Sunday Brunch: Fruit Medley Muffins

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups Flour
1/2 cup Sugar
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 cup Mixed Fruits (I used frozen mixed fruits and let thaw for a bit)
3/4 cup Soy Milk
2 tbsp Veg. Oil
1 tsp Vanilla

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Puree mixed fruits with 1 tbsp of oil until smooth with little chunks of fruit (consistency of chunky applesauce). Cream that mixture with the sugar in a medium bowl. Pulse blend soy milk with 1 tbsp oil and vanilla until 'frothy'. Add soy milk and fruit mixtures to the flour and stir until just mixed. Scoop into greased muffin liners 2/3 full and bake at 400F for 10-15 min (golden tops and toothpick comes out clean).

A Record a Week: Claude Bolling/Maurice Andre - Toot Suite

SIDE 1.
I - ALLEGRE (C Trumpet)
II - MYSTIQUE (E-Flat Trumpet)
III - RAG-POLKA (B-Flat cornet)

SIDE 2.
IV - MARCHE (B-Flat Piccolo Trumpet)
V - VESPERALE (B-Flat Flugelhorn)
VI - SPIRITUELLE (B-Flat Piccolo Trumpet)

Unless you have a real musician's ear, it is not often that you know what key every song on an album is in. Two-thirds of this album is in B-Flat, which, save for the Rag-Polka, they use to create a sad or melancholy feel.

These two french musicians have both had long and illustrious careers, each working with and/or inspiring all of the famous musicians of their instrument. On this album they come together to create an album that is a little bit sad story, a little bit funny Family Guy montage and a little bit Mad About You theme song. (I actually don't remember that particular theme song, but for some unknown reason a part of this record made me think of that)

The two musicians will start off playing complimentary parts, then they will go on a tangent playing counterpoint parts, then bring it back together playing identical parts. The effect this produces is a sort of controlled chaos that is quite interesting. No doubt their talent allows them to go off in any direction and be able to pull it all in when necessary. This talent is one that any musician who solos needs to possess to be able to lay it all out and be able to get back to a verse or chorus by a specific bar or beat. It is quite obvious that these two have a complete mastery of that talent and it makes for a great listen.

Sunday Brunch: Hashbrown Patties

We ate these so fast that I forgot to take a picture.

INGREDIENTS:
5 potatoes (all roughly the same size
Salt (to taste)
Dash of Pepper
Oil for cooking, mashing

Peel the potatoes. Chop and boil one for mashing. Take 3 of the others and grate them, then dice the final one (1/2 cm pieces or so). Wrap the grated and finely chopped potatoes in paper towel to remove excess moisture. Mash the final potato with a bit of oil or vegan margarine after boiling. Stir together mashed potato with grated and chopped potato, salt and pepper until thoroughly mixed. Form patties as flat as you can and fry each side until well browned. Enjoy!

A Record a Week: Black Cat #13 - The Experiment Vol. 1

SIDE 1.
I AM A CHILDISH ROBOT
I REMIX WITH ASTRONAUT
ALMIGHTY CIVILIZATION CAT DAUGHTER (Originally by The Phantom Pregnancies)
PLAY THE TEAM
WWW.BLACKCAT13.CJB.NET
SPINNING HEADS
MY SMILE IS PINK (Originally by Oh No the Modulator)

SIDE 2.
CHRONOEXPANDER (Performance by Oh no the Modulator)
HO HO HO (Performance by Oh no the Modulator)
SILENCER ENJOY (Performance by Oh no the Modulator)
CHEMISTOGROPHY (Performance by Oh no the Modulator)
THE GIRL WITH THE WIRE SKULL (Remix by Hi-Fi Texta)
THE GIRL WITH THE WIRE SKULL (Remix by I am Robot and Proud)


I suppose you could call this the first appearance of MSTRKRFT. Oh No The Modulator featured Al P. and JFK was in Black Cat #13, as well as being Casino Steel, who remixed side A of this album.

If you are unfamiliar with Black Cat #13, you may know their members from later projects (Sick Lipstick, DFA1979, Femme Fatale, etc.). They were in the same vein of hardcore-dance-yell-but-not-scream music. This album takes that and adds on computer sounding tracks and beats, layered to make an interesting re-mix of already interesting music. Two of the songs (www.blackcat13.cjb.net and Spinnig Heads) are actually remixes of songs that were on the Black Cat website (had existed up to a few years ago, but no longer does, I checked).

If you are feeling historical about the roots of DFA1979 or Sick Lipstick, start with this band, though you might want to check out their original music first. Then check out Standing 8 as well, if you can track down any of their stuff. That reminds me, I am sticking to 12" Records only...Perhaps I should do a series of 7"/10"'s one weekend. We'll see if I remember that.

Sunday Brunch: Ginger Loaf w/ Poached Pears

INGREDIENTS - LOAF:
1/4 Cup Margarine
1 tbsp Syrup (I used Agave, but Maple or Golden will work)
1/2 Cup Demerra Sugar
1/4 Cup Applesauce
1 cup Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Ginger
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
3/4 Cup Soy Milk

Heat margarine and Syrup on low in a pan. Meanwhile, cream sugar with applesauce. Add margarine melt to sugar mix. Add the rest of the ingredients except the milk and baking soda. Mix baking soda and soy milk, add gradually to mix. Put in a greased bread pan and cook at 350F for 25 minutes, or until a fork comes out clean.



INGREDIENTS - PEARS:
6 Firm Pears, peeled, cored and quartered
1.5L water
2 cups Sugar
2 Vanilla beans, halved
1/2 tsp Peppercorns
1/2 Lemon, sliced
1 stick Cinnamon

Bring water and sugar to a low boil, add the flavours. Put he pears in, using a lid or parchment paper to keep the pears under water. Heat for 25 minutes or so, until pears soften up. Take off heat and let cool until warm, not hot. Serve pears with the loaf and enjoy!

A Record a Week: Big Brother and the Holding Company - Cheap Thrills

SIDE 1.
COMBINATION OF THE TWO
I NEED A MAN TO LOVE
SUMMERTIME
PIECE OF MY HEART

SIDE 2.
TURTLE BLUES
OH, SWEET MARY
BALL AND CHAIN

Oh Janis Joplin, how I wonder if you knew that the phrases 'Big Brother' and 'Cheap Thrills' would go so well together in the future.

This album was the last by Big Brother before Joplin's brief solo career, and has some great stuff on it. Edgy, throaty rock vocals and guitar solos fitting of the era coupled with hippie-type songs. The classic Summertime and Piece of My Heart round out a terrific opening side and the epic Ball and Chain, originally by Big Mama Thornton, but made famous by Joplin.

Her singing style was so unique and her influence as a female rock singer was and has since rarely been matched. Like many others, nobody knows if she would have been able to maintain her status and popularity as she died far too young. As sad as their passings are, celebrities that die at the peak of their careers are eternally enshrined as they were at the time of their death.

Sunday Brunch: Strawberry Shortcake w/ No-Egg Custard

INGREDIENTS - CUSTARD:
3 tbsp Vegan Custard Powder
3 tbsp Sugar
2 cups Soy Milk

Combine sugar and custard powder in a saucepan and slowly add milk as you whisk it together. Continue whisking over medium heat until it comes to a full boil. Pour into a bowl, cover and refrigerate until gel-like (overnight is best).

INGREDIENTS - SHORTCAKE
2 pints Strawberries, washed and chopped
2 1/4 cups Flour
4 tsp Baking Powder
2 tbsp Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
1/3 cup Vegetable Shortening
1 Egg Replacer
2/3 Cup Soy Milk

Combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl. Knife in shortening until you get an even crumble. Add egg replacer and milk to the centre and mix in. Push dough evenly into round cake pan and bake at 425F for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool on a rack, cut it in half when partially cooled. Put custard in the middle, and then spread across the top and top with chopped strawberries (you can add sugar to them in a bowl if desired). There should be some left over strawberries and custard to serve alongside if needed.

*Note: Mine looks odd because I had a section of seed-free strawberries for a guest that couldn't have seeds.

A Record a Week: The Best of '66 - Volume 1

SIDE 1.
HELP! - THE BROTHERS FOUR
HEY JOE - THE BYRDS
HOMEWARD BOUND - CHAD & JEREMY
CLOUDY - THE CYRKLE
YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY YOU LOVE ME - JOHN DAVIDSON
I WANT YOU - BOB DYLAN

SIDE 2.
THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WALKIN' - THE NEW CHRISTY MINSTRELS
YOU'VE LOST THAT LOVIN' FEELIN' - POZO-SECO SINGERS
JUST LIKE ME - PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS
DOWN IN THE BOONDOCKS - BILLY JOE ROYAL
WE'VE GOT A GROOVEY THING GOIN' - SIMON & GARFUNKEL

At first, I thought this album should be called 'popular artists play the hits of '66' or something of that nature. For the most part, it is just that (although many of the groups aren't so popular). Then a strange thing happens: at the end of each side, there is a hit song sung by the original artist. So why then is it laid out like this? Could it have been that hard to get their hands on the release rights 10-12 original hits from 1966? I don't think there was as tight of a ruling on releasing individual songs on best of albums at the time, so I don't think it's that.

A little bit of research told me that the Dylan and S&G songs came out in '66 while the cover version originals mostly came out in '65 or '64, so maybe the covers were hits in '66. However, aside from the Byrds song, there are few reference to the others as having any success as covers. To add to that, they mostly are pretty hokey. Perhaps Columbia records had the license to these versions and that made for a quick and easy release of this record.

The record is full of great songs, but I would way rather listen to it if those songs were all the original performances. Luckily I don't have any of the future volumes of this series, if any ever came out.