Argentine Fire

An Epic Epitourist! Laura and Peter hosted on Wolfe Island, and what better place to cook with fire than in the outdoor wood oven Peter built, with veggies and herbs harvested from Laura's garden.

Laura concocted the menu after collaborating with Kaarina. Both were drooling over Francis Mallmann blogs and videos. His latest book, Seven Fires, provided some of the recipes. Gorgeous photography but unfortunately, the recipes themselves were poorly edited. Ingredient lists would mention something and then omit it in the directions (and vice versa). A bit frustrating! 

Meat and flame are primal ingredients for a carnivore's feast, yet nothing caramelizes veggies and fruit like real fire. Delectable! And the different herb mixtures drizzled on top brightened the dark flavours. The roasted strawberries tasted even better than I thought they would.

I was a bit of a slacker this time around, as travelling by boat Rob and I weren't sure where we would end up - Kingston, Waupoos, Brakey? Sail in or drive? Kaarina and Laura kept me on the hook, literally, by picking up the provisions. All I really had to do was show up and help with the prep. 

Cocktail hour brought a Cynar Julep that was perfect for light nibbles without overpowering flavours and the modest alcohol content kept heads clear for cooking. Argentine wines were the perfect pairing for the meal. One Malbec grape was grown in Patagonia, and the other Mendoza, different elevations that gave the wines distinctly different profiles. And new to me - Torrontes - such great body!

Extra treat on the dinghy ride home was the full Buck Moon, fireflies sparking away and a sky full of stars overhead. Such stuff as dreams are made.

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Menu

Cocktails

Humous and pita + Argentinian Cynar Julep 

Main

Malbec pairings

Don Nicanor, Valle de Uco, Mendoza, 2022

Fin del Mundo Reserve, Bodega del fin del Mundo, Patagonia, 2023

Flank steak with chimichurri sauce

Domino potatoes drizzled with basil and oregano

Grilled fennel salad

Dessert: 

Torrontés

Laborum, Finca El Retiro, Valle de Cafayate, Salta, 2023

1300, Andeluna Valle de Uco, Mendoza, 2023

Roasted Strawberries with ricotta and mint

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This definitely distinct cooking style is hard to replicate in a home oven. That said, I sure am going to try a variant of those Domino Potatoes. And Mike P was already experimenting with flank steak within a few days after arriving home, with Laura advising, "the secret to tender flank is to cook it in one piece and slice across the grain."

Full Buck Moon - July 2025

So much to see in the summer evening skies! All the stars, the full moon, and fireflies sparking up the night.  Happy to be on the water to see the glow reflected in the water. Such a magical time.

The night of the full moon (July 10) we were anchored in Brakey Bay, these photos were taken the evening after, from the dock at Trident.

Waupoos Summer of 2025

Here we are! Day 5 of of our Waupoos Summer. 

Yondering's slip for July and August is at Waupoos Marina. Right at the end of B dock with an incredible view and handy swim ladder. The perfect spot for morning yoga and QiGong.  Very easy for coming and going, which is the idea, so many spots around here for gunk-holing, and just a jump to the Thousand Islands. We used to talk about taking a summer slip here when we were working, and I think it will be even better now that we are both retired.

Our Waupoos Summer began with an easy and enjoyable passage. No sudden engine failure or unexpected storms. Drama free!

Sailed out the gap at Bluffers June 29: anchored in Cobourg our first night; anchored Sandy Cove near Bellevile the second; then a mooring ball at Prinyers. Travelling the inside route was very pleasant. This may be the earliest in the season we've head this far east, which may explain why it's not very weedy. Bonus... Murray Canal is free until September. 

After we were assigned our slip, we went out to drop anchor near the island, and would have stayed all night had strong winds not picked up. A bit of a challenge tying up to the dock with all the bluster, but all's well that ends well. 

Our cat Griskit is on board with us and is settled in. Sea sick on her first day but otherwise adjusting. Generally, she hides away in the cabin all day until 5 pm and then ventures cautiously out on deck. We are careful about keeping her on a leash to prevent her jumping off onto the dock at night time.

Rob went back to Toronto by train yesterday to get the car, while I thoroughly enjoyed myself at the dock, reading, playing ukulele and chatting with our new neighbours. Pinching myself & not believing our luck with the view.  So happy to be here!

The Ontario Explorer is docked beside us, but she comes and goes throughout the summer. Early this morning there were some voices and engine rumble, and she was off to work by 7 a.m. Now the view is even better!

Honey Moon in June

I saw the Honey Moon a.k.a. Strawberry Moon, red above the neighbourhood trees.

I visited a beekeeper just before the Honey Moon. He had hives in his backyard. My friend Joyce donned the bee suit, and said it took effort not to swat the bees away, even though she knew she was well protected.

Here is the sentence fed into German google translate and back to English:

Shortly before our honeymoon, I visited a beekeeper. He had hives in his garden. My friend Joyce slipped into the beekeeping suit and said it took a lot of effort not to scare the bees away, even though she knew she was well protected.

Why did I just do that? Well, that week I had also been to the Griffin Poetry prize, and three of the poets on the shortlist were there with their translators. Having enjoyed the readings I now have more poetry on my reading list. Book club this month was Eastbound, written in French and translated by an English poet.  Nuances are so important and so often lost; so much depends not only on the original choice of words but the translator's talents. 

Speaking of which, this month's AI haiku: a haiku about the Honey Moon a.k.a. Strawberry Moon, red above the neighbourhood trees.

Red moon climbs the sky,
Strawberry hues on treetops,
Honeyed night descends.

This month's AI poem: a poem about the Honey Moon a.k.a. Strawberry Moon, red above the neighbourhood trees.

The Strawberry Moon, a fiery blush, ascends,
Above the trees, its amber light extends.
A honeyed hue, a summer's gentle grace,
A crimson stain upon the evening's face.
The neighbourhood sleeps, beneath its watchful gaze,
In this red moonlit, dreamy, summer haze.

The trees stand still, their leafy branches bare,
Reflecting back the moon's warm, gentle glare.
A sweet and hazy light, a tranquil scene,
Where shadows dance, and twilight dreams convene.
The Strawberry Moon, a fleeting, vibrant art,
A painted sky, that captures every heart.

2025 Theatre

Continuing to spend most of my theatre time with Crow's. 

I can't say I always love the plays, but I do appreciate the calibre of the productions and taking creative risks with difficult subjects. I've renewed my subscription for the coming season.

2025

• Wights (Jan / Crow's) World Premiere
• I sat through Wights righteousness and relentless diatribes hoping things would improve. Most reviewers seemed to agree there was too much shouting and too much going on.
• 15 Dogs (Feb / Mirvish /CAA Theatre)
• I read the novel and was curious to see how the cast would pull off their canine characters. Well played. 
  
• Trident Moon (March / Crow's)
• Provocative staging of an imagined scenario taking place during Partition; it made me curious to learn more about the history of 1947.
• Did they try to save money by not using microphones and shouting a lot? I actually missed quite a bit of the dialogue as actors stepped on each others lines and some were so heavily accented. Surtitles would help.
• You Can't Take it With You (April / Scarborough Players)
• Love the dedication of amateur theatre.
• Flex (April / Crow's)
• My favourite of the season so far was Flex; I was disappointed to see the theatre so empty.
• Team dynamics and a look at the added pressures of women in sport - perfectly illustrated when a player becomes pregnant.
• I wasn't sure what to expect, with basketball being played and the audience watching in the stands. Fantastic! Whether the basketball is sunk or not at the end dictates the ending, a nice twist.
• Comfort Food (June / Crow's)
• Some inter-generational conflicts around the ethics of food really became a metaphor of the relationship challenges between a single mother and her teenage son. Fresh bread gets baked during the performance, filling the theatre with a comforting aroma. At the end of the play, audience members get offered a slice of the bread, which wa a nice touch. If only there had been a stronger resolution between the two characters.

to come...

• Dangerous Liaisons (September / Stratford)
• Macbeth (September / Stratford)