Travelling with Gershom

No, this is not about the Muppets. Although, that's not a bad idea... I have enjoyed some very good food on this trip to Sweden, and thought I would share tonight's meal with you. But first, last week I attended a conference on the fascinating island of Gotland, in the Baltic Sea (more about Gotland later) and the closing dinner was held at the Visby golf club. The chef introduced the meal, speaking about his focus on fresh, seasonal local ingredients. And it was superb. From the starter of leek soup, through the main course of lamb three ways, to the dessert of cheesecake with local berries, everything was bright, fragrant, and flavourful. The localness shone though, and each item was perfectly cooked. A memorable meal, which was better than the one eaten two nights later in Stockholm.  Lux Dag by Dag has the same approach as the culinary team on Gotland - use only the freshest local ingredients available to create the menu for the day. Having a Michelin star heightened ...

This great R&B song, released in 1965 and originally performed by Fontella Bass, is as infectious today as it was when it first hit the charts. I don't think it is simply the beat, or the fabulous vocal, that  reaches people (although they certainly do). I think it touches us because it speaks to a fundamental need: "can't you see that I'm lonely?". We need to be loved, but more importantly we need to know that we are loved. In our fragility, our weakness, we often do not feel assured we are loved by the people in our lives. As circumstances change, so we think love goes: she's disappointed, he's angry, he's hurt, they're unhappy...and therefore she, he or they don't really love me. But love trancends these things. Love is patient, is kind, does not envy, does not boast, said Paul to the Corinthians (his first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 13, verses 1-13). "Hang on," you say. "That's not how I have experienced ...

We watch a lot of TV. Much of what's on these days is pretty bad, but there are some shining moments. We tend to like mysteries, detective shows and classic police procedurals, as well as action/thriller type programs. Our tastes run to modern British mysteries, such as Inspector Lynley and the BBC update of Sherlock. But there are some North American shows that meet the mark as well. Person of Interest is a smart thriller that combines high tech with physical action. Most importantly, it features two strong leads in Jim Caviezel and Michael Emerson, plus a solid supporting cast.We also enjoy Elementary, the modern American take on Holmes and Watson, with the excellent Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock and the superb Lucy Liu as  Joan Watson. Both are highly recommended. But the best show on TV is Justified. A modern day Western,  it follows Deputy US Marshal Raylan Givens, a Kentucky native who wants no more than to stay out of Kentucky, and of course ends up back there. Funn...

Really. EPIC  is an outstanding restaurant at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto. We went there for dinner last Friday after the York University convocation, where Eldest Child received her M.A. in clinical psychology. A superb meal in a lovely setting sums it up. Friday evening's they feature live jazz music, which provided a nice backdrop to the meal. The service was good, not exceptional, but certainly acceptable. But the food was brilliant. The beef tartar was light, and full of flavour, nicely spiced and presented beautifully.The rack of lamb was cooked perfectly, accompanied by grits, which I learned I do not like. Dessert, pictured below,was also very good. An apple and maple cobbler with iced sour cream, a marvelous alternative to traditional ice cream (even though I do love ice cream!). You can find out more about EPIC at  http://www.epicrestaurant.ca/ . Very highly recommended.

An inventive, engaging, and intelligent book, Matthew Flaming’s The Kingdom of Ohio surprised, intrigued, and delighted me. Set primarily in New York in the early 1900s, Flaming tells the tale of Peter Force and Cheri-Anne Toledo, his narrator a present-day antiques dealer who uncovers an old photograph of the pair and relates their s tory to us. When we meet him, Peter has just arrived in New York and soon secures employment as a labourer, working underground digging subway tunnels. He meets Cheri-Anne, who is beautiful, sophisticated, and perhaps crazy. Even though he is unsettled by much of what she says, talking of kingdoms and of studying with the famous Nikola Tesla and of not knowing how she got to New York, Peter is attracted to Cheri-Anne and helps her as she tries to understand what has happened to her. As we follow them as they attempt to solve this mystery, we are presented with another. Who is the narrator, and how does he – or she – know so much about what happened to ...

We Are All Made of Glue raises questions of age, race, class, culture, religion, and politics as it explores the improbable friendship between Georgie Sinclair and Naomi Shapiro, recounting Georgie's struggle to deal with major changes in her life and her efforts to uncover the mysterious past of her elderly friend. Greed, hatred, love, passion, the end of the world, and more than perhaps you ever wanted to know about glue and other adhesives contribute to what could have been a confusing and cluttered journey from present-day London to World War II Europe, and through more than 60 years of Palestinian politics. But Lewycka guides us nicely, with only a few minor detours before reaching a well-crafted destination that draws together the various themes and sub-plots. That she does this so effectively is critical to the success of the book. Failing to do so would make the eccentricities of the characters and for a trade magazine feel totally contrived, a feeling which is raised a fe...

As I have mentioned in two earlier posts, I have been learning to trust God over the last few months. While there has been much happening in my life this past twelve months, two events have precipitated some anxiety and worry for me (and those around me). As anyone who has been overseas for an extended period can tell you, moving back to your home country is a stressful event, even when you are ready and as mentally prepared to return as we were. Getting settled back in the house, straightening out school for our youngest, taking on new roles at work, managing an overall reduction in salary, it all adds up pretty quickly. But that was going reasonably well. Then the unexpected happened: I was out of a job. Now the worry levels rose to new heights, especially given the economic situation the world is in. What is most interesting about this time is that God used people I knew to direct me to himself. The earliest instances of this I have commented on earlier, and you can read about it he...