Monthly Archives: March 2010

Steeping into the world of tea: A coffee lover’s transition

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In my quest to reduce the toll stress is taking on my body, I’ve given up a few indulgences, such as drinking alcohol, recreational smoking (cigars, cloves and sheesha), and started eating a healthy South Beach type of diet. But in my research of anxiety and relieving its symptoms, the next step became obvious: I was going to have to give up caffeine, at least for the foreseeable future. (Check out this article on the dangers of caffeine for anxiety sufferers)

And you regular readers will know that I love my coffee. I love the smell, the taste, and of course, the ritual.

So after successfully giving up the caffeinated brew altogether (I still have the occasional decaf latte), I set my sights on getting a proper tea setup going.

It so happened my significant other was regularly making herself lemon balm tea before bed, using loose leaf tea and paper bags, when I decided that we should upgrade our tea situation. After using steel ball steeping chambers, I knew our first step would be to get a serious steeping pot.

After a search of many, many teapots, I settled into getting a Bodum Shin Cha four cup tea press with a stainless steel filter. At first I was hoping to find something a little more unusual than a typical Bodum teapot, but after looking for so long, there was something special about his pot that appealed to me. I love the glass, and the press has proven to be great at perfectly extracting the tea. As for cups, I’ve found our previous set of Laurentian mugs have been functioning beautifully, and are just to right size.

When it comes to loose-leaf teas, I find I’m drawn more towards the herbal and bitter end of the spectrum, partially to avoid the caffeinated teas, but also I find the sweeter teas a little too strong and unnatural. Lemon balm was been wonderful as a pre-bedtime relaxing tea, only surpassed by Chamomile. I’ve also tried Skullcap and Kava Kava, but due to my concern about their interactions with SSRIs, I’ve been holding onto those teas for a later time, when I’m no longer taking those kinds of prescriptions. As for where to get these teas, I’ve found the best place to find fresh loose leaf tea is at Tutti Frutti in Kensington Market, which has a very extensive selection of bulk loose leaf and individually bagged teas.

If anyone has any suggestions of where they like to find excellent loose leaf tea in Toronto, please drop me a line!

Finally, I knew that our tea set was complete when I finally found the perfect tea cozy at the Good Egg, also in Kensington Market. It’s made by Toronto design company Bookhou, and it perfectly fits over my rather large pot. It’s very dense and thick, and keeps the tea nice and hot for a very long time. And because it looks so great, leaving the cozy on the pot makes a nice little stylish detail to the apartment.

Sleep experiment: Listening to the Delta Sleep System

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"road and the river" by wvs

Lately, in my quest to sleep better, I’ve started listening to the album “Delta Sleep System” by Dr. Jeffrey Thompson, which is two half-hour tracks that you listen to while you’re asleep, and as they loop over and over again, sometimes demonstrating amazing results.

Around 20 years ago, Dr. Thompson developed this audio as a technique to increase the levels of delta wave activity in your brain (the deepest form of sleep). Apparently embedded in the music are tones and pulses and frequencies which, which stimulate this kind of sleep, so listening requires a decent pair of headphones, or a decent set of speakers on either side of your bed, in order to sleep inside the stereo image.

Apparently a “2.0″ version has been recently released, but it hasn’t drawn the same kind of reviews that the original “album” has earned. As for the music itself, it’s very relaxing: percussion free, it’s a deep, dense drone full of synth tones across the musical spectrum. The changes in tone move slowly and carefully, with the occasional “nature sound” filling in the background.

As for my own experiences, I’ve found the music to be unobtrusive enough, that at the very least it serves as a great form of white noise, blocking out the sounds of my apartment neighbors. I enjoy the dense, relaxing nature of the music, and I find it comfortable wearing my earbuds when sleeping. Interestingly, when I “wake up” while listening to music, I actually won’t notice it’s on until I move my head or move around the bed, almost like it’s gotten inside my head.

So would I recommend the “Delta Sleep System” to others? It depends… if you’re dealing with sleep issues, this treatment won’t hurt you, and there’s lots of people out there who have found relief through it. If you don’t have sleep issues, you won’t really gain anything by listening to this while you sleep at night. But, if you’re an apartment dweller like myself, you’ll appreciate it as a nice distraction from things that go bump in the night.

If anything, the world of Psychoacoustics is fascinating, and it just again reminds me of the power of music on the human brain. You’ll find an interesting online discussion of Delta Wave here if you want to find out more.

Celena’s Bakery and the most amazing croissants ever

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Ever since the “True Brew Cafe” came into my east Danforth life a few years ago I’ve been pretty satisfied. Sure, it closes too early for my liking, but it’s cozy and Sue makes amazing muffins, soups and salad.

But now Sue has a little competition down the block with the newly opened “Celena’s Bakery,” where they too make all their own delicious goods in-house. I’m not necessarily going to compare the two places, because they both have similar vibes, and they will continue to be well served during the day by the local moms and whoever else waltzes in during the day. Of course, Celena’s strength is that they bake their own bread, croissants and other pastries, whereas True Brew is more cozy and homey.

I’ll continue going to True Brew, and that’s not a knock against Celena’s in any way.

Why?

Because Celena’s makes what is probably the best croissant in the entire city of Toronto. Yeah, I’ll go there.

I was skeptical at first when I heard about these croissants from a co-worker, who said they were small, like the size of your hand, heavy like a baseball, and when you bite into it, it’s like biting into butter. You also have to get one first thing in the morning, because they usually sell out of them by 9 am. Apparently the chocolate versions they make on Saturdays and Sundays sell out in 40 minutes, on average.

So as I finally got a hold of one, I have to say that everything I’ve heard about them is true. They look like they are just about as wide as they are long, and they are nice and crispy on the outside, while being tender and moist on the inside. Amazing. If you live in the neighborhood, be sure to try them right away, before they start changing whatever they’re doing to accommodate for volume.

William Petersen and his autograph

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So many people keep searching for “William Petersen” (you know, the star of “CSI” and “To Live and Die in LA”) and end up on my blog, that I figure I might as well keep providing some interesting WP content, because hey, that guy is a pretty amazing and underrated actor. This is a picture of what his signature looks like, and if you click on the image, you can find out how one fan got a hold of it.

Toronto east end used record gem: Ric’s Collectibles

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As I’ve started taking more and more trips over to Grinder at Main and Gerrard (or “Grinder 1″ now that a second store is opening), I’ve finally had a chance to take a look inside “Ric’s Collectibles,” the used record store with the semi-melted vinyl and faded posters out front.

Let me begin by saying it’s not the prettiest record store I’ve been to, but the selection is great, and there’s an extensive “cheap” section with lots of great finds. Beyond vinyl (which the more “recognizable” records will cost you a little more), the shop also stocks comics, posters, old magazine and lots of other weird paraphernalia.

I’ve found the staff to be knowledgeable and friendly, and love talking music: always a bonus when record shopping. As other reviews online have noted, it’s not the busiest record store, so turnover is nowhere near as high as a place like Sonic Boom in the Annex, nor does it have new/local releases like Rotate This, but if you’re looking to browse, you’ll likely be rewarded with some great finds here.

Great pulled pork at Stockyards in Toronto

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After months (years?) of anticipation, I’ve finally made my way up to St. Clair and Bathurst to try out the BBQ place that the west side has been raving about: The Stockyards. A smoke house & larder joint that specializes in pulled pork, brisket, and buttermilk marinated fried chicken. (My mouth is watering again already). Apparently the best dish on the menu is their ribs, which they only serve on specific days, so check their website and twitter for exact details.

Because pulled pork is my comfort food of choice (give it to me in a burrito, sandwich, what have you), I had to go with the classic, and I was not disappointed. Unlike cheaper pulled pork, which sometimes can appear to be shredded mush, this pork actually looked like meat that came out of an animal, that was actually prepared earlier in the day. As for taste, it was perfectly sweet and spicy, and nicely complimented by the toasted “Store-bought bun.”

My biggest revelation though? Their own ice tea brew, made with a healthy dose of ginger. I ordered a 2 liter jug, and even though I ended up bringing part of it home with me, I wish I had brought another with me all the way to Danforth East.

So to put it simply, if you like BBQ, and you were a fan of Phil’s, you’re going to love Stockyards. Be warned though: the place is tiny, with basically no seats, to be prepared to do takeout if you are claustrophobic. Also, if you are planning on getting the fried chicken, call ahead, because it takes 20 minutes to prepare.

Things we’ll miss about Brad J

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  1. Various tanker/storage ship stories.
  2. The guy bringing his own ice to your party.
  3. “I just read on Wikipedia…”
  4. Being shamed by his slick “Mad Men” sense of style.
  5. Goatees.
  6. The only other guy I know who uses a Moka Pot.
  7. Mastery of tree limbs as interior decoration.
  8. Cuban cigars, smoked in a very “unique” style.
  9. “Funny story…”
  10. Reading his “secret” comments on BlogTO.
  11. Mastery of the grilled lamb.
  12. His lovely wife, who is more talented in the kitchen than anyone deserves to be.
  13. Mastery of the garden hose as weapon.
  14. All-around internet anonymity.
  15. Having a great friend around who has always listened when I needed an ear.

First time in Hollywood: Photos and blog update

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I’m currently in the middle of a press junket here in Hollywood/Beverly Hills, and I have to say that Los Angeles is quite a trip. I’ve never quite seen a city like it, and I haven’t come to a verdict on what I think about it yet either. I keep going back and forth between being in awe, and thinking that the city is just seven Mississaugas just jammed altogether.

Positive music update: Let there be dub

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It was about a month ago since I last checked in on the “positive music” front, and I feel like I have an appropriate amount of new intel to share with you.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve really been grappling with some terrifying anxiety and panic attacks, enough so that I’ve missed several days of work, and have had me fearing for my very well-being. (On more than one occasion I’ve said “last goodbyes” to my wife in the morning, because I didn’t know if I was going to make it home that day).

Those feelings are starting to subside a little, as new medication and improved relaxation techniques have been taking hold, and even the little bit of sunshine poking through the clouds have helped these days.

And as the weather turns sunnier, I’ve been finding it easier to get into sunnier music — in this specific case, island music. I’ve always had a warm spot for reggae, even if it gets a little too upbeat… I’ve found that the old “Jamaica to Toronto” compilation hits the spot perfectly, in terms of the reggae being upbeat, experimental and vibrant, without the presence of too much drug or Rastafarian influences. (We can get into the discussion of if Rasta is a Christian cult or not another day).

So the one sub-genre of reggae I haven’t really explored before was the whole “dub” realm. I’ve heard of it’s proponents before, like Lee Perry and Mad Scientist, and when I went looking to fill the sunny whole in my iPod, I went to iTunes to see if there were some dub out there that I could really dig into.

Turns out, there was… despite lots and lots of sampling, I found basically two perfect “dub” records, both formed from the hands of King Tubby, one of the earlier, and more experimental dub masters. The first was “Dangerous Dub,” hailed as “The Original Dub Classic,” and the second, “Augustus Pablo Meets King Tubby at the Control,” a melodica-heavy album of Tubby’s experimentations.

Dub, to give you a quick background, was born out of reggae tracks, remixed to be without the vocals, with added echos and other effects, stretched out to endless lengths so that someone could “toast” or rap over-top of them. They push the limits of the low-end on the stereo, and create a really lush, relaxed atmosphere, easy to get lost in for hours.

I’ve sampled several other dub records, and I just can’t seem to find anything else that grips me like these King Tubby records. His albums are almost totally laid back, very bare, lots of bass rumble, lots of effects without sounding like a careening mess… any experts out there that can point me at anything else like this?

Taking flight with a bite at Sky Blue Sky

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At first it was a curious mention on BlogTO, followed by a cursory note on Pitchfork, and has shortly become Toronto’s newest online buzz restaurant, at least since Mildred’s Valentines experiment.

The place is “Sky Blue Sky,” a Wilco-themed sandwich joint on Bloor, just west of Bathurst. It’s named after one of the band’s albums, and each tasty sandwich is named after a Wilco song. There’s Wilco posters on the walls, and while I didn’t hear any Wilco while I was in there, I did hear a complimentary playlist of the National and Cat Power. The space is very cozy and informal, and judging by the hours, is a great place to grab lunch or an early dinner if you’re in the neighborhood. In addition to tables, there’s a handful of private booths and even a couple leather chairs with a view out on to bustling Bloor street.

So here’s the question: is it any good? It is. And while the Wilco thing might be a strange gimmick, it works, and I believe the food is just good enough to hook the curious (like myself) and bring them back over and over again. Even the plates “feel” Wilco, much like the rest of the restaurant’s vibe. I’m not the biggest Wilco fan out there, but I’m going to say that if you love the band, you owe to yourself to at least make at least one or two visits.

Here’s the restaurant’s website, where you can even pre-order online!