a relatively moderate magnitude-6.3 event, but that number hid the true terror. Accelerometers near the epicentre measured the peak ground acceleration at more than 2g, or twice the force of gravity. That’s roughly four times the peak ground force acceleration recorded in the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti and roughly twenty times stronger than the force a passenger in a typical commercial airliner might feel during takeoff.

    Gregor’s tireless research, natural curiosity, and experiences with calamity help shape this masterclass in the consequences of deferring the necessary improvements to infrastructure – action that will, without any doubt, save lives and bring peace of mind to residents of seismically active regions.

    A decade in the works, Gregor interviewed scientists, engineers, researchers, disaster victims, civic leaders and city planners on the peril that faces over 100 million citizens in North America alone.

    On Borrowed Time is not a breezy read. It is an exhausting and sobering treatise on the very nature of the Earth beneath our feet and the peril of neglecting the individual and collective community preparedness that must take place – if not now, then soon. In example after example (The Christchurch, New Zealand versus Victoria B.C. Canada comparisons for instance…) Gregor reminds us West Coast residents, “You see that place over there? Well, that could be just as easily here…”

    The overarching point of Gregor’s work is: “Don’t lose hope or live in fear. Be prepared and take steps for you, your family and community. Earthquakes are inevitable. Staggering loss of life is not.”

    On Borrowed Time is a runaway train that has to be ridden to the end of the line. My impression after two thoughtful reads is that this is a book that you are not going to want to read – it is a book that you must read – It’s a book that belongs in every school, in every workplace… on shelves that are well secured to the wall. On Borrowed Time is available at all book stores and online.

    Colin Newell is a life long resident of Victoria, on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia.

  • The Soul Commotion – photos and music from the 1990’s



    Soul Commotion from the archives!

    Download here – Track-1-Small.mp3

    Way back in the 1990’s I did a photo shoot for a Gospel R&B band that rehearsed at Glad Tidings Church. The objective was to get some tight band shots for use in promotional materials. I shot a few rolls. The band leader was not excited about the results. So I put them in my film archive with the other 12,000 film images I have taken over the years.

    Now 27 years later I am opening the archive. I also have a copy of the bands 4 song EP that I am digitizing for them – and I will scan all the other photos. Above is a sample track for downloading or listening.

    Enjoy!

  • Chicken Ramen BBQ for the Thrifty

    This Chicken Ramen makes a delicious and flavorful ramen in about half an hour in your Instant Pot digital electric pressure cooker! I used the left over bits from a $9 BBQ Chicken from local grocery Thrifty Foods.

    INGREDIENTS

    1 tablespoon sesame oil
    1 onion, sliced
    1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger root
    4 garlic cloves, pressed or finely minced
    1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
    2 tablespoons oyster sauce
    1 tablespoon fish sauce
    ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
    ¼ cup rice vinegar
    1/4 cup Fresh Miso
    4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
    1 whole baby bok choy, both white and green parts diced
    1 cup of leftover chicken bits.
    4 cups low sodium chicken home made chicken stock
    2 servings fresh Ramen noodles. We get our Ramen noodles in the produce section of the local Fairways chain.
    Optional 1 soft boiled egg.

    Bring a pot of water to a boil. When boiling, add the noodles and simmer for 3 minutes. Strain and rinse with cold water. Toss with just a little oil if necessary to keep them from sticking (mine already had a little oil on them, so I didn’t need to).

    Set aside.

    To prepare soup broth:

    Add all ingredients except for noodles and bok choy to instant pot. Set to manual, high pressure for 8 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure. After cooking, use the quick release to release pressure. Open pot and stir in bok choy. Allow bok choy to cook in the hot soup for 2-3 minutes.
    Stir in Miso.

    To serve the ramen
    In a bowl, place a serving of noodles, then pour the soup over them. Top soup with ramen egg (if desired), sliced green onions, cilantro and sesame seeds if desired.

  • Living with the Instant Pot – Pot in pot steel cut oats

    We have had our Instant Pot less than 1 week and we are firmly in love with it. Ours is the 1000W 6 quart. We have a 7.5” Steel bowl that we put to use for a “pot in pot” process classic.

    What is pot in pot? Well, you add the requisite cup and a half of water to the bottom of the Quick pot stainless steel insert. Drop in the trivet. And then drop in a suitable bowl that fits well. The 7.5” standard stainless steel bowl is perfect. Doing porridge or oats this well takes a few minutes longer BUT it is as tasty (if not more so) and the clean up is a breeze!

    Measure out 1 cup steel cut oats.
    Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt into the oats
    Add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the oats
    Add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.

    Combine.

    Add 2 1/2 cups of cold water into the mix – stir well.

    Peel and chop one apple into small cubes.
    Add to mixture.

    Add this to your 7.5” stainless steel bowl and put on top of the trivet into the Quick Pot – that already has a minimum of 1 cup of water (I add 1.5 cups water for good measure).

    There is a porridge setting for the Quick Pot. So, when you are ready – locked and loaded as it were: Press the porridge preset and you are off to the races. Steam time is 7 – 10 minutes and 10 minutes of natural pressure release.

    We add pecans, dried apricot bites and dried cranberries to the oats (and some milk, cream or almond milk) but the options are as limitless as your imagination.

    Colin Newell is a Victoria resident and coffee expert always on the look out for something simple and delicious.

  • Stamping out breast cancer with Erica and Sue.

    Join Erica & Sue

    – Stampin’ Up! Demonstrators, for an afternoon of stamping in support of breast cancer research.

    Make six all occasion greeting cards while learning a few cardmaking techniques.

    When – February 25, 1 PM-5 PM
    Where – Cedar Hill Recreation Center
    How Early registration: $50 / after Jan 31 until Feb 11: $55
    Seating is limited so register early

    Proceeds to be donated to the Run for the Cure – including 25% of sales (minus material costs)

     supplies by Stampin’ Up!
     bring an adhesive (tape runner or liquid glue)
     materials pre-cut and packaged

    You DO NOT have to be crafty to take part. Just come and enjoy the company of friends and have fun.

     pick up Stampin’ Up catalogues
     view sample projects
     hourly prize draws
     thank you gift

    Contact Event Coordinators Erica or Sue to register. Erica: 250-686-3402; ericaedney@shaw.ca Sue: 250-661-5680; suephilipcda@gmail.com

    Stamping-out-2017.pdf

  • Michael Kaeshammer and his band in concert – Victoria B.C.

    When Michael Kaeshammer sits down at a grand piano worthy of his dynamic range, the genuflection towards the likes of Albert Ammons, Meade Lux Lewis, Big Joe Turner and Pete Johnson (the Grand masters and caretakers of the Boogie Woogie music genre of the 30’s and 40’s…) is immediate, respectful and unmistakeable.

    Born in Germany, but relocated to Canada as a young adult, Michael Kaeshammer has toured and recorded tirelessly and brings an energetic show to virtually every stage. His visit to the McPherson Playhouse on a crisp night on November 27th, 2015 was no exception. With 6 Juno nominations to his credit and numerous music awards, Michael is a veteran of several classic musical idioms including but not restricted to boogie-woogie, Fats Waller inspiring stride piano, Chicago blues, straight ahead Jazz and The Great American Song book.

    This was my third time at a Michael Kaeshammer concert and if one thing is assured, it is a sudden release of musical energy that is off the charts. Michael Kaeshammer does not simply play the piano as much as he pushes it to the outer reaches of the instruments spectrum. A Michael Kaeshammer show is a tribute to 20th Century piano history and within the realm of Michael’s humility, he makes the 88 key piano the actual star of the show with his seemingly limitless mastery of the instrument taking the piano places it has never been.

    Michael Kaeshammer also leaves his ego in the dressing room as band members, Nick La Riviere on trombone, Paul Pigat on Fender Telecaster guitar, Devon Henderson on acoustic and electric bass, a nuclear powered Roger Travassos on drums, a hirsute and Miles Davis inspired William Sperandei on trumpet, and an endlessly soulful Eli Bennett on tenor saxophone take turns raising us into the stratosphere.

    In an almost 3 hour show, Michael Kaeshammer and his band seamlessly cross the boundaries of a more formal tribute to a classic American musical genre into the realm of a piano masterclass. What’s quite apparent early in the 1st set is that Michael is so giddy to be back home among friends that the audience is treated to a first class jam session where there is no play list or expectations – it’s just all fun from the word go. And the McPherson audience is the sole beneficiary at this house party. By the second set the band has settled into a groove somewhat reminiscent of a New Orleans Mardi Gras street party. At one point the horn section leaves the stage with Michael on tambourine to go “walk-about” ending up in the Upper Balcony entertaining a surprised and appreciative audience, the rhythm section below never missing a beat.

    In another section of the 2nd set, Michael Kaeshammer and guitarist Paul Pigat are “cutting heads” duking it out between piano and Fender guitar. To his credit, Pigat takes the classic country-rock Telecaster guitar to places normally unexplored for this 6-string, squeezing out riffs generally more suited to a Gibson or Gretsch – and doing it with experience and aplomb.

    Overall, this was the most spirited outing from Michael Kaeshammer that I have seen proving again that he is an exceptional performer, a true master of the piano and a great bandleader that brings out the very best in his musical team members. Bravo Michael Kaeshammer! Good show.

    You can find out more about Michael Kaeshammer at his website Kaeshammer.Com

  • Good Eats – Masala Lamb meatballs.

    We shared a 1/2 lamb with my sister and brother-in-law – and with that package came from great ground lamb. This was the perfect recipe for lamb. This is a fascinating mixture of spice with an intriguing Mediterranean flavour and a nice bite. This recipe was inspired from the latest issue of EAT Magazine in Victoria B.C. Canada – but we mixed it up just a little bit. You can serve it with polenta, rice or pasta. We chose pasta. Overall, it takes about an hour to prepare so make sure you have a glass of red wine in your hand while you work!

    SAUCE –
    3 Garlic Cloves chopped
    1 Onion chopped
    1 Tablespoon fresh grated ginger
    1/4 cup vegetable oil
    1 Tablespoon Cumin seeds
    28 ounce canned plum tomatoes
    1 tablespoon garam masala
    1 teaspoon tumeric
    1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    1 teaspoon sea salt

    MEATBALLS –

    2 green onions shopped
    2 eggs
    1 slice brown bread
    1/4 table cream
    2 pounds ground lamb
    1 teaspoon fennel seeds
    1 teaspoon ground cumin
    1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    1/2 teaspoon sea salt

    TOPPING –
    Feta cheese.

    PART ONE:

    In a food processor, puree 3 garlic cloves with one chopped medium onion and
    1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger.

    Heat 1/4 cup oil in Dutch oven on medium heat.
    Add 1 tablespoon cumin seeds and heat until they start to sizzle. Then add onion/garlic mixture.

    Stir often until mixture softens and is translucent. Reduce heat to medium-low to prevent browning.
    Cook 8 – 10 minutes.

    PART TWO:

    Puree canned plum tomatoes with 1 tablespoon garam masala and 1 teaspoon ea. Turmeric, Cayenne and Salt. Pour into pan with Onion and Garlic mixture. Stir in one cup water. Simmer 20 minutes to blend flavour.

    PART THREE:

    For the meatballs, in a food processor puree two chopped green onions with two eggs, one slice of brown bread torn into pieces and 1/4 cup table cream.
    Turn this mix into a large bowl – add 2 pounds of ground lamb. 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, ground cumin and cinnamon. Add a pinch of salt. Gently mix until blended. Then shape into balls. Aim for a chubby golf ball size.

    Makes about 20 meatballs.

    PART FOUR:

    Bake meatballs on baking (cookie sheet) brushed with oil. Broil until brown (6 – 8 minutes)
    Then reduce heat to 375.

    PART FIVE:

    Add meatballs to sauce in Dutch oven. Cover and bake until sauce is bubbly and meat balls are cooked through. 10 – 15 minutes.

    Finish with fresh mint and crumbled feta cheese.

    We served over Penne pasta. Serves 4 – 6.

  • We interview jazz diva Maureen Washington – home at Christmas



    Talking music with Maureen

    It was a windy and wet Thursday night at Habit Coffee & Culture on Yates Street at the Atrium in downtown Victoria when we spoke with the lovely Maureen Washington – Jazz singer, mom of five, vocal coach, and mentor.

    Born and raised in Prince George, British Columbia, Ms. Washington draws upon roots in frontier Canada with connections to Mississippi. The granddaughter of a musician, a singing cowboy no less, her musical fabric draws upon influences as diverse as Etta James, Holly Cole, and (to my ears) a very young Momma Thorton.

    There is a certain purity, drive and laser focus in the work of Ms. Washington that defies explanation. It’s visceral, heartfelt, uncompromisingly grounded and targeted directly at the heart.

    Some of the greatest music of all time is born of pain and is germinated and cultivated in disparity and conflict. Examples include some of the best works by the likes of The Police, Fleetwood Mac, the Beatles and others. Ms. Washington has certainly had her share of challenges but she processes life differently than most of us. She takes life’s most unpredictable curve balls and turns them into positivity. She then distills that positive energy into a musical phrase and the amalgam of this life experience is a beautiful sound, boiled down to its rhythmic essence. For the ears and the heart, it’s a wonderful thing.

    Our conversation moved towards Christmas and why, according to Ms. Washington, “it’s the best time of the year and the toughest time of the year.” Her voice takes on a very special strength when tackling some traditional and seasonal material, as it does in her latest Christmas album (available over on CD-Baby). What could have been a painful journey is, in fact, a love story to her husband, her family and the world around her. In her latest CD, “Christmas Is…” Maureen Washington offers up a compendium of seasonal favorites. When taken as a whole, it illustrates a woman’s journey through adversity, guiding us into the now and is a pure celebration of the moment.

    I love the overall sound of this CD. It has timeless classics delivered by a skillful vocalist. Ms. Washington comes across as everyone’s next door neighbor during a time of need with a hug and a hot cup of coffee on a snowy Christmas eve.

    Ms. Washington is an artist to watch and performs locally and throughout British Columbia. You can visit her webpage over here. Catch her while you can!

    Podcast – If you cannot see the audio player above, click here for the mp3 download.