The Croissantnoisseur hops on the bandwagon: The Cuckoo's Calling

I. couldn't. resist.

A new book? By JK Rowling? Under a pseudonym? Yes please!

Listen to an interview about the analysis of the text that uncovered the truth about the author!

Word broke this week that there was a new book in publication by JK Rowling, but we just hadn't been aware about it. It turns out that the Harry Potter author decided to duck out of the limelight and publish again, but under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. The book, entitled The Cuckoo's Calling, has been receiving praise for a well written mystery, without the baggage associated with the name "JK Rowling." For Rowling, this must have been refreshing - unbiased reviews, no press tours, and a chance to write for the joy of writing again.

There were two news items I came across that grabbed my interest and prompted me to cave in (along with the masses) and purchase Rowling's new book. The first was this radio interview with Oxford Linguistics expert, Peter Millican, who analyzed the text and found it aligned very closely with the writing style in the Harry Potter series. I thought this was really interesting, and the interview is worth listening to. The second item, was a Globe and Mail article which explores the benefit of writing under a pseudonym following an initial publication success. I'm not quite sure the author of the Globe article can quite relate to the same degree as JK Rowling, who is about as celebrity-status as it comes in the world of living authors. Nevertheless, I agree with his main point - that anonymity offers a fresh place for authors who have met literary fame, and allows for creative freedom that isn't always permitted while under public scrutiny.

I haven't finished The Cuckoo's Calling yet, but given that it's summer, the time is ripe for lying on the beach with a good mystery novel. Now if there were only a few more beaches in Saskatoon...

Croissant and a Book: A Moveable Feast

Maybe it was watching Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby a few months ago, but I think I have caught the jazz-era fever that seems to be so fashionable these days. I first read "The Great American Novel" in twelfth grade english class and I remember how it captured my imagination at that time, and also coincided with the last movie release of the book staring Paul Rudd and Mira Sorvino. In any case, I've been feeding this fever (after all, my mum always said, "Feed a fever, starve a cold") with more jazz-era inspired work including "Midnight in Paris," and Ernest Hemingway's A Moveable Feast.

My favourite movie of 2011!

A Moveable Feast was akin to reading Hemingway's diary from his time in 1920's Paris. From my research about the writing of the novel, Hemingway actually wrote it from journals and letters that he had stored away and forgotten about, only to come across them years later. He was inspired to shape the writing into a story, and I really got the sense that it represented his "glory days". The movie Midnight in Paris touches on nostalgia, and I think Hemingway was nostalgic for those days in his later life. Unlike Gill, in Woody Allen's movie, who longs to live in a different decade entirely, Hemingway realized that he was living in a golden era, although there is a clear sentiment that he didn't realize it at that time. This aspect resonated with me, as someone who suffers from what I call "chronic nostalgia." 

One of the other more contentious issues regarding the book is that it was published post-humously, and there will always be unanswered questions about how Hemingway truly wanted to the novel to be published. In particular, the content that explored his feelings for his first wife and the dissolution of their marriage was thought to be altered by his fourth wife, who edited the final manuscript. Despite any possible editorial changes, I think Hemingway wanted it to very clearly express regret and apology to his first wife, and this still comes through to some degree. Hemingway and his first wife separated when it came to light that he was having an affair with Pauline Pfeiffer, an editor working for Vanity Fair and Vogue, who does not come across well in the published version that I read. A revised version of A Moveable Feast was published in 2009, which was said to include portions that Mary Hemingway (Wife #4) excluded, but I have also heard that it made fewer references to Pfeiffer. There was a great interview about the new publication on the CBC Radio Program Q several years ago (unfortunately the archives for the podcast only go back to the beginning of this year), but this article summarizes some of the controversy nicely, albeit from one side of the story. 

TIME

This book gets five out of five literary pugs recommending it for a read...

The Croissantnoisseur Celebrates Canada, Literary Style

On Friday, when I was thinking about what I wanted to write about this weekend, I planned to make a summary of books I have read/want to read that represent the different Canadian provinces and territories. Given that this is the Canada Day long weekend, it seemed like a timely topic. Apparently, my idea wasn't that unique, however. When I sat down to crack open this weekend's Globe and Mail I came across this article, which basically does exactly what I was originally planning. The Globe actually polled authors from the respective regions as well, so the recommendations come with more authority than any of mine ever would.

That having been said, what the world needs is more lists! Maybe not, but I still love making them, and I want to forge ahead and summarize my cross Canada literary tour. My literary biases lie out East, thanks to my Nova Scotian roots. I will begin my list in the east and move westward, into less charted charted territory from my previous literary experience. If there is a particular gem that I have missed in this list, I would welcome further suggestions.

NEWFOUNDLAND and LABRADOR:

So many books to choose from! I have three recommendations for books to read that all contain rich narratives, and compelling stories. Perhaps there is something in the water, that leaches the gift of story-telling out of the bedrock and into the pens of Newfoundland writers. All three of these books rank among my favourite novels, and there are others that I haven't included here that could put in a fighting chance as well.

The first book I'd suggest is: A Colony of Unrequited Dreams, by Wayne Johnston. I originally encountered this book in it's audio form actually, about seven or eight years ago when CBC had a fantastic evening program called "Between the Covers." It was featured during the summer, and I remember crawling in bed, pulling up my sheets and becoming positively engrossed in the tale of Joey Smallwood and Fielding. The written version is of course just as good, and allows you time to better catch the cutting remarks and nuances woven into the relationship between Fielding and Smallwood.

For a peak into St. John's, I recommend The Long Run, by Leo Furey. Briefly, it is the story about a group of young boys at a Catholic orphanage in the city. It is laugh out loud funny despite some darker moments, and it is one of the most heartwarming stories of friendship and camaraderie I have read. I think it is a hidden gem.

Years ago I read Random Passage, by Bernice Morgan and I was completely engrossed in the characters, who were leaving Ireland and settling in Newfoundland. It captured my imagination for months after finishing it. There is also a TV movie version of the book, which suggests that I wasn't the only one who loved the epic tale of love, family, and the age-old struggle between humans and nature.

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND:

If L.M. Montgomery hasn't made it your nightstand at some point, it is worth picking one of her novels to read. I'm partial to Emily of New Moon, but the obvious all time classic is Anne of Green Gables. For my list of recommendations however, I am going to select a book that I personally haven't read, but that my mum and grandmother both speak of very highly, The Selected Journals of L.M. Montgomery, Volume 1: 1889 - 1910. The journal format strays a bit from all of the other novel suggestions, but I think there is no better way to learn about an era than through a first hand account. Montgomery is a gifted writer, and I have no doubt that the female perspective she sheds on late Victorian era life would be engrossing. There are actually five volumes in this series, and my mum read them all voraciously. The time and editing that would have gone into compiling these journals must have been enormous, but I think it shines through in the final product.

NOVA SCOTIA

The Mountain and the Valley, Ernest Buckler. This book is on my "must read" list. I have been told by many others that it is an engrossing novel, and I can think of no greater place to set a story than the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia. I completed my family medicine rotation in medical school there during the summertime, and it is really one of the most incredible places in the world. There is a town called Paradise, Nova Scotia, where my grandmother's family is originally from, and it couldn't be more aptly named. It is warm, lush, green and pastoral. The sunsets on the Bay of Fundy look like those in Santorini, Greece. The most incredible thing though, is how untouched so much of the area remains.

Each Man's Son,  by Hugh MacLennan was one of the books I read in grade twelve English class. I can't remember the reason for picking it in particular, but I recall loving the book. I think it is one of MacLennan's less commonly read novels; he is best known for Two Solitudes, which I would like to read, but have not done so yet. Another pick from this Nova Scotian novelist is Barometer Rising, which takes place in the days before the Halifax Explosion. There was a great sense of place in Each Man's Son, and I remember coming across particular names of characters, such as grocers, who I believe really were people MacLennan knew from his time in the city. Of course there is the wonderful juxtaposition of the city against the rural Cape Breton life within the novel too. I liked viewing my hometown through the historical lens, which makes place feel as important as character development.

NEW BRUNSWICK

Perhaps I am selecting another obvious suggestion here but when I think of New Brunswick literature I automatically think of David Adams Richards. I read The Lost Highway with my bookclub several years ago, and although it was not among my favourite novels, Richards has a very haunting voice when he writes that stays with you. I have placed Mercy Among the Children on my list, as a book I would like to read. I will save it for a time when I don't mind reading a novel with dark and heavy themes - it is not meant for a light weekend read. It is the best known of Richards' novels, and it split the Giller Prize jury the year it won - the other half siding with Ondaatje's Anil's Ghost.

QUEBEC

One of my favourites - The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, by Mordecai Richler - is not to be missed. Duddy is one of most interesting characters I have ever come across. He is infuriating at times, and he is so flawed, but I think that's why I liked him so much in the end. Richler is gifted at creating protagonists whose character flaws become their own undoing. I really don't feel informed enough to properly critically appraise his work, but I can vouch that this is a wonderful book. I also loved the movie adaptation of Barney's Version, which has me now reading the novel (not the proper way to go about it but better late than never). Did you know that in the movie they changed the setting at the start of the novel from Paris to Rome because the Italians just love Barney? I think that is so funny! There were some purists who didn't like that change apparently, but I say let them have that indulgence. I would also add Barney's Version to any list of novels that include the theme of memory loss. It is one of the brilliant tools in the novel, and makes my heart ache for Barney.

I also like the summary for Nikolski, by Nicholas Dickner within the Globe article, and would include that in my list as one "to read."

ONTARIO

I have included Cat's Eye, by Margaret Atwood as a suggestion for the cross-Canada literary tour. There are a number of Atwood's novels that are set in Ontario, but I think Cat's Eye is one that actually evokes a sense of place. It explores the interesting dynamic of female relationships through childhood and into adulthood. The dynamics of the relationships among teenage girls are complex, and not often a topic of adult literature. This book captures how those complexities can damage and shape an individual as they move through their formative years. I really loved the description of the protagonist's memories of trips to Northern Ontario with her parents as a child. Everything is so simple when you are young; it is curious that we often shed so much of our childhood in order to fit into the adolescent and adult world.

If evoking Ontario is less important, I recommend Alias Grace. It is my favourite of Atwood's novels and I recall lying in bed late into the night unable to put it down. It is historical fiction and mystery crafted to perfection.

The next two novels remain in my "to read" pile. In the Skin of the Lion, Michael Ondaatje was painstakingly researched by the author. He channels Toronto in the 1940's in this novel, and although this is one of his works I haven't read, I suspect that his poetic prose is at it's finest.

Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town, by Stephen Leacock is a book that has sat on my bookshelf, with the intention of being read for several years now. I really have no excuse; it's short, it's funny, it's Canadian, but I haven't read it yet. I think it should be included in the list, as it is quite iconic and from my understanding it remains relevant in many ways.

MANITOBA

A Complicated Kindness, by Miriam Toews is a beautiful story about a young girl growing up in a Mennonite community in Manitoba. She longs to escape to New York, and break free from the trappings of her strict community. Her family is fragmented and divided between those who shed the religious rules and those who hold it sacred. The voice of the protagonist is somewhat like a female, Canadian Holden Caufield. Maybe it's not the most flattering portrayal of Manitoba, but I loved the insular world of the Mennonite community as a setting for a novel.

SASKATCHEWAN

Who has seen the Wind, by W.O. Mitchell has sat next to Stephen Leacock on my bookshelf for about as long. I keep meaning to read this but life and other stuff has happened? What a flimsy excuse. It's my top pick for a prairie novel by a Saskatchewan author. Now that I'm living here I really have no excuse.

I could also slide Farley Mowat into the Saskatchewan category. His novel, Owls in the Family, was one of the books we read in grade four and it was a great children's novel. It's set in Saskatoon, but I really only remember the children moving away at the end to Toronto. We got to dissect owl pellets (ie. regurgitated dried out owl vomit) as a class project when we read the book. There were all sorts of tiny mice bones and fur. This doesn't really tell you anything about the novel, but you can forgive me because I was too busy dissecting owl pellets to pay attention to anything we were reading.

ALBERTA

Confessional time - when I reach Alberta I am unable to think of any book that I have read or have been planning to read about this province. Second confession - the same is true for British Columbia. How can this be? I am definitely missing something. These are two huge provinces that seem ripe with material. I'll just blame the east coast microcosm I was living in for years.

But in all seriousness, I was a bit stumped with these last two. I've resorted to reading around to make my selections for my list, but they do feel a bit arbitrary. For Alberta, I have selected one of the novels that was listed in the Globe and Mail article, Green Grass, Running Water, by Thomas King.

BRITISH COLUMBIA

I have yet to read any Douglas Copeland, but perhaps he is the best pick for the penultimate stop on my pan-Canadian literary tour. The novel I have heard the most about, and been curious about is Hey Nostradamus!

This novel is set in Vancouver, written by a Vancouver author, and weaves together narratives from several different characters (a device I tend to enjoy). I get the sense that there are larger themes at play, and perhaps place is less central to his writing, but I am not sure.

I have a collection of short stories by Emily Carr given to me by my grandmother that perhaps deserve an obvious place on this list. Just to mix it up, I've included an Emily Carr painting rather than a cover image. It must have been daunting trying to capture the enormous landscapes of British Columbia on a canvas.

THE YUKON, NORTHWEST AND NUNAVUT TERRITORIES

The Globe was much better at finding selections for each of the territories, but I have to admit I know very little about literature from the Northern territories, and feel at a loss for even knowing where to start. As a result, in a somewhat lazy fashion, I have clumped the three territories together and selected one book.

Although Farley Mowat is not from the territories, he invested a great deal of time there and played an important role in bringing Northern Canada to majority of the population in the southern latitudes. I have picked Never Cry Wolf as my book to highlight the Canadian territories. CBC used to broadcast a movie adaptation of the novel when I was a kid that was enthralling. I still remember a scene with the protagonist cooking mice in the snow.

I still have some work to do in completing all of the reading on my list. Now that I'm living out west it is time to explore some of the novels from the Pacific Coast and Prairies more. Given that it is a long weekend, now is not a bad time to start.

Saturdays with Charlie

Charlie was pretty pumped to get to the park yesterday. I won't lie - so was I. His facial expression accurately captures how I felt as I left work Friday night, possessed by the thrill of a three-day weekend. Saturday with Charlie also included reading in the sun in the backyard. I came across this quote in Ernest Hemingway's A Moveable Feast: "Mansfield (another author) was like near-beer. It was better to drink water." Ouch! This made me laugh out loud. I love his dogged pursuit to only write what is true; to stop describing and to just write one true thing. This was a Saturday sans-Croissant, but with a lot of lounging and reading.

For more hilarious exchanges on authors insulting other authors, this page is worth reading.

Croissantnoisseur pics: Sky of the Week

How beautiful is that? The world needs more summer skies. 

Croissant on vacation

I am not on vacation right now. But I am sitting next to my dog, looking at pictures of vacation, which is a pretty decent alternative. Bouchon Bakery is certainly not a well kept secret, and in some ways I found the spot too tourist-centred, but this chocolate almond croissant really was delicious. That having been said, it was probably the warm sun, the lazy day of cycling around  the Napa Valley, and a week of zero responsibility that made everything seem even sweeter. 

When I was younger I remember my mum telling me to "bottle up" those moments when you felt full of happiness, because you might need to draw on them at a later time. I think the day where we arrived in Napa was one of those days, and now that I am back in the trappings of long work days, assignments and deadlines, I think I can appreciate the experience of travel and exploring new places even more. 

I hadn't intended to write such a contemplative post, but there you have it. Memories of jumbo croissant for the win.  

Croissant and a Movie: World War Z

It's zombie time! And thank goodness for that because I am so over vampires. After reading this article in the May Vanity Fair issue (so much indulgent reading done in San Francisco), my interest in World War Z was whetted. Originally set for December 2012 release, World War Z is the long awaited movie adaptation of the 2006 book written by Max Brooks. I bee-lined to the theatres this weekend to see it, and as far as the summer movie picks go, I suspect this will be one of my overall favourites.

I am definitely not a zombie movie genre expert by any stretch, but I really do love the theme of "zombie invasion" as a plot device for a number of reasons.

1. It's fun to develop my own strategies for surviving a zombie apocalypse (Note to self: after watching World War Z I think I need to work on cardiovascular fitness and marksmanship). For the 2005 movie Land of the Dead (spoiler alert) the zombies were distracted by fireworks, affectionately called "Sky Flowers" by the zombies. I found this both hilarious and ingenious.
2. Zombie movies are suspenseful when done well, but I don't find them as scary as serial killer movies where I can't help but worry that I am definitely going to get stabbed on my way home.
3. Zombie invasions are like pandemics, but without the uncomfortable feeling that someday the pandemic might actually happen and then we really are all going to die at once (Free advice: don't watch the movie Contagion on a plane). I am sure there are those who would disagree with me, but I still group zombies among the "make-believe" creatures.

But I digress. Back to the movie...and spoiler alert number two - stop reading if you're waiting to see WWZ.

I was surprised by how quickly this movie got going. It starts out with Brad Pitt, as Gerry Lane, at home with his family, clearly the doting dad who has given up his career to hang out with the kids and make pancakes. Life seems pretty great, and even though there are other parts of the world that declaring martial law everything seems pretty safe and sound at home in Philly. If he misses his old line of work he's pretty good at smiling and squinting his blue eyes and burying his feelings in pancakes. You can't help but like the guy. Everything takes a turn for the worse however, once the family goes to leave the house. The streets are grid-locked, nobody knows what is going on and pandemonium quickly erupts as the first zombie attack takes place.

These zombies are extremely fast, vicious biters, and their eyes look like they've got the worst cataracts you could ever imagine. I usually think of zombies as slower moving beasts, but these ones move at an alarming speed, which made for some startling moments during the movie. Gerry Lane is in touch with his old buddies in the UN, who offer his family protection in exchange for Gerry's skills to help solve the origins of the zombie pandemic, and thus develop a strategy to escape the zombie attacks. In Dirty Dancing Speak, they put Baby in a corner in a big way, and of course he has to go solve the world's zombie problem.

Apparently, the ending of this movie was re-written and the final version we see in theatres in different from the original cut. I think the question ultimately came down to: does Gerry go on a zombie killing spree or does he become the hero who figures out how to survive them? Given the original light in which he is portrayed earlier in the film, the hero version does seem to work well. I get the sense too that there is the expectation of a World War Z film franchise, and there is enough left at the end to make this possible, but not so much that you leave the theatre unsatisfied. I liked this film a lot, and I think it's one to watch this summer. I did not see the 3D version because I don't like 3D movies usually (I can rant about that another day). I will close with a picture of the zombie pile up from the movie. These zombies are good at team work, which adds another layer to their lethality. In short - just go see it!

Zombies are really good at building human pyramids. 

Saturdays with Charlie

The best face in town

Yesterday was the first day off from work in twenty-one days. I woke up late in the morning to discover that I had slept for twelve hours straight. I think I was tired. It was one of those weird days where it threatens to rain all day, but the sun did hold out for my walk with Charlie. One of the interview questions I was asked during my residency interviews was, "What is your idea of a perfect Saturday?" Although it was an unexpected question, it is one I have asked myself a number of times, so I was able to spew out my answer with perhaps a little too much unbridled enthusiasm.

I think yesterday came pretty close to perfection. Sleeping in, picking up a latte, heading to the park with Charlie. Home to read and putz about, mini-outing to Broadway where I picked up some white coconut balsamic vinegar from Oliv (it is eye-roll-back-in-your-head good), and an almond croissant at Il Secondo (of course). The day was capped off with some BBQ and watching World War Z with friends. The best part of any Saturday though? Is the fact that it is followed by Sunday, and in this case it is a Sunday where I don't have to work. High five!

Croissant and a book...The Devil in the White City

As of one month ago I had six books on the go. Oops. One of those books is "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People." I'm not sure, because I haven't finished it yet, but I'm pretty sure not finishing things that you start is not a habit of highly effective people. The San Francisco escape did at least afford an opportunity to whittle that list of six books down to five. I was engrossed in the book, "The Devil in the White City," which I have since learned from the interwebs, might potentially be made into a movie by my junior high heart throb, Leonardo DiCaprio.

Picture break. This is from Wikipedia. 

I was trying to broaden my horizons by reading more non-fiction, and this book was an excellent starting point. It reads like a novel in many ways, and at times the pace of the book reminded me of "In Cold Blood." I have had multiple people recommend a number of different books by Erik Larson and I opted for Devil in the White City because of my new-found love for Chicago after visiting there last October. Briefly, the book tells two parallel tales about Daniel Burnham, one of the principal architects behind the 1893 World's Fair, and Dr. H. H. Holmes, a serial killer who resided in the city at that time and whose sociopathic behaviours escalated around the buzz of the World's Fair.

One of my favorite aspects while reading this book was the vision that the author manages to create of Chicago in the throws of preparing for the World's Fair . I loved the contrast of the grittiness of a young industrial city with the lofty vision of the architects for the spectacle of the buildings. The shaping of American identity felt entwined within the events of the this decade, and the World Fair comes across as an important milestone in this regard.

However, the focus on Holmes exposes a darker underbelly of the city and perhaps provokes us to rethink the sanitized version of history that we often receive. Holmes represents darker elements within the city, and the description of his manipulative, sociopathic pursuits are bone chilling. I did get the sense that sometimes the account of Holmes' actions were somewhat fictionalized, but this is probably due to the fact that there was little reliable information on him to begin with. It is the story of Holmes that quickens the pace of he book, and leaves you engrossed and unable to put the book down (except when you need to pause because Holmes is giving you the heebie jeebies, because that might just happen).

I have developed a rating scale for by book reviews and on a scale of 1 to 5 literary pugs I rate this book a 4. I will caution however, it's not a book for someone who is easily creeped out, because Holmes is as creepy as they come. If and when this is made into a movie, he will be a terrifying character to see brought to life.

4 out of 5 literary pugs recommend "The Devil in the White City"

The Croissant Returns

So a number of months have passed and I have been blissfully eating croissant without taking pause to post. I have taken pause to photograph my food, in good first-world fashion. I usually remember to do it before I take a bite, but not always. Today's picture plays homage to Soleio Foods, which closed up shop in Saskatoon about a month ago. It caught me completely by surprise. There weren't any whispers in the city that I caught wind of to warn me of it's impending closure - I just happened to visit there on it's last day before I flew out for a week of more croissant indulgence in San Francisco (Oh hay 30th birthday week!). Needless to say, I was pretty gutted to learn that Saturday morning croissants at Soleio were going to be a thing of the past. It was a nice bright and sunny space, with great coffee to accompany their baked goods. Overall, I find there is a dearth of these types of cafes in Saskatoon. In the weeks since Soleio closed I have felt it's absence. On the plus side, I guess this means I'll just have to start perusing the city's pastry joints again.

Croissant and a Movie: Amour

Okay, this is really a thinly veiled attempt to incorporate my movie love into the blog. I'm not watching movies with croissant, nor have I ever done so, but it's quite possible that it might happen some Friday night if I'm feeling particularly wild and crazy. However, in light of the upcoming Academy Awards this Sunday night I thought it would be a good opportunity to introduce the "Croissant and a Movie" column on the blog, which I plan on having as a recurring feature.

While in Edmonton last weekend I rounded out seeing the list of Academy Award best picture nominees by watching "Amour". It was the only film I hadn't managed to catch so far, and in order to flesh out my predictions for this years winners I made an effort to catch it before heading back to Saskatoon. The film has a very theatric feel - the entire plot takes place within the apartment of an elderly couple. I can easily see this story being performed live on a stage.

"Amour" touches on a number of themes that are near and dear to my heart - namely, aging, health, frailty, and end of life care as examples. I'm sure these are all areas many people can relate to as they see their parents and grandparents aging. In addition, I recently finished a month of in-patient neurology and my experience from that rotation resonated with the plot developments early on. At the outset of the film, the wife experiences a stroke that leaves her paralyzed down her right side, although her mind and language are preserved (NOTE: medically, this makes no sense to me - normally, anyone with arm and leg paralysis would loose language function as well but I guess I have to allow for a little creative license). She comes home from hospital and forces her husband to promise that he will never take her back to hospital. It is clearly expressed that any further set backs she faces as she approaches the end of her life are to be spent at home. Her husband promises and therein he makes his biggest gesture of love to her. I've heard the movie described as a beautiful love story - and I get how it can be viewed that way, but I think it shows the darker side of love too.

We watch as he struggles to cope with first her physical failings, and then cognitive failings. He upholds his promise despite having a daughter who will occasionally visit and feebly attempt to control the situation. Clearly, she is struggling with the slow loss of her mother, but her suggestions felt somewhat condescending from my point of view, since she wasn't immersed in her mother's care on a daily basis. As the wife fails, we also watch the husband's internal struggle with self doubt, frustration, and fear at losing a partner who he shared a life and career with. It was the husband's struggle that I found difficult to understand. He is plagued by nightmares, and sometimes I wondered whether we were watching real events or if he was becoming delirious as his wife gets progressively worse.

Regardless, this movie is depressing and I left feeling rather dissatisfied with it. The film was very well received by critics, which makes me think it must have resonated with some people, but I couldn't help but find it too stylized to really capture what families face with the loss of a loved family member - particularly with that agonizing slow decline. It's such a complicated time, fraught with mixed emotions of love, loss, guilt, anger, frustration, feeling trapped. I think the film tried to convey this complexity with the husband's breakdown toward the end, but that is where I felt the film really faltered. I just felt confused by what he was going through. Perhaps this was the intention? I'm not sure, but I really found the line between reality and dream obscured near the end.

It was interesting to see that Amour was included in the best picture nominations. It's not one I would have included. Looking at the list of the rest of the nominees for the best picture category, I feel really torn between betting on Lincoln or Argo for the win. After seeing Lincoln I was convinced it would be the winner because it had so many features of an Oscar winning film - the biopic advantage, large cinematic scenes, an epic struggle to end a dark chapter in American history. However, when I saw Argo a few weeks later I was really blown away. It was engaging, it felt original, and was well acted and directed. As a whole, I thought Argo was actually better polished, more unified story. I thought Lincoln should have ended earlier - the epic proportions sort of got the better of the film. I also really loved Life of Pi, but I think the other two will make it difficult for Pi to win. Ultimately  I think when it comes down to it, my pick is for Argo as the likely winner. Two more nights until the party starts!

Sally knows how it's done.

Escape to Eddy Beach (Also known as Edmonton, Alberta)

Some of the Canadian provinces have caught onto the fact that going from January to the March/April period when Easter finally arrives without a single day of vacation is nothing short of pure torture. Nova Scotia remains in the dark ages, but now that I am living in the enlightened province of Saskatchewan I got to experience the fabulous February Family Day long weekend. As a result, Friday evening Mr. Croissantnoisseur and I piled into the car and headed further west to Edmonton for a weekend in the big city.

We received multiple recommendations to visit The Duchess Bake Shop in Edmonton. It wasn't until mid-day Saturday that we made it there, and it was evident at first glance that if one wanted to sit down in the bakery it required either arriving upon opening, or gearing up for an intense lurk-and-pounce session in order to nab a table. The popularity is of course a testament to the coffee and food offered at The Duchess.

I opted for the dark chocolate filled croissant, and I was impressed. The chocolate was warm and semi-melted, and the pastry was flaky but not dry. I liked the sweet but slightly bitter flavour of the darker chocolate, which helped the croissant from becoming overly sweet.

Visiting the bake shop is worthwhile simply for the experience itself. The interior reminded me of Paris-meets-Manhattan upscale bakery, which is not something you find everyday in Canadian cities. I also bought a package of the macaroons, on recommendation from one of my colleagues but I am saving those for my post-work treat throughout the week. I might also have an almond croissant tucked away as well...and some florentines. Oops.

Croissantnoisseur: Origins

For about the past two years, I have enjoyed a fairly regular Saturday morning routine. It would begin with a trip to the Farmer's Market in my hometown of Halifax, where I would wander the stalls in search of an indulgent Saturday morning pastry breakfast. Through this, I began to develop a healthy (well, perhaps unhealthy) appreciation for croissant, and I would jokingly tell my friends and husband that I was becoming a Croissantnoisseur.

Last year, I had to travel frequently throughout Canada, and this only made matters worse. Whenever I was in a new city, I sought out croissant recommendations in an effort to find the perfect croissant. Perfection is certainly subjective, but I think it combines a balance of just the right size, density, and flakiness. I have my favourites, but perhaps more on that later. I mentioned to more than a few friends, and my husband, that if I ever had a blog it would be about croissant. I figured it was a lofty comment, without much intention to really put words into action.

My life has been recently relocated from Halifax to the Canadian prairies, and although I find the croissant selection much thinner in my current city, I still love exploring the small bakeries and shops in the heart of the Canadian breadbasket. I figured the smaller selection here really would make the idea of a blog about croissant much less realistic, but when I came home today from work I had a fresh injection of inspiration from my husband.

So, without further ado, here is the first entry from the Croissantnoisseur. Tonight's entry features croissant from Christie's Bakery in Saskatoon. As a Valentine's treat, my husband picked them up to make ham and cheese stuffed croissant with an onion dijon sauce. He baked them wrapped in tinfoil for sixteen minutes, and the finished product was a rich, flaky and tangy treat. I've been impressed with the plain Christie's croissant before, and my survey of the Saskatoon websites thus far suggest they are among the best in the city.

The nice thing about this dinner too is that it was quick and easy, and even if the croissant aren't the best in town or are turning stale, baking them in tinfoil is going to make warm and crispy.

Happy Valentine's!

Stay tuned for future posts as we embark on our first attempts at making homemade croissant.


**I might add that I have no culinary/pastry training whatsoever - so if you're looking for truly expert commentary then you need to keep googling.  I also apologize for the amateur photography - this is a learning process :)