Jeff Martin Joinery.

Meet Jeff.  He's a fine person all around, and happens to be exceptionally talented at working with wood.

He's the Jeff behind Jeff Martin Joinery, a company founded in 2010 and currently located in East Van's 1000 Parker Street studios.  It's a grumpy looking building from the outside, but I love it so.  It provides literal structure for the creative, and therefore has my undying affection.

Before launching JMJ, Jeff spent 6 months in Brooklyn apprenticing with renowned designer Palo Samko.  There, amongst the Bushwick hip, he worked on his craft and developed his clean, West-Coast style.  There's nothing fussy about Jeff's work - it's beautiful, and it's to the point.

I decided to visit him yesterday while he worked, because one must take advantage of having cool friends' with nearby studio spaces, mustn't they?  He was working on a table (see above - I'll fight you for it), a slew of pizza boards, and about a dozen other tasks from his list of commissions.

I suggest you snatch up one of his pieces before he becomes THE Jeff Martin and we'll only be able to view his work at the MOMA.  Currently he's still accessible Jeff, covered in dust and working hard at what he does.  And he does it so, so well.  Thanks for letting me hang, JM!

Breyers Better Move on Over,

'Cause Earnest Ice Cream has arrived.

Based in East Van, Ben and Erica got started just last month.  Considering they've been running on about 15 minutes of sleep per night, they look surprisingly fresh!  They sell their goods at Harvest Community Foods, Woodland Smoke House, and cycle their freezer trike to gatherings like the Trout Lake Farmers Market where I met them on Saturday.  Just look at them in their stripes and plaid - who wouldn't want to buy ice cream from these people?

They offer ice cream sandwiches (we went with the classically delicious Vanilla) and sell various flavours by the pint in sweet, reusable jars.  In other words, I'll feel far better about myself while eating an entire container than I would with say, Ben and Jerry's.  Earnest is local!  Earnest is recyclable!  It feels good to know my sweet tooth is bettering the world.  Somebody get it a trophy, already.  

Ben and Erica use seasonal ingredients whenever they can, so right now look for flavours like Rhubarb Oat Crumble.  Also, I'm quite enamoured with their logo and design, a whimsical, swirling scoop of ice cream that says "I am modern folk art at its tastiest."  Try them out, I tell you!

And we shall call it "The Most Ideal Weekend Ever."

Last weekend was the first I'd had off in awhile.  A long while.  My friends Dana, Heather and I decided to celebrate my freedom with an adventure, and through the unbelievable generousity of my friends Larry and Karen, we ended up on Galiano Island in their ocean-front cabin.  We pinched and pinched and pinched ourselves, and somehow it was all still real.

We hiked, biked, kayaked, and ate under sunny skies filled with bald eagles.  At one point, while preparing breakfast and dancing around the kitchen, I felt so euphoric I had to stop, breathe, and take a moment to realize how utterly happy I was; only then could I carry on with my biscuit-making.  It's a great thing to feel so consciously alive.

And how could I not?  These are the two beauties with whom I spent the weekend.

In an over-enthusiastic shopping trip before we left, Dana and I purchased endless amounts of food (the phrase "let's just get it, we're on vacay!" was tossed around multiple times in each aisle).  It all went to feed our fresh-air-induced appetites, and one of my favourite snacks was simple: cheese biscuits with sliced avocado, salt, and a background of blue ocean.  Eaten with my legs slung over the side of a chair.  So good.

One of the best hikes we did was to Dionisio Point at the island's most northern tip.  

Along the way, Dana made friends with a joke-telling crab,

and Heather found a leaf that transformed her into a forest nymph.  She's since grown wings and made her home in a shady grove there.

I too made a friend.  This dog belongs to the lady who rented us our kayaks, and as you can see, we're having a grand time.  He was such a ham.

From Montague Harbour, we kayaked out to a rock on which dozens of seals like to sunbathe.  We came in slowly, rested our paddles, and stared.  They stared back.  We had a stare-down with some seals and they absolutely won.  Also, if you're thinking "why do these two photos look like they were taken in the 1980's?" it's because we took them on a disposable, just like in the olden times.

It truly was The Most Ideal Weekend Ever.  Thank you Larry and Karen, thank you Heather and Dana,  and thank you Galiano for showing us such a good time.  

The News.

The good news:  I had a delicious muffin from Whole Foods today.  Its muffin-top was especially large.
The bad news:  It had a date pit in it that I nearly chipped my tooth on.  Nearly.  Now there's no chance to sue, make millions, and be able to afford more than just their baked goods.

The good news:  I'm going to Galiano Island tomorrow for a 3 day hike/bike/eat/drink getaway with my pals Dana and Heather.
The bad news:  None.  There is simply no downside to this.

The good news:  I heard from Tourism Richmond....
The bad news:  .....that they're not announcing the winner until June 5th.

The good news:  This gives me plenty of time to take up new hobbies.
The bad news:  These hobbies will likely include squirming in my chair and stress-eating.  Muffin-tops.

The good news:  We all get to look forward to Moonrise Kingdom, Wes Anderson's new movie.
The bad news:  It doesn't come out until June 1st.

The good news:  That's a heck of a lot sooner than June 5th!

Treats.

I'm going to a friend's "This Ain't No Pink Neck" redneck BBQ tonight.  On the way home from work, I decided to stop at 7Eleven and pick up some artificially cream-filled snacks to assemble on a platter and bring for dessert, classy-like.  While waiting in line to pay, the plastic packages slipped from my hands, sending mini donuts and Dolly Madison Strawberry Coconut Zingers crashing to the floor.  Horrified someone would think I wasn't buying them ironically, I struggled to collect them from around the other customers' ankles and said "Oh!  Just getting these for a redneck BBQ!" far louder than necessary.  As if saying it was necessary at all.

They stared at me, indifferently.

Sunshine.

On a sunny day outside, I shake my head in wonder at my own good life.  It's impossible not to feel happy with your feet back in sandals, a fine view of the mountains and ocean, sweet-smelling flowers on every corner, and an entire city out enjoying itself with you.  Vitamin D, it's so nice to have you back.

In the last few glorious days I've been out for gelato,

on walks with my lovely roommate,

out to the Richmond Night Market,

(mainly for the food)

making a Black Forest Cake (with the kitchen windows and door flung open),

and picnicking on the beach with Marnie.

To think, it's only May.  We have months of these illuminated days ahead of us.  

Look What I Found!

I know what you're thinking, because it's the same thing I thought when I first saw this at Les Amis du Fromage. 

"That's gross."

But of course I had to get it, because bizarre foods are like a food-lover's version of bungee-jumping.  The weirder / higher the better.

You know what?  I liked it.  We all did actually, and there were four of us tucking into this cheese + chocolate combo.  There's a thin layer of crunchy parm in the middle, and while at first you only get it in texture, there's a little bit of cheese at the end.  It mainly just tastes salty, which is great because salty chocolate is awesome.  


I don't think I'll ever stop and say "maaaan, I could really go for some parmesan chocolate right now," but I'd definitely get this again; it's an edible conversation starter that's genuinely good.  Way to go, Les Amis!

Again, With the Peanut Butter. I Just Can't Help It.

Last weekend was busy; I wrote about labneh for work, prepped for my final #Richmond365 interview, stared at the Super Moon, and visited with my dear friend Caylee who was visiting from Montreal.  The two of us met in Kindergarten and have bonded over our love of eating and arguing ever since.

Caylee and I (NERD ALERT) were high-school debating partners, and because of this I will unreasonably and gladly accept credit for the remarkable career she's since pursued; she studied at the United World College in Hong Kong, completed her undergraduate degree in The Netherlands, earned a Masters of Law in London, and is one semester away from her law degree at McGill.  There's also been academic and work stints in Finland, Kenya, Pakistan, New York, and Paris.  So what do to when such a worldly friend visits?  Steep some tea and make peanut butter balls, of course.  

Before you go to thinking we're any less nerdy now than we were in highschool (yes Caylee, "we"), just wait til you hear WHY we made these particular treats:  for a pun party.  My friends Dave and Zoe held a May the 4th Be With You shindig this past Friday, and since I wanted to take an edible pun (edible puns = the definition of cool), we made "Baka-Chews."  In honour of Chubaka.  From Star Wars.  Because the best comedians need to explain their jokes.

While Star Wars dictated the name, our recipe choice was fuelled fully by nostalgia; Caylee and I went through a childhood phase in which making peanut butter balls was our sole hobby.  We endlessly stirred p.b., icing sugar, coconut, and rice krispies together, formed this mixture into balls, and ate them like it was our job.  Such blood-sugar-spiked good times we had!  Since we're (sadly) grownups now, this Baka-Chews version is a little healthier:

- 3/4 cup natural peanut butter
- 1/4 cup agave nectar or honey
- 1 cup oats (chopped or food-processed to make finer)
- 1 cup toasted, unsweetened coconut
- 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
- chopped dark chocolate
- chopped toasted almonds

We mixed these together, then adjusted wet/dry until we reached a desirable taste and rolling consistency.   They were crunchy, chewy, nutty, and satisfying - not bad for something based on a furry fictional character from a movie.  

Before she returned to Montreal, Caylee left me with a book.  Secret Ingredients is a compilation of food stories from The New Yorker, and a mere 10 pages in I knew it to be one of the great literary loves of my life.  I can't wait to read it fully, and many more times in the years to come.

Thanks Caylee - you're a brilliant lawyer and an even better friend.

Final 3 in #Richmond365 + A Recipe to Keep Forever.

As with the response to the #lindseatsrichmond photo campaign, I'm feeling rather dumbfounded.  I knew my friends would rally, but never did the possibility of 3366 votes occur to me.  I will never be able to say thank you enough but really hope you feel appreciated.  Even if it sounds dangerous, gratitude is literally radiating from my body; it's remarkable to feel this supported.    

I'm now in the top 3 with two very talented ladies: Kelly Brisson of The Gouda Life and Melanie Hillier of Dulcet Devotion.  Of course I'd prefer to dislike them, but they've made that impossible with their madly-good blogging skills and generally awesome personalities.  I keep thinking "I want to have them over for dinner," so I'm going to.

Over the next few weeks they'll fly from Ontario for in-person interviews with Tourism Richmond and will get a chance to explore the wonders of the left coast.  I too will have another interview, one final chance to explain why I was born for this job.

Part of that will be describing how my culinary ambitions began when I was young, and I'll start here by sharing a recipe I painstakingly developed at the age of 8.  This was when I decided to re-invent the classic Peanut Butter and Jam Sandwich, which I thought  needed a shakeup.  I was relatively convinced my new version would go big, as in 'viral' kind of big if the internet existed back then.  Fortunately it has the chance to now, so here you are dear readers and you're welcome.

8 Year-Old Lindsay's Peanut Butter and Cheez Whiz Sandwich

Ingredients:
- 2 slices whole wheat bread (because Momma Anderson refused to buy white, which tasted to me like candy)
- peanut butter (generous slather)
- Cheez Whiz (generous slather)

Method:
Spread peanut butter on one piece of bread.  Spread Cheez Whiz on other piece of bread.  Sandwich together.  Cut in half.  Observe orange-on-brown strata and think oneself to be very clever.  Bite into sandwich.  Realize is disgusting.  With indescribable disappointment, choke down entire sandwich because are descended from prairie folk and do not like to waste food.  Never make again.

Go childhood Lindsay, go!

Yes I'm younger than 8 here, but this IS another example of my childhood smarts.

THANK YOU.

Grazie.  Gracias.  Arigato.  Danke.  Efharisto.  

Why?  For voting!  And for all of your kind and supportive messages!  And for showing such enthuuuusiasm!  I'm in the top two and it's all because of you, my incredible network of family and friends (and friends of friends, and so on).

Also, a big thank you to the fabulous ladies at Good Food Jobs for putting me in their newsletter not once, but twice, and to my incredibly supportive team at The Dirty Apron!

Also also, thanks to my friend Gordie - who earned himself a lucrative scholarship to Vancouver Film School through a similar kind of competition - for creating this link on reddit that we can share.  All you have to do is create a username (no email is required and it takes just a few seconds), then click the "up" arrow under the "foodit" logo.  With enough 'upvotes,' linds-eats gains exposure amongst a crowd of thousands - all people who haven't (yet) heard of #Richmond365.

Remember that you're actually allowed to vote once every 24 hours, so if you wish, you can cast up to 7 votes for linds-eats.  Please continue to spread the word, soak in my eternal gratitude, and enjoy your week.

Here's a small collection of things I've been enjoying lately.  Why?  Because I love sharing and because we've all seen enough of my face.

Thanks.


-Jeff Martin Joinery.  I want everything he makes, but especially one of these butcher blocks.  They are SO handsome.

-Old Faithful's Container Gardening Workshop, in collaboration with Victory Gardens.  Great idea and nice poster.

-This, obviously.  Hurry up already, May. 

-"Little Talks" by Iceland's Of Monsters and Men.  Catchy song with a video that assures imaginations are alive and well.

I'm One of 12 Finalists!!

And now, dear friends, we have our work cut out for us!  For the second phase of #Richmond365, they're letting the public decide who one of the top 3 will be, then Tourism Richmond chooses the final winner.  Voting starts TOMORROW, APRIL 24th (which also happens to be my Grandpa's 91st birthday - Happy Birthday Harry!) and goes to MAY 1st.  All you have to do is visit www.facebook.com/RichmondBC and vote for me.  LINDSAY.  ANDERSON.  If you don't have Facebook, you have three options:

1) Sign up for it, vote, and ignore it again for the rest of your life.

2) Sign up for it, vote, and enjoy it for the rest of your life.

3) Don't sign up for it but ask your friends who DO have Facebook to vote for me instead!  So many choices.

If you need a reminder as to why I'm the person for the job, you should visit this blog, which I created specifically for my application.  It's like a resume, but fun!

A HUGE thank you ahead of time, and you'll probably be hearing from me again soon.  Ciao and grazie.

Vegupcakes.

Obviously, one is doomed when trying to cleverly mashup 'vegan' and 'cupcakes,' but the good news is you're not doomed if you want to make them.

Until just a few days ago, the only vegan things I'd ever cooked were by accident, and since I seem to use cheese in everything, this accident occurred very few times.  I recently hosted my friends Dana, Dave, and Zoe for dinner, however, and since it was Dave's birthday and Zoe's a vegan, POOF!  I decided it was time to give the animals a break.  We had tacos filled with guacamole, pico de gallo, roasted yams and spiced beans (gracias, Dana), vegan chili, cheese (I couldn't not), and Ottolenghi's green tahini sauce.  They were scrumdiddly.

Then we tucked into some chocolate vegan cupcakes, the recipe for which came from this annoyingly skinny baker.  They ask for no weird ingredients, just coconut cream instead of milk, margarine or vegetable shortening instead of butter, a few teaspoons of vinegar, and obviously no eggs.  They rose well, were sufficiently rich and chocolately, and we each polished off two.  I heard the chicken whose eggs I had saved chirp "thanks" from a distance.

In between taco and vegupcake mouthfuls, I spent part of the evening demanding Dave and Zoe go on tour.  They're a band - just the two of them - and it's an excellent one.  Colourful Language will someday* be coming to a city near you, so get excited.

*Just as soon as they finish their album!  Can't wait.  Here's a preview.

A #lindseatsrichmond Update.

I'd love to tell you something more interesting than "I'm just waiting," but the truth is, I'm just waiting.  The good folks at Tourism Richmond have a whopping 1,500 applications to review, so it's likely they won't have their shortlist until mid-late April, and that's entirely understandable.  For now I'll continue to (obsessively) check their site daily, say another heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who provided photos and support to #lindseatsrichmond, and promise an update as soon as I can!

In the meantime, I'd like to respectfully insist you see Jiro Dreams of Sushi, a documentary about the world's first sushi chef to receive 3 Michelin stars.  I'll never be as poetic with words as this film is with images, so I'll give you the inarticulate version of my review:  it was so freakin' good I wanted to clap during the credits, immediately book a flight to Tokyo so I can try Jiro's food for myself, and seek out the film's director, David Gelb, on whom I've developed a mad intellectual crush and want to kiss.  He's only 28 years-old, though his age is less impressive when compared to Jiro, who's 85 and has been working since the age of 9.  Either way, both men are wonders.  It's an exceptional and inspiring work of art, and I sincerely hope you get the chance to see it.

Harvest Time.

Last week I went for a walk with my camera.  We have a good time, my Canon and I, though "walks" in the spring usually just means standing under trees with my camera pointed skyward, taking about 200 more cherry blossom photos than I actually need.

On this walk I passed Harvest Community Foods, a store I've been greatly anticipating; it's the result of thisspace.ca, an ambitious project which saw developers asking the neighbourhood to decide what kind of new business they'd like to see in their community.  It started off with this cool video…

….then through online polling people chose everything from the overall concept and type of service (grocery, featuring local foods) to the graphic designer who branded it (Naomi Macdougall) and the business’ name.  People voted, decisions were finalized, and now it's time for Harvest!

So what's in there?  Expect a shop providing mainly local and organic products as well as a no-fuss menu that changes daily.  You can eat in, take your goods to go, or settle into one of their chairs out front and watch the Adanac Bike Rout-ers fly by.

The store itself is thoughtfully laid-out, though they're not fully settled in just yet.  And fair enough, they’ve only been open a few weeks, plus there’s something refreshing about a place still occupied by ladders and paint cans.  It speaks of potential.

What has been established is a genuinely warm environment that feels perfectly at ease in the neighbourhood.  The staff are passionate about their work, up for a chat, and pleased to offer snack recommendations to hungry kids like me.  Their suggestion?   The steamed bun with free-range chicken, pickled cucumber and red onions, fresh cilantro and sriracha.  Had it.  Loved it.  Would go back again for sure.

With a steam-bunned belly, I continued on my walk.  I took more flower shots (magnolias are the ugly ducklings of the tree world), and listened to this intensely captivating podcast from This American Life.

I now know that blossoms, buns, and Ira Glass make for a great spring day.  Happy Easter everyone.

Roast Beef Break.

Sometimes, when you’re working on an application for your dream job, you need a sandwich.  A cheese and ham with French’s will not do.  What you need is a stack of meat on a good white baguette, the kind that asks for demands a nap once you're done eating.

So what to do?  If you’re me, you slip into your Vans and hike through the Downtown Eastside to Big Lou’s.  It’s on the corner of Powell and Gore, has a plain wooden interior, and the men behind the counter are almost guaranteed to have mustaches and/or beards.  They’re happy to talk menu options, and you can check out their impressive selection of butchered goods while your sammie’s being built.

I go for the The Whole Roast Beef.  Why?  Because it’s a classic; there's AAA beef, red wine, onions, pan mayonnaise (made from pan-drippings, yes!) all wedged within bread that’s crusty, but not so crusty that it annihilates the roof of your mouth.  It’s one very handsome sandwich when they pass it to you, and within minutes you’ll be a happy, pan-mayo-covered mess.

Then it’s nap time.

This beauty was shared.  Do not worry, these 3 pieces = ONE WHOLE SANDWICH

Big Lou's Butcher Shop

269 Powell Street

604-566-9229

Two Chefs and a Table
Gastown: 305 Alexander Street, 778-2331303
Richmond: Unit 7 - 3331 Viking Way, 604-233-7769

#lindseatsrichmond - The Film

Yes, we made a film - I am that serious about getting this job.  It's a time-lapse we filmed over 40 minutes, sped up to 2:55, and had an absolutely ridiculous time making.  I wish all job applications involved a party like this.

Thank you SO much to my incredible friends for participating, and to Sarah and Justin Cheshire for coming all the way from Kelowna to film (and star) in it.  I know some seriously awesome people.

Click here to watch the video on youtube, and if you enjoy it, please share!

#lindseatsrichmond - IT'S ON!

I've probably been asked the question "what's your dream job?" a thousand times.  And my answer is always "getting paid to eat and write about it."  Then I slap my knee hard and share a good laugh with whoever asked me, because that's just crazy.  Until now.

It's true, my dream job has arrived; Tourism Richmond is seeking a food blogger up for the challenge of eating at 365 restaurants in 365 days, all in beautiful Richmond, B.C.  The successful applicant receives a generous salary, help with living expenses, their 365 meals, and a pass to the Richmond Oval to work it off!

With applications due by the end of March, I've launched a full-fledged campaign to get hired.  If you're up for it, I would really appreciate your support!  I'm asking people to send in photographs of themselves holding signs that say #lindseatsrichmond, with their location below and names too, if they wish.  Photos can be sent to lindsaylaurenanderson@gmail.com until the end of March.

If you're up for taking things even further, you can upload your photo to Facebook and/or Twitter (follow me at @lindsay_lauren) with the hashtag #lindseatsrichmond.  Soon the world will be asking "Who is this Lindsay girl, and how does she know SO MANY COOL PEOPLE?" and I'll say "I don't know, but I want to bake cookies for them all.  With extra chocolate.  And nuts.  The expensive ones."

Here are the photos - 277 from 6 continents, 29 countries, and 131 cities!  Thank you so much to everyone.  The response has been incredible.  Click here to see thumbnails of all 277 photos, courtesy of Frank Lee.

Bangalore, India

Jerusalem, Israel

Follow @lindsay_lauren

Tweet