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Happy Birthday Saul Bass!

by Dan
Design & Typography / May 08, 2013

I've talked about my love of Saul Bass here on the Raincoast blog before (more than once!), and so I was overjoyed to see today's Google Doodle which marks the legendary designer's 93rd birthday:  

The animated 'doodle' is based on Bass' film title credits, film posters and corporate logos. Bass passed away in 1996, but if you would like to see more of his work be sure to check out Saul Bass: A Life in Film and Design, written by his daughter Jennifer Bass with design historian Pat Kirkham. Published in 2011, it was the first book to be published on Bass, one of the greatest American designers of the 20th Century, and it has more than 1,400 illustrations, many of them never published before. It really is the definitive study of Bass's work.

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Canadian Crime Authors Southwestern Ontario Crime Spree

by Dan
Events + Fiction + Mysteries and Thrillers / May 02, 2013

Four Canadian crime authors are joining forces this month to visit libraries in seven Southwestern Ontario towns — Woodstock,Orangeville, Cambridge, Guelph, Brantford, Thornbury, and Orillia — for a literary crime spree.  

The Crime Tour authors are Hilary Davidson, Ian Hamilton, Robert Rotenberg, and Robin Spano. All four are relatively fresh faces on the crime-fiction scene, though they have 15 novels (count them!) published amongst them over the past four years.  

This is the second time Davidson, Hamilton, and Spano have toured together. In June 2012, they visited a series of libraries in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland, from Vancouver to Squamish, with novelist Deryn Collier. Since Collier was unable to travel this year, the trio will bejoined by Toronto-based Rotenberg.  

“We are all writers who rage on the page,” says Robin Spano. “But we are really friendly in real life. Whether you're an aspiring writer looking for inspiration or you love books and are intrigued by what goes into their creation, we hope you'll come away having learned something.”  

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The Events:  

Thursday, May 9,2013, Woodstock, ON, 2pm
Woodstock Art Gallery / sponsored by Woodstock Public Library
449 Dundas St., Woodstock, ON, N4S 1C2
519-539-6761
This event is free and open to the public.

Thursday, May 9,2013, Orangeville, ON, 7pm
Centre Fellowship
375 Hansen Blvd., Orangeville, ON, L9W 0C2
519-942-9421
Tickets are $10 with proceeds going to the University Women Scholarship Fund.

Friday, May 10, 2013, Cambridge, ON, 9:30am
Clemens Mill Library
50 Saginaw Parkway, Cambridge, ON, N1T 1W2
519-740-6294
This event is free and open to the public

Friday, May 10, 2013, Guelph, ON, 1pm
Guelph Public Library
100 Norfolk Street, Guelph, ON, N1H 4J6
519-824-6220
This event is free and open to the public.

Friday, May 10, 2013, Brantford, ON, 4:30pm
Brantford Public Library
173 Colborne Street, Brantford, ON, N3T 2G8
519-756-2220
This event is free and open to the public.

Saturday, May 11,2013, Thornbury, ON, 1pm
L.E. Shore Memorial Library
173 Bruce Street South, Thornbury, ON, N0H 2P0
519-599-3681
This event is free and open to the public.

Sunday, May 12, 2013,Orillia, ON, 1pm
“Murder and Mayhem on Mother’s Day at Manticore”
Manticore Books
103 Mississauga Street,Orillia, ON, L3V 1V6
705-326-7776
This event is free and open to the public.

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About the Authors:

Hilary Davidson’s debut, The Damage Done, won the 2011 Anthony Award for Best First Novel. It also earned a Crimespree Award and was a finalist for an Arthur Ellis and a Macavity award. Her third novel, Evil in All Its Disguises, was released on March 5, 2013. Says the Los Angeles Review of Books: “Her voice is a freshand welcome addition to the noir landscape.”

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Ian Hamilton’s first novel, The Water Rat of Wanchai, won the 2012 Arthur Ellis Award for best first novel. It was also chosen by Quill and Quire as one of the top five novels of 2011 and was nominated for a CBC bookie award. The fifth book in the Ava Lee series, The Scottish Banker of Surabaya, was published on February 16, 2013. Says The Toronto Star: “Ava Lee is unbeatableat just about everything…She’s perfect. She’s fast.”

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Robert Rotenberg’s debut, Old City Hall, was called “a hard-boiled classic” by The Globe & Mail and widely praised by Entertainment Weekly, Maclean’s, and Kirkus. The book was shortlisted for a Dagger Award and a Thriller Award. A prominent criminal lawyer with Rotenberg, Shidlowski & Jesin, his fourth novel, Stranglehold, will be published on May7, 2013.

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Robin Spano’s undercover protagonist Clare Vengel has been described as a “slightly slutty grown up Nancy Drew.” Spano has been dubbed one of Canada’s Hot New Crime Writers by Crime Fiction Lover. She has fast developed a loyal following with her “smart, stylish and sharp” writing in Dead Politician Society and Death Plays Poker. Her third novel, Death’s Last Run, has just been released. 

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Raincoast Cookbook Bookclub ~ Salmon and Noodle Salad

by Danielle
Excerpts + Food & Drink / April 17, 2013

So it seems blogging each week has become a bit of a challenge. So that said, these posts will be in your inbox every couple of weeks. Keep an eye out! And if you want to win a copy just a simple comment below will do the trick. I'll do a random draw ~ Dani

In my house we love salmon. Hence making it a key part in two of my three posts! It's so healthy so when I found this recipe from 50 BEST PLANTS ON THE PLANET by Cathy Thomas (on behalf of Melissa's/World Variety Produce), I had to give it a try. And was I super glad I did. It was so quick and easy to make and so yummy and fresh to eat! I'd suggest blanching the asparagus a bit before making the salad but entirely up to you. I wasn't quite sure how they would taste raw so I took them for a swim, a HOT swim!

 

This book is great! Another Chronicle Books hit! Each chapter lists key 'best plants' with nutritional information for each recipe. Super great for anyone wanting to really know what they're eating. I love it because I'm not too jazzed about eating certain veggies but if I know how good they are for me, I'd be more inclined to give them a shot.

Salmon and “Noodle” Salad

The noodle shapes in this colorful salad are actually ribbons of thinly shaved
zucchini. They are combined with diagonally sliced raw asparagus dressed with a citrusy vinaigrette and garnished with slivers of assertive cheese. The salad teams winningly with broiled salmon but is certainly flavorful enough to serve on its own.

Yields 6 servings

Salmon

One 1½-pound skinless salmon fillet (center cut preferred, about 1 to
1¼ inch thick)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Salad

1 pound green or purple asparagus, trimmed
2 medium zucchini, trimmed

Dressing

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil or dill

Garnishes 1 ounce pecorino cheese, peeled into shavings; 1 lemon (preferably Meyer), sliced

1. Adjust an oven rack to 6 to 8 inches below the broiler. Arrange a second
rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the broiler. Line a rimmed baking
sheet with aluminum foil.

2. To make the salmon: Pat the fillet dry with a paper towel. Place it on the
prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil and season with the salt and
pepper. Broil on the top rack until lightly browned on top, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Turn off the broiler and set the oven to 350 degrees F. Move the salmon to
the middle rack and roast until it is cooked to the desired degree of doneness, 3 to 7 minutes. Remove it from the oven and separate the salmon flesh with a fork or knife in the thickest part to take a peek; it should be just barely opaque throughout. Set aside to cool while you prepare the salad. (Note that the salmon can be served warm, but shouldn’t be piping hot for this dish.)

3. To make the salad: Cut the asparagus into thin diagonal slices (leaving tips whole); place them in a bowl. Working from end to end, peel the zucchini into long, thin ribbons using a vegetable peeler or mandoline; add them to the asparagus.

4. To make the dressing: In a small bowl or glass measuring cup with a handle, combine the oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Mix well and stir in the basil. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Add the dressing to the vegetables and gently toss with wooden spoons or silicone spatulas.

5. Divide the cooled salmon between six plates. Surround each portion with salad. Garnish the salad with the cheese and the salmon with the lemon. Serve.

Meatless alternative Prepare the salad without the salmon, starting with step 3. If desired, add a pinch of dried red pepper flakes to the dressing.

Nutritional information

(per serving)

calories.........................350
fat calories....................230
total fat (g).....................25
sat fat (g).......................4.5
cholesterol (mg)..............75
sodium (mg).................230
total carbohydrates (g)......6
fiber (g)............................2
sugars (g).........................3
protein (g)......................27
vitamin A IUs...............25%
vitamin C.....................35%
calcium.........................15%
iron................................8%

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Paul Anka at the Eaton Centre Today!

by Dan
Biography & Memoir + Events + Music / April 16, 2013

Legendary Canadian singer-songwriter Paul Anka will be signing his highly anticipated autobiography, My Way, and celebrating the release of his latest album, Duets, at the Indigo Eaton Centre store in Toronto, at 12pm today!

 

Paul Anka 'My Way' Signing
12pm April 16, 2013
Indigo Eaton Centre
220 Yonge Street Toronto, Ontario
T: (416) 591-3622

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Pardon My Huevos: Raincoast Books’ Cookbook Book Club

by Megan
Excerpts + Food & Drink / April 05, 2013

If your culinary prowess is anything like mine, any foray into "serious cooking" involves several things:

1). Perusal of a lovely and accessible cookbook.

2). Changing into a suitable frock that may be destroyed/burned/ripped/pureed with mininal sorrow (helllloooo sweats).

3). Attempting to make a spatula & wax paper stand in for all manner of elaborate kitchen gadgetry (melon baller? Flour sifter?).

4). Removal of batteries from ye olde smoke alarm, & pardons asked from neighbours for black smoke/fire trucks on scene.

I'll admit it: I'm a little intimidated by fancy cookbooks. Yes they're lovely, but will my renter's insurance cover the fire damage I am sure to incur from trying the recipes therein?

In that spirit (apprehensive), I picked up Lucy Knisley's graphic novel Relish. Part cookbook, part memoir of growing up with foodie parents with a penchant for experimentation with food, it seemed a safe venture. I happened to thumb to a page that was an entrypoint of complete identification and love for this book, and that was Knisley's secret adoration of a culinary masterpiece:

Lucky Charms.

Yep, you better believe it.

Knisley has love for the marshmallow-laden cereal, something most foodies probably wouldn't readily confess to. As the daughter of two foodies and a lover of exquisite, fresh, lovingly prepared food from infancy, Knisley confesses to an alternative affinity for the prepackaged and the sugary. I totally get this. As a child vigilantly kept away from sugar, I can attest to the siren song of sweet lady Oreo, the forbidden, lusty wiles of a McD's cheeseburger.

This is what makes Knisley's writing on food so lovely: it is the memory and the connection of food that she focuses on and which takes the descriptions from tasty to succulent. It is the idea that any food can be delicious, and even the horrible experiments with food can be a treat if there are people to laugh about it with you. Reading about Knisley's apricot-jam-filled fresh croissant on a Venice stoop, or bushel of strawberries picked for jam in rural New York will in equal parts take you to her memory and take you back in time to your own. To the streetcarts of rainy afternoons, the farmers' markets in the summer sunshine, and everywhere in between.

I devoured this book, and chose a recipe (the first of many I'm going to try!) that evoked my own memories of dusty, sweat-dappled mornings in Mexico with the sea breeze at my back... The recipes and stories in this book are a lovely trip down memory lane. And they're pretty delicious too.

 

Huevos Rancheros

Prep Time: Approx. 20-25 minutes

Ingredients

-Tortillas (Corn)
-2 Eggs
-Black Beans
-Sour Cream
-Salsa
-Cheese
-Avocado
-Corn Oil

 

Directions

       

Fry one tortilla in corn oil until it           Heat up black beans and add to  
rises. Dab with paper towel to                                 base.
soak up excess grease.

       

                Add salsa...                                             Avocado...

       

               Sour Cream...                       A 2nd fried tortilla & 2 fried eggs...    

       

Some more salsa, and some                         TA-DAH! (CHOMP!)
sriracha.

Want to win a copy of Relish? Tell me your favourite food memory in the comments below, and one lucky person will be selected at random to win the book! It can be a serious, delicious, awful, or downright silly memory (like Knisley's story of a friend who created an ill-advised delicacy: lemonade chicken!).

And be sure to check out Lucy Knisley at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival May 11-12.

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Week 2 ~ Raincoast Books’ Cookbook Bookclub

by Danielle
Excerpts + Food & Drink / March 28, 2013

Who doesn't like breakfast for dinner? The other night I pulled out Rachel Khoo's THE LITTLE PARIS KITCHEN and tried my hand at the little egg cup things (aka: Croque Madame muffins or Cheese, ham, and egg sandwich muffins). They were so easy  to make and so good! I made simple smashed potatoes to go with. Perfect pair! I found that you can add whatever you like to this recipe. It calls for ham but a colleague of mine suggested using sun-dried tomatoes or even vegan bacon. YUMMERS!

My Egg Muffin

Rachel's Egg Muffins

Can't even tell the difference right?!?

Give it a shot. Here's the downloadable page. Remember to post your pic for your chance to win a copy. No one submitted last week so maybe this time I'll give away both books!!

Croque Madame muffins
Cheese, ham, and egg sandwich muffins

Makes 4

Croque Monsieuris essentially a toasted cheese and ham sandwich. Put a fried egg on top and you’ve got a Croque Madame (the egg is supposed to resemble a lady’s hat). What makes the dif­ference between a toasted cheese and ham sandwich and a Croque Monsieur is the cheese—in a Croque Monsieur it comes in the form of a creamy cheese sauce. And boy, does this make a difference!

My version of Croque Madame uses the bread as a muffin cup to contain the delicious cheese sauce and egg. Great as a snack, or have it with a green salad and fries, as they serve it in French cafés.

For the Mornay (cheese) sauce: 1 tbsp butter • 1 tbsp all-purpose flour • ¾ cup plus 1 tbsp milk, lukewarm • ½ tsp Dijon mustard • ½ tsp nutmeg • ¼ cup grated Gruyère or mature Comté cheese (or a strong hard cheese like Parmesan or mature Cheddar) • salt and pepper

• 6 large slices of white bread, no crusts • 3 tbsp butter, melted • 2½ oz ham, cut into cubes or thin strips • 6 small eggs

TO MAKE THE SAUCE: Melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat. Add the flour and beat hard until you have a smooth paste. Take off the heat and leave to cool for 2 minutes, then gradually add the milk, whisking constantly. Place the pan back over a medium heat, add the mustard and nutmeg, and simmer gently for 10 minutes, whisking frequently to stop the sauce burning on the bottom of the pan. Once the sauce thickens and has the consistency of a thick tomato sauce, take it off the heat. Add the cheese (keep a little for the garnish) and taste for seasoning. If the sauce is too thick, add a little more milk. If it’s lumpy, pass it through a sieve.

To assemble, preheat the oven to 350°F. Flatten the slices of bread with a rolling pin, then brush each slice on both sides with melted butter. Line a 6-cup muffin tin with the slices of bread, press­ing them in with the bottom of a small glass. Divide the ham between the muffin cups followed by the eggs (if the egg seems too big, pour a little of the white away before using). Put 2 table­spoons cheese sauce on top of each egg, then sprinkle with a little cheese and pepper. Bake for 15–20 minutes, depending on how runny you like your eggs. Serve immediately.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 15–20 minutes

Happy cooking!
~Dani

 

 

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Sign Painters Documentary Vancouver Premiere

by Dan
Craft + Design & Typography + Events / March 27, 2013

There was a time, as recently as the 1980s, when storefronts, murals, banners, barn signs, billboards, and even street signs were all hand-lettered with brush and paint. But, like many skilled trades, the sign industry has been overrun by the techno-fueled promise of quicker and cheaper. The resulting proliferation of computer-designed, die-cut vinyl lettering and inkjet printers has ushered a creeping sameness into our landscape. Fortunately, there is a growing trend to seek out traditional sign painters and a renaissance in the trade.

 

 

 

VANCOUVER SCREENING JUNE 7/8
Doors at 6:30pm | Screening at 7:30pm | Directors Q+A to follow
Rio Theatre, 1660 East Broadway @ Commercial Drive
Tickets & additional information HERE
Screening followed by a directors Q&A

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Here Be Monsters!

by Dan
Fiction + Science Fiction and Fantasy / March 26, 2013

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Raincoast Books’ Cookbook Bookclub every Wednesday!

by Danielle
Excerpts + Food & Drink / March 20, 2013

That's right!

Starting today and each Wednesday from now on, I'll be posting recipes from one of our awesome cookbooks. I plan on cooking up this recipe and posting here, on our blog, as well as on our Facebook page.

If you're interested in winning a copy, follow the recipe below, (printable page here) and post a picture of your finished dish on our page. I'll make a random draw and announce the winner the following Wednesday. Good luck and happy cooking! ~ Danielle

This week I made Thyme-Rubbed Salmon with Shallots and Caramelized Cauliflower "Risotto" from Chronicle Books' ONE PAN, TWO PLATES I realized after all the cauliflower was in the pan I should have chopped them into smaller bits but the end result was super yummy anyways which resulted in no leftovers for todays lunch! The recipe was easy to follow and quick to make.

START TO FINISH
25 minutes
HANDS-ON TIME
20 minutes
serves 2

Ingredients
Two 6-oz/170-g salmon fillets, skin removed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme (see “It’s that easy”),
plus a few small sprigs for garnish
3 tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, minced
1/2 head cauliflower, finely chopped
1/2 cup/120 ml heavy cream

1. Pat the fillets dry and sprinkle all over with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the minced thyme over the fish and pat it lightly with your fingers so that it
sticks.

2. Heat a 12-in/30.5-cm skillet with a lid over medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp of the olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add the salmon to the pan and cook until browned on the first side, about
2 minutes. Flip the fish with a thin-edged spatula and cook the other side until browned, another minute or so. Transfer the fish to a plate. (It will not be fully cooked at this point.)

3. Add the shallots to the hot pan and sauté until they begin to soften, about 30 seconds. Add the cauliflower, 1/4 tsp salt, a few grinds of pepper, and
the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil and toss to coat the cauliflower with the oil. Allow the cauliflower to cook undisturbed until it begins to brown, about
3 minutes. Flip the cauliflower over, scraping the bottom of the pan with the spatula, and cook, undisturbed, until the other side browns, another 3 minutes or so. Taste and adjust the seasoning. If the cauliflower is still a little too crunchy for your taste, don’t worry. Pour in the cream and give it a stir. It will boil almost immediately.  Top the vegetables with the fish. Cover and cook over low heat until the fish flakes easily, about 2 minutes longer.

4. Mound the cauliflower “risotto” into two warmed shallow bowls and top it with the fish. (If you’re wondering where the cream went, the cauliflower
absorbed most of it up deliciously.) Garnish the plate with the thyme sprigs and serve hot.

extra hungry? How about a salad of red leaf lettuce and halved grape tomatoes with a splash of balsamic and a glug of olive oil?

it’s that easy: Thyme has woody stems, so it’s best to strip the leaves from the stems before chopping them up into a fine mince. To do this, hold the thyme sprig on the tender end and strip the leaves against the grain (that is, in the opposite direction they are pointing) with your other hand. No worries if the tender tip pulls off; those can be minced up with the str ipped leaves.
 

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Co-Mix: Upcoming from Drawn + Quarterly

by Megan
March 08, 2013

I recently got to check out the Art Spiegelman exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery, and it’s put me in an oh-so-excited mood for the upcoming Co-Mix by Art Spiegelman from D+Q (September 17, 2013).

For me, as I suspect for many, many others, Spiegelman’s Pulitzer Prize winning Maus was my first introduction to the comics/graphic novel scene beyond the Sunday funnies and a love affair with Gary Larson’s Far Side. Maus was a complete revelation, showing an intersection of images, text, intensity, introspection, horror, sorrow, sardonic wit, and gallows humor. It was different from the literature I had ever been exposed to as a teenager, it was different from any kind of art I knew, and I loved it. It would lead to many a jaunt through stores like Lucky’s Comics on Vancouver’s Main Street and festivals like the comics and indie/zine Word Under the Street in Vancouver.

The Spiegelman exhibit pulls in work from his earlier career with such projects as Garbage Pail Kids, to his work at RAW, to his work on Maus, to his children’s books (yes, he wrote children’s books!), to his infamous New Yorker covers, to his post-9/11 reflections In the Shadow Of No Towers.

If you're still a little on the fence about "this whole comics thing" (insert Mother's disapproving stare *here*), there's plenty for the historian and publishing nerd to enjoy too. In a documentary on Spiegelman playing in one wing of the exhibit, we see a young Spiegelman and his wife Francoise Mouly purchase a printing press and set it up in their New York loft to self-publish copies of RAW. It’s a peek into a gorgeous, lovely window of publishing that is sure to leave you with warm fuzzies amidst the thick clouds of cigarette smoke and 70s bellbottoms.

Spiegelman's work is so sharp: sexual, political, hilarious, absurd, and heavily influenced by art history (I can’t think of many other comic artists who would/could incorporate Picasso’s Guernica in one frame, with a cubist Mr. Potato Head juxtaposed in the next).

Strolling through this man’s career in black ink and colour studies, it’s amazing to see the scope and impact of his career. I can’t wait for Co-Mix to read more! Spiegelman will be attending the 2013 Toronto Comic Arts Festival, so don't miss your chance to see him in person.

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