I Love Buffy Sainte-Marie

I can think of no other artist whose music is so honest, raw and original. In my opinion, Buffy Sainte-Marie deserves icon status right up there with the grand dames of diva-dom.

When I was a teenager I listened to music as if I were an active participant in the creation of the sound. It meant so much to me—possibly because the experience was as much a self discovery–process as simply an aural one.

I don’t know when my undivided attention to music tuned out, even if there have been bright spots along the way (Robyn, Tori Amos, Regina Spektor, Feist, Carla Bruni—KATE BUSH); however, Buffy reinvigorated my sense of music and discovery. It’s been quite a challenge to round up her old recordings, but little by little I’m getting it done. Look at some of her stunning album art:

It is hard to describe Buffy Sainte-Marie’s style. At any rate, it’s progressive, odd, political and original. Born in Saskatchewan on the Piapot Reserve, she was raised by distant relatives in the US and gained prominence as a singer-songwriter during the folk movement of the ‘60s. Perhaps this is where my affinity for her music comes from: a genetic attachment to Saskatchewan. 

I think I started to cry when I first heard her song “Qu’appelle Valley, Saskatchewan.” It’s as if the lyrics are my own. It makes me homesick. Here’s a challenge to my Saskatchewan-born readers, listen to this song and tell me if it doesn’t capture the feeling you get when you enter the valley:

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Sainte-Marie’s career is her ever-evolving style—she is able to transcend genres and be a pop star, folk-scene mover and shaker, educator, activist, American, Canadian, painter, singer/songwriter, and probably lots more. Her song “Universal Soldier” became an anti-war anthem of the ‘60s, yet her song “Till It’s Time For You To Go” —which was written in the same era— became a standard for Elvis Presley, Barbra Streisand and Cher. She took a 16-year hiatus from recording after her 1976 album Sweet America, however during that hiatus she won an Academy Award for writing “Up Where We Belong” for An Officer and a Gentleman.

Here’s my dream Buffy Sainte-Marie playlist (most songs are available on iTunes):

• “Now That The Buffalo’s Gone,” It’s My Way (1964) This song packs so much information into just a few minutes. I challenge you to listen to it and not be outraged at the treatment of aboriginal people in North America.
• “It’s My Way,” It’s My Way (1964)
• “Until It’s Time for You To Go,” Many a Mile (1965)
• “Little Wheel Spin and Spin,” Little Wheel Spin and Spin (1966)
• “My Country ‘Tis of thy People You’re Dying,” Little Wheel Spin and Spin (1966)
• “Summer Boy,” Fire & Fleet & Candlelight (1967)
• “97 Men in This Here Town Would Give Half a Grand in Silver” Fire & Fleet & Candlelight (1967)
• “Lyke Wake Dirge,” Fire & Fleet & Candlelight (1967) This arrangement just goes to prove that Buffy is a touch crazy. It’s wacky, and very trippy at the same time—hard to believe it was recorded in the mid-1960s.
• “I’m Gonna Be a Country Girl Again,” I’m Gonna Be a Country Girl Again (1968) Perhaps one of the best country songs ever written. I can’t believe it hasn’t been covered!
• “The Piney Wood Hills,” I’m Gonna Be a Country Girl Again (1968)
• “God is Alive, Magic is Afoot,” Illuminations (1969) Apparently Buffy simply freestyled the guitar arrangement while singing the lyrics to this Leonard Cohen poem. It’s truly one-of-a-kind.
• “Better To Find Out For Yourself,” Illuminations (1969)
• “Adam,” Illuminations (1969)
• “She Used To Wanna Be a Ballerina,” She Used To Wanna Be a Ballerina (1971)
• “Song of the French Partisan,” She Used To Wanna Be a Ballerina (1971)
• “Now You’ve Been Gone for a Long Time,” She Used To Wanna Be a Ballerina (1969) The emotion in her voice in this recording is astounding. In the last refrain she slows down her vibrato to sync with the rhythm of the song—unusual and effective.
• “He’s an Indian Cowboy in the Rodeo,” Moonshot (1972)
• “Moonshot,” Moonshot (1972) Perhaps the most beautiful strings arrangement ever recorded.
• “Native North American Child,” Moonshot (1972)
• “For Free,” Quiet Places (1973)
• “Just That Kind of Man,” Quiet Places (1973) This song really captures that enraptured feeling you get when you’re in a very robust physical relationship.
• “The Jewels of Hannalei,” Quiet Places (1973)
• “Can’t Believe the Feeling When You’re Gone,” Buffy (1974)
• “I’ve Really Fallen For You,” Buffy (1974)
• “(Hong Kong) Star Boy,” Buffy (1974)
• “Can’t You See The Way I Love You,” Changing Woman (1975) Listen to this song on headphones if possible; the vocal recording is amazing. And the lyrics: “Pheasant wings I sew to every memory; Every place you've touched me is embroidery." Wow!
• “Mongrel Pup,” Changing Woman (1975)
• “All Around The World,” Changing Woman (1975)
• “Sweet America,” Sweet America (1976)
• “Look At The Facts,” Sweet America (1976)
• “Sweet January,” Sweet America (1976)
• “Qu’appelle Valley, Saskatchewan,” Sweet America (1976) Perhaps the best song ever?
• “I Been Down,” Sweet America (1975)
• “Starwalker,” Coincidences and Likely Stories (1992) I like this version better than the one on Sweet America. So much energy!
• “The Priests of the Golden Bull,” Coincidences and Likely Stories (1992)
• “Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee,” Coincidences and Likely Stories (1992) I get a lump in my throat every time I listen to this song. I think it's one of her best.
• “To the Ends of the World,” Running for the Drum (2009) I am planning on making a cover of this song. It's an instant classic, almost Morrissey-esque.
• “Still This Love Goes On,” Running for the Drum (2009)

Buffy Sainte-Marie was honoured last week with a Governor General’s Award for the Arts. I can think of nobody more deserving of this honour. And at age 68, she looks better than ever! PLEASE MAKE SEVERAL MORE ALBUMS, BUFFY!

www.creative-native.com

Current Obsession: Panna Cotta in a Fancy Cup

Welcome to my latest obsession: Panna cotta. I made this delectable dessert last night. For some reason I doubled the recipe and ran out of ramekins, so I reached for whatever other vessel I had available. Luckily my roommate J owns two almost Rococo tea cups. What a perfect combo—a rich dessert in a gilded cup.

For those of you who’ve never made panna cotta, it truly is the most elegant and easy-to-make dessert in the world. I served mine with basil puree and rhubarb sorbet, however it goes with just about anything (chocolate, any fruit, caramel, etc.) Here is the recipe I used:

3 cups heavy cream

1 package of gelatin

1 vanilla bean

In a medium sauce pan, sprinkle gelatin over one cup of the cream and let stand for five minutes. Turn the heat to low and stir the mixture until the gelatin completely dissolves (3-5 minutes). Add the rest of the cream and the vanilla bean (scraped out seeds plus the bean) and continue to stir over medium heat until steam begins to rise from the mixture. At this point, remove from heat and let steep for 30 minutes. (The top might set up a bit during this time, so give the mixture the occasional stir.) Transfer to ramekins and refridgerate until firm. And enjoy!

Summer of Salads, day 2

On today’s menu:

Field greens+hearts of palm+Bonjour Brioche dressing+caramelized onion, herbes de provence and garlic roasted mushrooms, and brie de chèvre=divinity

Summer of Salads

I am lucky enough to live in the same building as four of my closest friends. We have been known to indulge in the finer things in life (fondue, caramel corn, high-fat sushi); however, this summer we have made a pact to strive to maintain our gourmand integrity while celebrating the produce of the season. This is our summer of salads.

The idea came to me when one of my culinary idols, Mark Bitman, wrote this amazing story, entitled “101 Simple Salads for the Season”, in the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/22/dining/22mlist.html

Who doesn’t want to eat like that? I do admit that in the past year I’ve redefined my diet—and as a result I have lost several pounds. And the key to my success is primarily salads for dinner. I make it count, which means no skimping, but when I’m done my salad—save a glass of wine or a coffee in the evening—I’m done eating for the night. If I go to be a little hungry, so be it.

So, the transition to exploring creative salad options for the summer is not far fetched. It just takes a little bit of planning. I recommend buying enough salad ingredients for a week’s worth of meals. Having to pick up missing ingredients is a motivation killer. I also recommend going all out. Eat lots. Lots of good stuff is simply lots of good stuff.

Last night we made a divine salad—it might not exactly qualify as diet food material, but it was delicious:

Spinach+poppy dressing+green apples+red onions+cranberries+toasted walnuts+brie de chèvre= amazingness

I’ll document our journey, and please share your own salad recipes with me, I’d love to try them out!

Current Obsession: Cole Haan

This weekend I stepped into Cole Haan to take a quick gander at their summer offerings, and, to the surprise of both me and my very discerning fashion friend, I fell in love with the American-classic styles and very affordable price tags!

Take a look at these very tempting current offerings:

Air Grant. An amazing driving shoe, light as a feather and well priced at under $150.

Air Yacht Club Boat. I love this washed-out dove grey colour. Looks like you've had them for years.

Air Yacht Club Canoe. All-American classics call for all-American colours.

Air Colton Saddle. A classic saddle shoe with the added comfort of Nike Air soles—what more could you want?

High Hat. There is something very Rockefeller about these boots. Walking sticks and top hats extra.

Woven braces. I don't have a nice pair of braces. These would be a good start.

Portage Shaving Kit. I'm always on the lookout for a great toiletries bag—this is so chic!

And the pièce de résistance:

Canvas and Leather Tote. Perfection. 

Side view. Slim enough to fall nicely on your side. Large enough to carry whatever it takes to get you through the day!

Dear Canvas and Leather Bag,

I will take you everywhere I go this summer. You’re the perfect bag because I can carry my gym clothes in you, or my laptop, or even groceries when I forget to take a reusable shopping bag.

I love your colour and the fact you have handles and a shoulder strap.

Yours truly,

Ricky from be-spoken

p.s. go on sale soon

Classy? The irony is killing me!

You’d be hard-pressed to find a classier guy than Derek Blasberg. He’s smart, funny, handsome, a snappy dresser and a great host (if his mingling skills at the party recently thrown for him at The Bay’s luxury shopping mecca The Room are any indication). And with the recent release of his new book entitled—fittingly—Classy: Exceptional Advice for the Extremely Modern Lady, he is the authority on good behaviour.

Buy it HERE

Enter Ricky, the authority on embarrassing behaviour: The day got off to a shaky start. At around noon I decided to smear a layer of self tanner onto my face, just like they to in Hollywood! It should be known that my bathroom is fully stocked with every kind of beauty product you could ever hope for: eye creams, hair tonics, bronzers, soaps, lotions. You name it, I’ve got it. Except recently purchased self tanner! Instead running to Shoppers Drug Mart to buy some L’Oreal Sublime Bronze (my go to) I rummaged through my stuff and found a tester of Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Golden Perfection Selt-Tanning Lotion for Face. This is actually one of the best self-tanning products on the market; however, when I squeezed it into my hands the consistency was runny and it smelled a little chemically. Did I turn back, wash my hands and forget about it? No. I continued to slather it on. And wait to see what happened.

Luckily, it turned out ok. I really should go buy some of that stuff. If it worked after sitting on my shelf for a year, imagine what a fresh bottle could do!

So, my face turned out relatively bronzed and ready to go. Then the big dilemma arose: What to wear (c'mon Torontonians hardly ever get a chance to dress up), ! I chose one of my favorite combos: bright shirt, bow tie, dark jeans and a blazer. Simple, classy and very much ME. As I tied my bow tie, I looked at myself in the mirror and thought, “Classy, very classy indeed.” My pride quickly faded, though, as I boarded a streetcar and chugged along to The Bay while warding off stares of dismay from my local Leslievillians. Apparently nobody around here has ever seen a man wear patent leather shoes.

Fast forward an hour or so to the actual party. For those of you who haven’t been to The Room at The Bay, you really are missing something spectacular. It’s truly one of the best shopping experiences in Toronto, if not Canada... if not THE WORLD. Nicholas Mellamphy, The Room’s artistic director, has created a little piece of fashion heaven. Naturally, the party was a success with all of Toronto’s fashion heavy hitters—including Stacey Kimmel and Suzanne Rogers (and me)—present swirling around in luxurious couture. My two friends, J and G looked amazing in their towering heels and perfect hair and makeup. We saw several people we knew and began to mingle.

But I hadn’t eaten all day. And several glasses of white wine mysteriously found their way into my hands.

One glass of wine—I start to unwind. Two glasses—I start to get socially lubricated. Three glasses—I start to think I’m hilARious. I’m pretty sure I was well into my third glass by the time I met Derek. Needless to say I attempted several jokes to varying degrees of success, all the while not trying to spill my wine onto Mr. Blasberg’s nice suit. I told him that I needed a cute name, even cuter than Ricky. He suggested substituting an “i” for the “y.”

My claws are grasping at this book like I'm scared it will be snatched away by the swag thief

After meeting the lovely Byrdie Bell and Lyle Maltz, my friends and I decided to go home. But before we did, we made sure we said goodbye to our host. “Derek, we’re leaving," I said, "but before we go, I want your final verdict. Classy or trashy?”

“Ricky,” he replied (remembering names at parties is essential to being classy). He pointed at J and G. “Classy.” Then he pointed at me. 

I interjected, “Trashy, right?”

Derek nodded yes. I knew it! Thankfully I now have his perfect little robin’s egg blue manual to educate me on how to go from this:

To this:

Current Obsession: Fratelle Carli Saponetta

It’s really important to love your soap. It’s one of those daily necessities that can turn a routine into a ritual. For this very reason, I have secured a few months supply of my favorite soap—Fratelle Carli Saponetta:

Now I buy it by the box!

I came across this wonderful lemon, herb and olive oil–scented soap quite by accident several years ago while rummaging through a sale area of a local Italian supermarket. I was instantly addicted to its amazing scent—which, incidentally, is how I think all men should smell after a shower—and used it up very quickly. Unfortunately, the supermarket I bought it from was out of business when I went back to stock up! So, like any obsessed consumer, I kept the wrapper in my dresser for years to help me remember the brand if I were to see it again.

Fast forward a few years: While browsing the amazing produce at Harvest Wagon in Rosedale and as if I was a bloodhound in search of the fallen rabbit, my nose lead me to my beloved Fratelle Carli Saponetta! It could have been the happiest day of my soap-loving life. Never again would I have to smell mass market.

I hope you have a soap that gives you this much pleasure on a daily basis. If you do, could you tell me what it is? I’d love to know.

www.harvestwagon.com

www.oliocarli.com