Cancer Can't Dance Like This

Today I went to check out Cancer Can't Dance Like This, a one-man play staged at the Tarragon Theatre as part of Toronto's Fringe Festival. It had been years since I've seen a Fringe Festival play. These plays always tend to be alternative, quriky, and "on the fringe" since they result from annual submissions from anybody. What an amazing performance! Acute Non - Hodgkin’s T - Lymphoblastic Lymphoma survivor Daniel Stolfi presented an amazing show! His selection of characters ranged from Bruise Portega (his male member), a testosterone-overloaded lady-loving lounge singer with tons of innuendo and unsatiable sex drive, to Capo Capelli (his hair), a sweet older barber with apologetic smiles and jokes that are only funny in Italian. Cancer Can't Dance Like This is a variety showcase of Stolfi's talent and the many "faces", characters which emerge from the cancer closet. Between these colourful personalities, Stolfi's own voice emerges through readings of his diary entries during treatment giving a sobering dose of reality-- this is cancer.



Cancer Can't Dance Like This - Joe Intro

At one point, I found myself laughing out loud when he said, "F*#$ Lance Armstrong" for setting the bar too high for cancer survivors by winning seven "Tour de France" competitions after his battle with testicular cancer. And just like me and several other thyroid cancer patients (as well as some lymphoma patients I've met), Daniel Stolzi was told that he had the best cancer. Imagine that given Stolzi had been hospitalized for over forty days and had undergone two years of chemotherapy. (Two years, people! Doesn't sound like an ideal cancer to me! And I really hate this "best cancer" bullshit.) Set to a soundtrack of disco, hip hop, and Michael Jackson pop, I truly identified with the use of music to tell the cancer story and was pleasantly surprised with the reprise of "Standing Tall", the theme song from the late 1980s/1990s television show, Perfect Strangers. I attended the event with two other young adult survivors, Raymund (leukemia-survivor) and Daniel (testicular cancer-survivor). They both related to this play as well. Raymund described it as sounding eerily similar to entries from his diary. I loved the play and think everyone should see it. I applaud Daniel Stolzi for taking his cancer experience and turning it into an opportunity to express himself creatively and with humour, share his story with survivors and the public. Check it out at Toronto's Fringe Festival from July 6 to 17, 2011.


Arriving at the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto, there are a lot of folks waiting to get in.




Daniel (facilitator of young adult cancer group at Gilda's Club), Raymund, and I enjoyed the play. I am wearing my Rasta colours (red, yellow, green) since I planned to go to my second day of Afrofest right afterwards.


Daniel, me, actor Daniel Stolfi, and Raymund.

Funky Sexy Vegan (Vegan Photo Album 3)

As I prepared to post the photos of my latest vegan culinary exploits, I was a bit humbled. For the first time, I realized something unique about my photos. I noticed that in some of the photos, the background was not "perfect" or "tidy". My photos lacked the "food photo" perfection that I notice in several cookbooks and newspapers. I didn't have perfect lighting at times, flowers or fruit in the backdrop. I didn't have decorative mats or touches. My photos are taken during my flurry of baking or cooking. There are food stains on the cutting board, drips on the stove, and my dish drying rack in photos. Usually when I cook, I make a huge mess and then I do the major clean-up afterward. While I cook, I snap photos along the way. For my entry in the Burrito Bonanza contest, Adam, my fiance, helped me to take notice the fine art of food photography. So within an hour, we took a quick crash course by watching videos on youtube. Adam helped me to figure out the special features on my camera so I could capture the food at its best. I'm getting a bit better at photographing my culinary creations. Now I think my goal is to learn even more about "food presentation". I'm learning more about this food writing/criticism thing as I go and I want my $%^& to be correct. I also could use some good cookware too. (Some high end stuff although the dollar store stuff has to do.)

Golden Vanilla Cupcakes with Vegan Fluffy Buttercream and Chocolate Buttercream Frosting from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero
I made these wonderful cupcakes for a Sunday School Picnic at my church. They were a hit! (And so scrumptious) I sampled the chocolate frosting cupcake (as did Adam) and the rest were for the kids (and the adults). I had tons of frosting left over and loved stealing a spoonful or two of sweet creamy goodness over the course of several weeks. (Hey! I couldn't eat the frosting all at once.)










Polenta Casserole with Seitan from The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone
I ate this one but did not enjoy it as much. I made my own seitan to go with it. The polenta was a little bland and the seitan was very, very chewy. Not my favourite but a healthy dish nonetheless.





Lasagna from Caribbean Vegan by Taymar Mason
I can't believe it's not cheese! Taymar Mason, you blow my mind. How did she come up with this masterpiece recipe? The sauce was extremely spicy, the tofu cheese and roux were an amazing combination. It tasted so much like ricotta and mozarella that even my fiance had to ask me again if there was cheese in the lasagna. (And trust me, Adam loves his cheese.) But no, this cheese does not contain any dairy. It's all plant-based. Thank you Taymar Mason! For the first time, I ate vegan lasagna and felt my belly full! The sauce was thick with TVP granules. With this lasagna, any vegan can say goodbye to meat cravings. Note to self: When boiling lasagna noodles, always use ample oil in the water and never allow them to stand to long after draining off the water. The noodles badly stick together and then rip.



My badly shredded lasagna noodles were frustrating to work with and lay flat.

My masterpiece.




White Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie from Caribbean Vegan by Taymar Mason
Taymar does it again. I have this masochistic relationship with spicy foods. Although my mouth was on fire and I had to douse it with many a glass of water, I loved this take on Shepherd's Pie. No blandness here! Please excuse the "ghetto'foil pan". I loved this dish. It was scrumptious and tasty. If I were to make it again, I would use more sweet potatoes and possibly combine them with regular potatoes to add more to the top. But the combination of sweet (from the potato topping) and spicy (from the filling) flavours was amazing amalgamation of bliss.



Strawberry-Rhubarb Sauce on Chia Seed Pudding from Toronto Vegetarian Association Spring 2011 Newsletter
The sauce was refreshing, sweet, and very gingery. Who knew I could make pudding from chia seeds in under 30 minutes? Just place chia seeds in some almond or soy milk, add agave (or sweetener of your choice), stir, and then let sit for 30 minutes. The chia seeds develop a little bit of a gelatinous consistency which is perfect for pudding. Mm mm mm.


Brazilian Black Bean and Vegetable Stew from The Tropical Vegan Kitchen by Donna Klein
I don't know how Brazilian this dish really is but I do know I am very intrigued with Brazilian culture right now. Brazilian anything will catch my eye. My fiance plays Brazilian music (mostly classical Brazilian guitar, forro, and singing in Brazilian Portuguese, I know amazing). Click here to see him playing at Expressions of Brazil 2010, a Brazilian festival here in Toronto. He also used to play Maracatu which is an Afro-Brazilian percussion form older than samba. This summer, I myself am trying out capoeira, Afro-Brazilian martial art/dance (again for the 3rd time in 12 years). I am also working on an Afro-Brazilian picture book and dream of visiting Brazil soon. Sigh! Adam and I watch documentaries about Brazil. And today he even taught me to play a bossa nova rhythm on the guitar. What were we talking about again? Oh yeah, the stew was good.



Indian Black-Barley Pilaf with Bananas and Oranges from The Tropical Vegan by Donna Klein
Pretty tasty! I liked the sweet of banana and tangy orange which were an interesting combination. Adam wasn't too stoked on it.


African Beans and Potatoes from The Tropical Vegan by Donna Klein
This dish was pretty tasty. I decided to do something a little different and instead of salad or rice, I placed the beans and potatoes in a roti. What do you expect? I'm Caribbean. Anyway, very tasty. With some chopped peanuts and pepper sauce, this dish is a hit. Adam loved it.


Bajan Macaroni Pie with Tofu Cheddar from Caribbean Vegan by Taymar Mason
Many people tell me that they could not become vegan because they would miss cheese too much. Taymar Mason's cooking makes it possible to not miss cheese at all. In fact, you might say, "Hold the cheese." Just as she did with the lasagna, this macaroni pie is a master piece. According to my fiance, Mr. Cheese himself, this meal captures the comfort and familiarity of the macaroni pie without the need for cheese. You don't miss the cheese. That's right! You can enjoy macaroni without cheese and you don't miss it. Well, Taymar doesn't disappoint. In the first photo, you'll notice that white dolop of cream. That's Tofu Cheddar. Then comes the roux. The culinary tricks of adding spices, adds real flavour. The onion adds a refreshing zip while other things are added to stimulate taste buds. Ketchup was one of these shocking additions. That's right. Ketchup in my macaroni pie along with Bajan seasoning, Bajan pepper sauce, white, and black pepper. And true to it's signature feature, this macaroni pie has a delectable crust thanks to bread crumbs and vegan margarine. I can't wait to make this for my mother and say, "Look mom! No cheese!"
Homemade tofu cheddar

After you stir in the tofu cheddar, then comes the roux



Before the macaroni pie meets the oven

After the macaroni pie met the oven

Thai Cooking at Wellspring

I attended a Thai Cooking workshop at Wellspring Cancer Support Centre today. Our instructor was Lisa Shamai of Lisa's Kitchen. I learned to make some delicious meals and got great recipes too. I got to taste these amazing dishes and guess what? No animals here baby, just vegan goodness.


I handrolled these Thai Fresh Spring Rolls myself. They were amazingly good with this simple dipping sauce of lime juice, maple syrup, coriander leaves, and chili pepper. A pansy and a mint leaf were delicately placed on the rice paper before I wrapped these babies to give them a delicate touch.


This Green Mango Salad was delightful and refreshing. Lisa held the fish sauce for me (due to my allergy and vegan-y) but I loved every bite of chopped peanuts and cashews. Sweet and slightly sour and perfectly Thai. Yum!


The Thai Spring Soup was a little bitter for my taste due to the composition of the broth. Lisa taught me a new technique and one that I read about last night in Vegan on the Cheap by Robin Robertson-- how to make your own broth. It's so cheap and simple, I wondered why I didn't discover this ages ago. Take all of your vegetable scraps like carrot peels, potato skins, celery leaves and boil them to make broth. This broth can be frozen and stored and reused, plus, you know what goes into it. You can also decide to add fruit peoples depending on the soup you wish to add it to. Lisa used lime peels for this soup (hence the bitter taste), however you may use pineapple, mango, lemon, and/or orange peels.

Inner Punk

I don't know if it was the cancer or the vegan food or this fierce hairstyle but I feel like I'm finally getting in touch with my inner punk. Watch out cancer! I'm going to kick some ass.

(I don't want to dis' the punk community and I realize that it is quite diverse. There are "straight edges", Afropunks, Brit Punks, original skinheads, ska punks, and others. When I think of punk, I think of fierce independence, expressiveness, style, and not taking 'guff from anyone.)

I post these pictures as a testament to a growing acceptance of my look, my scar, my personality, and my body. Through this whole thyroid cancer experience, I have experienced change-- physical (weight gain and my scar), spiritual, emotional, and psychological. I am learning to accept the many facets for what they are-- parts of my journey.

I've never been the popular or the cool kid in elementary and high school. I was always sort of a nerd from the very beginning who walked to the own beat of my drum. I had the glasses, the braces, the acne, and the retainer. For most of my high school years, I didn't shave my legs and stopped relaxing (chemically straightening) my hair, both by choice. It seemed like I was the last one to have a real boyfriend (I was 20!). Yet I was in the band, choir, and student council, wrote for the newspaper, and studied classical piano and jazz saxophone. Even though I wasn't quite scoring in the social department, I threw myself into the academic (and I think it paid off-- 3 degrees. Holla! PhD is down the road... I can almost see it now.) I so identify with those characters on Glee. I used to feel like something was wrong with me since the whole high school thing didn't happen in the formulaic/tv Hollywood way. Now I fully accept myself for who I am and I'm okay with my different-ness. I embrace my uniquenesses and quirks.

My sister's experience with an eating disorder reminded me of how important it is for girls and teenagers to see alternative definitions of beauty and images of diverse women who embrace and love themselves. By diverse, I mean different body heights and shapes, skin colours, abilities, religions, and orientations. Not just the typically all-American pretty girl/super model-types. I was never the skinny girl either. I was put on a diet at the age of eight and was teased for being chubby, too. "However I have realized that within society there is still a major issue that is affecting young women, and that is finding love and satisfaction within themselves. This lack of self-esteem has contributed to the oppression that many of us young women have subjected ourselves to and this has been going on for too long!" Thanks for your inspiring words Tierra. You can learn more about her journey by visiting her website Untouched Beauty.

I'm ready to embrace my curves and step out into this world with these thick black wedge heels, a strong stride, and a badass attitude. I'm ready to lead a full and healthy life.









My friend Denise has found her inner punk too.


The punk hairstyle is all gone but...



I still got that attitude (with less screw face).

Vex in the City: Part 6 Aux Vivres

>< >< >< >< Taste of the food My first tempeh bacon was slightly sweet and slightly salty and scrumptious. The tofu scramble was none like I had before and slightly curried. I loved the crispy sweet potato chips.
>< >< >< >< Look of the food The presentation of the food was so delicately displayed.
>< >< >< >< Environmentally-Responsibility Reusable utensils, plates, and bowls a plus
>< >< >< Health Savvy Organic food. A variety of teas available on menu that were freshly brewed "out of bag" (with their leaves). Each tea had a description for their health benefits. For example, yerba mate helps to promote positive mood and energy.
>< >< >< >< Hospitality/Warmth I did not get into any long discussions with any staff their or owners but our waitress was very friendly and helpful and responsive.
>< >< >< Décor/Vibe Okay. The decor was fairly simple with wood floors and big bright windows. The paintings on the wall were colourful. The music, I don't remember exactly what it was.
Added Perks I choose not to add a rating here since I was not looking out for it while I was there. Plus, the owners were unaware that I was rating their restaurant.
Ethical and Community-Minded I also did not rate this one since I was not looking for these details while I was there.

Price
$20-$29 I think this is very reasonable for what I ordered. I ordered orange juice and an appetizer of my very first Gazpacho (Spanish cold soup). I had Le Complet which came with a beverage (I chose chai tea). If you include my tip, it all came to about $ 24.

While in Montreal, Quebec, I visited Aux Vivres with a group of friends. You can visit their bilingual website here. The restaurant was highly recommended by Lena as a vegan haven. I love the French word for vegan-- végétalien. It sounds almost like the French word for vegetarian- végétarien. What difference one letter makes. Okay, I'll focus on the food here. Whenever I come to a restaurant like Aux Vivres, one with a wide variety of dishes and that is in a different town, I feel like selecting a dish to try is a delicate, calculated process since I am not sure when will be the next time that I return to this location. (I felt it in St. John's, Newfoundland with The Sprout and Burlington, Ontario with Kindfood. You can read my posts on those experiences.) So since it was already 4pm in the afternoon and I still had not had breakfast (no hunger pangs since my appetite still has not fully returned since my radiation), I decided on what appeared to be the most well-rounded meal, Le Complet. Because I love any excuse to use my French (and plus it sounds tastier in this language), let me describe Le Complet for you:
Tofu brouillé, bacon de tempeh, pain de maïs, fruits frais, salade, et patates douces
Priced at $ 10.95, this meal also came with a drink. I chose chai tea. Doesn't that sound delicious? Well, it tasted great and opened up my appetite more. Before I delved into Le Complet, I had a small orange juice (freshly squeezed) and a gazpacho (the soup of the day). I've never had gazpacho before but I know it's an amazingly cold Spanish-style soup. This one was "tomatoe-y", mildly herbed, and refreshingly cold for the hot summer Montreal day. (Montreal is a beautifully old city of extreme temperatures-- frigid arctic-like winters and then there are the broiling days in which you think you are about to wilt, but who cares? You're in Montreal.) My overall food experience at Aux Vivres was great. My friends liked their meals too (especially the huge slice of carrot cake which had coconut milk frosting, I love coconut milk frosting).







Le menu bilingue. (The bilingual menu)


Soupe du jour: Le gazpacho (une soupe éspagnole)


Une tasse du thé chai (a cup of chai tea)


Le Complet (which means literally The Full or The Complete, a breakfast of scrambled tofu, seitan bacon, sweet potatoes, fruit, salad, and a slice of cornbread toast)


Denise a commandé une tranche du gâteau aux carottes mais il semble qu'elle ait besoin de l'aide pour le manger. Donc, j'ai mangé un petit morceau. C'étais le moins que je pouvais faire.
(Denise ordered a slice of carrot cake but it seemed like she needed help to finish eating it. So I had a little bite. It's the least I could do.)