One of the many blessings of aging is that my memory capacity is changing.  I won’t say “going” or “deteriorating”; I am not there yet.  This creates wonderful surprises for me each day.  For example: last weekend when I arrived home from the FBC Conference, I left my suitcase just inside the door.  I packed up a different case, to take with me (when I left the house at 5:30 the next morning), to fly back up north, to finish off a teaching commitment.  Now that I am home again, I opened my FBC suitcase like it was Christmas morning!

So too, as I read back over the notes that I took during the sessions, I am delighted by the nuggets of wisdom that I can apply to my craft.  I was especially struck by three people and they all happen to be men, which is ironic when you consider that the conference was primarily attended by females with mostly female presenters.  Don’t misunderstand me, I love the company of women: their insights and tenderness and affection.  Male voices just seemed to resonate with me last weekend, like the feeling you get when watching a parade and the drum corp marches by.

Dan Clapson made an first impression on me when he was part of the panel of speakers for the “Making Dough-Earning a Living with Your Words” session but when I was really inspired was when he spoke up during “The Changing Face of Food Writing” as he passionately interjected that he and his fellow writer/bloggers from Alberta were unified in their promotion of local food, producers and the provinces’ vibrant restaurant scene.  Were you also impressed by his courage to challenge the “Toronto-centric” perspective?

I was bewildered when I saw other conference attendees swarm the speakers’ table to get Corey Mintz’s autograph.  But as soon as he mentioned his rubbing of shoulders with Ruth Reichl, I too might have been tempted.  Her books Tender to the Bone and Garlic and Sapphires are among my favourite culinary non-fiction reads.  I read Corey’s How to Host a Dinner Party in two sittings this week.  I immensely enjoyed his instruction, in spite of the fact that I felt like an idiot for not knowing what “guanciale” was (I still don’t know how to pronounce it).  Sarah Polley’s introduction of her friend Corey instantly connected me to him, with these words:

Through learning to cook, he developed an eloquent, uncomplicated way of showing love without irony.

This declaration confirmed my personal life equation: food=love.  Might I also add, that I adore when people “get” me and I think that I get Corey Mintz.  His book’s final paragraph, reads:

Because in the end, it’s about connecting with people over food.  That’s what’s important to me.  Within this book, hopefully, I’ve provided some guidance so that more people can make that happen more often, and with greater comfort.

The last say was given to keynote David Leite, whom I will admit, I did not remember hearing of previously.  Perhaps it is the memory thing again because I avidly read  The Best Food Writing series each and every year and must have come across he and his writings before.  I really need to listen to his sage advice of backing away from the desk and the stove.  Being a relatively new blogger, I am too focused on the quantity of my posts.  I need to give myself permission to sit longer at our dining room table after the dinner has been consumed, walk my dog with less urgency (“would you please poop, so we can get home”) and just … be.

When David declared: “I love language”, he intended “love” to be a verb.  I consider “love” to also have great significance as a noun and “love language” is my native tongue.  Since last weekend, I have spent time in a troubled Manitoba northern community and watched the horrific bombings of the Boston marathon.  If the language of love could be spoken more often, in our homes, communities, country and around the world, it might not change the world, but then again, it just might.

Kath’s quote: “There is no love sincerer than the love of food.”-George Bernard Shaw

Love-that is all.

I am eating pizza that is so amazing that I have not finished my first piece and I have to write about it. The crust is firm, crispy and perfectly cooked.  The sauce, as indicated on the take out menu is Tom’s “own authentic”.  I cannot really work up a full analysis on the sauce as the tastes are over-taken by the toppings and the cheese.  This is not a complaint.

The “Miner’s Special” toppings are a thick wedge of pepperoni and julienne salami. The combination is appropriately spicy and because of the abundance, I am very thirsty from the salt.  But not the kind of salty taste that you get when a bad cook tries to disquise their inferiority with the salt shaker, but a deep and rich, saltiness. If I had any complaint, it is that I would have loved more mushrooms to offset the richness of the deli meats.  Mozzarella is liberally layered over top and then hunks of bacon crown it all.

I do not use the term “hunks” in a derogatory manner.  These are lean and meaty pieces, similar to when I was growing up and my Dad would bring home the bacon.  He would purchase a slab of bacon and would slice it up himself.  He would use his big freshly sharpened butcher knife, on the wooden cutting board, that used to slide out of the cupboard.  Tom’s bacon retains a husky, smoky taste and comes closer to what I imagine “real” bacon is supposed to taste like.

I have to fess up on a couple of points: I have now finished my pizza supper and it is only 5 pm.  I really want to watch the Jets game but I have to participate in a twitter party this evening.  The front desk agent at my hotel has called over to Boston Pizza which is within walking distance, to ensure that they have Wi-Fi.  Therefore, I can sit up at the bar, watch the game AND fulfil my tweeting commitments.  But, I couldn’t bear to pay Boston’s prices for a pizza when I knew that their pies could not hold a candle to the local version, that I have heard so much about.  Last year when I was teaching in Thompson, I tasted pizza from Santa Maria and when I commented to locals that I wanted to go again, many advised me that the chef from Santa Maria’s had moved over to Tom’s (or perhaps he even IS Tom).  At any rate, I wanted to give a place that I had never eaten at, a try.

Just before game time, I plan to walk over to BP and order myself a frosty beer or a glass of wine and then get my tweeting fingers warmed up.  Hopefully I will be all done by the end of the first period, when I can then sit back and enjoy the rest of the game.  Which I can now report was won in a shoot out!

Kath’s quote: “I talked to a calzone for fifteen minutes last night before I realized it was just an introverted pizza. I wish all my acquaintances were so tasty.
”-  Jarod Kintz

Love-that is all.

Getting the precise timing of D’s arrival at the ferry landing on the Cancun side was crucial, since he was expecting me, but on the Isla side. I didn’t want to be heading west across the Bay of Cancun, as he was heading east towards Isla.  I have always thought that those Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan movies, where they are always mere seconds away from meeting each other, were way too tense and anxiety-provoking. I am not kidding, doesn’t the suspense drive you to the edge of your seat? No? Okay, it is just me, then.

After careful calculations, I left Luna D’Miel precisely at the moment that D’s plane would have been touching down. I had a 15 minute walk ahead of me and a wait for the ferry. I arrived at Gran Puerto just as the 11:30 am ferry was boarding. I caught D’s attention as he was charging ahead to climb on board, for the noon crossing.

We celebrated being back together with a beer on the top deck and then more beer and mixed ceviche at the Fisherman’s Co-op. Why so much celebrating? D and I have been together for over 30 years and every time we reunite after a time apart, we rejoice anew.

We walked up the Airport Road to Luna D’Miel with D’s luggage in tow and then headed back down to Centro for a quiet sit together by the water and then to buy some more provisions.

As much as we love watching the sun rise in the morning (especially from our bed), we love love gazing at its setting as well. This is one of the many reasons why we love staying at Luna D’Miel.  Where on the Island, can you enjoy both with such splendour?

We chose not to linger because we were meeting the gang for dinner.  There was much deliberation on what the nine of us had a hankering for, but in the end, the answer was tacos.  Then of course, the discussion centered upon where  the best place for tacos was.  Traveling with an entourage has its delights, but not necessarily when conclusions have to be made, especially when we are staying at four different areas of the island.  In the end, the determination was Tacqueria Media on Hidalgo, but we were too early, as they don’t open until 8ish (with the emphasis on the “ish”). So we strolled south on Hidalgo and decided upon Don Cheapo.

The food was quite tasty and we were having a very enjoyable evening, until a table of very loud patrons, drove us into the street. Has this happened to you, as well?  The group was piercingly loud and argumentative and had clearly had way too many margaritas.  The staff and management did not dare muffle them, for fear of lost of business (and I am guessing- gratuities).  But we could not focus on our own festivities, once they had arrived.  Our attention was constantly pulled to their table, until we just gave up and decided to find somewhere for a quiet ice cream.

But before their arrival, we tucked into this array of tacos. The pork chop tacos were assembled from sizzled strips of pork chop including a little round bone.

D adventurously ordered the cactus tacos as well.  We scrutinized the taste and declared that it was close to a pickled pepper (unless you have never tasted one of those).

My Sis-in-Law enjoyed the Chicken Fajitas.

Sister #2  elected to taste the chicken tostada with ham peas, tomato sauce and sauteed plantain.

My Bro-in-law opted for crispy chicken tacos.

Sister #3 determined that she need a shrimp fix but I am not totally sure if there were enough crustaceans in these to satisfy her.

I was delighted with my choice of fresh fish that was lightly sauteed in butter and garlic and served alongside broccoli shoots.

D was ready for his first night of blissful sleep with the sound of the crashing ocean waves outside our windows.  As a result, we did not linger in Centro, but strolled back out to our little piece of paradise.

Kath’s quote: “Ancient lovers believed a kiss would literally untie their souls, because the spirit was said to be carried in one’s breath.”  -Eve Glicksman

Love-that is all.

When I arrived at Chuuk Kay, I settled in to recreate the fun times that we have experienced every time we have gathered there.

The food is always first class (I have even enjoyed New Year’s Eve dinner here), the service attentive

and the beer, lovely and cold.

Add to that, the surprise of seeing Jackie and Julie, whom we asked to join our gang.  Everywhere we go turns out to be a party.  So you can understand that I was content to stay put and perhaps order a second bucket of cervezas for the table.

When I saw this beautiful lady, who is not only a talented singer in her own right but the owner of Budget Isla Rentals, she asked why I had not yet checked into Luna D’Miel.  What-I thought that I was supposed to check in the next day?  But, I was wrong!

I had been counting the hours until my move because in spite of how cozy and charming Casa el Pio is, the beach along the airport strip is my favourite place on the island.

I could have spent the entire afternoon, scouring the beach, lying in the hammock

or perched in the shade watching the world go buy with the sea

and Cancun in the background.  I am not a spontaneous person and I don’t care for surprises. I like to know exactly what I am doing on an hour to hour basis.  Once I realized my mistake, I could not relax and enjoy myself.  I had to get back to Casa el Pio to pack up, so that I could settle into my new digs at Luna d’Miel as soon as possible.

But before my brother-in-law offered to give me a lift back to Centro on the back of his scooter, I walked the gorgeous property at Chuuk Kay to see the start of the sun’s decline in the sky.

I must have been highly motivated because I made good time.  There was still light in the sky when I took this shot from the front door of my suite at Luna d’Miel.  I settled in and had an early night, certain that I would be awake with the sun.

Here’s one of the many reasons why I love Luna d’Miel: watching the sunrise without leaving my bed.

These are some of the other reasons:

D was arriving that morning so I walked into town and boarded the ferry to meet him on the Cancun side.

I am usually too excited to get off the boat when I arrive on Isla and don’t take the time to savour the surroundings of the island from the ferry.  I recorded in my journal that morning:  “I thought I was happy before, I am ecstatic now.”

Kath’s quote: “Well,” said Pooh, “what I like best,” and then he had to stop and think.  Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn’t know what it was called.”―A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

Love-that is all.

Day 7 turns out to be another predominately pictorial rendition of my lovely time.  My husband was arriving the following day and I was moving to another favourite little hotel on the airport strip.  So, knowing this, I soaked up all that Centro had to offer.  I started with a wander up along the north east side of the island.

Then back past Roca Mar

and back to Casa el Pio.

Early that afternoon, I found a low palm to relax under and take some photos of the west shore of Centro.

The time came to meet our gang at Chuuk Kay to see our friends Javi and Marla (engaged since our return home) and “The Band with No Name”, always one of the highlights of our time on the island.  But I was in for a big surprise (well “big” in my world-I prefer “sure things”).

Stay tuned.

Kath’s quote: “What I love about cooking is that after a hard day, there is something comforting about the fact that if you melt butter and add flour and then hot stock, it will get thick! It’s a sure thing! It’s a sure thing in a world where nothing is sure; it has a mathematical certainty in a world where those of us who long for some kind of certainty are forced to settle for crossword puzzles.”-Nora Ephron

Love-that is all.