penne with broccoli and ice cream

Whether you have small children at home, a livingroom full of musicians, or an office meeting to cater, warm their bellies with this tasty pasta on a snowy afternoon.

Penne with spinach and broccoli in a white wine broth, serves 4-6

Bring a large pot of salted (1tsp) water to a boil, add one box (450g) of rice and corn, Gluten Free pasta (or use wheat noodles if you're insensitive), cook on medium high heat for 9 mins or until noodles are just underdone. Strain, cool under cold water, toss in oil and salt your noodles.

In a large pan (I simply adore my ceramic pan. Metal core, and the ceramic layer just takes any punishment I can inflict.) Sautee one shallot, two cloves garlic, some broccoli, and salt and pepper. Basil and oregano would have been nice, but I left them at the café.

Once the onions become translucent, give your sauce a healthy shot of white wine, as well as vegetable broth. Toss in a few fistfulls of washed spinach leaves, and let things simmer awhile.

When the broth is rich and the veggies are softened to your liking, add the cooked pasta and warm it back up. Serve in small bowls, garnish with fresh ground pepper, grated hard cheeses like Grano or Romano.

The Gore Street Crew enjoyed this tasty supper with a dessert of vanilla ice cream, topped with rhubarb compote, spicy toasted squash seeds, powdered ginger and maple syrup. But not before setting up for the 48 hour Film Challenge screening! Thanks to everyone who took part and made this such a great weekend!!

Days of Pisces, part three

And so week one of the Fishbowl Festival reaches its climax. After things wrap up from tonight's Wilding Tramp art show and jewellery raffle at the café, it will be time for some frantic filmmaking, and then perhaps a moment of calm contemplation. Two rock shows, three workshops, one art reception and eighteen omelettes later, it's an opportunity to take stock, fold laundry, and consider what I've gotten myself into for these next few weeks.

Nicole and I did get to take a little break this Thursday for our birthdays. We had a lovely dinner at Willow (perhaps the best meal out we've had since moving here). Grandparents and parents flooded our voicemail. My mom gave us new crock- and tea- pots, Patrick gave me a Grand Funk Railroad record. Getting older is alright, and the Pisces life is nice <3.

The Fishbowl thus far has initiated several firsts for the Gore Street Café. First full-on rock show, first burlesque performance, first music video session, first crochet class. The ditch even came up with a café uniform for last night's jam: toques and red flannel.

We are midway through the 48 hour film challenge, and a half dozen local filmmakers are likely at this very moment sleeplessly editing their nascent shorts, on the Fishy theme of 'Making a Splash'. Gloria Burns has conceived and is organising this challenge: She held court in our booth this Saturday morning, encouraging every last trumpeter and student of social justice who came to brunch to take part and tell their tales. I've got a hunch about this event. I've got twelve hours to go, two minutes' footage of a multicolored pulsating light, and a spray-painted orange bust of Ludwig Von Beethoven.

Upcoming events this week include: the screening of films submitted for the short film challenge (Sunday 6pm at the cafe), closung reception for the Shadows of the Mind art show up at 180  Projects (Sunday 6-8), the Pisces craft club (Monday 3-6 pm at Shabby Motley), learning to ferment with the Cultured Club (Monday 6 pm at the café), Tuesday's open mic hosted by Peggy Lauzon and Teddy Syrette, and Kelly Burton's intro to Gluten Free cooking (630pm at café Natura).

Next weekend is gonna be the most thrilling yet, with festival headliner Rae Spoon performing in our laundromat next Saturday. Stay tuned to the Tinderbox for an interview with Spoon, and the skinny on all the action, adventure, and aquatics the Fishbowl has in store for you, the Soo, and most especially Gore Street, my cozy little hood and hands down coolest block in town. Come and kick it Pisces style! Festival passes 25$ (xxoo shout out to Nathan Isberg, this pwyw thing is flipping lids man....)

Days of Pisces, part two

Sunday afternoon, I was a shell of a man; more pancake-flipping robot than affable community cook. My ears still rang from the Pixo/ Nirvana gig. My eyes strained in the unseasonable sunshine. We had turned the café into a blanket-fort for Sunday's brunch, which involved blocking out the windows to keep it dark enough for projecting cartoons on the wall, creating the ideal cozy, womb-like ambiance for pancake consumption, and the nostalgic rediscovery of once-loved heroes and their adventures.

Monday's festival events went swimmingly, no pun intended. Jeff Hinich's talk on Thoreau incorporated statements from international artists drawn to and inspired by Thoreau, and sparked passionate conversation amongst attendees. After serving up a couple more plates of squash fritters, it was time to prepare the café for the Lil Eagle blues band (Leon Kyle on vox, guitar, Adrienne and Joe Surace playing cahone and bass, repectively, Jeff Hinich on harmonica, and Mojo on guest lead guitar) who delivered two hours of enthusiastic boogie-woogie, pausing only briefly to refuel on coffee and tea.

Peggy Lauzon and Georgina Naccarato were both in attendance, stirring up the dance floor as they like to do when the blues start jumping at open mic. New friends came to check out the jam, like Steve from the Rocking Vinyl Record shop up on Wellington, and Johnnie from the Sault Blues Review was in snapping some pics. It was a lovely day at the Festival.

 Coming up in the next few days: Drumming and Unlearning workshop that Candace Day Neveau is offering tomorrow at the cafe 6pm,   Telephone and Address/ the Therapy/ Mescaline Ditch playing a laundromat show on Friday at 8, and don't forget that you can still buy passes for 25$ which get you admission or reduced admission to over 3 dozen events happening between now and March 20. Keep it Fishy!

Days of pisces, part one

Day two of the festival has wound to a delicious conclusion. Time to soak some black beans for tomorrow's menu and get some rest, because this month-long celebration has just begun!

There was a jittery excitement on Gore Street all day Saturday. I was nervous not because my band had only rehearsed for  half an hour the day before our show, but because i was going to sing Neil Young's "downtown" for Mayor Christian Provenzano, who attended the festival's opening ceremony. He was cool and really nice BTW.

The café was filled with friends, press, and supporters, quite a lovely and auspicious start to a month of cultural celebrations. And Saturday night's show was a suitably special one, an evening dedicated to the late Kurt Cobain on his 49th birthday, as well as the first Sunshine Laundromat appearance by The Pixo Control, Tidal Records artists and by far the Sault's most exciting young rock act.

Sweat and cool kids...
A laundromat half filled with band gear, half filled with people, resounding with the sound of our joyful screams!

Opening acts Brash Gash, Insoosticide, Bass Monster 7L, and Lauren McClure wowed, wooed, and rocked the laundromat audience with a blend of original songs, Nirvana tunes, and other hip throwback grungey vibes. One of the best concerts we've ever held in the laundromat, and a sign of the weeks to come: all ages food, arts, and musical fun:-) Let the Fishbowl begin!