Benny craving!

My delicious Easter breakfast!

It's around $15 dollars for a Salmon Benny. That's what it costs around here. And it's pricey. Usually serve with lox it's not as tasty as smoke salmon. And that's where the flavour is ...in the smoke salmon.

I know my salmon. Raised in northern Quebec I was spoiled by my fisherman brother, Len. He made his own smoke salmon. And it's the best so far that I've tasted.

The craving started a little awhile ago. My first attempt was last Christmas where I failed. I overcooked the Hollandeise sauce wasting half a cup  of butter and three egg yolks.  It wasn't a huge waste but I had to start from scratch. I tried again and I got it right. Here's my secret. I made the sauce in a blender. Sacrilege? A chef would condemn me!

My Hollandaise Sauce (à la blender)

3 egg yolks
2 t fresh lemon juice
1/2 t salt
1/2 C butter
I use a Kitchen Aid Blender

Heat the butter until just bubbling. Blend the eggs yolks. Carefully pour in slowly the butter (making sure in a steady stream). In 30 secs you will have a wonderful  hollandaise sauce.

I discovered a tasty smoke salmon that's from Port Hardy on Vancouver Island. It's not like my brother's salmon but it has a great smoke flavour and excellent flakiness. Use whatever is available in your area. I serve with day old  nice roasted potatoes. The flavour has time to come together and it's already to heat up and serve. Cuts down on preparation time. It's by far my favorite breakfast and I add a cup or two of strong coffee to make it perfect!

Where no knitting has gone before!

I’m so busy with  Galstudio  I try to reserve a relaxing hour each  night.  Quiet and away from the production table I enjoy going to another dimension. I space out with my knitting watching my guilty pleasure … Star Trek!

Engage!

Thankfully, I’m a quiet fan of the series in this order: Jean Luc Picard (he’s so suave), Star Trek (Capt. Kirk), The Enterprise, Deep Space Nine and lastly Voyager. My partner says that I’m a Trekkie. I don’t go to conventions but I own most of the television series. And, I love all the movies, too. I’m a stay at home fan.

The most recent offering, Star Trek the movie was surprisingly really good. I enjoyed it and already watched it a few times. So glad that a second one is in the works.

My latest needle project is a pair of socks for my friend Joey. I bought this beautiful wool made in Italy. Joey put in this request because he’s going to Winnipeg very soon and the weather is still pretty cool out there. This wool brand is called Regia. A sock wool that I’m using for the first time. It’s a a bit thick for Vancouver weather. A scarf would suit it better. Hey, that’s another project!

In my world, knitting and Star Trek go hand in hand. In the words of Jean Luc Picard …Engage!

My guilt free Mac.

I can’t remember when I first ate Macaroni & Cheese. Most kid’s growing up in the seventies ate it. My first fond memory was going to Steinberg supermarket with my Dad to buy Kraft Deluxe Macaroni & Cheese. He bought it for me and I loved it.

The box design has changed but I bet you it still taste's  the same!

Kraft introduced this tasty meal to Canadian and American families in 1937. For me, I loved the Deluxe version. The cheese sauce came in a can. All one did was to open the can mix it with the cooked macaroni and add  pepper. I did one better. To be fancy, I used Kraft pre-sliced Mozzarella cheese on top, then put it under broil. It was great. I can still taste it.

I went through a phase feeling ‘guilty’ eating it. It’s far from healthy. Now, I’ve found a recipe I’ve modify over the years to make it more complete.

So, here it is my guilt less (at least for me) Mac & Cheese recipe…

Ingredients:

500 ml  of Carrots cooked and pureed

625 ml  of Chicken Broth

450 grams of uncooked pasta (I like the spiral, it  holds the cheese sauce better!)

1 large finely chopped Onion .

2  cloves of Garlic

60 ml of Butter

60 ml of white Flour

375 ml of sharp cheddar or Gruyere

Pepper

Topping:

1 can of Tuna drained

250 ml of grated Parmesan cheese

2 slices of homemade bread for the breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350 F. The carrots are pureed with 1/4 of the chicken broth. Put aside. Cook pasta until al dente. Cook on slow heat, onion, garlic & butter about 10 minutes. Don’t let it caramelize. Add flour, cook for another minute adding the rest of the chicken broth slowly as if you are making a béchamel. Stir constantly. This must simmer for 5 minutes. Add the pureed carrot’s to this as well as the cheese. Add plenty of pepper. Mix in the pasta and lay into a large 9X13” glass baking dish (Pyrex).

Prepare your topping by mixing together the tuna, parmesan and the breadcrumbs. Spread this over the macaroni. Put into the oven for 20 minutes. Then broil for the last few minutes until golden brown. 

Serve and Bon Appetit!

Thinkin' of a new old Singer...

My first sewing machine is a Singer Fashion Mate 257. So there's good chance that  my next machine will be  an older model  Singer. I'm just use to it. A certain trusted companion that I've grown up with love and admiration for. You know how a certain comfort zone is safe and secure. I love the old mechanical metal machine. Well made, durable beyond compare & long lasting craftsmanship bringing valuable service back like a boomerang.

There's an old video, I've included  from the fifties publicizing the lifestyle of Singer. I love the era. And the idea of how easy the life of a homemaker could be if you had a Singer. It's comical today, but it makes me appreciate why women have fought so hard to work outside the home. To become an equal partner in raising a family. I look at it from the point of publicity and how it left a message for a better 'lifestyle'. It was directed towards the women to be at home, to save money by sewing her own garments and home decor. To make her home  a cozy place for her family.

This is the model in the video!

I'm looking at a few all beautiful metal machines. They're all pretty basic mechanical machines producing straight and zigzag stitch. My Fashion Mate has worked extremely hard and it's due time to have a second machine. I'd like to give her a rest, but not for long because she's meant to work. She deserves a gold medal for her amazing effort. A backup would be useful, just in case if she needs a break. Funny, It seems that these machines are older than my current Singer. The machines are  from the 60s & 70s. My favorite time.

The beautiful and regal, 237!

There's one site that I'm loving. You can feel the LOVE for vintage sewing machines. I really like to put my hands on the 237. A good choice for me. I look at it and drool for the style and design of the machine. This beauty would suit my needs well. The Rocketeer is another kindred mechanical soul to my heart. Full of style and almost Jetson like. Typical of that era, ridiculously Fabulous!

The outer space connection...

The Rocketeer!

Of course, I've looked at other brands but I don't know them as well as the Singer. One things for sure, my next sewing machine  will be all metal. I'm off to sew something, bye for now!

The ‘G’ Evolution.

The premise for the ‘G’ in Galstudio came to me with the help from Richard and two bottle’s  of wine. A  winning  combination for brainstorming.

I opened Galstudio on Etsy back in November  2008 to sell my hand knit items. Now, the evolution of my little business has moved forward selling cycling caps and recycled bike inner tube products.  I’ll give Richard the deserved praise for inventing the Galstudio name. It was his idea.  Gal is the first three letters of my last name. And add the word studio and voila!

The first time I saw a simple but effective hole punch with the swirling ‘G’ it was my eureka moment. This was the launch of my Galstudio name design. On the other side, it took me long to cut the cards and most of the time the punch didn’t work properly and my cards were trash. The other way to have a cut out design is to spend too much on outsourcing it. Not cost effective.

Mooing along…

Then I came across Moo. It’s not selling diary products but business cards. What is fantastic about Moo is that there is endless ways to design your own cards. I like to work with color and Moo provides me with a vast choice.  I’m now waiting for our business cards and the anticipation is high. I can’t wait for them to arrive.

Like all design,  change is constant. And my product labels have changed too, over time. I’ve experimented with fabric and I realized it was bulky and I didn’t like the result. Working  with the inner tubes, I’ve found a way to combine to make my own labels. People have emailed me how to do this.

But, I have to keep a few secrets …right?! 

20 steps to my cycling caps!

Getting ready to sew the darts.

I mentioned to Richard the other day about our cycling caps and wanted to know how many steps it takes.  Every hat maker has their own method and not to mention standards. I thought it would be fun to compile a list. Here goes…

1.              Designing the cap.

2.              Finding a name & description

3.              Buying the fabric & trim

4.              Washing all fabric & trim

5.              Cutting the fabric & interfacing

6.              Assembly of darts.

7.              Ironing

8.              Tucking in all the loose threads

9.              Assembly of all panels

10.          Finishing  the inside cap

11.          Sewing the stripe on the cap

12.          Assembly of the brim

13.          More Ironing

14.          Sewing the inner band

15.          Sewing the Galstudio logo

16.          Trying the cap for size

17.          Sewing the elastic

18.          Finishing the inner band

19.          Threading

20.          Putting on the hang tag.

 After all those years as a production manager, I still think in terms of breaking down a project into shorter tasks. It comes in handy as I now have Richard in production!

Oh, and let's not forget. The secret ingredient that is part of all the steps in making a good cycling cap...
LOVE!

Finishing the Orangeman!

The Great change in fashion history.

I have many interests. Back in the day, quite a few years ago, I studied fashion design in College back in Quebec. My love for fashion has always been based historically. Years later I graduated from the Emily Carr Art School touching upon art history. Their both share a rich, visual & social history. None couldn't be without each other.

Living close to a brand new library, just a walk away, means so much to me. The library is so exciting for me. I remember when Quebec City opened it's new centralized main library around 1984. The library means to me an endless amount of knowledge and inspiration for free. Everything is there. I love the internet but I do enjoy holding and reading a book. It's all visual & tactile.

I've come across this wonderful book, The Empire's New Clothes by Christine Ruane. When I took fashion history class it was unexplained how Russia was influenced by European fashion. There was no choice for the people. On January 4th, 1700 Peter the Great imposed a reform stating that all Russian dress will not be worn. He said, "All residents of the city of Moscow must wear German dress, French & Saxon coats and ride in German saddles..."

Peter the Great in European dress.

From: The Empire's New Clothes.

Today, It hasn't changed much, there's still a few fashion 'dictators' who choose what we will wear. But at least we can all make a choice!