The hottest days of summer are often referred to as “the dog days” this is because the dog star, Sirius, rises and sets with the sun at this time of year. It is the brightest star in the sky, you see, and in ancient times they thought its heat added to that of the sun and that was why it got so hot. For me, however, the dog days come later they are later in the summer when I have time to work with Ella and attend dog shows. This weekend we are doing obedience and rally obedience, hoping for more blue ribbons to add to our collection. In truth, though, the ribbons are not the real aim rather, we are just spending quality time together.

Having a dog is a fantastic experience, in short because dogs are creatures that know how to love unconditionally. They will treat you with the same enthusiasm whether you had a good day or a bad one, they will be just as excited to see you after ten minutes away or ten days, and they can often be wonderful comic relief.

Ella is a Chocolate Labrador Retriever, my breed (and colour) of choice. She is cute (I tell people she practices looking cute when no one is around) and she has a wonderful smile. She loves to be with people, and is curious to know what is going on (if nothing is going on, she likes snoozing). How can you not love someone with those qualities? She reminds me every day about the joys of living in the moment. Every time she chases her tail with complete abandon I smile. All I have to do it tell her to try to catch it by going the other way, and she does! She is a foodie, too: she loves the berries we grow in the yard, and fresh garden cucumbers and carrots and beans. I suppose I should really say she is a gourmand, as in truth, she is simply motivated by her tummy. She will do anything for food.

Spending time working with Ella has been a great learning experience. We have to work as a team if I am not crystal clear in my instructions and signals to her, she isn’t clear on what I want. She is a breed of dog that loves to please people and loves to learn, so she will try to do what she thinks I want. Since she doesn’t talk, I have to ensure I communicate really well. That’s a skill I figure I can always keep practicing…

I am hopeful that all the sessions with rewards of berries, popcorn or simple dog biscuits will pay off this weekend when I ask her to jump and fetch and come and lie down in mid-stride (that’s the toughest one). If the judges have a sense of humour they will likely enjoy her method of bouncing over the jump like a deer, and pouncing on the dumbbell she must retrieve (this is not considered good technical form, but I can’t help but enjoy her technique). If the stars are truly aligned I will not muck up my footwork, or give the wrong command to mess her up. But in the end, we’ll get to see other “dog people” and we’ll have some fun together. She is always a star in my books, even without more blue ribbons.

Even if you don’t have a dog, I wish you a lazy, happy last weekend of summer.

Kristin

She says:

When I was a kid there were lots of foods that you couldn’t get everywhere. I am not just talking about persimmons and star fruit, there were famous foods you couldn’t get, too. I only tasted Dr. Pepper and Babe Ruth chocolate bars when I attended basketball camp in Washington state, across the border. I know that the world is getting smaller and smaller, but when it was a big place there was a sense of wonder about taking a bite out of another piece of it. Is it better that we can have our cake by ordering it online from Timbuktu if that is the flavour we want? And what is it about those foods that makes them so special?

I read an article in a merchandising newsletter about a revolutionary store that just opened up in Times Square. Not only do they have the M & M’s store, and the Hershey’s Emporium, now, for a limited time (unless it is a raving success) you can visit… (wait for it) the Pop Tarts store! After 46 years, this branded breakfast pastry is going for broke amidst granola bars and fruit smoothies by playing the “hip” card. Showing off the brand with giant computer screens and strobing lights outside the store, the Kellogg company hopes to revamp a classic. I have to admit, I am not much of a junk food fan, and I never really got into Pop Tarts, but I am impressed by their chutzpa. Perhaps this is an ultimate example of that expression: “The medium is the message”.

Nostalgia does wonders in promoting food. Old fashioned junk food is more fun than something new and everyday, and things you can’t get or aren’t supposed to have always taste more delectable. I remember getting a care package from my parents when I was living in France. (This was decades ago, before there was an internet much less ordering online.) I got a wonderful letter from home, a box of Oreos and two bags of Cheezies. I squealed with delight and savoured every single crumb. Cheezies have never tasted as good as they did in my little boarding room in Nancy.

I remember all kinds of silly things from my childhood, when life was simpler. We used to take uncooked spaghetti to school to nibble on in class – you could hide in that slot in your desk that held your pencils (It’s a wonder none of us got lead poisoning!) and if you sort of half-chewed it and half-sucked it, eventually you could eat it. We did have cool candies too, though. Does anyone out there remember Pop Rocks? I don’t see those in stores anymore. And we had bubble gum galore, and Lick-a-Stick (or you could use Jello powder from home, but then you used your finger and it was a dead give-away when it changed colour from your double-dipping).

When I spent summers with exchange students there was always a comparison of those nifty things we had and then an explanation (often wistful) of the stuff they had where they lived. It was fun to see them experience our favourites, but I remember too when I was away how much I hankered for a taste of home that taste wasn’t always Mom’s cooking.

Now you can get pretty much anything you want from anywhere you want, delivered straight to your door in no time flat. But somehow, if I had just ordered those Cheezies in France, I don’t think they would have tasted as wonderful as they did being lovingly packed by my family. The delights I have packed home in my suitcase from Europe and Africa were especially fun to personally share or give to loved ones. I am glad that things are available for people to try, and if we can sustain their production to provide worldwide distribution without mucking up the entire planet, well, what a treat that is! But somehow, I have a feeling that branded food is like any other food – it should not “go viral” and become hugely popular in an unsustainable way. Maybe that is just my upbringing, being taught that food is to be savoured and any kind of unusual flavour is especially meant to be enjoyed and not taken for granted.

This doesn’t mean I won’t eat Pop Tarts. I just want to do it in New York.

He says:

Also a factoid for you, when a hurricane is approaching USA coastal borders, the number one food item that is ordered from Wal-Mart is the strawberry Pop Tart. It becomes their biggest seller.

This summer my daughter came to visit. She is now 17 years old and she thinks I know nothing. I am old because I don’t have a cell phone or iPod. So I asked her, while we were sitting having French fries, “Where did French fries come from, Smarty Pants?” – her answer was France. So I proceeded to tell her she should learn where her food comes from instead of learning how to operate her new cell phone. Belgium is where they come from. This new generation has no idea what they are eating, but branding is what it’s all about for everything else in their lives, so advertisers are having fun with that one. I am very curious to see what new brand of food will become the new Pop Tart.

P.S. I love Pop Tarts (There, I said it!)

In an age where we seem to want to have our cake and eat it too, I am going to talk about the side that offers some nostalgia and a sense of community. I won’t say boycott the big box stores or swear to eat organic from here on out, but I hope at least these ideas will help you consider some fun alternatives to that more industrial and less personal experience…

Did you know that the biggest drive-in theatre screen in North America exists only one hour’s drive from Kelowna? It’s true! The Starlight Drive-In is still playing shows from spring through fall, every night in the summer. And, they play a double feature! This is the perfect blend of summer nostalgia, family fun and good old-fashioned movie escapism. We went last Sunday with pillows and blankets and lawn chairs in the Aztec. Ella got to meet the other dogs that were there and we chatted with some of the folks who had staked out spots nearby. The thing now is to bring your pick-up truck and an air mattress and then everyone (or you and your sweetie) pile in. There were families with kids playing catch, and grandparents relaxing on lawn chairs in front of their cars. The snacks are the cheapest you can buy at a movie and the popcorn is the best I have had in a while. It was really special to laugh at the silly creatures in “Despicable Me” and hear it echo in the field. Then I got wrapped up in “Inception” and the added layer of being under the stars as this interlaced story of dreams unfolded was truly surreal. We had an awesome evening, and I highly recommend it.

Have you gone for an old-fashioned ice cream cone lately? No offense to Dairy Queen, but the experience of standing at the counter and having to choose between numerous flavours, and then balancing your scoops so they don’t hit the ground is summer rite of passage (or it should be!). There are places out there if you look – we are lucky enough to have one at the end of our road, the Paynter Fruit Market. We can walk down and choose our cones and then wander home through the orchard. Downtown you can visit Moo-Lix on Bernard Avenue and then stroll the lakefront, or if you want to take a drive there is always Tickleberry’s at Okanagan Falls.

If you haven’t been to the farmer’s market recently, now is the time! All kinds of veggies are ripening and usually you can find lots of other fun treats and knick-knacks too. There is of course the Kelowna Farmer’s Market every Saturday, but there is also a Westbank Farmer’s Market this year on Saturday. If you live on the Westside, do stop by and support their effort. You’ll probably get to have a visit with one of your neighbours! There is also Peachland on Sundays, Vernon on Friday afternoons…. Lots to choose from. You’ll get to chat with the people who produce the food – your kids can learn where things come from – and you can be inspired by what is fresh right now.

Summer can be busy, with company here and work still busy and text messages to answer, but you will not regret taking the time for one of these old-fashioned experiences. I hope to see you maybe we can chat while we lick our ice cream or sip our coffee!

She says:

You know how sometimes when you try and plan a dinner party, it can turn into a nightmare? “Ralph only eats meat and potatoes, and his wife, Wilhemina, is vegan,” says your partner as you make up the proposed guest list. You HAVE to invite them, because they invited you over and you owe them one. But what are you going to make that will work for the entire crowd? I have news for you – we have found the one thing that defies all boundaries – roast pig on a spit. People are so curious to see it (dare I say, “in the flesh”?) that they will come even if they won’t touch a bite.

We had a picnic at Rabbit Hollow over the long weekend, and the pig was the highlight. Our wood-fired oven was also going, with pizzas of various design being passed around as the afternoon unfolded. (My favourites were the BBQ chicken with the Taboo sauce and the peach and mascarpone pizza Martin made for dessert!) Without a doubt though, the star of the show was the pig. As you can see from the photo he looked mighty fine when it came time to make his debut on the buffet table. I think Martin did him proud!

You might be thinking this is an exotic dish, but in actual fact, roast pig has been a popular meal for a gathering of friends and family since Roman times. There are all kinds of modern ideas on where barbecue came from, but the connection of pork to hot coals is a strong one no matter what country you come from, for pigs have long been the favoured meat of farmers. I don’t mean to offend any vegetarians, but for those of us who do eat meat, this is a delicacy, and hopefully it will help to know that it comes from a tradition of using every bit of meat and sharing the bounty with the entire community.

I do have one other event that we enjoyed over the weekend which is a little more friendly for the vegetarians in the crowd if you would prefer an alternative … try playing “fluffy bunny” with your friends and revel in the laughter you all share. It’s all about creating those special memories, with whatever food does the trick. (If you don’t know about “fluffy bunny” send us an e-mail – if we get enough of them I’ll explain it next week!)

He says:

Before you go forward with a new friendship do you ever ask someone if they are a smoker, or if they have allergies, or if they like foie gras, or even if they are major foodies? I know I do!

We are very lucky to have a bunch of friends and connections who really enjoy food - any food. Every year we put together a harvest kind of dinner and invite a whole bunch a people from all walks of life, but all are foodies.

A pig roast is a simple way to bring a bunch of people together and showcase ingredients and where they come from. There’s nothing more respectful than to prepare and slow cook a beautiful pig on a spit just like it has been done since the first fire was created!

Our farmer neighbour is a vegetarian and she still had fun. Obviously she ate more pizza and no pork, but she still managed to have a good time because she is about enjoying good food and all about the respect of foods.

I don’t know what we are going to do next year, but it is sure to be interesting and tasty. If you choose interesting friends who like tasty food, your life is sure to be richer for it!