I’ve been saving this recipe for this last (tear) column of the year as a sort of parting gift to The Daily and its readers … because, well, it’s just that good. I reckon it would make a delicious summer treat to welcome the sun, and an even better apartment-warming gift. Spring’s-a-coming, and this yummy banana bread will get your baking back in gear. Bon voyage and bon appetite, friends.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 big or 3 small bananas)
3/4 cups sugar
1 egg’s worth of egg replacement (I suggest Ener-G!)
1/4 cup vegetable oil or olive oil
1/2 bag chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Grease and flour loaf pan.
2. Stir flour, salt, baking soda, and chocolate chips in large bowl
3. Combine bananas, sugar, egg, and oil, stir together in separate bowl
4. Pour banana mixture into dry ingredients and fold until completely moist
5. Bake for 50 to 55 mins, or until toothpick comes out clean!

The post Bon apetit and bon voyage appeared first on The McGill Daily.

The first I tried was “Purely Poppy,” slightly sweetened with coconut sugar and kept true to its roots with unhulled sesame seeds. I believe this dressing is as close to a classic creamy Cesar dressing as a raw, vegan product can get. It’s the most viscous of three I tried, and would be great over a simple salad – the dressing stands on its own.

Next, I dabbled in “Glorious Greek,” only to discover that it tastes exactly how it sounds: like Greek salad dressing. It only lacks the tangy aftertaste that preservatives and artificial sweeteners can sometimes leave in more typical household brands. My only reservation about “Glorious Greek” was the amount that it had settled and fermented in the few short days it was sitting in my fridge. A minute or two of stirring and shaking quickly solved the problem, and I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t a fair compromise for the pure ingredients and fresh, feta-like flavour that it offers.

Finally, I tested their “Japanese Joy” flavour, and discovered my favourite of the three. I was thrilled to see three superfoods on the ingredient list: apple cider vinegar, sprouted brown rice, and chia seeds – which are all nutrient-packed and delicious. This dressing would be great alongside homemade sushi or tempura, or mixed into the marinade for a tofu and vegetable stir-fry. The flavour is bright and creamy, and the dressing stays true to its original orangey-brown colour.

RawFoodz is a relatively new company, run by Michelle Cass and Sher Kopman in Toronto. Their website claims that their mantra includes Hippocrates’ oath: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”, and – from what I have sampled – they certainly fulfill that mandate.

The post That’s raw appeared first on The McGill Daily.

Truffles for the Spender:

Maccheroncini alla Boscaiuola (literally translates to “pasta in the style of the wood-cutter’s wife”)

Serves 4-6

1 handful of dried Italian porcini

2 tablespoons vegan butter (I recommend Earth Balance)

2 cups vegan cream

1 pound macaroni pasta

1 fresh white truffle, sliced

1 ½ cups grated vegan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

*

*

1. Soak dried porcini for 20 minutes in warm water, squeeze dry. Put soaking water aside.

2. Heat butter until melted, add porcini and cook until golden.

3. Stir in cream and ¼ cup of mushroom soaked water. Cool until mixture thickens.

4. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente.

5. Drain pasta and add to sauce.  Add truffle and cheese, toss over low heat.

6. Add salt and pepper to taste, serve immediately.

Truffles for The Rest of Us:

Simple Truffle Pizza

Serves 4-6

1 cup wild mushrooms

1/2 onion, sliced

2 red peppers, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp sundried tomatoes

White wine

Italian seasoning: salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, oregano, thyme, rosemary

Truffle oil (a much less expensive alternative to the mushroom itself)

Truffle salt

Pizza dough

*

*

1. Saute a mix of wild mushrooms, ½ an onion, red peppers, garlic, and sundried tomatoes. Mix with a splash of white wine, and a sprinkle generously with Italian seasoning.

2. Splash truffle oil and a pinch of salt and pepper onto pizza dough, add sautéed vegetables, and bake at 450 degrees for 8 to 9 minutes.

3. Finish with a touch more of truffle oil and truffle salt.

4. Add toppings to pizza dough, and bake for approximately 15 minutes at 425°.

The post Truffles, two ways appeared first on The McGill Daily.

So the next time you need a minute to sit back and reflect on the changes we’re undeniably witnessing take place at McGill, in Montreal, and within ourselves, curl up to your thoughts with something warm and soothing to take the edge off of the brilliant, but intense energy circulating around campus these days. With that in mind, I bring you my two favourite winter drinks for when you need a little comfort to find your courage.

Vegan Hot chocolate
Serves 4

1 cup canned coconut milk
4 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup white sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
A few dashes of ground cinnamon
4 cups boiling water

1. Stir together the coconut milk, vanilla, sugar, cocoa powder, and cinnamon.
2. Pour in boiling water, stirring constantly.

Apple Cider
Serves 4

4 cups apple cider
2 tbsp. maple syrup
4 small cinnamon sticks
4 whole cloves
4 whole allspice berries
4 strips of orange peel
4 strips of lemon peel
1 empty tea bag or steeper

1. Pour the apple cider and maple syrup into a saucepan.
2. Place the cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice berries, orange peel, and lemon peel into an empty tea bag or steeper, and carefully place them into the cider mixture.
3. Place the saucepan over moderate heat until the cider is very hot, but not boiling.
4. Ladle into mugs, and serve with an additional cinnamon stick, if desired.

The post It’s hot in here appeared first on The McGill Daily.

With tart green apples, delicious candy coating, and their avoidance of most dietary restrictions and preferences, this recipe is fully certified for the newly kitchen-curious. Satisfy your post-Halloween, pre-holiday sweet tooth with this simple recipe.

Makes 6 Apples
– 6 apples, washed and dried
– 6 wooden sticks
– ½ cup superfine sugar
– 1 ½ cups water
– 1 ½ cups regular sugar
– 1 ½ cups light corn syrup
– 2 tsp. natural red food colouring
– ½ cup of chopped peanuts (any
variety of nut will do)

Directions
1. Spear each apple with a wooden stick, and line a cookie sheet with aluminium foil. Sprinkle sheet with superfine sugar.
2. Over high heat, bring water, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 300 degrees Fahrenheight (candy thermometers are ideal). Remove from heat, and pour in food colouring while slowly stirring.
3. Tilt saucepan to the side to pool candy mixture, and quickly dip each apple into the pan until completely coated. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Place onto the prepared cookie sheet and let cool in refrigerator for two hours. Yum!

Variations
Instead of peanuts, try sprinkling your still-wet candy apples with hard candy, soft candy, dried mint leaves, orange zest, chocolate sprinkles, marshmallows, a sprinkle of cinnamon, or a handful of crushed mints.

The post Sugar-coating fall with candy apples appeared first on The McGill Daily.

As a vegetarian, it was not an unfamiliar proposition, nor was it an unfair one. Bonding over food is something that most cultures have in common, and dates back for as long as humans have existed. However, in today’s climate, it would appear that the state of the planet has become an equally important topic of communal interest. With that in mind, I would like to thank green-washing marketing trends. You have made my food choices, as a vegetarian, so much easier to explain.

Environmental vegetarianism is based on the premise that animal production is environmentally unsustainable, consuming an undeniably concerning amount of fossil fuels, water, and agricultural land. Environmentalists have been telling us for years: a little bit of action goes a long way.
It’s become widely acknowledged that a vegetarian or vegan diet is better for the planet. Producing one pound of beef requires approximately 2500 gallons of water – 10 times more the amount needed to produce a pound of soy.

In other words, with the water used to produce a single hamburger, you could take a shower every day for two and a half weeks. Conservationists have even begun referring to beef cows as “hoofed locusts,” suggesting their significant role in deforestation, water scarcity, and loss of biodiversity. With facts like these, it’s hard to justify that late night burger – unless you’re willing to skip a few weeks of showering to make up for it.

Now, the surprising part: according to a new analysis by public health expert Dr. Mike Rayner in a Friends of the Earth report, we can save more than 45,000 human lives a year if everyone began eating meat no more than two or three times a week.

Navin Ramankutty, associate professor in the Department of Geography at McGill, addresses meat as a main concern in a newly published blueprint for doubling the global food supply. By using prime cropland to grow food for humans, as opposed to biofuels or animal feed, we could increase food production by nearly 50 per cent.

Eating less meat requires little or no work at all, and is remarkably cost-efficient. Without even going vegetarian or vegan, you can choose to eat meat less frequently and still be making a significant reduction on the environmental impact of your food choices, while increasing the total amount of food produced for humans. Talk about a win-win situation.

The post Embracing an eco-friendly diet appeared first on The McGill Daily.

Situated on St. Laurent and Duluth, Segal’s is likely a place you’ve walked by a million times, but never been able to identify. Without a prominent sign on its storefront, it has remained under the radar for many years. Regardless, it’s worth checking out. If you can acclimatize yourself to the store’s unmistakeable smell of dried, salted fish, you have passed the Segal’s test, and will be granted access to some of Montreal’s cheapest groceries. If it’s too much for your schnoz to bear, you may want to skip this option.

Another advantage to Segal’s is the surprising variety of organic and vegetarian products, which are discounted just as much as the rest of the items in store. When shopping at Segals I save between 25 and 45 per cent on average, compared to shopping at Provigo and Metro (Liberté yogurt is 5 dollars less!) Anything that would cost you an arm and a leg at a chain grocery store, such as tofu, granola, alternative milks, spreads, and organic breads, can be found at Segal’s for prices that will floor you. While chain grocery stores hardly cater to vegan crowds, Segal’s welcomes conscious eaters with conscious wallets. And if you forget to bring your own bags, they almost always have boxes in which to pack your groceries.

Similar to Segal’s, and even closer to campus, is Marché Lobo, conveniently located just north of Parc and Milton. Lobo is slightly more organized than Segal’s, and nearly as cheap. It may not carry all of the essentials, but you can always succeed in finding the canned version of just about anything – I’ll let you decide whether or not that’s a good thing. Besides your standard Campbell’s chicken noodle, Lobo carries an impressive selection of Middle Eastern food. In fact, they are famous among their loyal customers for making their own impressive variety of hummus. Lobo is also a great place to stock up on bulk bags of rice or beans (assuming you have the means to carry body bag-sized sacks home). On average, I save between 25 and 35 per cent when shopping at Lobo, compared to shopping at their unfriendly neighbours. The only downside is that Lobo’s tiny aisles are anything but ideal for the clumsy-natured. Clunky backpacks should be left at home.

For those looking for some culture in their cuisine, be sure to peruse through one of Montreal’s vibrant markets: namely, Jean Talon and Atwater. Poke your head into either of these gems and expect to leave both inspired, and with your wallet still intact. Jean Talon’s vendors will keep you on your toes, and the mere range of lemon yellows alone will leave your head spinning. It’s a feeling that can only be understood by visiting these markets yourself.

Though there are a number of pricier booths specializing in delicacies from fine chocolates to cheese, the produce stands offer large quantities for minimal prices. And quite unlike chain grocery stores, more often than not you can have your questions answered by the farmers who actually grew the food. In my experience, they are always thrilled to chat, and even happier to offer you yummy samples. Much like the characters behind the stands, each piece of fruit has its own unique personality – a refreshing change from the carbon copy apples neatly stacked and stamped over and over again. Instead of marching down aisles full of packaging and curiously distant expiry dates, try soaking up some culture and community in one of these local markets.

On a student budget, saving money should be enough of an incentive to check out these alternatives to Montreal’s chain grocery stores. But if it isn’t, think of it this way: every dollar you spend and every item you purchase places an order for another one to be developed, produced, packaged, constructed, or farmed. If you know where your food comes from, as well as the faces that run the shops you frequent, you can make conscious decisions with your money, and rightfully speak back to your options.

Taste real flavours in organic food, save your money, and help protect the environment. As the Jean Talon website states, food travels, on average, more than 2,500 km to reach your plate. When you think of the packaging and fossil fuels it requires to ship food, your purchasing power suddenly seems to hold more weight than you may have previously imagined. Forget the artificial lights and unfortunate piped-in music of your “local” Metro or Provigo, and check out one of Montreal’s many alternative food sources. It’s better for you, your bank account, and most importantly, you planet.

The post Going against the grain appeared first on The McGill Daily.

Though they still rely on an iPod to fill in the parts they can’t play live, Silly Kissers have grown into more than capable stage performers. And it has served them well: following a string of recent high-profile performances – including M for Montreal, the Vice Party, and Musique Plus – Spin Magazine crowned them as one of five up-and-coming Montreal bands. Perhaps propelled by their heightened profile, Precious Necklace sets the bar on a whole other planet, where their spacey melodies can escape the weighted gravity of the Montreal indie scene and soar to new heights.

While I can’t promise a life changing or spiritual experience, their infectious new album is sure to take over your mental soundtrack. An earnest blend of old and new, Precious Necklace’s pony tail and leg warmer-inspired melodies cruise down a darker road, casting a slightly melancholy cloud over the synthetic pep of their last album. Best consumed in short bursts, their sugary pop sound practically necessitates dancing and oversized, neon glasses.

Through their use of an iPod as an instrumental aid – a sixth band member, of sorts – Silly Kissers have positioned themselves at the front of the new wave of synth-pop. The exaggerated pop harmonies and lovesick lyrics are produced pre-show, opening up the gates of recorded music to uninitiates, levelling out the playing field, and giving Silly Kissers a standing chance in the Montreal music scene.

Though a few more laps around the track will do wonders for their sound, their energy will fill you up and leave you bouncing alongside the rest of the satisfied ears in the crowded audience. Silly Kissers provide modest hope for anyone with musical ambitions and a laptop, while still maintaining their momentum as a Montreal gem. Whether you’ve got steam to burn or a heart to warm, it’s worth checking them out on March 6 at The Friendship Cove, playing alongside Makeout Videotape, Homosexual Cops, High Rise 11, and Rat Tail.

The post Precious melodies appeared first on The McGill Daily.

Originally a juice bar, Crudessence reopened this past May as a restaurant. It has attracted a wide range of people and publicity, including features in nearly every Montreal newspaper, as well as a lengthy clip on CBC Radio. Cote describes his clientele as ranging from frequenting yogis to the wealthy women of Westmount, who don’t speak to anyone and order their food to go. Though the prices hit the higher end of a student budget, the food quality at Crudessence is undoubtedly worth the extra dollar or two.

“Eating raw food is about listening and being aware when you eat something. If you do this, you will naturally end up eating raw,” explains Cote. “It’s not about eating 100 per cent raw food. This movement has become far too dogmatic in this sense. If you try to do this, you’re going to find yourself in a freezer eating ice cream in the middle of the night.” Cote believes that our society is still stuck in a survival mode, and it is only when we realize that we can let this notion go that we can make peace with our health. He claims that unlike our parents and grandparents, our generation need not fear running out of food. It’s okay, he even dares to say, to feel a little hungry sometimes. “You’re not going to die tomorrow,” Cote laughs, and suggests that our society is painfully out of touch with our own bodies, as opposed to the profit-driven industries that benefit from preserving such ideas.

Cote claims that when eating a high percentage of raw foods, a university student couldn’t fall asleep in class if they tried. “It’s about efficiency, eating for energy. You no longer feel lethargic, and break away from habits of using food to numb yourself from your creative energy.” While such a movement can easily be dismissed as far too radical for many people’s liking, perhaps it’s what we need. “Eating raw food makes you responsible for your own life,” Cote claims. “Crudessence” roughly translates to “something that continues to grow larger.” But, to Cote, it means, “returning back to health, back to reality, back to raw.”

While it is easy to write this lifestyle off, we could all use a little more fresh food in our Kraft-laden diets. It is true that what we eat becomes a part of us, and even more apparent that what we eat dictates how we feel. After all, humans are the only animals that cook and process their food – and also the animals that suffer most from cancer, obesity, and diabetes. Perhaps the answer is to tune out the processed voice of Ronald McDonald, and tune into your own. Pop into Crudessence for a delicious smoothie, a raw meal, or a burst of inspiration and be a tad more kind to that precious body of yours.

Crudessence is located at 105 Rachel O.

The post Back to the basics appeared first on The McGill Daily.

The Pop Winds is comprised of McGill students Austin Milne and Devon Welsh and Concordia’s Kyle Bennett. Until now, the band has only recorded unofficial demos and what Kyle Bennett, the technical master of the group, describes as “highly incomplete works.” That will change tomorrow night, however.

Although they are all musically inclined, the band members’ personal styles could not be more varied. Bennett and Welsh have been playing together since the spring of 2007, whereas Milne only joined the group this past March. In the beginning, Welsh explains, everybody was on a completely different path. Technically unskilled, he was thrilled to watch as his organic sound was transformed by Bennett and his work in Electro-Acousics. The Electro-Acoustics program at Concordia is really, Bennett explains, a “philosophical breakdown of sound from a compositional perspective.” Though they hope it’s not apparent in their recent work, the band admits that they are heavily influenced by Animal Collective, although they’re quick to agree that this is, of course, a reflection of the nature of Bennett’s studies.

The Pop Winds, proud of how far they’ve come, are currently in the process of moving into a new rehearsal space. Their laughs are laced with fear and a tinge of unfinished business as they explain the constant war over their previous space. On one end of the rink stands the beer-soaked franco-rockers who Milne characterizes as “a mother’s nightmare.” On the other side, those behind the bursts of Sunday church music that can be heard leaking through the walls. If this is not enough to inspire sympathy for an earnest bunch of struggling artists, who knows what is?
When asked where they turn for inspiration, the boys speak as if they have an endless supply—a clear indication of a keen bunch of musicians. “Nothing inspires me more to make music than listening to music,” says Bennett. The band’s initial desire to play in Montreal was motivated by seeing local talent Andy White perform for the first time—an experience they still speak of with a distinct joie de vivre sparkling in their eyes. Bennett says this enthusiasm stems from the band’s early realization that “the most beautiful and innovative music is being made by the people around us.” Bennett wants to encourage creativity by “putting a filter on the audience’s mind that makes them feel really good.” Milne adds to this by affirming his belief that our generation needs to be inspired by seeing their peers creating art: “It’s easy to get caught up in academics and lose sight of how rich and beautiful life is.” The band collectively paused in response to the sincerity apparent in Milne’s voice. But they’re still not convinced that the corporate forces behind the production of much of today’s independent music take this into account.

Welsh suggests that the best way to access music is through the Internet. “No one should buy CDs,” agrees Milne. “Except ours,” the rest of the band clarifies, quick to point out the significant difference between buying a CD at a live show versus, say, at HMV. Perhaps my indie-defying radar is weakening as local bands continue to prove themselves worthy by adhering to the label we’ve given them — independent. With this in mind, I highly recommend checking out The Pop Wind’s EP Release Party, taking place on September 4 at Lab Synthèse. The cover is set at a modest $5 — very affordable now that you don’t have to buy your CDs at HMV.

The post Winds of indie change appeared first on The McGill Daily.