httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVq0viiv2tk

Hey, everyone!

Well, as summer is upon us officially, both Helenka and I will be taking a short break from posting and filming for a couple of months to enjoy the great weather. Plus, I will be out of town for quite a bit of time – actually on vacation – so that limits what we can do (or what Helenka can do via really remote control). [Helenka graciously declines that distinct (read “scary”) honour.]

But, in the meantime, I’ve created this short video of a recent camping trip I took to Killbear Provincial Park here in Ontario, Canada. My friend’s site was right near the water, the weather was great and the sunset was amazing to watch (filmed in short sequences to give you the effect more quickly).

I’ll hand things off to Helenka, as I am sure she has some ideas on fun things she has done during previous summers. [Helenka sputters: Now. Wait. Just. A. Minute!!! You never mentioned that to me until now.] [Brian says he did. But we could be here all night, so, Helenka dear, will you please write … something.] [Helenka grabs the tossed frisbee (well, better than throttling Brian’s neck) and agrees to recall a few cherished memories and ideas.]

Have a Safe and Happy Vacation
… and have fun cooking, too!
B&H =;)

Helenka ventures into the cobwebs of her mind:
Okay, let’s start with a luxurious summertime memory. When I used to travel a long time ago, in a ga— (oops, wrong audience) … to New York City, I’d usually stay at the Plaza. And one of my fave combined memories of a vacation and food was of having MY waiter do room service several times serving me Steak Tartare, Littleneck and Cherrystone Clams. I always loved the panache and presentation of seeing him combine the minced beef with raw egg yolks (oh, my, the good old days when we weren’t concerned about food contamination) and spices and condiments before I got to indulge myself. Along with lots of chilled vodka. The meal was just perfect after a scorching hot day out, sightseeing and shopping (just a few trinkets from Tiffany as well as caviar – aka the basics). I’m sure even the chefs were relieved there was NO cooking or even prior application of heat involved. That’s one of the easiest things anybody can do to create a quick summer dinner, even if you have to open a can of smoked oysters or tuna, because – alas – the nearest fresh, raw clams are thousands of miles away. Add a quick salad, perhaps a glass of chilled white wine, and your meal is ready for you to sit back and enjoy it. New York, unfortunately, is not a standard feature. But that’s what imaginations are for.

//Abrupt scene change//
A more down-to-earth (but still grown-up in spirit) memory is the last time I stayed at a cottage (a misnomer, as it was a stone-and-mortar lodge) in Dwight, Ontario (a little further than Huntsville) on Lake-of-Bays, Muskoka, that belonged to a man whom I’d called uncle (even though there was no blood relationship). The year was 1966 (I believe) and my “cousin’s” wife had just given birth to her second baby. Along with doing gourmet-style cooking for dinner every night, I was responsible for both the baby and the toddler. [Don’t look at me: I certainly didn’t write that job description, but I managed to multi-task quite efficiently.]

Around 2:30 every afternoon, I would wave to everyone relaxing on the dock with a cheery “See you later” and make my way up to the lodge where I would prepare dinner in a really tiny kitchen that was so antiquated, for many years it didn’t even have a fridge, only an icebox. What was for dinner? Just about anything I wanted to cook. I remember one evening making a cream of watercress soup (with some sort of alcohol in it) and, no matter what I cooked, everyone ate it (even the toddler and the baby got a spoonful). We used to have dinner on the back porch that ran along the length of the lodge and faced the sloping stone steps down to the lake, allowing us to catch the sunset every night (and, yes, Brian and I acknowledge our mutual appreciation of exquisite sunsets). Another wonderful and intimate feature was sharing the salad bowl. In yet another example of days long gone when some germs just weren’t considered to be anything to panic about, we would eat our entrées off our own plates, but would dig into the communal salad bowl set in the middle of the round table. So many decades later and I still remember that vividly.

Summer is a particularly wonderful time to try out new recipes. First of all, there are more fruits and vegetables in season, so you can let your mind wander (and hope it comes back home eventually, filled with unique menu ideas). There are so many simply ethereal summer soups, from cherry to cucumber-yogurt, that you could have a different chilled soup every night without getting bored (or breaking out into a sweat).

If you’re not into soup, then combine several chopped fruits and vegetables into a salsa. Add some black beans or chickpeas and you have a balanced meal to which you only need to add a few crackers or baguette slices.

Anyway, I think I’ve babbled enough and you already know how I encourage you to use your imaginations. Brian may be travelling away from TO while he’s on vacation, but I’ll admit I’ve been living on vacation for the past five years. Though, really, I wonder why Brian’s going to visit other lakes when he already lives on one. And I’m only two miles further … right on the same lake. But I guess he wants to experience those other lakes and their unique attributes. I can understand (sorta, kinda) as I have swans, geese and ducks right outside my window at my Villa-by-the-Lake. But it’s been eight whole years since I was in Haliburton, Ontario, hearing the loons every night. Perhaps Brian will come back from his adventures and tell me about all of the interesting aspects and allow me to experience them vicariously. So I’ll just continue to use MY imagination. See you when we return!