local herald issue 8

Vo l u m e 3 , I s s u e 8 , J u n e 1 5 , 2 0 1 2

THE HeraldLocalW e s t E n d ’ s C o m m u n i t y P a p e r

cont. p4

The Summer / BeerIssue When last I left Montreal

brewing baron Peter McAuslanseveral years ago (and, sure,we can call Geoff Molson abrewing baron, as well, buthe’s got loads of people doinghis brewing for him: McAuslanactually worked his own brewsas a teen before creating anexquisite mid-sized brewhausthat produces rather uniquelibations), we were talkingmusic. So, no shock here thatwe continued our discussionsome three years later, twomusic buffs… although I admitthat McAuslan probably knowsa lot more about obscurebands than I do. He also lovedthe fact that hot indie bandPlants & Animals would behitting the Montreal summerfestival circuit shortly.

I asked if he thought a fewbrews around the negotiatingtable would help bring thingsto a satisfactory conclusionbetween students and LiberalParty G-Men during thisinfamous “Season of theSquare” (see our editorial onp. 3). It would certainly putthe ‘party’ into the politics.

Cont’d p.7

McAuslan makes summer fun whatever the emotional atmosphere

Terrace St-Ambroise... YES, It’s time!!!Open 7 days a week, noon to 9 pm Award-Winning beer on

tap. Come out and join us!Upcoming Live-Music Happy Hours:

5080 St-Ambroise(along the Lachine Canal) Free Parking!Information [email protected] or 514-939-3060

June 16: 8 pm - Mama RosinJune 20: 5 pm - Kristen BussandriJuly 1: "4 à 8" - Jazz Apartment 5

Story and photos by Bram D. Eisenthal

he is not out to shut places down like some of the biggernewspaper critics are wont to do. unless, of course, their foodpoisons him. Then all bets are off! The new column is called TheFickle Foodie, by the way.

On seeing red

I have really had it with the spoiled, abusive and misguidedyouth parading on our streets and disrupting daily life the pastcouple of months. There is nothing positive about what they arecontributing to either constructive dialogue or rational thoughtand, as far as I am concerned, they are nothing but a bunch ofthugs. We all went to school, worked weekends throughout theyear and either we or our parents paid what amounts to thelowest tuition on this continent. Difference was, we weren’tspoiled brats and our parents taught us some values andmanners. Not this bunch – of parents or students – obviously.While I am far, far from impressed with the government of JeanCharest for its inept actions, I am very impressed with how hardour police have worked… kudos to them all (many of themhaven’t been out of school all that long themselves).Read myeditorial this issue for further comment.

pg. 2 - JuNe 15, 2012 - localheraldmontreal.com

Bram Eisenthal - The Local Seeker

The Local Herald, West End Montreal EditionVolume 3, Number 8, JUNE 15, 2012The Local Herald does not accept responsibility for errors,misprints or inaccuracies published within. The opinions andstatements of our columnists are not to be presumed as thestatements and opinions of The Local Herald.

For me, nostalgia is something that I feel in aparticularly strong way. And music is what jars mymemory most, whenever I hear songs from aparticular era. Our music columnist, CHOM’s SharonHyland, has written about this in her Liner Notescolumn. There are few groups that represent thenotion of Summer for me as tellingly as The BeeGees. When I think back to my favourite hot

summer days, it is an image of a scrawny 13-year old, lyingshirtless on his backyard lawn in NDG, slathered with baby oil as he friedunder the noonday sun and listened to Words and I Started a Joke, twoof The Brothers Gibb’s earliest and most beautifully-delivered hits. Thiswas decades before dermatologists apprised us of the notion ofmelanoma, you understand…

I sadly learned of the death of Robin Gibb (twin brother Maurice passedon in 2003) on Sunday, May 21, just as I was delivering this paper’s HealthIssue. Leaving the elder Barry Gibb the sole surviving member of thisonce-seminal band, this, much as the death of John Lennon and GeorgeHarrison had the same effect for The Beatles, guarantees that there willbe no more new opportunities to bathe in the sweet sounds of thisterrific group ever again. I had the opportunity to see The Bee Gees threetimes in the 1970s, starting with their Knights on Broadway Tour, at theMontreal Forum each time. And I’ll never forget them coming out onstage, each attired in disco white, as the disco ball flashed over theirheads and they performed that titular song. Robin’s mellifluous voice wasso unforgettable and, together, this trio was magical. Twenty years later,while in the Isle of Man on business, I was thrilled to learn that the ladswere born right there, in the capital city of Douglas. Their early success isalways linked to Oz, but it was here, in the land of cats with no tails andrams with three horns, that their musical aptitude was birthed.

Anyone interested in hearing a complete compilation of The Bee Gees’musical history, featuring hits, B-sides, solo efforts and even unreleasedmaterial, should look into purchasing the four-CD box set Tales from TheBrothers Gibb: A History in Song 1967 – 1990 (Polydor Records 1990). Iwill certainly listen to it raptly over and over again, as I celebrate thearrival of yet another summer. Rest in peace Maurice and Robin and,Barry, stay strong and stay alive, more than anything.

Summer is also about good times

And good times are often accompanied by beer, not my favouritelibation (that would be good red wine), but certainly the winner of thepopularity contest for alcoholic beverages, I venture to guess. I am verypleased to welcome McAuslan Brewing to our pages once again. PeterMcAuslan generously agreed to advertise in our very first issue and forthat I was most appreciative. I had profiled him for one of my Briefly Bramcolumns in The Monitor and had spent a really fun 90 minutes with himon that occasion. I hope my cover story gives you even a smidgeon of ahint as to what a friendly, outgoing and humble sort of man he is,because he is certainly all of that and more. Thanks for rejoining the fold,Peter! Thanks, too, to Margo Pollock, his marketing manager, for her helpin making this happen. Margo is pretty tireless, so maybe she should takea break and relax a while on the McAuslan Terrace right out back?

New restaurant reviews

We are most honoured to welcome Justin Welks, as our first restaurantcritic. I believe that makes Justin the first professional chef-restaurateurto write a restaurant critique in the city, perhaps. But whether that is factor fiction, Justin certainly knows his stuff, so you can take his commentswith more than the requisite grain of salt. He is also a kind guy, meaning

Managing Editor: Bram Eisenthal Creative Design: Julia Lucio

OUR CONTACT INFORMATIONFree Classifieds and Advertising: 514-975-7745

EMAIL: [email protected] localheraldmontreal.com

Mailing Address: 327 2nd Street E. Cornwall, On. K6H 1Y8

Summer is about three Manx lads who made beautiful music together

EDITORIALS

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localheraldmontreal.com - JuNe 15, 2012 - pg. 3

EDITORIAL

Musings on Quebec’sembarrassing “Seasonof the Square”When I was a kid, like so manyhundreds of thousands of others, Iwould watch California-born actorGeorge Reeves (George KeeferBrewer) romping around in tightsand a cape on TV’s The Adventures ofSuperman. The show was onlyproduced from 1952 – 1958 andReeves killed himself in 1959, so Iwas watching re-runs as a young boy,but what mattered most was thatwe kids all bought into our hero’santics, his super-powers and hispursuit of “truth, justice and theAmerican way.” Wee folk simplyrespected and admired authorityback then. Boy, how times havechanged.

The generation of teens we witnessdaily flaunting authority and takingQuebec society hostage for an unjustcause is nothing to be awed or proudof. It’s downright embarrassing andwhat’s worse is the support they aregetting from many adults who shouldknow better. Agree or disagree withthe Charest government’s politics orhis mis-handling of the situation –and, yes, I think he has beenincredibly feeble regarding thismatter, but then again I think societyhas painted itself into a uselesscorner regarding its inability to givekids as much as a good old fashionedspanking – but Bill 78 is about theonly good thing it has accomplishedso far. How did you think thegovernment would respond as ouroverburdened police force facesdown a large group of incrediblyspoiled and badly-behaved (includingthe liberal use of violence) bratsrunning amok night after night? Cavein and allow them to pay pennies perday for tuition when students herealready pay less than virtuallyeveryone else their age, elsewhere?

You know, I attended the final musicalconcert of the season at FACE highschool two weeks ago and, as usual,the performances were nothingshort of incredible - bravo, teachers,bravo! But what tweaked me in areally bad way was the numbers ofstudents (and teachers, too!) onstage wearing red squares in supportof the protesting student thugs. Iwanted to grab each one of theseaffected students and severely shakethem, as I explained that this is not alesson to take with you from yourteen years into adulthood. Throwing

a fit because you don’t get yourway is nothing but bad manners,not a shining example of “truth,justice and the (Canadian) way.”There are young people aroundthe world putting their lives on theline to protect their society’sfreedoms and laws. They are myheroes, not this sordid bunch.

See, that’s the problem. Kids arespoiled to death by parentsnowadays, the worst punishmentfor bad behaviour the institution of“quiet time,” telling them to go totheir room, and if Charest haddone nothing at all, this nonsensewould have escalated into a stiflinganarchy that would haveoverwhelmed our entire society.Personally, I would have called inthe army very early on and I’mquite sure that, had one of mypersonal all-time great leaders,Pierre Elliot Trudeau, been PrimeMinister of Canada today, he wouldhave imposed War Measures ActPart Deux on Quebec handsdown. Stephen Harper being thesort of leader who sticks to hisguns and doesn’t pander to votes, Iam really surprised this has not yetoccurred. But I’d sure like to be afly on the wall during the timesHarper and Charest haveconversed about this mess.

But I digress. What gets me most isthe fact that these students (and,Montreal indie band Arcade Fire,stick to your exquisite music, tourthe world and mind your ownbusiness… it’s easy to supportthese students when you’reeducated, paid your minimalQuebec tuition and are now multi-millionaires, huh?) chose red astheir “badge of rage.” As just aboutanyone with a pulse or a brainknows, Superman has alwayssported a red cape, ever since hiscreation by Jerry Siegel and JoeShuster in the 1930s. Red is apretty powerful colour and insome cultures - Roumanian andChinese come vividly to mind – itdenotes good luck. Red is also thecolour of love and happiness, but ofevil, too. The Nazi flag was red.Which emotion do you think the

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red square in question will foreverevoke in the minds of many whenwe recall the Season of the Squareyears from now? For me, thisparticular red is tainted, an evil,nasty thing.

As a huge Superman buff, however,I have one treasured collectible Igaze at fondly just about every day,as it hangs framed on my wall. It’s ared raw silk square, numbered 670of 1,000 such squares purportedlycut from one of the actual capesworn by Reeves on the set of hislegendary TV show. I will continueto use this square as acounterbalance for the bad feelings

thrust upon us daily the past fewmonths. The collectible alsoreminds me that childhood shouldbe an innocent pursuit…. But Iguess that’s all gone now, isn’t it, ascriminality has replaced innocenceas that demographic’s modusoperandi.

This matter is repugnant and uglyand there is not one single validjustification for it in a civilizedsociety. Shame and red go hand-in-hand on this one.

Bram EisenthalEditor


CUISINE

The Ficke Foodie

RestaurantFaberge

“What`s forbreakfast?” - Theclarion call to actionfor probably themost popular andfussed over meal of

the day. Everybody loves breakfast,especially on weekends, and boy are weparticular about how we like themserved: Bacon crisped just right, toastbroiled to the exact shade of done andlets not forget buttered or dry etc., etc.,and God help the person who doesn’tserve it exactly as ordered...banned tobreakfast oblivion!

During our massive economic downturnof the past several years restaurants havebeen hit badly, with fewer diners eatingout on a lot fewer occasions. The onecategory of restaurant that seems to havenot only survived this economic calamitybut may have even increased their ranksslightly are those eateries specializing inbreakfast and brunch.. They now come inall shapes and sizes and all employdifferent and sometimes extrememarketing gimmicks to lure us in the door.Most of them are a far cry from thoseoriginal breakfast landmarks that preyedupon our early morning cravings and gaveus relief from that all too prevalent latenight out... Beauty`s and Cosmos comequickly to mind.

Weekend brunch or breakfast is now awell entrenched occasion for familyoutings and we are all very, very loyal toour local purveyor of this iconic meal. Weusually know the restaurant owner (or atleast we pretend we do), the staff greetsus by our first name and the cooks finallyunderstand that we like our eggs cookeda certain way. All this wonderfulcamaraderie is very hard to do without. Itjust feels too much like home.Newcomers have to devise clevermarketing mantras to coerce us to sampletheir wares, but it’s not easy. It takes a lotto break this breakfast bond!St Laurent Boulevard, like many ofMontreal’s fabled haunts, has given up itsguts for glamour. It now boasts manytrendy restos, bars and cafes. Thistransformation is no less apparent thanon the Mile End stretch of this now“trendified” boulevard of dreams.

Faberge is situated on Fairmount Ave justwest of St Laurent. It immediately evokes,as its logo suggests, an image of one ofthose very expensive jewel-bedecked eggssitting in a shatterproof glass cabinet atTiffany`s. At first sight Faberge seems a bitincongruous in this mainly Duddy Kravitz

neighbourhood deliciously enveloped with the everpresent and come-hither wafts of freshly bakedbagels from Fairmount Bagel and the sinful aroma ofheart pounding fried deli meats in the WilenskySpecial served right across the street. Faberge`swebsite immediately invokes its special marketingniche...``We serve your breakfast in a comfortablelounge atmosphere.`` Sounds nice...cozy. Enough toperhaps gently nudge you awake that dull morningafter the night-before fog that still hangs over you.Maybe, just maybe, even enough to commit adreaded act of betrayal.

Faberge doesn’t take general reservations. Therewere four of us, we were warmly and quicklygreeted at the door and once a booth was cleared,we were seated and given menus. The menu isextensive with all the regular breakfast dishes, manywith added creative and appetising twists. They alsooffer some specialty dishes: Eggs In A Nest ($12)includes two eggs nestled in thick slices of freshlybaked cheese bread, Mediterranean Eggs Benedict($13) that includes two poached eggs served onphyllo pastry with spinach feta and hollandaise sauceand an intriguing Breakfast Poutine ($7) thatincludes potatoes, peppers, hollandaise, caramelizedonions, cheese curds and one egg any style. Sausageham or bacon can be added for an extra $2.

At first glance two things stand out about the menu.First the prices: They are very reasonable whencompared to some other places that unfortunatelyinflate their prices somehow predicating that higherprices reflect better quality...come on people we`retalking eggs here, not foie gras!

A nice added bonus, the menu indicates that all theireggs are organic. The menu choices include Eggsanyway, Omelettes, Eggs Benedict, Waffles, CrepesP a n c a k e s ,B r e a k f a s tS a n d w i c h e s ,S p e c i a l t yDishes andthere is also ab l a c k b o a r dfeaturing DailySpecials.

We orderedEggs in a Nest.The BreakfastPoutine, AH a m ,Mushroom andC h e d d a rOmelette ($11for three ingredients. Extra ingredients are $1) anda Kids Scrambled Eggs and Bacon ($5). Service wasgreat, attentive and friendly. We were offered a drinkas soon as we were seated and coffee refills werereadily available throughout the meal. Although therestaurant was full our food arrived with littledelay...Now to the food.

With so many restaurants in the city offeringbreakfast and brunch it is, in my opinion, so veryimportant to master the little things that make a

difference between a good breakfast and afantastic breakfast. These are the little thingsthat make you standout from your competitionand enable you to build a regular and loyalclientele. Let’s face it there only so many waysto cook an egg and it should be pretty hard toscrew it up. One of those little but importantthings are the potatoes that accompany all theegg dishes...Alas, the potatoes we were servedat Faberge failed miserably. What we wereserved looked and tasted like deep friedchunky nacho chips. Instead of taking the easyway out of popping the potatoes in the deepfryer and sprinkling them with an obnoxiouscommercial BBQ spice, they could have spenta little time and effort sautéing them slowlywith some of the caramelised onions, sweetpeppers fresh herbs and spices...elevating themto a true comfort food proud to accompanyevery dish!

On a positive note, it was very nice to beserved a cup of really fresh fruit chunks witheach meal instead of the ubiquitous slice oforange or melon and sprig of parsley...nicetouch. Eggs in a Nest were okay, the slice ofcheese bread could have been thicker andgrilled or toasted more to give the dish theadded crunch and texture needed.. TheBreakfast Poutine, however, faired badly,unfortunately, as the above mentionedpotatoes were the main ingredient. The cheesecurds and eggs were great, but theaccompanying hollandaise sauce had the tasteand consistency of a commercial hollandaisemix (another little thing). The real thing is somuch better!

My omelette was very well cooked, deliciousand moist with all theingredients plentiful andcooked perfectly. Thecheddar cheese waslovingly melted and wasslowly oozing out thesides...yum!

All in all, Faberge offers anokay breakfast in warm andcomfortable surroundingswith cheerful andprofessional service. A littlemore attention to the littlethings could really do itsexcellent and creativemenu the justice itdeserves. In so doing it

would go a long way to guaranteeing itself aloyal following in this very competitivecategory.

Faberge is open Mon to Fri. 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sat &Sun 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Address: 25 Fairmount AveWest. Tel: 514 903-6649. Email;[email protected] Credit cards and Interacare accepted. Licensed. No general reservations.Private Party Reservations are accepted [email protected].

The Fickle Foodie by

Justin Welks


Chef Cayennewith Chef Michael Minorgan

Mole..... a Mexican classic!

When our editor came to us and said that thisissue was going to be all about beer, dozens ofrecipes and foods came to mind that incorporatedthis wonderful quencher of all things hot andsummery. Coincidently before this editorial edictarose I had already set my mind and pen on visitingMexico and exploring its wonderful cuisine. Wealready know that Mexico makes great beers, someof them very popular right here in Montreal,Corona and Sol just to mention two. Not to bedeterred from my original aim, I discovered thatMexican cuisine can indeed be greatly enhanced bythe addition of beer of all varieties. Mexico’snational dish, the mole sauce, is a great canvass forthe addition of richly flavoured beers greatlyenriching the sweet and spicy flavours of thesemagnificent sauces.

Mole sauce is most common in two Mexican statesPuebla and Oaxaca. There are several differentvarieties of moles, mole poblano (the classic mole),mole negro, mole verde, mole coloradita (enchiladasauce), mole pipian just to name a few. Whatevername is given to these different moles they all haveone thing in common: They all include a mix of upto 20 ingredients grouped into five distinctcategories; chillies; tomatillos (sour); sweet (driedfruits and sugars); spices; and thickeners (nuts andtortillas).

All the ingredients are roasted and ground into a

powder or paste depending on the ingredientsused. Moles are by definition a labour of love tomake, but are well worth the effort as they canbe frozen and stored for future use once theyare made. They are extremely labour intensiveand usually take at least a day to make properlyand, as with many traditional dishes of othercountries, each family will have its own versionof a mole and will pass these recipes down fromgeneration to generation.

Due to labour and time involved similar to themaking of curry pastes in Thailand most molesare now available as pastes sold by the kilo inlocal stores in Mexico and are shipped to otherworld markets. Mole poblano, probably thebest-known mole, is ranked number one inMexico and has been called the national dish ofMexico. It is a deep dark brown and containsabout 20 ingredients including a final finishingwith Mexican chocolate to round out the heatof the chillies. It is often typically served overturkey at festive occasions such as Cinco deMayo.

The state of Oaxaca is home to a variety ofmoles and is often called the `land of the sevenmoles.’ All are coloured and flavoured by theuse of distinctive native chillies and herbs. Thebest known Oaxacan mole is mole negro, muchdarker than mole poblano but equally rich andflavourful. It gets its distinctive flavour from theaddition of the plant hoja santa. It is the mostcomplex and difficult to make. Mole verde in

contrast is a much milder version always madewith the addition of traditional native herbs.

Mole by its very nature is a very versatile sauceand is fun to experiment with, providing youremain loyal to the five distinct categories ofingredients described above.

On occasion I have made a yellow mole toaccompany grilled yellow fin tuna...delicious! Thishomemade variety gets its color and some of itsflavour from grilled sweet yellow peppers andripe mangoes. All ingredients for making mole arereadily available from local Mexican or Latin foodstores in Montreal,

Don’t be afraid to be a bit adventurous whenmaking these amazing sauces because, as withmany famous dishes, we celebrate today themoles said to have had their origins accidentally.

These are some local stores that sell theseproducts· Libreria Espanola, 3811 boul St-Laurent, · Boucherie Mondiale, 7130 Casgrain · Andes Market, 4387 boul St-LaurentHere is a great recipe for mole using beer as afantastic flavour enhancer…enjoy!

Michael MinorganEmail: [email protected]: www.chefmichel-concepts.com

For the Chicken6 boneless chicken thigh fillets1 tsp kosher or sea salt2 tbsp vegetable oil1/cup Stout beer such as Guiness12 tortillasmozzarella cheese grated

For the Mole3 dried ancho chillies, stem and seeds removed3 dried anaheim chillies, stem and seeds removed2 dried guajillo chillies, stem and seeds removed6 prunes1 stick cinnamon1 cup Stout Beer such as Guiness1/2 cup of chicken stock1/4 cup dry roasted almonds or other nuts2 tbs vegetable oil1 cup onions, chopped coarsely4 cloves of garlic, chopped1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate3/4 cup chicken broth1/4 cup tomato puree1 tsp smoked paprika

2 tbs palm sugar1 tbs creamy peanut butter

Toppings (optional)1/2 cup mexican crema2 tbs chopped green onionsIn a pot over medium heat, at the 3 types of dried chillies, theprunes, cinnamon stick, 1 cup beer and enough water to submergethe chillies. Bring to a boil, cover and remove from heat. Allow tosoak, covered for 20 minutes.

In a skillet, add the almonds or other nuts and toast over high heat,tossing frequently and careful not to burn or scorch, remove fromskillet and add to a food processor. In the same skillet, add thevegetable oil and allow to get hot but not smoking. Add the onionsand sauté until translucent, add the garlic and cook for about 30seconds. Add to the food processor.

In a pot over medium high heat, add the beer, chicken broth andchocolate. Cook until the chocolate has melted, stirring frequently.Once the chocolate has melted, add the contents of the pot to thefood processor along with the tomato puree, smoked paprika, sugarand peanut butter. Remove the chillies and the prunes that havebeen soaking from the pot and add to the food processor, discardthe cinnamon stick. Turn the food processor on and puree until

smooth, about five minutes. Add a bit of thesoaking liquid from the pot containing thechillies to achieve the right consistency.Strain the sauce and return the mole to apot on the stove to keep warm, addingmore soaking liquid or chicken stock tothin if mole starts to thicken.To make the chicken:

Sprinkle each side of the chicken thighfillets with salt. Heat the olive oil in a potover medium high heat. Add the chickenthighs and cook on each side until slightlybrowned. Add enough beer to barely coverthe chicken, cover and reduce heat tomaintain a low simmer. Allow to simmeruntil cooked through, about 20 minutes.Remove chicken from pan and shred withtwo forks.

Fill warm tortillas with shredded chicken,and cheese, roll and place 3 or four on eachplate. Top with mole sauce, mexican cremaand green onions.

Beer Braised Enchiladas with Beer Mole


Beer tastes good

Mmmm beer. It reminds me of HomerSimpson. I can't remember drinking my firstbeer but I am sure I did not like it. As anunderage teenager I quickly learned theeffects that beer could have on one's self. Itintrigued me and I realized if I wanted to

experience those effects I needed to get over my distaste forbeer and learn to drink it.

Perhaps my intentions for developing a relationship with beerwere dumb but nowadays I really love the taste of beer. In myuniversity days I was big on local micro breweries. My favoritewas Belle Gueule. am sure there was another one but oddlyenough I can’t remember. Then I started drinking the Europeantypes and settled on red, Rickard’s Red! If I ever find myself ata bar these days I opt for Sleeman.I know I have gotten boring.

Nutritionally speaking, there is nothing healthy about beer. Itcontains calories derived from sugar alcohols which do notcontribute to a healthy diet. Consider beer a treat and not aneveryday thing. In fact, it's worth reminding readers that therecommended daily intake for beer for women is a 12 ouncebottle and for men it's 2 bottles. Drinking more thanrecommended is associated with increase risk for manydiseases.

A bottle of beer could set you back between 100-200 calories.Not good if you are trying to watch the waistline. Everybodyhas their vices. Beer and alcoholic beverages are vices just likecheesecake, chips and chocolate. I've said it before and I will sayit again, everything in moderation is the way to go.

I truly do love the taste of beer but I don't need the extracalories or the loopy feeling I get from drinking 1 bottle. Tomost people, this will amount to blasphemy but keep in mind Ido try to set an example. I drink non-alcoholic beer. It tastesgreat and it costs me 50 calories a bottle. Nothing beats a tastynon-alcoholic beer on a hot summer day hanging out withfriends.

Caryn J. Roll P.Dt. (514.817.0135)Twitter: @MTRLnutrition Join me on Facebookwww.montrealnutrition.com

Whole Wheat Roll by Caryn Roll

The spirit of summer

(ARA) - Everything about summer should be fun, including thefood. But if you always serve the same old burgers and potatosalad, or hot dogs and coleslaw, your get-togethers could start tofeel stale. Never fear: a few simple tips can really amp up yoursummer festivities. If you're looking to add some new flavor toyour summer celebrations, consider these ideas:

Summer is the peak selling season for beer. If you and yourfriends enjoy a nice, cold brew on a hot summer day, why notreally celebrate the spirit of summer with a beer tasting party?Get the crew together and host a beer tasting where everyonebrings their favorite beer to share. For an added variation, try ablind tasting and ask the guests to name the different beervarieties. Or, visit your local spirits store for some advice andserve up a selection of local/regional beers along with favoritedishes from those areas. Your local grocery store may also have an interesting selection of beers from around theworld if you want to add an international flair to your party. Remember to drink responsibly and have a safetransportation plan in place for all those who participate in the fun.

Photo: clipart.com illustrative purpose only

www.royalafricanstores.com

(Continued from cover)“Well, consuming beer together is like areligious communal event,” he admitted.“It’s a lot like the concept of ‘fire’ has beenthroughout history that way. And it’s aboutgood times, as long as it’s consumed inreasonable enough quantities… or evenunreasonable enough quantitiessometimes,” he added with a good-naturedchuckle.

He also shared the thought that studentslikely have consumed their fair share ofbeer during the two months and countingthey have been marching and rabble-rousing… but then again, he also felt thattheir controversial actions are inherent inthe nature of being a student. “I hopethings turn out well eventually,” he stated.“even though it isn’t much fun for anyoneright now.”

I confess I am not much of a beer lover andI told McAuslan as much. I’m just not a fanof that bitter hopsy taste, but a chilled,flavoured St. Ambroise goes down just perfectlyfor me with a pizza or any other meal.The extremely humble and gregariously friendlyMcAuslan understood completely. “I startedbrewing beer as a teen at home,” McAuslan toldme. “At first, I found the taste… well, unusual….But I developed ‘a taste’ for it eventually. “Noteveryone does. You learn to like it or you don’t.”He then recalled that there was never beer in thefridge at home, though his mother made “amemorable dandelion wine. And my brotherliked to experiment with fermentation. Therewas certainly a family interest in beer around meas I grew up.”

Growing up for McAuslan meant living inLachine and attending Sir George Williamsuniversity (now the Sir George Williams campusof Concordia), graduating with a general artsdegree. Interestingly enough, he can probably

understand student unrest more than manyother people because he personally witnessedthe infamous Sir George Williams computer riotin 1969 that has branded the university with aradical tag ever since. What’s interesting is thatMcAuslan Brewing opened in January 1989,almost 20 years to the day after the computerriot began. Point-counterpoint, perhaps?

Montreal’s Festival season is a period whereMcAuslan himself is more than a little radicalhimself: He is a patron saint of good times ifever there was one. Since there is already a SaintPeter, how does Saint McAuslan sound, or isthat too blasphemous to ask?“The arts is a toughed-up business, it gives

everyone a tremendous amount of personalsatisfaction and doesn’t cost a great deal ofmoney to support,” McAuslan told me duringthat first interview several years ago, when wewere discussing the perennially-problematic

empress Theatre situation and Prime MinisterHarper’s apparent disdain for culture. Andsupport McAuslan does, lending his talents,his passion, his brews and certainly his moneyto many projects annually.

Indie festivals continue to survive thanks tohim and just walk around to the back of hisbrewery and see the lovely terrace where youcan while away your summer days sipping ice-cold beers such as St. Ambroise Apricot orseasonally-limited Raspberry beers, whilemunching on barbecued burgers and hotdogs.

Revisiting music again, that likely explains hispassion for music festivals. McAuslan “collectsalternative music... it ties in to the type of beerwe make” (check out hip hoppers Hollarado,he invited us last time out) and he is also avoracious reader. Amongst other festivals, he

supports the St. Ambroise FringeFestival, the Folk Festival on the Canaland the POP Montreal Music Festival.

Peter McAuslan is all about fun and hetakes that extremely seriously.Regardless of the strains and stressesthat may affect us in these challengingtimes, he makes it possible to still havea great time. Here’s drinking to that anda happy summer season to you all!

The St.Ambroise Terrace is an amazinglycool place to relax. Located on the edge ofthe Lachine Canal, just behind thebrewery (which is at 5080 St-Ambroise inthe St-Henri district) and off the well-travelled bike path, it features an outdoorseating area with a fabulous canal viewand a sense of outdoor serenity awayfrom civilization. Enjoy a tasty, thirst-quenching McAuslan brew, a barbecuedburger or chien-chaud and more!

McAuslan makes summer fun

whatever the emotional

atmosphere


Five rules forbuying aforeclosureor short salew i t hconfidence

(ARA) –Some analystssay the rebound hasbegun and homeprices may rise by theend of 2012. Thismeans now may bebuyers’ last chance totake advantage ofaffordable propertiesand low interestrates. If you want toscore a bargainbefore the housingmarket recovers,you’ll need to follow afew rules to investwith certainty.

Rule 1: Positionyourself for success

Before starting yoursearch, getpreapproved for amortgage. Work withan experienced realestate agent who canhelp guide youthrough the dauntingsea of foreclosuresand short sales.

Rule 2: Do yourresearch

Work with your agent to ensure the contract requires anydelinquent taxes, liens or assessments will be paid prior to youtaking ownership of the property.

Rule 3: Always get a home inspection

An inspector will visually examine the condition of the home’sroof, attic and insulation, foundation, basement and structuralcomponents, as well as interior plumbing and electrical systems.Be sure to find an ASHI-Certified Inspector (ACI) to ensure yourinspector is experienced, as many states have minimal licensingrequirements.

Rule 4: Budget for repairs

After receiving your inspection report, you can estimate costsassociated with necessary repairs, maintenance or energy-efficient improvements.

Rule 5: Assess the neighborhood

Location should be a top consideration when purchasing realestate.

These days, everyreal estate articlehas peopleconvinced to buyextra property tobecome mavens.

u n f o r t u n a t e l y ,they don't always tell you thepotential pitfalls. So here theyare…. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Tenants: Many people look atrental income without checking thehistory of the tenants. Manytenants have shoddy credithistories so it is important to checkcredit bureaus and get referenceletters. Bad tenants can make yourlife a living hell by not paying youand it takes forever to kick them

out. Quebec Rental Board laws favourtenants and even if they don't pay, youcan't kick them out right away. You cannotrely on rental income to pay yourmortgage and you cannot tell your bankthat you can't pay your monthly mortgagepayment because your tenant hasn't paidyou. That excuse holds no weight. Also, ifyour tenants need minor renovations orhave plumbing/electrical issues, you areresponsible for taking care of the cost.

Rent increase: unless you can show youhave done major renovations, you can onlyincrease rents by approximately 2% peryear. There are strict laws regarding this, sobeware of this as well.

Capital Gains: When you own a propertythat is not 100% owner-occupied, keep inmind that you will pay a capital gains taxwhen you sell it. It is best to speak to anaccountant regarding how much you willpay, but factor this in before thinking youwill flip a house for a quick profit withoutthe government getting their cut.Being arental property owner can be veryrewarding, but it is important to make sureyou do your homework before making alarge financial decision like buying a newhome.

Jason Zuckermanwww.mortgageratesmontreal.com

Hypotheca Mortgage Brokers

(514) 771-1352 /1-800- 206-1350

[email protected]

Mortgag

e M

atters

Do your homework before buying rental property


FINANCE & REAL ESTATE

Home Sweet Home


SPIRITUALITYSpiritual Seedlings

- Father John Walsh

Marriages are made on Earth

June has traditionally been the month of weddings. Thousands ofdigital photographs need to be scanned and thebest chosen for the wedding album. Mary and Johnwere meant to be together: Their marriage wasmade in heaven. Myth-busting time! Marriages aremade here on earth. And great care must be takento prepare couples for a marriage that lasts “untildeath we do part.” Marriage preparation is notfound at the top of a young couple’s list of thingsto do prior to the “big” day.

The church, synagogue and mosque make certaindemands on the couple to prepare for marriage but the news is usuallyreceived with a ho-hum attitude. Get it out of the way! How could aone day or a one-weekend of “marriage prep” prepare younger or oldercouples for a lifetime together? They begin to live as a married couple,think of bringing children into the world, build a family and stillmaintain all of one’s commitments to the new extended families and tocommunity.

The fact that more than 50 percent of couples live together withoutmarriage means they have absolutely no preparation for marriage and,when more than 50 percent of children are born outside wedlock, wecan see how efficiently marriages are made on earth. Is it not time torethink what “marriages without adequate preparation” means for all of

society? People are free to make whatever choices they deemreasonable for themselves, but no one lives in total isolation from one’sneighbours and one’s community. We are relational creatures and ourrelationships depend on our outlook on marriage and the family.

In the nitty-gritty of life on earth there is a whole plethora ofpreparations needed before the bells ring out. Would it not be a goodidea for a couple to spend time with a psychologist or a psychotherapistto actually see the level of their compatibility? Why wait to plead fordivorce on the grounds of incompatibility? One man startled me whenhe said, ”I have brought up three kids but what results did I expect whenI never even trained a dog!” Would it not be important to complete aparenting course before actually having to parent a child or two orthree?

It is said the character of a child is formed before the age of five years.Would it not be important to learn about child development before it istoo late? The healthy approach to growth is holistic. Would there notbe time to study Maslow’s five stages of healthy progress toward self-realization? Marriages are made on earth and those who think it ismade in heaven and all will therefore go well have rose-colored glasseson and see marriage as pie in the sky. The spiritual nature of familyrequires exploration. Should a couple not set aside large amounts oftime and silence to contemplate the meaning of faith? No couple orfamily can survive alone - life is about community-living.

For heaven’s sake… marriages are made on earth.


Photo Credit Bram Eisenthal.

If we had our own licence plate, it might read "The West End: Yours toDiscover." Here are a few highlights of some of my favourite localestablishments in the area: By far not a comprehensive reflection ofthe rich and diversecultural communitiesthat make up the WestEnd, it does give a tasteof what's todiscover, right here athome, this summer.

Our romp begins early inthe morning where Igrab a bagel at MaisonBagel House in CoteSaint-Luc. Thankfullythey open early (6:30a.m. - closed Tuesdays),and it's about fresh,warm bagels all day long. Never have I tasted such a deliciousMultigrain bagel that truly lives up to its name. Other popularchoices are Carrot, Cinnamon and Raisin, Spicy Bagel, and ofcourse “the traditionals,” like Sesame and Poppy, that fill adoughy chute surely meant to be a direct route to heaven (Cote-des-Neiges residents take heart: there's a Bagel House location inCote-des-Neiges Plaza, too).

For coffee, I head on over to Cafe 92° in NDG, where coffee-making is elevated to an exact but unpretentious art and scienceby the wonderful people who work here. Forego the to-go, anddrink your coffee in-house (or outside on the terrace) if you can,to fully appreciate the exact care (and temperature) with whichyour espresso/cappuccino/cafe latte was made. If it's a reallyhot day, you might be persuaded to enjoy a glace, or even aflotteur, with ice cream. At this unique café, regulars actuallyhave their own individual mugs housed on a special little shelf.How cute is that?

In Montreal West by lunchtime and its straight ahead to Burgerde Ville, where highest quality ingredients and superiorgrilling, combined with an atmosphere that sings of "local,"make it hands-down my favourite burgers'n fries joint. I biteinto a perfectly juicy burger with a choice of free toppings thatrange from the classic ketchup, mustard, relish to wilder declarations ofcarmelized onion, sauteed mushroom and harrisa mayo. When I am

feeling vegetarian (which is more often than not), I am blessed toenjoy one of the tastiest veggie burgers around. This is also theplace for fresh-cut fries and plentiful poutine with homemade sauce

(students, you get a weekday special 12-2).

In Westmount, lunch happens at Chez Nick. There isjust nowhere else to be when it comes to meeting goodfriends, old and new, in a convivial atmosphere whereyou are really made to feel at home. The food isconsistently fresh and delicious and, if you're like me,you'll walk in and be embraced by the warmth andlaughter that fills the place. Here, staff treat you withcourtesy, there is a personal touch to everything andyou might find that you'll want to stay a while, or comeback again tomorrow. With so much on the menu tochoose from, I opt for local and order The MountPleasant; a pleasingly scrumptious sandwich withbrie, apple, tomato and alfalfa on Black Russian. Ifyou're in the mood for a salad, try something from theGreens on the Avenue section, like the new and

popular Nick's Cobb Salad. Really hungry? Tom's Favourite, for

roast beef, andThe Rubin, for smoked meat, are some of this restaurant's best

Lifestyle and TravelEating the West End

by Chantalle Kudsi Enjoy spicy, sweet and savoury: Devouring the West End in 24 hours


sellers.

It’s lunchtime in Cote-des-Neiges and there's trafficeverywhere. I make mygetaway to a nice terracetucked away from thehustle and bustle, andenjoy some authenticVietnamese and Thaicuisine at La Saigonaise.Here, food is prepared thetraditional way, withoutadditives like MSG orother short cuts.In today's trend of Asianfast-food, that's goodnews, and your taste budswill recognize thedifference. Ordering acombo from the Lunch menu today, a vegetable soup, with clear brothmade from scratch, arrives at my table within minutes; it is both light andflavourful. When the main course of Lemongrass Beef arrives, it's tenderand delicious, and the sizeable Imperial roll is beautifully flaky. The crispside salad topped with bean sprouts is a perfect accompaniment.From first bite to last, my tongue tingles with blends of sweet andsavoury. And don't pass on the almond cookie, which is included withcoffee or tea, because it, too, is delightful.

By mid-afternoon, I'm looking for something sweet to eat in NDG. Say nomore: I'm a Rockaberry girl. I waitressed there over a decade ago and itstuck. The assortment of pies and tarts are unmatched, as far as I'mconcerned. And while there's Banana Split au Chocolate and Oreo Cheeseto tempt you, I go for my all time favourite, Apple a la Mode. The pie isjam-packed with real apples, the crust is so flavourful, and the wholeexperience issurprisingly not overlysugary. Warmed withvanilla ice-cream and allis well with the world.Rockashake anyone?Maybe Cappuccino orMocha will do the trickon a hot afternoon.There's a comfortableand cozy interior set inclassic beige and wood,but Vive la Terrace!: It'sgreat for people-watching, too.

To the terrace again for dinner, this time in Snowdon adjacent Hampstead(which isn't zoned for restaurants), at the bustling Greek hot spot betterknown as Estiatorio Yia Sou. Now this place is festive and it's hard not tojoin in on the fun when you're here. Start things off with a choice fromtheir wine menu, followed by mouthwatering appetizers to share. I go forthe Skordalia (potato puree with lots of garlic and olive oil) as well as theKopanisti (feta and red pepper puree), but why not really make it mezze-style and order a Pikilia that offers a sample of (almost) everything? Eventhen, you'll have choices to make, as the Pikilia comes either cold, hot, orseafood, covering such dishes as Tzatziki and Dolmades, Authentic Gyro(sliced rotisserie pork with lamb filets) and Pork Sausage, and GrilledOctopus and Fried Calamari, respectively. Main platters will likewise findsomething for everyone, from Chicken Brochette to Souvlakis, GrilledLamb Chops to Surf'n Turf, Fresh Fish to Greek Salad...which, by theway, is generously doled out with thick, chunky pieces of cucumber,tomato, green pepper, and onion, accompanying the crumbled feta and, ofcourse, kalamata olives.

When nothing but a taste of the Carribean will satisfy, it's dinnerat Anancy Restaurant back in NDG. BYO wine or beer in this welcomingestablishment with crimson walls and mood lighting. Whether it's reggaeor '70s favourites playing on the sound system, you will slip into thegroove while enjoying a selection of the menu's most delectabledishes. From Grilled Jerk Chicken that fires it up, to Jamaica's Nationaldish of Ackee & Salt Fish that melts in your mouth, I don't want to passup a thing. Mashed potatoes are divine, as are juicy bites of fried plantainwith veggies done to perfection. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.Start things off with an appetizer like Codfish fritters or Devil onHorseback (plantain wrapped in bacon) before enjoying your soup thatcomes with the main meal of, say, Rum Barbequed Pork Side Ribs.Vegetarians are in luck because the marvelous rotis will both satisfy andprove filling. And one of my greatest recent discoveries? Homemadeginger beer with a hint of clove - If you enjoy the bottled stuff, you mustgive this a try!

Maison Bagel House: 5452 Westminster Ave (CSL), 514-439-1467 and 6700 Cote-des-Neiges Blvd (CDN), 514-344-8540

Cafe 92° : 6703 Sherbrooke West (NDG), 514-750-4392

Burger de Ville: Westminster Ave North (MW), 514-564-9902

Chez Nick: 1377 Greene Ave (WSMT), 514-935-0946

La Saigonaise: 5711 Cote-Des-Neiges Blvd (CDN), 514-344-4952

Rockaberry: 5557 Monkland Ave (NDG), 514-487-6252

Estiatorio Yia Sou: 5375 Queen Mary Rd (SNDN), 514-488-4222

Anancy Restaurant: 6587 Somerled Ave (NDG), 514-486-2629

ENTERTAINMENTHollywood’s declining dalliance withsubstance abuse

When it comes to alcohol and drugs, Hollywoodmovies have always had an ambivalent attitudetoward the products, much like the countryitself. From prohibition to the war on drugs, theunited States has either tried to stamp out illicitsubstances or made them illegal, to no avail, orat various times displayed a benign approachto their depiction and ignored their negativeand harmful effects. either way cinema’s

approach to drug and alcohol use made for somevery illuminating movies.

While alcohol abuse was initially often treated humorously onfilm (see anything by W.C. Fields), drugs in the early days of themedium were much more anathema. This occurred eventhough actors, then and now, freely indulged in marijuana andcocaine. Always conscious of government intervention andpossible censorship, Hollywood began to regulate itself in the1930s with the Hays code of censorship, outlawing, amongother things, depictions of illegal drug traffic or any positivedepiction of drug use. The culmination of that effort was thenow infamous 1936 film Reefer Madness. Originallycommissioned by a church group and soberly called Tell YourChildren, the film was purchased and re-named by anexploitation filmmaker named Dwain esper, who sexed themovie up before releasing it. Its premise that marijuana couldlead to sexual excess and suicide was, incredibly enough,swallowed whole by a gullible public and it wasn’t until the1970s that it found a second life as a laughably bad and sillyexample of public hysteria. 1935’s The Pace That Kills (alsoknown as The Cocaine Fiends) was a similarly themedexploitation effort.

As the movies matured, Hollywood released some powerfulfilms centered on alcoholism (The Lost Weekend (1945), TheDays of Wine and Roses (1962) and drug abuse (The Man withthe Golden Arm (1955). By the ‘70s, the movies had loosened upenough so that ‘drug’ comics Cheech and Chong could scorebig with their first feature Up in Smoke (1978), a paean to thejoys of pot smoking. Today marijuana use isn’t a big issue infilms though harder drugs, such as heroin, have beenportrayed in all their harm (Drugstore Cowboy (1989), Requiemfor a Dream (2000). And Leaving Las Vegas (1995) treatedalcoholism as the death sentence many alcoholics wanted it tobe (excessive beer drinking still isn’t such a big deal, though).Most significantly, cigarette use is now the near taboo of themovies, with disclaimers during the end credits that cigarettesmoking on screen is not endorsed by the filmmakers.

Can banning tobacco on screen now be far behind?

A graduate of Ryerson University’s School of Journalism, formerWest End Montrealer Shlomo Schwartzberg is a veteran film critic,has regularly reviewed films for various publications and lectureson film and TV studies. He was the director of programming forthe Toronto Jewish Film Festival for eight years.

Entertainment Entre Nous - Shlomo Sch

wartzberg

Liner Notes - Sh

aron Hylan

d

Singing soberly not the point of a goodsummer romp

A nice cold one. A pint. What's on tap? None ofthose lines conjure up thoughts of music rightaway: More so a deck party, a terrace on Crescentor something as easy as meeting friends afterwork. There is a pretty strong association withmusic and beer, though, at least the drinking ofit.

There is a long standing partnership withcountry music, the Irish and their festivities,the blues and beer. The drink is often to

blame for all the troubles that got them to the point of tears intheir beers, but beer is also heralded as the saviour from all thosewoes.

Like any other genre of music, tempo plays a big part. Althoughsomehow the down tempo tunes ring as true as the up tempoones to the crowd of empty glass holders in a way that the singingalong implies the song was written expressly for them. This comeswith the fervent raising of those glasses and nodding to the otherkindred spirits in the room. You've gotta wonder if it's the music'sfault the beer goes down so well, or if it's the beer's fault the musicis so good.

The Pogues, Great Big Sea or even Van Morrison cover the rootsyangle sufficiently, while providing that united outcome. I willadmit to being a choir member myself when Friends in Low Placescomes on and everybody sings along with Garth Brooks abouthow the "beer chases my blues away." Similarly, when ZZ Top singabout arriving with their "can of dinner," asking "don't you wannacome with me?" in Beer Drinkers & Hellraisers," I kinda do.

George Thorogood is no stranger to the weekend anthems. OneBourbon, One Scotch, One Beer comes to mind with its unabasheddesire for more of the same. If You Don't Start Drinkin' finds thesinger promptly telling their partner to catch up and I Drink Alonewith the singer's poetic, if not simple conclusion of preferring tobe by himself. Just as many bad ideas come from solo pursuits asthey do from group settings of this nature, so best beware not tofind too much courage in the long neck, stein or pitcher.

Our need to sing along and find meaning in a moment that maynot actually have one takes us back to our youth. 99 Bottles ofBeer On The Wall [the ultimate road-trip ice-breaking ballad] reallysent us into the world of, depending on the version of the song,not caring about the outcome of broken bottles and... sharing."Take one down pass it around" means everybody gets one…

And we'll all keep singing.



Great Food ~ Great Coffee ~ GreatPeople

1377 Greene at SherbrookeWestmount514.935.0946

Letters From La La Lan

d - Steven Goldman

n

The seasons come and the seasons go. Spring brings renewal andhope, summer...hopefully some heat on some long gestatingprojects. In La La Land there is no shortage of hope. In fact you candie of hope in this town.

Let’s face it, it is hard sometimes to keep your head up in this town,but this spring something happened very close to home that notonly gave me hope that talent wins and the cream does rise to thetop, it restored my belief that good things can happen to thosewho work hard and stay focused on their goals. I used to believe itwas not what you know, but who you know, which may be true,but sometimes....

It was my own 16-year old daughter who proved to me thatsometimes it is what you know, not who you know.

My wife and I are blessed with two wonderful but very differentdaughters. They do share one huge passion - the arts. Our 19-yearold has focused on photography and being a singer songwriter,while our youngest been working very hard at being the best actorand singer she can be. Both, unfortunately, seem to want to have

Even in Hollywood’s summer, hopesprings eternal

their hearts broken regularly. They havewatched my ups and downs and still want topursue the arts - go figure.

In Southern California there is a veryprestigious arts competition called theSpotlight Awards, but it is about much morethen just awards. Spotlight is an educationalprogram for high school students of ALLtalent levels in Southern California. With anemphasis on self-esteem, preparation andperseverance, this unique learningexperience provides a community ofsupport for the development of youngartists to help strengthen artistic andperformance skills. The Spotlightperformance categories are ballet, non-classical dance, classical voice, non-classical voice, classical instrumental musicand jazz instrumental music. The visual arts are included with the two-dimensional art and photography categories.

My youngest, Alexandra, entered in the category of non-classical voice alongwith approximately 450 other singers. After a number of audition rounds shemade it to the final 15. The final group then performed in front of some major

entertainment industry figures, and three ofthese talented kids were chosen to representtheir category. Alexandra did not make thefinal three, but before she left the building, oneof her judges, a very important talent agent inthe Broadway world came up to her and saidthat she wanted to represent her. BOOM! Justlike that, Alexandra got herself what so manyperformers dream of... an agent who believesin you and loves you. It wasn’t who sheknew...it was what she knew.

‘What does it mean to have a respected andpowerful agent in this business?’ you ask.Alexandra’s first audition was for a lead rolealong side Jake Gyllenhaal on Broadway. Shewas among 12 girls who got a call back to workwith director. We still don’t know if she got thepart as of this writing, but we know one thing:It doesn’t matter. It has given us hope and ithas proven to her that she can do it. Hopesprings (or rather summers) eternal...Alana Goldmann

Alex

andr

a G

oldm

ann


Across

1 Law enforcementassistants (8)5 Evaluate (6)9 Dimmed (8)10 Coiffure (6)12 Draw out (5)13 Hindrances (9)14 Main course (6)16 Savior (7)19 When the moon blocksall sunlight (7)21 Expel (6)23 Bizarre (9)25 Forest god (5)26 An introductory sectionto a story (2 words) (6)27 Found on roofs (8)28 Harm to property (6)29 Baffle (8)

Down1 Avoid (6)2 Employees (9)3 Not those (5)4 Something very ugly (7)6 Swordsman (9)7 Enlist (5)8 Financial supporters (8)11 Utilizer (4)15 Atoning (9)17 Fazed (9)18 Revolted (8)20 Beige (4)21 Excavator (7)22 Found on most pencils(6)24 Assertion (5)25 The mountain of the TenCommandments (5)

Fun with words

Solution on p. 19

One of the first pieceswritten by me for TheLocal Seeker (what TheLocal Herald was calledback in the ‘old days’)concerned an encounterI had on a city bus with a

person using an e-reader.I had resisted the idea of owning one,

until last Non-Denominational WinterHoliday the decision was made for me, whenmy friend Nick and his wife Nat gave me thegift of a “digital Visigoth.”

At first I didn’t know what to make of the gift:They knew that it was due to similar devicesthat I was cast out of record-industry retailand, soon enough, may put me out of book-industry retail. On the other hand they knewI loved to read and an e-reader could come inuseful, if only to relieve the excessive weightheaped onto my already over-burdenedbookcase.

The model they purchased for me, (which Iwill not name, as I have no desire to plug anyspecific brand), was, after a while, easy enoughto use. It came with one hundred classicbooks, (if I were to have the aforementionedone hundred classics in regular book form, itwould take up more than two rows in my six-foot wide bookcase!), had WIFI and could alsodownload magazines and (gasp!) dailynewspapers.

Included was a built-in dictionary, which wasmost useful for me while reading the firstthree books I downloaded, all by Christopher

Hitchens, who at least once per page used a$50 word that left the reader scrambling fortheir Merriam-Webster. With my e-reader itwas much quicker to look things up (when thedictionary had it…Hitchens often made up hisown words). One of the books I downloadedcontained black-and-white photographs thatwere also included in the e-version and workedwell on my two-tone screen.

The screen had adjustable word size (which willhelp me put off getting reading glasses, for atime anyway) and felt no different than readinga mass-market pocket book. The size of thedevice was convenient and comfortable tohold. I didn’t have to worry about losing myplace or page if I put it down, and, perhaps bestof all, I could see an author promoting his bookon The Daily Show and be reading it by the timeJohn Stewart does his “Moment of Zen.”

As for the disadvantages, (I’m talkingpracticality, not sentimentality…there isnothing like a warm traditional paper bookwhen compared to a cold piece of technology):An inability to quickly flip back-and-forththrough the pages and; One could notunderline their favourite passages withoutpermanently damaging the screen.

Like it or not, e-readers are not a trend - Theyare here to stay. It is only a matter of timebefore the printed word will give way to thedigital. And it is my generation which willprobably have the hardest time adjusting.

Read on!www.essaysbyandreas.com

Read On! - Andreas Kessaris

ED. NOTE: Andreas, you are so right about ourgeneration’s difficulty adjusting to digi-lit. But it’s notjust the fact of reading on a computer screen thattroubles me most: It’s how ignorant and mindless mostdigital writers can be that outrages me. It’s like theseobvious youngsters have no education whatsoever andtheir editors aren’t much better, allowing their youngcharges to write gibberish and get paid for it on topof that. Of course, the novels you read on your Visigothare still written by qualified auteurs, but in general Ithink the digital age spells the end of good literatureas we know it. Maybe I’ll be blind by the time it getsreally bad… at least then I can enjoy books-on-tape,a technology I hear is quite engaging. If you wannabuy my book collection by then, I’ll give you excellentprices.

The Visigoths have breached the gates


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BREAKING NEWS--McAuslan victorious withjudges, as well as brew buffs This appears to beMcAuslan Brewing’swinningest seasonever, at least as far asthose judging thisyear’s CanadianBrewing Awards areconcerned. On June9, 2012, McAuslangrabbed no fewer thanfour awards, the mostby a single brewer.The medals were:Gold for St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout and St-Ambroise Pumpkin Ale; Silver for St-AmbroisePale Ale and Bronze for St-Ambroise Scotch Ale.

This has been a heady periodfor brewery, which beganoperations in 1988. TheCanadian BrewingAwards came just oneweek after St-Ambroise VintageAle and St-AmbroiseRussian ImperialStout garnered GoldMedals from theMondial de la biere’sMBiere Awards panel.

Peter McAuslan, founder and CEOof the mid-sized brewery, wasoverjoyed with the victories. “Thisis an exciting time for themicrobrewery and craft beer industry– we are thrilled to be part of thismomentum, even after 25 years in

the business,” he stated.

In 2011, McAuslan’s St-AmbroisePale Ale and and Griffon ExtraPale Ale took top honours in the Pale Aleand Blond categories, as part of theesteemed Protegez-Vous review of Quebecbeers. Earlier that year, St-AmbroiseOatmeal Stout and St-Ambroise VintageAle were awarded Gold and Silver medalsrespectively by the Beverage TastingInstitute, the mission of which is to createfair and reliable reviews of beers for

consumers.

One of Quebec’s originalmicrobreweries, McAuslanBrewing has developed areputation as one of Quebec’sfinest breweries. Located inMontreal’s historic St. Henridistrict, along the banks of theLachine Canal, its year-roundofferings include: St-AmbroisePale Ale, Oatmeal Stout, ApricotWheat Ale, Cream Ale, Griffon

Extra paleAle and RedAle. The alesare soldth roughoutCanada andthe U.S.


Our 21-day small group excursions (maximum 16 people) to Vietnam andThailand are personally conducted by a professional chef with 40 yearsexperience who has traveled extensively to these countries discovering andexperiencing the many traditional cuisines and customs of the localinhabitants.

Each tour is a seamless mix of delicious food, religion and culture thatallows you to relish in the exotic dishes, their preparation under theguidance of local chefs and visits to the spectacular historical and religioussites.

In Vietnam we visit the historical capital Hanoi and the bustling street of itsOld Quarter. We also cruise in Halong Bay and visit the old imperial capitalHue: Both UNESCO World Heritage sites. We also visit the charming oldfishing village of Hoi An with its cobbled streets and old Frencharchitecture. Then the largest city in Vietnam - Saigon (also known as HoChi Minh City), where we also cruise the mighty Mekong Delta.

In Thailand we visit: The frenetic and beautiful capital Bangkok and its manyfamous food markets; The mystical Buddhist temple Khao Luang Cave inPhetchaburi; The ancient capital of Sukhothai and Sri Satchanalai and theirspectacular ruins. We will also cruise to the ancient capital of Ayutthaya andvisit Phuket and Phi Phi Islands and their pristine beaches and crystal clearwaters.

We will show you splendours of Vietnam and Thailand that you willremember forever, whether you are a seasoned traveler or are experiencingit for the first time.

21 DayCulinary & Cultural Tours Of Vietnam and Thailand Join us for a trip of a lifetime!

BOOK EARLY SAVE $500 PER PERSON!

Our Excursions Include• International airfare from Montreal to Hanoi and Bangkok• All domestic air and other transportation• All accommodation (double occupancy) in superior or traditional boutiquestyle hotels • Meals and drink as indicated on the itineraries• Guided tours to all historical and religious sites in each country. These tours

include overnight cruises in Ha Long Bay and the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. A cruise to the ancient capital of Ayutthaya in Thailand. See our itineraries for others tours

• Cooking classes at some of the countries` best cooking schools where you will have hands on experience at preparing local delicacies under the guidanceof local chefs.

• Visits to some of the most fabulous food markets you will ever see in each citywe visit

Visit Our Websites for further information

and our detailed itineraries

www.chefmichel-concepts.comwww.culinaryculturaltours.ca

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SPORTS AND FITNESSHabs go from coldto hot in a fewshort monthsSpring is the time for renewal and theMontreal Canadiens have more thanembraced that old saying.

I was front and centre when the Canadienshad their last major overhaul in 1995. I hadjust been hired by CBC radio and was stillin training when Jacques Demers and GMSerge Savard were let go. Less than a

week later - before my first official day on thejob - the so-called legendary organization named Rejean Houle asGeneral Manager and Mario Tremblay as head coach. The move wassupposed to restore pride to Les Glorieux, but we all know thedisastrous result.

Geoff Molson grew up with close ties to the Canadiens and heknew which path to take to put the pride back into the Habs, theiconic Blue, Blanc et Rouge. He surrounded himself with goodhockey people. He discarded a paranoid introvert in PierreGauthier, who seemed more interested in secrecy than in goodsound management that involved smart people around him. Molsonturned the clock back and relied heavily on the knowledge andbusiness acumen of Serge Savard.

That is how they came up with Marc Bergevin and I already likewhat I see from the new General Manager. He is strong and yeteasygoing when the situation calls for it. But most importantly, hedoesn’t seem threatened by smart people. In fact, like any greatmanager in any business, he understands that surrounding himselfwith smart forward-thinking people will make him look better. Heis anything but threatened by brains. He wants success for hisbusiness (team) above personal goals. Nothing is more important tohim than running a business that does well. The other quality a goodmanager must possess is patience. In this case, it’s the patience torebuild in the face of the most intense “win now, or else” fan baseand media in hockey, if not in all sports.

Now, it is true that Bergevin likely did not get his ideal coach, as BobHartley agreed to become the head coach in Calgary. But Bergevin

seems to realize that this version of the Canadiens needs a tough coach tolight a fire under them. You can’t argue with the fact that Michel Therrien willbring passion to the job, a stark contrast to the laid-back attitude of JacquesMartin and Randy Cunneyworth. I have it on good authority that Scott Gomezeven admitted that he needed “a good kick inn the pants” but that no one evercalled him out on it until it was too late (Randy Ladouceur in practice lastseason). Don’t get me started on the concept of a guy who earns manymillions per season needing a kick in the pants, but you get the idea.

This is where Bergevin’s other outstanding quality comes into play: Everyonedeserves a second chance. Michel Therrien is not the same coach he was 10years ago when he was last behind Montreal’s bench. He led the Penguins andtwo of the best players in the world (Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin) to ahuge turnaround and then to the Stanley Cup finals. He has grown andmatured and knows what it takes to win. He also has a great track record withbudding young stars. At last check the Canadiens had quite a few of those ontheir roster. The Canadiens are in desperate need of a change on the ice andMichel Therrien will certainly shake things up. And I think his players are readyto buy into what he’s selling. They will have to, because Habs fans and themedia aren’t blessed with a ton of patience.

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It's after I narrowly avoided ahead-on collision with a Seniorpracticing three-point turns onthe bike path that I decided itwas time to discuss the merits

of cycling etiquette. Granted, shewas dressed nicely and perhaps may haveseen me had she not been so engaged inthe little squirrel that she had run over, but itwas a close call and I was already late forwork so the idea of calling in public securityto report an accident with a 2.5 HP modifiedhemi-scooter would not bode well in mydefense.

Rule # 1: To properly navigate the bike path,be prepared at all times to avoid collisionswith small rodents, seniors, dog leashes,dogs, lovers holding hands and largeconstruction signs declaring " Rue Barree".Later on that same ride, I was forced toscientifically determine how to get down aone-way street with three Land Roverstriple-parked in front of a Second Cup while

their owners were inside getting theirquad-shot half-double low-fat splenda onthe side no foam cocoa cap fix for the day.Me, I had already had my energy bar for myleisurely ride to work so I was all set.

Rule # 2: Go with brown sugar instead ofsplenda. Amongst bikers, it's trendy andcool.Once out of the downtown core on myway to the West Island, I got off themadness of the bike path and back ontothe safety of the streets. I really mean that.The bike path is a highway of terror. Beinga "cyclist" means that I have earned theright to scorn at people who ride withearbuds blasting Jay-Z and walkers whohave no conception on the differencebetween "bike path" and the "path" threefeet to the right... for walkers. But I willadmit that even some of my crew (TheCyclists) have no right to travel 46 kmh onthe path wedging themselves in betweenoncoming bikes and a group of joggers justso that he may retain his awesome average

speed for the day. It's dangerous man.

Rule # 3: If you can't maintain anaverage speed of 47 kmh on the bikepath, stay on the street.Nearing the endof my ride, minding my own business,some guy in a red pick-up passes me onthe left. I'm on a large shoulder obeyingall the rules of the road and his buddy inthe passenger side rolls down thewindow and shouts with disdain for meto get on the bike path.

Rule # 4: Are you kidding? I'll stay on thestreet. The bike path is way toodangerous.Just another wonderful dayon my bike!

Rob Callard is a restaurateur in Westmountwho cycles to work from Beaconsfield eightmonths of the year. He is married withthree young boys. They all support hiscyclopathic passion.

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The Rules


Summer yoga perfect forconnecting with nature

A few summers ago, I was visiting my cousin andher children in New York state. It was a hot dayand I took off my sandals and stepped into themiddle of their garden...barefoot. Well, I might

as well have been naked for the way the children reacted. Iwonder if they had ever been allowed to set ‟foot on grass″ intheir entire life.

For some of us, maybe many of us, childhood was the last time wewalked barefoot in the backyard. This summer, why not find apesticide-free area where you can explore this sweet activityuninhibited. No other foot massage can match it. Nothing beats thegrounding and connecting we get from going ‟bare.″

Half Sun Salutation on the Grass

Stand barefoot with your feet firmly planted, hip-width apart, bigtoes facing forward.

Bring the palms of your hands to touch one another at the centreof your chest with fingers pointed up, in namaste.

Release your hands by your sides. As you breathe in through yournostrils, sweep your arms up wide, with palms up.

Overhead, touch your palms together. Exhale through yournostrils, and sweep your arms down wide, with palms down, as youalso bend your upper body forward, folding at the hips. Continueto stay strong in the legs and rooted through your feet.

Now that your upper body is folded over your legs, let your headhang and release the back of your neck completely as your arms reachtoward the earth. Take a few breaths in and out through your nostrils.

When you are ready, and with strong arms and strong legs, take a deep breath in and sweep your arms upwide, palms up. Raise your torso at the same time, rising from your core, until you come up to standing withyour palms touching overhead.

As you breathe out, keep your palms connected as you lower them to namaste position at the centre of yourchest.Repeat the sequence as desired.Chantalle Kudsi teaches yoga and meditation in the West End. She canbe reached at [email protected]

(ED. NOTE: Walking on the beach by the water is a bad idea barefoot, however, as someone who has sufferedfrom plantar fasciitis can attest… your heel sinking below the rest of your foot can result in painful heel spursrequiring physiotherapy, expensive orthopaedic insoles… the works)

Chantalle Kudsi is a yoga and meditation teacher in the West End. She can be reached at [email protected]

Yoga U

- Chantalle Kudsi

Canada Day in Cote Saint-Luc – STILL thehottest celebration in town!For years now, Cote Saint-Luc has become THeplace to celebrate Canada Day, for manyresiding both in and out of the municipality.Held in beautiful Pierre Trudeau (formerlyCentennial) Park, people of all ages can enjoyseveral hours of activities, live bands andsnacks, culminating in a spectacular fireworksextravaganza after sundown.

The park even features rented pedal boats, which are maneuvered along ashallow manmade lake. Security will be provided by police from station 9nearby, along with officers from Cote Saint-Luc public security andmembers of Volunteer Citizens On Patrol (VCOP). Volunteer first respondersfrom Cote Saint-Luc’s Red Cross-trained emergency Medical Services (eMS)

will also be stationed at the park throughout the day.

This year’s event promises to be even more special, as Cote St. Lucinaugurates Gary Carter Field, in memory of the Hall of Fame superstarcatcher of the Montreal Expos, who passed away from brain cancer in

February this year. While with the Expos in the 1970s,the generous, philanthropic and community-mindedCarter was often a guest instructor at a baseball campoperated in CSL by Expos batting practice pitcherJohnny Elias.

At press time, the Canada Day schedule is asfollows: 4:30 p.m. - Canadian citizenship ceremony 9 p.m. - Gary Carter Field dedication ceremony

9:50 p.m. - Fireworks

Live music, peddle boats and more throughout the day.

Information: http://www.cotesaintluc.org or call 514-485-6800

***Sunday, July 1, 2012***

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Next up, from West EndMontreal’s most unique

community paper

Join us for our Entertainment Issue and ourmid-summer’s look at Montreal’s English filmindustry, which had its heyday in the 1990s

and early 2000s, only to peter out eventually.We will look at our former superstar

producers and the ones who have inheritedtheir mantle. And we will speak with an actoror two to see how they are faring during thisarguably dead time, a fitting topic for Friday

the 13th, don’t you think?

Coming your way on Friday, July 13, 2012.Submission Deadline: Friday, July 6, 2012

Have a great and safe summer,everyone!

Solution

Montreal Folk Festival

14-17 june

montrealfolkfest.com/

Enjoy McA

uslan's fine

bre

ws at the

follo

wing festivals this sea

son: Montreal St-Ambroise Fringe

Festival

4-24 june

www.montrealfringe.ca/

Fantasia Festivaljuly 19 - august 7

www.fantasiafest.com/

World Film Festival

August 23 to September 3, 2012

www.ffm-montreal.org

Fête Gourmande de LanaudièreAugust 17-19

www.fetesgourmandes.ca

Festibroue de Sherbrooke 201224 Août 2012 au 26 Août 2012

www.festibrouedesherbrooke.co

Oktoberfest Repentigny

September 7-9

oktoberfestdesquebecois.comPOP Montreal

September 19-23, 2012

popmontreal.com/

Bieres et Saveurs

August 31-September 3

www.bieresetsaveurs.com

And at the following McAuslan Terrace concerts:

June 13: 5 pm - Desiree Gordon

June 16: 8 pm - Mama Rosin

June 20: 5 pm - Kristen Bussandri

July 1: "4 à 8" - Jazz Apartment 5

It was 14 years ago when I encountered a young rookie diver named Alexandre Despatie in the green roomon Montreal’s Global TV set. The then 13-year old was there with his mom, awaiting his turn on Leslie

Roberts’ live morning show. I was also a guest on that show, to talk about my area of collectability at thattime: Beanie Babies. Despatie was actually a fill-in for the scheduled guest, hockey legend Bobby Orr, and atfirst I was disappointed… but I later considered it a pleasure to speak to the kid for 10 minutes or so, shake

his hand and wish him well. The 27-year old champion diver injured himself at Olympic practise in Spain thismorning, as I write this, and I wish him a speedy recovery. They don’t make them like Despatie very often and

he so deserves another few shots at Olympic Gold during his meteoric career.

local herald issue 8

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