A story for our time

The debate of whether the human race is the result of God’s divine power (creationism) or of millions of years of change (evolution) is a heated one, and it’s the primary topic tackled in John Settle’s first novel, Time and Time Again, published earlier this year. As the son of an Anglican missionary and priest as well as a student of philosophy at the University of Guelph, it’s a  familiar debate for the Grade 5, 6 and 7 teacher at Wellesley Public School. The fictional story is aimed at young-adults and follows a pair of teenagers named Adam and Evelyn as they try to unravel the secrets of a mysterious group of men that are travelling through time.

While Settle admits he isn’t particularly a fan of traditional science fiction, the genre granted him some freedom in exploring his ideas for the story, which he’s been working on for nearly 20 years.
“I was playing with the ideas of evolution versus creationism, and the time travel gave me a way to discuss them in a unique way.”

The story’s main character is Adam, a 14-year-old boy living in the year 2040 where time travel has become so mundane it’s almost boring, and where people can travel back and forth in time at will using Time Taxis.
“Some people work in different time periods, but then some people just vacation,” explained Settle. “Evelyn finds that someone has done something wrong in the past. She doesn’t understand what it is, but she gets chased by the bad guys and Adam tries to help her and figure out what is really going on.”

Settle said that the book takes three perspectives on evolution and creationism. The first side argues for the sake of creationism and that God gave birth to the human race; the second argues for a purely evolutionary understanding of how humans became the dominant species on the plant; and the third view (expressed by Adam) is that it shouldn’t matter which side is right.

Throughout the book the first two factions begin to oppose the others’ ideals. Protests break out, and the conflict eventually escalates into nuclear war that the reader never experiences but the fallout of which is witnessed when Adam and Evelyn travel 2.5 million years into the future.

“There is no mention of who won the war,” said Settle.

The author said he drew inspiration from his daily life, in particular from his father, Tom, and their conversations about evolution and creationism.

Prior to becoming an Anglican minister and Archdeacon in Quebec, Settle’s father was a philosopher of science for many years and believes in the idea of evolution from a religious context.

“He believes that God needs to be taken into consideration when you consider evolution. He believes it was influenced by God,” said Settle.

“A few of those ideas sneak into the book.”

Settle’s upbringing spans nearly as far as the timelines in his book. Born in Hong Kong in 1960, he moved to England when he was five years old then to Guelph two years later. He studied at the University of Western Ontario, completed his degree at Guelph in 1984, and studied for one semester at the University of Florida in 1985.

He said it was his experience living in Florida, “in an apartment by myself in a strange country,” that really sparked his interest in writing.

That writing is also influenced by his experiences as a teacher, and as a father while raising his own two children, Jeremy and Stephanie, who are 16 and 18 years old respectively.

“I think it’s helped me understand a little bit about how to portray characters that are approximately their age. The kinds of things they think about and the way that they talk and things that they are interested in,” he said.

“I hope it has, anyway,” he added with a laugh.

While he didn’t write the story with the intention of having it act as a parable or a lesson for our time, he said it could certainly be perceived that way. Themes such as tolerance and violence in the name of religion are prevalent in thenovel.
One of the challenges he was faced with was keeping the scope of the story manageable, which was difficult given the fact that the story spans some five million years of human history. He noted, though, that the timelines gave him some creative freedom in interpreting the future, while using historical and archaeological records to remain faithful to the past.

“I could invent a lot of things,” he laughed. “So I did. I invented some means of travel, and not just time travel, but vehicular travel.”

He imagined a world where oil prices spiked so high that airline travel was no longer viable, and used other real-world scenarios we are witnessing today to influence his future in the book.

Like any good science fiction writing, the book contains a plot twist at the end that may surprise readers. Without giving it away, Settle tried to hint at the fact that the names of the main characters were not chosen at random.
“It’s not a coincidence. It’s intentional.”

Time and Time Again is available at three locations: The Bookshelf in Guelph, Upper Case Books in New Hamburg, and The Robins Nest café in Elmira. Settle will be holding a book signing in New Hamburg on May 5 at 3 p.m., and in Elmira on May 12 from 3-5 p.m.

Settle is working on an idea for another novel, as well as a trilogy of children’s picture books with Cambridge artist Mircea Gabor, the same artist who completed the cover art for Time and Time Again.

For more information, visit www.johnsettlebooks.com.

A few maple syrup treats to try at home in keeping with the spirit of the festival

Having taken in the smells and tastes of the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival – we go every year with friends – perhaps you’re feeling inspired to try your hand at a few delicacies.  Of course you can find every type of food imaginable amongst the large crowds that gather to celebrate this fantastic time of year. But for some of us, there is only one reason to go: the maple taffy on snow. We wait for what seems like hours to watch the experts re-create a past-time snack of yesteryear. Getting the temperature of the maple syrup just right in a large cauldron over an open fire of hot coals. Once its ready it is delicately poured on crisp white snow and then swirled around a popsicle stick to harden just right. Then it is ready to be slowly dissolved in your mouth by the lucky folks who have waited with patience.

This ‘dessert’ is actually something that we did at a dinner party for a fun, traditional and different ending to a meal.  Fresh (clean!) snow was collected ahead of time and we waited with sticks in hand as the maple syrup came to just the right temperature in order to harden properly. Mmmmm.

Whether you made it out last weekend or not, read below for some tips on how to create your own ‘festival!’The following information comes from The Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association.

When making sugar, candy or maple butter with maple syrup it is all about the size of the sugar crystal and the temperature you boil it to determines this. A candy thermometer is a good investment to get these exact temperatures when working with boiling sugar. For example, to make maple butter we have a 2 degree Celsius window to get it right. 10°C-11°C above boiling, so if you are boiling water at 97°C and you boil your maple syrup to 110°C you will be actually boiling 13°C above boiling which is 3 degrees above your target of 10°C, and your maple butter won’t work.

Soft Maple Sugar
The syrup is boiled to a temperature of 114°-117°C (238°-242°F). It is cooled to 65°C (150°F) and stirred until it is a dull yellow colour. It is immediately poured into molds. The sugar crystallizes and can be readily cut with a knife.

Hard Maple Sugar
The syrup is boiled to a temperature of 121°-124°C (250°-256°F), a few degrees higher than for soft sugar and cooled to 93°C (200°F). It is stirred until it becomes cloudy and begins to thicken. Then it is poured into molds. The resulting hard block of sugar may be broken into chunks, crushed or grated.

Maple Butter
The syrup is boiled to a temperature of 110°C-111°C (230°-232°F) and them rapidly cooled in pans set in cold water, to a temperature of 10°C (50°F) or below, then stirred continuously until creaming is completed.

Maple Taffy on Snow
The syrup is boiled to a temperature of 131°-132°C (268°-270°F) and then carefully poured onto crushed ice or snow. The resulting taffy is a delightful treat.

The communal gardener

Gardening provides benefits that go well beyond the fresh food that can be produced. Growing and tending a garden has been known to lower blood pressure and reduce stress while improving both the physical and mental health of gardeners. It is also a creative outlet, as it involves planning and designing. It’s become a popular pastime, as recent statistics from the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute show that 48 per cent of adults enjoy being physically active through gardening. For those who’d like to enjoy the benefits but without access to a plot of land, Keith Milne of Wellesley is looking to build a community garden in the village. He hopes it will help with neighbourhood improvement and build a sense of community and connection to the environment.

“A natural location for such a garden would be the downtown core, where as many people as possible would have access to it. A community garden in Wellesley would offer a number of benefits including fresh vegetables and a connection with neighbours,” said Milne.

The key to any neighbourhood garden succeeding is support from the community. Community gardens can come in many different shapes and sizes. They don’t even have to be communal – where everyone shares the work and the harvest – as gardeners can have their own individual plot within the garden and can also join with others to grow some crops communally.

Milne is a regional peer health worker who tries to help people in the rural areas of the region get involved in the community by getting them out of their homes and away from isolation by developing projects such as community gardens.
He tried to build the garden last year but was unable to find a piece of land that everyone could use.

“I just want people to know that I am trying to set up a community garden for Wellesley and we are still looking for a place to have it,” said Milne. “As of right now I have not been able to find a sizable area and the trouble I am having is that the people who are interested in operating the garden do not have good transportation, so I need it to be centrally located. I am looking for a garden to be built in the village that people can walk to and access.” Milne hopes the garden will be used by senior citizens, people who rent and do not have their own backyard space, or low-income families that may not have transportation that would like to have a little garden.

Milne is seeking donations, including the land, plowing of the land and seeds for the gardeners to grow their vegetables. The goal is to keep costs low for those who’ll use the garden. “I am open to anything that is good clean land that we could subdivide into plots and share with the community,” he said. “I have tools that I am willing to let people use for the garden to keep as much of the costs down as I can.”

He plans to have a booth at the Wellesley Home Show this May, encouraging people to help with his plan for the community garden.

“I will have information there for people who want to join and that way I will be able to find out how many plots we might need and the see the interest from the community at large,” he said.
He plans to approach the township looking for a piece of land if one isn’t made available.

“The warm weather is coming fast and I just thought this would be a great way to get people out and at the same time we could have our own home grown fresh vegetables at a very low cost.”
Milne plans to bring families together with the communal garden saying it would be fun for families to participate in and watch the garden grow over the summer.

“There is an obvious health aspect to this as well. If you can grow your own vegetables not using any pesticides you know how healthy that food is. Anything that you can pick from the ground and just eat is obviously healthier for you than something coming by truck from miles away.”

Anyone interested in helping with the garden or donating to the cause is asked to contact Keith Milne at (519) 662-2731.

Triple Chocolate Bread Pudding is just the treat for Easter

For a special treat on Easter this year, splurge on some good-quality chocolate and make the following dessert.  Bread Pudding is one of those true, great ‘comfort food’ desserts. Like all comfort food, it combines a little of what you already have on hand (stale bread that needs to be used up) with some fresh new ingredients to turn it into something special. In this case it’s the chocolate, and the warm chocolate sauce too. For bread choices, it’s a good idea to stick to something with a bit of structure to it – so avoid super soft French loaves. A sourdough works well, a sturdy baguette, or even stale hot-cross buns. The bread has a lot of flavour to soak up.  For chocolate we tend to use Lindt brand. You can find this in the form of large bars at the grocery store, at the Lindt outlet store in Cambridge and at Vincenzo’s. You could even sacrifice a Lindt chocolate bunny pre-Easter to make this dessert

Triple Chocolate Bread Pudding

Ingredients

• Butter, as needed
• 4 L cubed bread (see options, above)
• 6 whole eggs
• 750 ml 10% cream
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Pinch nutmeg
• 1 cup dark chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup white chocolate, chopped

 

Preheat oven to 350°F.; Generously butter an oven-proof 9x 13 sized baking dish and fill with cubed bread. Set aside; Whisk together eggs, cream, sugar cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg; Sprinkle chocolates over bread cubes, and then pour custard mixture over the entire dish, patting the custard into the bread; Cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 15 more minutes, until golden brown. Let stand 10- 15 minutes before cutting into squares. Serve with chocolate sauce.

For chocolate sauce:
1 cup of milk chocolate, chopped 1/2 cup 35%  cream, 2 tbsp butter      Place chocolate, cream and butter in a stainless steel or glass bowl and place over a double boiler. Water should be barely simmering; Heat until chocolate is fully melted, stirring occasionally.

Note: This sauce keeps well in the refrigerator for any chocolate sauce emergencies; just re-heat in the microwave.

No time for fun in the sun

A group of teenagers went to Mexico for March Break last week, but it was no holiday on the beach. The students weren’t tanning in the sun all day and partying all night, they were there to build a house for a single mother and her daughter. The youth group from Calvary United Church in St. Jacobs spent their break building a home in Ensenada, Mexico. The team was led by Chris McCracken, the director of youth and children’s ministries, and completed the build in only four days.

“It was quite the experience and one that I will not soon forget,” said Jenny Faubert of Waterloo who was one of 13 students to make the trip. “At first it was really hard for me to even hammer in a single nail, it was a little embarrassing, but I soon got the hang of it and we had the whole house up in four days.”

The team connected with a Mexican contractor to work alongside them making sure the house was properly built.

“They would keep us on track and tell us what to do next,” said McCracken. “All the adults that went on the trip were there for encouragement and to make sure that not too many fingers were hammered throughout the week.”
The students built a 16’x20’ house that would resemble a backyard shed here in Canada, said McCracken. Inside the structure the team built three rooms, including two bedrooms and a living space.

There is no indoor plumbing or electricity in that part of Mexico but the group wired the house for electricity with hopes that it would come to the area one day.

“We were just thinking ahead and wanted that family to have the benefits of (electricity) when it came,” said McCracken. “It just makes sense to put it in at this stage and they can hook up when it comes to the area.”
The wooden structure was built on a cement foundation that was poured before the arrival of the youth group.

To pay for the costs of the trip and the build the church held fundraisers throughout the year, including collecting electronic waste for recycling, held a café night with a dinner and talent show, sold Poinsettia flowers at Christmas and everyone on the team had their own support teams by way of family and friends.

The family who would eventually move into the house helped the team on the first and last day of the build. The youth group also had help from some local kids and was able to connect with the entire community, sharing in the experience of the build.

“The apartment that the family was living in before had a leaky roof and mold growing on the walls and the mom could barely make ends meet paying for rent and the medication needed to fight the sickness caused by the mold,” said McCracken. “The mom told us we built her a miracle house.”

“It was great to see the family move into that house and know that we helped them,” said Faubert.

The church has sent many groups to Mexico over the last six years and switch between an adult group and a youth group every other year.

“Our senior pastor, Drew Maxwell, was instrumental in launching our trips to Mexico through friend connections and that has grown so much that we were down there with four other United churches from across Canada,” said McCracken. “It is amazing to meet so many people trying to help others.”

After four days of working in some very hot temperatures and some very long hours the group headed to a near by orphanage to meet with the children and play games.

“That was a great treat for them and us,” said Faubert. “We played with them for hours all kinds of games. They are really good a soccer and beat us every time we played plus they loved piggybacks. A lot of these kids don’t get that chance to play with others and it was great being able to just be there with them.”

Carve, & crust in making this pork loin roast

When cooking for a dinner, we want to scale it up a bit, and also be organized enough that we aren’t slaving away at the stove while company is there.  Here’s a great pork recipe and some tips to get it to the table with little fuss.
We’ve taken a basic principal – a piece of breaded pork loin – and changed it up a bit to give a different look and a different texture. We also like to use things up that we have on hand, and in this case it was a loaf of Jody’s homemade bread.  Not wanting this to go to waste, we turned the bread into a wonderfully soft and flavouful crust for a pork loin. The problem we have sometimes with something that may be ‘stuffed’ or ‘crusted’ is that when you carve a whole roast, a lot of that crust tends to fall off.  So we’ve solved this problem by roasting the pork loin first, letting it rest, carving it and then adding a crust. It is then put on a baking sheet and popped in the oven for a final roast and reheat.

The pork loin can then be served with simple, creamy mashed potatoes. These can be mashed, covered and set aside for a good two hours before serving – simply reheat on low heat. Green beans, too, can be done ahead of time with just a little finishing at the end. Blanch the beans first, by dropping them into boiling, salted water and then immersing them in ice water after a couple of minutes. They will just need a last minute toss in a hot pan with some butter.

Cut pork loin so that you get 2 or 4 pieces in the shape similar to a pork tenderloin. So if it is one large piece, cut it in half lengthwise, and then cut each half lengthwise so that when you carve it each person gets a nice ‘square’ of pork;

Mustard and Bread Crumb Crusted Pork Loin Roast
Serves 8

Ingredients

• 4-lb boneless pork loin roast
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp whole grain mustard
• 2 cups soft breadcrumbs (use a blender or food processor to pulse stale bread to crumbs)
• A handful of chopped fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme and parsley
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1/4-cup melted butter
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Season pork with salt and pepper, rub with a little oil and roast at 375°F on a rack until it reaches an internal temperature of 140°F. Let rest, covered, at least 20 minutes before carving;  Carve 8 medallion-sized pieces. Pork should be a little pink;
Mix together crumbs, herbs, shallot, butter and salt and pepper;
Place pork pieces, cut side up on a baking tray; mix together mustards and slather each piece with a bit of mustard; press crumb mixture on top;
For the final roasting, place in a 375°F oven for about 20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Serve immediately.

In hope of a cure

The pain started in June of 2008, when Derek Beam was just six years old. One Saturday the St. Clements boy bumped his knee while playing, and it swelled up to several times its normal size. Four days later the swelling still had not gone down, and Derek had also developed a fever and a rash, and he couldn’t even walk because the pain was so intense. His parents took him to their family doctor, who then suggested they take the boy to the emergency room. Once there, doctors administered several tests and the family had to return every day for close to a week, but they still didn’t have any answers.

Finally, after six weeks of testing, he was referred to Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto, where pediatricians confirmed what doctors in Kitchener suspected – Derek was suffering from systemic juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
“I always thought arthritis was an elderly disease,” said Derek’s mother, Tracey, when describing the shock she and her husband Dave felt when the diagnosis was made. “I remember my grandmother having it. I didn’t know that children could get any form of arthritis.”

While it may be relatively unheard of, juvenile arthritis is actually one of the most common chronic illnesses affecting children – according to the Arthritis Society, one in 1,000 children under 16 has the affliction.
Unlike other forms of juvenile arthritis – of which there are nearly 100 – the type Derek has also impacts his organs, such as enlargement of the liver and spleen, inflammation of the lungs, and inflammation around his heart, and he will never outgrow it.

Derek has been on a wide range of drugs since his first diagnosis four years ago, including prednisone, methotrexate and other anti-inflammatory drugs and steroids. He has recently switched to a new medication that seems to work well at controlling the pain and discomfort, but it must be administered intravenously every two weeks at Sick Kids Hospital. The pain got so bad two weeks ago that Derek had to be hospitalized for three days and receive joint injections under general anesthetic. His mother said that only when the pain becomes unbearable will Derek ask for the medication. “He’s not a complainer. When he is in pain it’s normally to the point where he’s not mobile any longer and he cries because it hurts so much.

“There are many nights or days that I’ve sat with him on the couch and fed him dinner, or had to get him dressed, just because it hurt so much, be it in his wrist, shoulder, knee, ankles, or wherever.”
Juvenile arthritis can strike at any time, and Tracey has spoken with a family whose 18-month-old was diagnosed with the disorder, and it is incredibly hard for her to see her son in so much pain and discomfort – especially when one day he can be fine and acting like a normal child, and the next be immobilized by the pain.

“It’s like a roller coaster, but you never know when you’re going to start your ride.”

Tracey said that when he feels healthy, her son can keep up with the other boys in his class at school, but his arthritis prevents him from participating in any types of organized sports – he tried ball hockey for two years, but by the end of his second year he had to stop because of the pain.

He does, however, love to swim and his family even had a pool installed at the end of last summer.
March is also juvenile arthritis month, and the family has worked hard to raise awareness and collect funds for the arthritis society of Canada. On June 10 they will also participate in the national walk to fight arthritis at Bingemans in Kitchener.

Two years ago the family collected $8,000 for the walk, and nearly doubled that in 2011 by collecting $15,000. They hope to collect even more this year, and are also organizing a benefit dance at the St. Clements Community Centre on April 28 with tickets available for $10, as well as a charitable barbecue.

Derek’s classmate is also selling candy kabobs during the month to raise money.

“It’s great that every body is coming together. You don’t feel so alone, and this year we’ve really seen everyone step up and it’s overwhelming.”

Although all the medication is covered under health insurance – Derek’s bi-weekly medication can cost upwards of $800 per dose – the family does incur costs associated with driving to Toronto every couple of weeks, yet Tracey said the family refuses to use any of their fundraising money towards their own costs.

“We’ve been asked if maybe we should take half the profits from this towards our expenses, but having a dance for us isn’t going to help find a cure for the disease, and that’s not going to help Derek.
“We need to raise money to help him, not help us.”

For more information on juvenile arthritis visit www.arthritis.ca and for more information on the fundraising efforts for Derek, call Tracey (519) 699-4545 or email hsweeth@golden.net.

A great way to enjoy both fish and tomatoes

Here at The Culinary Studio, we often have find that people are willing to try something either for the first time, or, better yet, try something for the second time, particularly a type of food that they may not have enjoyed in the past.  It gives us great joy to see people enjoying food that has been properly cooked or seasoned.  Cooking and seasoning, coupled with using food that is in season or is great quality can make a huge difference in the success of any dish.   There are two foods, however, that we come across often enough that people really don’t care for, and that we try to change their minds on: fish and tomatoes.

Fish: it has to be the freshest you can find; even a couple days in the fridge can make a difference in taste. That’s one reason to buy from a local fishmonger, such as T and J Seafood’s. They know when the fish was caught, and how long it has been stored. Two: Fish should not be overcooked, which leads to a dry and tasteless product. The recipe below gives it a quick 30-minute marinade. At T and J’s you can ask for ‘Sushi-grade’ salmon. This doesn’t mean it has to be eaten raw; it just means it is the best quality you can buy.   Tomatoes: they must be in season and local.  Believe it or not, the best tomatoes from Floralane Produce – ‘Elmira’s Own’ – are greenhouse grown and ready now. The recipe below is a fun, easy addition to a grilled steak, or even enjoyed on toasted baguette.

Teriyaki Sesame

Ingredients

• 4-6oz salmon filet portions
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2  cup sake
• 1/4  cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Teriyaki Sesame: Blend soy sauce, Sake, brown sugar and ginger in a saucepan; heat and simmer a couple minutes until sugar is dissolved; cool;
Dry toast sesame seeds in a pan on the stove until lightly browned;
Marinate salmon in soy mixture for about 30 minutes, at room temperature;
Broil or grill on high until done, but not over cooked, about 4-8 minutes depending on thickness of filet;
Top with sesame seeds as soon as they are cooked.

Fried Tomatoes

Ingredients

• Four 3/4-inch slices of beefsteak tomato
• Olive oil
• Sea salt
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 8 slices of sharp tasting cheese (old cheddar, parmesan, pecorino)

Fried Tomatoes: Heat a heavy pan over medium heat with a layer of olive oil;
Add tomato slices and sprinkle with salt and oregano;
Reduce heat to low and cook slowly for 10-15 minutes;
Add cheese for the last 5 minutes of cooking and broil lightly if desired.

Very much determined to get where he wants to go

Justin Reitzel is full of determination. You can see it in his eyes. It drives him and pushes him and it gets him to do things he never thought he would be able to do, including getting out on the ice to play hockey. Reitzel always dreamed of playing hockey, but he was never able to stand and stay balanced on skates. Hockey was always in Reitzel: it just took a while to come out. Reitzel was born with cerebral palsy, a disorder that can impede brain and nervous system functions such as movement, learning, hearing, seeing, and thinking. That has not slowed him down, however, as the 18-year-old has been playing sledge hockey for the last five years.

Sledge hockey is a variation on the sport that’s a perfect fit for him, allowing participants who have physical disabilities the chance to play the game of ice hockey. It is currently one of the most popular sports in the Paralympic Games. The rules are essentially the same to regular ice hockey, with one exception: sledge hockey has a teeing-charging rule that does not allow any opponent to use any part of the front radius of the sled to hit other players. “It can be a bit rough out there sometimes, but that is all a part of the sport and why I like it,” said Reitzel.

Fitted in a sled, each player is given two sticks. Those sticks have a blade curved at one end in a manner similar to regular ice hockey, and are generally half the regular length. There are six to eight metal teeth at the opposite end of the blade for maneuvering and propulsion. Movement is achieved by using the metal teeth as a means to grip the ice and push oneself forward.

Living in St. Clements, Reitzel attends St. David’s in Waterloo and plays for the KW Sidewinders sledge hockey team, which has gone undefeated this season and will be starting their playoff run next week. “I work to do the best I can and give the sport everything I’ve got,” said Reitzel. “It is a lot of fun being able to play hockey and it has helped me with my condition.”

Reitzel’s turn on the ice has been a family event in every sense. Along with the support of his parents, Reitzel’s brother Bradley skates with the team, helping to push older players in their sleds that need the extra support. Reitzel’s progress has got to the point where it has even begun to surprise his family.

“We were quite impressed with his ability and he has come along so well over the last few years and it is great to see him so happy playing hockey. He is excited anytime he goes on the ice,” said Reitzel’s mother, Catherine. “He does such an awesome job every time he plays.”

Last month Reitzel was selected to play centre forward on the Region 3 West Sledge hockey team for the 2012 Ontario ParaSport Winter Games in Huntsville. The team would go on to finish with the bronze medal. “It was such a treat to see him play in the Games,” said Catherine. “They were treated like royalty and spent the whole weekend as a team – it was a real growing experience for him.” Three other KW Sidewinders were also part of the team, and Reitzel admitted it helped having familiar faces on the ice to calm the nerves before game time.

“It’s because of his work and his determination that he is where he is,” said Catherine. “Whatever strength he needs, he works at it and works at it. I’m very proud of everything that he has accomplished on the ice.” Reitzel has some big plans for the future, including continuing on with his sledge hockey and perhaps joining the national team and participating in the Paralympics, but he also hopes to become a professional wrestler as he is a big fan of the WWE.

“I know if you work hard enough you can achieve anything,” he said. “You just have to have goals.”

Guinness adds a St. Patrick’s Day flourish to onion soup

To get into the spirit of things here at The Culinary Studio, we’ve got a week of fun and food revolving around good ol’ St. Patrick.  First, here’s a little non-food related history: St. Patrick, although not born Irish, spent more than 20 years as a missionary in Ireland converting many Irish to Catholicism. The day’s spirit is to celebrate the universal baptism of Ireland, but now is rather thought of as an Irish Day and to celebrate all things Irish. St. Patrick died on Mar. 17, which is also a great time to celebrate as it marks the return of spring.

Today’s recipe is a sampling of what we’re making this week: a classic soup with an Irish twist in the form of none other than the world-famous Guinness stout.  Always a classic, this soup is based on both the sauté method and the simmering. Don’t underestimate the importance of caramelizing the onions.  That, and a good stock, is what this soup is all about. Dubliner cheese is a sharp, cheddar-like cheese from Ireland.

Guinness Onion Soup
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 6 cooking onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 can Guinness stout
• 6 cups beef or dark chicken stock
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 6 slices toasted or stale bread, preferably rubbed with garlic
• 1 cup grated Dubliner cheese

 

In a soup pot, melt butter;
Add onions and stir to coat with butter;
Let cook slowly, stirring occasionally until very well caramelized (about 1 hour);
You may cover with a lid occasionally to create steam to ensure that onions do not get too dry;
Add garlic; stir and cook 2 minutes;
Add herbs, beer and stock; simmer 30-45 minutes;
Remove herbs and season to taste with salt and pepper;
Ladle into 6 bowls; top each bowl with bread and cheese;
Broil for 3-5 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and browned; serve immediately.