2013-05-23T10:04:56-04:00 Lisa Yeung http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/author/index.php?author=lisa-yeung Copyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Lisa Yeung Good old fashioned elbow grease. tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.2845290 2013-03-10T11:06:30-04:00 2013-05-10T05:12:01-04:00

Lisa Yeung http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-yeung/
Jean-Christophe Comtois did -- the 28-year-old Quebec City native had completed a teaching degree when he decided to do a full 180-degree turn and become a chef. And so he enrolled in the École hôtelière de la Capitale culinary school in order to pursue his dream. He was recently one of a handful of young chefs who had a shot at making it big in the S. Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition held in Napa Valley, Calif. from March 8 - 10. Up for grabs: thousands of dollars in prize money and a one-year apprenticeship with a celebrity chef. While he didn't win the overall prize, Comtois did walk away with two prizes: the Acqua Panna Fan Favorite and the Mystery Basket Winner, where competitors participated in an Iron Chef-style contest with unknown ingredients.

All this glory didn't come without its share of elbow grease: Comtois put in his time learning the basics at culinary school and in his job at the Quebec bistro Le Clocher Penché, and prepared more than 150 plates of his signature dish, Milk Veal Tenderloin, Matsutake and 'Tomme des Joyeux Fromagers' Flavoured Polenta, ahead of the final competition.

Don't have that kind of time to invest? Comtois shared some of the basics he's learned in his schooling in an interview with The Huffington Post Canada. No need to give up your day job just yet.

What was your approach to your signature dish?

Since it was a signature dish, I tried to make it the most personal that I could. For instance, using nice products from Quebec, using some seasonal ingredients. There are many stories in that dish. The polenta is inspired by the stage (apprenticeship) that I did in France. The fact that I used corn flakes instead of bread crumbs is for my father -- he used to eat cornflakes when I was a kid and it reminds me of him. All the vegetables and the way I plated my dish was inspired by the place I work now, very colourful and bistro-style way of doing things.

What do you learn at cooking school in general?

The first year was mainly about basic French cuisine techniques. We spent a lot time cutting vegetables the right size, the right way. Doing some soups, learning to make some stocks. We practiced very classic recipes from the French cuisine repertoire. That's pretty much the first part of the class.

And after that, the second half of the year, we go on to different routines. We do some kitchen production, some big volume, we do breakfasts, we do dinner service, cocktails, banquets, we do all different things related to the cooking industry. Not everyone is going into the restaurant business, some people are going to work in hospitals or hotels, so we try to cover all different aspects of the cooking industry.

Right now I'm completing a specialization in market cuisine. We use different products, techniques and technologies that we haven't had the chance to work with in our first year at school. It gives us a chance to develop our creativity.

What's the first dish you learned in school and why?

We made a lot of soups, but the first dish I think was a chicken with chasseur sauce -- poulet chasseur in French -- it's a sauce with white wine, brandy, tarragon, tomato paste, and some mushrooms.

Before we can do a dish, we learn how to make a sauce, how to saute mushrooms, how to cook the chicken properly. I guess it was a good first dish to put into play the different techniques that we learned. You can see that putting different techniques together can lead to a dish. So that's pretty much what I think they wanted to show us from that exercise.

What was the first technique you learned?

How to boil water, but that's nothing (laughs). I'd say that the first thing we did was cutting vegetables, cutting carrots julienne or dauphinoise -- the right way, and we had to measure to make sure our vegetables were the right size.

What's the easiest rule you've learned at school so far that you'll never forget?

It's a very basic thing, but it's seasoning. First of all, taste what you do, what you prepare, always give it a taste, a second taste, third taste and season and make sure everything is well-seasoned.

What's one ingredient you work often that is the most versatile?

If you asked about my favourite ingredient, it's butter (laughs). Versatile? I'd say eggs. Eggs are very versatile, they can be salty, or savoury, or used in desserts -- you can do a lot with eggs. Get to know your eggs and you can do a lot of things in the kitchen!

What's the most important tool to you apart from your knives?

Good cookware -- it's important to have good pots and pans that will distribute the heat well, and give you better control of your cooking. You always have to be in control when you're browning your beef or cooking vegetables. Good pots and pans are really important.

Is there a particular brand that you use?

Not really, as long as they have a thick bottom that will distribute the heat well and keep the heat -- many brands are pretty good.

What's the best trick you've learned so far for plating your dishes?

That's something that I've always liked to do, the plating part.

It has to be colourful, I'd say, with various shapes, and have some kind of balance in the dish, so that the meat doesn't take up too much of the plate compared to the starch and the veggies.

What are the things any young cook should always have or do in their kitchen?

I'd say salt: learn to use salt properly.

Learn to control your heat: learn to feel the heat that's right for the job you need to do.

Be well-organized, so you have all the things you need before starting to cook something. You do all your prep and after that you can start cooking... so you don't have to stop and go back and cut some carrots.

Taste your dish, and adjust and don't be afraid to try things. Especially when you're starting -- that was my approach. You can learn from books, you can learn from chefs, but just give it a try. The worst thing that's gonna happen is it's gonna taste bad and you'll have to order pizza.

What's one thing you've learned that's elevated your cooking from amateur to professional?

Flavours: pairing and balance in the dish, so using acidity, a bit of sweetness, a bit of spiciness, something more salty. I've learned how to create a nice balance in the dish, and every flavour is important and plays a different role in the dish. I'd say that's one of my strengths, creating balance in the dish. I focus on textures also, texture variations and flavours.

It's my ultimate dream to work with...

Speaking of the United States (where the competition took place), Thomas Keller -- he's one of the greatest chefs there, I have some of his books and I really admire his work. He's been an ambassador for cooking in the States. He's pretty much my top one.

If we're speaking about Quebec, I'd like to get to know chef Normand LaPrise (of Montreal's renowned Toqué) a little bit more. He's quite an icon in Quebec, I'd like to work with him if I have a chance. Those are pretty much the two that come to mind.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.2152052 2012-11-26T17:05:21-05:00 2013-01-26T05:12:01-05:00

Lisa Yeung http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-yeung/
Don't get me wrong, I'm a still a fan. For all my friendly ambivalence about pooches, I could watch Millan exert his famously 'calm, assertive energy' over troubled dogs in episode after episode of his (recently-ended) TV series 'The Dog Whisperer.' With barely a flick of the wrist, Millan seems to transform 'problem' dogs into obedient, calm, affectionate companions. How? What kind of dog voodoo does he use exactly?

Turns out the problem isn't with the dogs, it's with the humans. And that's what Millan has set out to tell pet owners across Canada. The celebrity dog-trainer has brought his 'Trust Your Instincts' live tour our way to train dog owners to understand that the key to resolving their dog's bad behaviour actually lies in resolving their own issues.

Now this is something I, as a non-dog owner, can get behind. I don't have a pet, but issues? Got my list right here. And trusting my instincts is something I've never been good at. But Millan is: Having grown up poor in the Mexican countryside, all he had was his instincts to rely on, he says. That, and some wise animal teachers.

Millan never once questions my dog-owning status during our interview, but he does go to great lengths to patiently explain how to trusting your instincts can change your life -- and yes, your dog's life too -- for the better.

Check out Cesar's tips on how to trust your instincts in the slideshow below:


Dusting Off Your Instincts Is Key, But It Ain't Easy

"Everybody wants a solution on how to help their dogs, but we can't really see the problem until we reconnect ourselves to our instinctual self," says Millan. "When you live in a modern society, that's not something that society asks you to become. It asks you to become more intellectually driven, it asks you to be part of a more excited world, it asks you to numb emotions, it invites you to activities like... smoking is ok, drinking is ok. And that only hurts your instincts."

Know What's 'In Your Bubble.' Huh?

In order to get back in touch with our instincts, we need to take stock of our current situation and selves. "The first step to make it simple is to really evaluate what's in your 'bubble,' you know, what's in your being, what's inside of you," Millan says. "What's inside of you becomes part of the bubble that you project."

"A lot of people, for example, live an anxious life," he says. "They don't realize they have a super-high level of anxiety. So we're gonna work on really writing down how anxious you feel at the moment you wake up. There's nothing wrong with it; the point is you learn to evaluate yourself and regulate yourself.'

Your Dog Is Your Emotional Barometer

Sometimes the barrier to changing how you feel is not knowing how you feel, but, as Millan says, a dog makes those feelings tangible by mirroring them back to you. "The dog can only become what's in your bubble," he says. "The dog is imitating the energy that is in your bubble. You are the source, the feast of energy. If you feel anxious, the dog becomes anxious with you. If you become nervous, the dog wakes up nervous with you," he says.

And likewise, when you're on the right track, your dog will reflect that too. "The dog is the one who's showing you you're doing the right thing," Millan says.

Change What's In Your Bubble; Act With Integrity

So once you know your dog's problems are in fact all about you, what do you do next? You get ready to face down your shortcomings. "The truth is, people don't like change," Millan says. "Change takes effort. And the reality is, most people don't want to put in effort to better their life.

"So this is where you're measuring every day: Do you follow through with the awareness that you have?" Millan says. "And this is where you measure your integrity. You see, to have a relationship with a dog, you must be honest, and have integrity to create loyalty."

You Need To Have An 'A-ha' Moment

Here's how Cesar gets his clients back to their instinctual selves and help their dog's problem behaviour: "The first step is to pop their bubble and get them to realize it's not the dog. They honestly believe it's their dog. They honestly believe it's the people knocking at the door, they honestly believe it's the doorbell, they honestly believe it's the microwave, they honestly believe it's the kids on skateboards. You know, they really believe it's everything else, except them.'

But once they understand that it's their negative bubble causing the problem, "their whole life changes in a matter of an hour," Millan says. "To realize, to have what Oprah calls the 'a-ha' moment -- this is the 'a-ha' moment, this is the moment that your dog wants you to have so you can then start changing his bad habits."

Goals Matter, But Maybe Not The Ones You Think Do

The biggest difference between humans and dogs? Priorities. And this is where our animal friends can teach us a thing or two. "Human goals are often to become famous, wealthy, and have a degree, but the dog's goal is just harmony." Millan says. "His biggest goal in life is to have a harmonious life with his family."

"For him, wealth is harmony. For him wealth is his family. For him wealth is living in the now. For him, wealth is calmness. For him, wealth is a sense of direction."

Time To Make A Lifestyle Change

"It takes the same amount of concentration and dedication to be an addict for healthy things as it does to be an addict to unhealthy things," Millan says. So the key is to focus your energy towards healthy habits. And guess what? Your dog can help you with that.

"A dog is a good example of a healthy addict," Millan says. "A dog, his addiction is what? Joy. Harmony. Being with you. Living in the moment. Honesty. Integrity. Loyalty. Unconditional love. Those are addictions."

"We give them a different name: we call them passions... But it's the same amount of energy."

Life Life Simply: Let Your Dog Be Your Dog

"We need to adopt ourselves to a simple lifestyle that benefits not just the dog, but benefits everybody in the house. What we're doing wrong is we want our dogs to adapt to a very complex lifestyle. We want our dogs to become human," Millan says.

"Therefore we're suppressing their identity, and we actually change their ability to help us," he continues. "What we need to do as a modern society, we need to reconnect to that lifestyle, because we've become disconnected to instinct."]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog// 2012-10-23T08:15:00-04:00 2012-10-26T10:55:22-04:00

Lisa Yeung http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-yeung/


Métallique: Nous sommes convaincues que ce sera le nouveau imprimé animal. Or ou argent, choisissez, car les deux fonctionneront très bien pour le printemps. Les blancs et les crèmes métallisés sont aussi une magnifique option.


Les silhouettes structurées: ou si vous voulez tout ce qui est ajusté sera vraiment top tendance. Les silhouettes sont gracieuses et rappellent même les sirènes charmantes. Vous serez prêtes pour les cocktails et les tapis rouges avec ce genre de tenue.

Ultra-luxe Tout est dans le détail. Les perles, les paillettes, les broderies ornent les vêtements pour leur donner fière allure. Si vous aimez briller, le printemps sera votre saison!

Zieutez la galerie photos des défilés pour avoir une bonne idée de ce que le printemps 2013 vous réserve. (Galerie en anglais seulement)

]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog// 2012-10-05T13:35:12-04:00 2012-10-05T13:36:47-04:00

Lisa Yeung http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-yeung/
That's what Parker Mitchell and Kyle Baptista are asking Torontonians to do this coming holiday weekend. And in spite of the city's reserved reputation, people have stepped up to the challenge.

It all began a scant seven days ago when Mitchell, the co-founder of Engineers Without Borders Canada, approached his old colleague Baptista with an idea. What if they invited Canadians to open their homes and pantries to those who were new to the country to celebrate one of our most meaningful holidays, Thanksgiving? Mitchell's thought was to reciprocate some of the incredible warmth and hospitality he and Baptista had experienced in their work abroad with EWB and in their travels. For Baptista, the idea just made sense.

'You're often welcomed with open arms,' Baptista tells The Huffington Post Canada over the phone of his experiences in countries like Ghana. 'For new Canadians, our environment can seem cold in comparison."

So the two men set out to make things happen quickly. After a night of brainstorming at Toronto's Nuit Blanche, Mitchell and Baptista, the former creative director for EWB, created a website for Share Thanksgiving, Mitchell organized with some local community agencies to find guest families, and the two started spreading the word on Twitter and Facebook.

That's when CBC's well-loved morning host, Matt Galloway, saw their tweet and booked them on the city's top-rated morning radio show, Metro Morning.



'We had 1,000 hits to the website the hour after we went on,' Baptista says. And around 60 host families willing to share their dinner tables and give thanks with strangers.

But why?

'It's a naturally good idea,' Baptista says of Share Thanksgiving, which can help guests understand and enjoy the holiday, and allow everyone involved to learn more about their respective cultures. Settlement programs for new Canadians often offer similar introduction and integration programs like conversation groups and mentorship programs, but this program focuses uniquely on the simple celebration of giving thanks, and it's a small gesture Baptista thinks could "catalyze other acts of generosity."

There are no hard and fast rules to the volunteer project, and the Share Thanksgiving team is working with settlement agencies and organizations like North York Community House to safely match up new and host families in time for this weekend (so far they've had one shared dinner ahead of the weekend, which Baptista says was a great success). And Share Thanksgiving doesn't have to end after the turkey is gone, and those inspired by the event who can't participate for Thanksgiving can always host in the future, Baptista says. Nationwide and US interest has the group thinking about future events, and what with American Thanksgiving on the horizon...

'I would love love love for people to take [the idea] and run with it and change it and adapt it and modify it for their city,' Baptista says. There's no ownership over the idea, it's meant to be shared... much like the meal of thanks in store for this weekend.

To find out more about Share Thanksgiving or sign up, visit their website at sharethanksgivingdinner.org

Looking for other ways to help this weekend? Check out some ideas below:

]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/thenewswire//2.1861704 2012-09-06T09:41:42-04:00 2012-11-06T05:12:01-05:00

Lisa Yeung http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-yeung/
Kristen Stewart n'a pas eu la chance de profiter de l'anonymat...

La voici déjà sous les feux de la rampe, et ce dès son arrivée à l'aéroport! Son style en a fait réagir plus d'un, notamment son large chandail avec le logo Irie, qui a attiré l'attention de People.com.

On se demande s'il s'agit d'un vieux chandail ayant appartenu à Robert Pattinson, son ex-copain qu'elle aurait trompé avec Rupert Sanders... Et qu'elle portait déjà l'an dernier.

Le suspense demeure: que portera-t-elle sur le tapis rouge de «On The Road»?

Voyez la photo de Kristen quittant l'aéroport de Los Angeles ci-dessous.
Plus de photos sur le site x17online.com.



Kristen Stewart avec Sam Riley et Garrett Hedlund dans «On The Road».



L'évolution du style de Kristen Stewart:
]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog// 2012-08-16T04:00:01-04:00 2013-02-25T18:11:40-05:00

Lisa Yeung http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-yeung/
Luckily, Alberta has a treasure trove of hidden gems that don't always make it onto the tourist itinerary -- mainly because they are just simply too odd.

So here are our picks of some of the weirdest, odd or awe-inspiring Alberta sites. And boy, are these spots different. Gophers-dressed-in-period-costume different.

Have a look through our slideshow. Which undiscovered havens of weirdness do we need to add to the list? Tell us in the comments below, or tweet us your response using #OddAlberta to @HuffPostAlberta. We'll add your picks and feature them in the gallery!



Also on HuffPost:




Vulcan

Yes, there are Trekkies everywhere. You can even find them in great numbers in comic and sci-fi convetions all over the world. But what if a whole town got in the act? That's exactly what happened in Vulcan, a small town that's embraced its inner geek in galactic proportions. And it works so well even Leonard Nimoy showed up and saw first hand the scores of Star Trek fans who make the pilgrimage to the tiny town each year, the massive Starship Enterprise that greets visitors to the hamlet and the Vulcan Tourism Trek Station, ahem, tourist centre, where you can grab Spock ears. WATCH Leonard Nimoy's visit to Vulcan and Vulcanites doing what they do best. (Wikipedia)

Kananaskis Prisoner Of War Camp

Second World War POW camps are still to this day a solemn subject and many Albertans find it odd that there were several of the camps right in their backyards. Camps were located throughout the province, including Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and Seebe, in Kananaskis Country, as seen here. (Appaloosa, Flickr.com)

The Biggest Dinosaur In The World, Drumheller

Yes, Drumheller is home to the Royal Tyrell Museum. The royal designation is a well-deserved one for the world-leading and renowned archeological facility. But what if you are looking for a more primal experience? What if you want to drive along the hoodoos, which look like they were pulled from The Land Before Time and that usher visitors to the town, and just want to have a rediculously primordial experience. Drumheller can provide that too, with the world's biggest dinosaur. This particular dinosaur is not a living beast, nor was it ever, but it is huge. And, for a couple of bucks, you can climb inside and take in the panoramic view of the town and the badlands beyond. Now, that's odd. (Joe_tourist, Flickr.com)


Frank Slide

It's a solemn site but to stand before the rock slide that crushed the old town of Frank nearly 110 years ago is to be overwhelmed by scale. There really is no other place like it in Alberta. The town, and most of its occupants, remain buried by the millions of tons of gigantic rocks that wiped it from the face of the Earth in 1903. It is Canada's deadliest rock slide and if nothing else it is solemnly unique. (Gord McKenna, Flickr)


Gopher Hole Museum, Torrington

There's odd and then there's look-at-that-gopher-dressed-like-Mozart-next-to-a-firetruck odd. That's what awaits the daring visitors to the Gopher Hole Museum in Torrington. If you've ever wondered what a gopher would look like if he had chosen to live life as a man of the cloth, as a farmer, or a Mountie, there is a stuffed gopher at the museum who can put your curiosity to rest. For being about such small critters, the Gopher Hole Museum is one big oddity. (Cogdog, Flickr.com)

Erratic Rock, Okotoks

It's enough to make someone feel erratic. The massive rock just outside Okotoks is believed to weigh more than 15,000 tonnes, which is why it is also comnonly known as Big Rock. Sound familiar? That's where the popular brewery gets its name. What makes this rock worth visiting - even if you're not a Trad drinker - is that it's the biggest of countless of other erratic rocks that were deposited along the foothills by massive glaciers thousands of years ago but that originated in Jasper National Park. That's a pretty long way for such a big rock to go. (Wikipedia)

Badlands Guardian

Not only is this an extremely odd geomorphological formation, the way in which it was discovered is also odd. The Badlands Guardian, located near Medicine Hat, is a feature that from the air bares a striking resemblance to a human head wearing a traditional Native headdress and iPod ear buds. And if that wasn't odd enough, the feature - a natural drainage with a road leading to an oil well located where an ear would be - was found by Lynn Hickox while browsing Google Earth images in 2006. Top that for odd! (Google Earth)

Lethbridge Tower

So Toronto, the biggest city in Canada, has an iconic tower with a restaurant on top. Calgary, Alberta's biggest city, has an iconic tower with a restaurant on top. So, why not Lethbridge? The southern Alberta city also has a tower - formerly the town's water tower - and it too has a restaurant on top. Eye-sore or iconic? You tell us in the comments. (Youtube)

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump

The aggressive name of this UNESCO world heritage site doesn't leave much to the imagination. The buffalo jump was used for 5,500 years by the Blackfoot people before horses were common. They drove the buffaloes off the cliff and used their carcasses to make homes, weapons and clothing. Now, the site has an interactive museum and is in the foothills of the rocky mountains.

World's First UFO Landing Pad

Do you believe in extra terrestrials? St. Paul does. They created the first UFO landing pad in order to bring in tourists and aliens. Best of both worlds? The landing pad was opened in 1967 and if you didn't think things could be weirder, the sign says, "The area under the World's First UFO Landing Pad was designated international by the Town of St. Paul as a symbol of our faith that mankind will maintain the outer universe free from national wars and strife. That future travel in space will be safe for all intergalactic beings, all visitors from earth or otherwise are welcome to this territory and to the Town of St. Paul." This is a place the family is sure to enjoy.

The Beaverlodge Beaver

The world's largest roadside beaver makes his home in Beaverlodge, Alta. It took 18 blocks of foam, 13 gallons of paint and 90 gallons of polyurethane to cover and weighs more than 1,500 pounds. You'll have to drive a long way to get a piece of this beaver, however -- this buck-toothed Canadian icon rests on the side of the highway in northwestern Alberta on the way to the Alaska Highway. Is it worth the drive to Beaverlodge? We'll let you decide.

With files from Lisa Yeung, Meredith Gillies and Michelle Butterfield]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog// 2012-03-21T13:35:56-04:00 2012-03-21T13:37:23-04:00

Lisa Yeung http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-yeung/ Test Drive Subject: Imagine Organic Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup

Price: $4.99

What It Is: A new heat-and-serve organic chicken noodle soup in an easy-to-pour, easy to tear Tetra pak. An ideal lunchtime solution for a person like me who doesn't really cook much and is admittedly a little lazy in the kitchen.

What's In It: According to the ingredient listing on the website: filtered water, organic chicken dark meat (includes water, organic corn starch, sea salt, organic carrots, organic celery, organic enriched egg noodles (organic semolina flour [wheat], organic whole eggs, organic egg whites, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, niacin, ferrous sulfate, folic acid), organic rice starch, flavor, organic chicken broth concentrate (organic chicken broth, organic chicken flavor, organic chicken fat, organic soy sauce powder organic soy sauce (water, organic soybeans, salt), organic corn maltodextrin, salt), sea salt, yeast extract, organic canola oil, organic vegetables (organic carrot, organic celery, organic onions), organic onion powder, organic turmeric, flavoring, organic flavor), seat salt, organic onion powder, organic turmeric, organic parsley.

That's a lot of organic!

Contains: soy, egg, wheat

Certified organic by Quality Assurance International (QAI)

Putting It To Use: Is anything easier and more enjoyable than tearing open a Tetra pack, pouring the soup into a pot, heating said pot on med-low, and then stirring occasionally but generally going about your business for 10 minutes or so? "Preparation" of the Imagine soup was a breeze.

Our Thoughts: First, you should know that I L.O.V.E. soup. I can eat it day and night, hot or cold, any time of the year. There are two things I will never get tired of: soup and cheese. Oh, and bacon. Oh, and fruit.

So I have pretty high standards for my soup, and especially chicken soup. My mom's is the best (5 stars!), my grandma's was the second-best (4.5 stars!). Canned and prepared soups will do the trick, but generally don't fool me (1 - 3 stars). How did Imagine's soup measure up?

Heartiness: 4/5 -- Lots of spiral noodles, good size chunks of chicken, lots of carrot cubes and finely diced celery, the latter of which I don't like much, so this ratio was a good mix for me. The broth was clear and moderately thick.

Texture: 2.5/5 -- Surprisingly tasty and tender chicken -- not too stringy or bland. The carrots and noodles were on the mushy side, which is to be expected from prepared soups, but they weren't inedible. The celery was barely noticeable in terms of texture -- another plus for me. The broth, while relatively thick, was on the slippery side -- I think this is due to the organic rice starch, which they may have added to give the broth some body. It's OK, but if you've ever tasted gravy thickened with starch, you know what that round, odd texture fees like. Again, it's not unbearable, but it ain't homemade!

Taste: 3/5 -- Of all the soup-in-a-box I've had, I think Imagine ranks at the top. You can definitely smell the chicken flavour when you open the box, and overall the soup does taste like chicken soup, in spite of the mushiness. I added a little spinach afterward for some greens, but I think it would also be good with an egg stirred into it, sweet potato, avocado and rice, you name it.

Convenience: 5/5 -- Cooking doesn't get easier than this. Seriously. The only thing that's easier is when your mom brings you soup because you're sick.

Overall: 3/5 -- Imagine is a good choice if you're going to go the heat-and-serve route. But before you do, see my warning below.

The Warning: As with all prepared soups, watch out for the sodium, by golly. Even though it's organic, Imagine's chicken soup is not for the sodium-averse. It's a salty broth with a high sodium content, which seems to me to somewhat cancel out the benefits of the organic ingredients. This is often the case with prepared, pre-packaged foods, whether they're organic or not. So read the label, and shop wisely. Or ask your mom to come over for dinner. ]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog// 2012-02-17T14:43:29-05:00 2012-02-17T14:43:58-05:00

Lisa Yeung http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-yeung/
Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore. We're in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

To be fair, it's not just me the celebrity chef is cooking for -- there's a group of us gathered for this event hosted by the Inniskillin Vineyards. We've been whisked away from our urban lives to experience the wonders of the region in winter. The other star of the night, alongside Crawford, is icewine, and we're here to have our tastebuds dazzled by both.

The drinks take the early lead in 'wow' factor points when the winery's hosts Deborah Pratt and Del Rollo hand out flutes of sparkling vidal icewine - the tiny bubbles add just enough fizz to cut the intense sweetness, and I'm instantly hooked. But Chef Lynn -- whose long list of credits includes former Executive Chef of the Four Seasons Toronto, host of the Food Network's Pitchin In, and owner of new hotspot Ruby Watchco -- follows up strong with her version of Oysters Rockefeller. Oysters Lynna-Feller are a heady mix of malpeque, smoked bacon, and icewine mignonette, a delicious combination that makes me reel a little on the way to the dining hall.

And here's where things start to get a little crazy. We start off reasonably, with some flaky cheddar biscuits slathered in icewine butter. Then Chef Lynn and Inniskillin chef David Perry roll out a delicate hazelnut crusted pickerel with warm lobster lentil salad and brown butter vinaigrette -- a mouthwatering combination of flaky, tender, smooth and crispy. Then comes the crispy pork belly with apple celeriac puree, an ideal dish for the pork lover in us all.

I could have stopped there. Two mains is perfectly reasonable. But we push on to a third -- a slow-roasted, dry-aged striploin with charred kale and mushroom short-rib gravy. Heavenly. My pants are feeling snug. Then in comes the cheese plate, featuring two of my favourites, Niagara Gold and Comfort Cream, with Ruby Watchco beet marmalade. I. Cannot. Resist. Cheese.

And about those nine wine glasses I mentioned: each and every one of them is put to use. We sample a stunning total of six icewine varietals over the course of the night -- who knew there was even more than one? -- and a complementary flight of other wines as well. I should be under the table at this point.

Thankfully, Chef Lynn keeps things grounded -- she's the same energetic, warm, passionate and funny woman that she appears to be on TV. She greets familiar faces with hugs, takes photos of the guests and emails them via iPhone, and jokes that she'll travel home with us on the party bus. And she even admits to a cooking flaw: she burns s'mores. "I'm the worst," she says.

She's lying. The s'mores consist of handmade vanilla bean marshmallows with cabernet franc ganache, but I'm so full at this point I can't even muster the strength to put two graham crackers together. I steal two mallows and sneak them home on the limo bus. Upon exiting, I wave a hazy goodbye to my fellow guests, and promptly drop those beautiful, fluffy, pristine marshmallows onto the dirty sidewalk.

Toto, we're not in Niagara-on-the-Lake anymore.

Check out these recipes, courtesy of Lynn Crawford:]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog// 2012-02-12T19:02:28-05:00 2012-02-12T20:56:14-05:00

Lisa Yeung http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-yeung/ Whitney Houston died suddenly at the age of 48. Just one day before the 2012 Grammys Awards, the singer was reportedly found in the bathtub of her hotel room. The shocking news cast a dark cloud over the Grammys, where Houston had often been a mainstay over the course of her 26-year long career.

Whitney won 6 Grammys in her time and graced the Grammys stage, red carpet and pre-parties several times over. Her statuesque model figure and stunning looks, combined with her bold style, always made her one to watch. Never one to shy away from bold colours, patterns, textures and sequins, Whitney knew how to dress like the superstar she was. She never shied away from the spotlight, never stepped hesitantly, and never apologized for her sartorial choices.

As the music world pays tribute to Whitney's musical legacy at the Grammys, we take a look at some of her past Grammys looks. Do you have a favourite? Let us know in the comments below, or on Facebook or Twitter ]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog// 2012-02-12T13:31:53-05:00 2012-02-12T13:31:45-05:00

Lisa Yeung http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-yeung/
Sweeping the number one spots for months on end, no one seemed to mind watching her decidedly '80s dance moves on TV or listening to Whitney in heavy rotation on the radio, because she was just that gorgeous, and her voice was just that good. But even more, she had that 'thing', that rare likeable quality that endeared her to millions while establishing her as the wise older sister you don't want to mess with. "How will I know if he really loves me?" she sang. Whitney girl, we were all wondering the same thing, twirling around in our bedrooms and singing our hearts out into our hairbrushes, knowing you shared in our pain over our latest crush.

Whitney was the voice of an era, a voice who helped us through the mundane chores (dancing and vacuuming to 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody'), and heralded the greatest moments (the 1988 Olympics to name just one) in our culture. Some of our favourite memories are tied to her hits, which still hold up after all these years. Twitter was alight as soon as news of Whitney's death broke, with celebrities and regular folks alike sharing what Whitney meant to them.

Did Whitney Houston's music affect your life? Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send us a tweet at @huffpostcaliv.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog// 2012-01-30T11:37:00-05:00 2012-01-30T18:51:20-05:00

Lisa Yeung http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-yeung/ SAG red carpet too.

This year's crop of frocks was a refreshing departure from the sea of beige we saw at the Golden Globes -- there was colour, gosh darn it, and there was texture too. Some stars may have already secured their spots on the best-dressed and worst-dressed lists, but what about those in-betweens?

We think those quirky details and zany getups are just screaming for some recognition, so in that vein, we present the SAG Style Awards That Didn't Make The Cut. Because everyone needs props for their donut-shaped earrings once in a while. Right, Angie?]]> sarah-burke-video 2012-01-21T08:00:00-05:00 2012-03-22T05:12:02-04:00

Lisa Yeung http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-yeung/
The 29-year old Canadian was one of the world's best female freestyle skiers -- arguably one of the best, period. Tragically, Sarah Burke passed away Thursday after a fall during a training run nine days earlier caused massive hemorraging and irreparable damage to her brain. The sport had lost a pioneer, a breathtaking, talented athlete whose trademark move was the '900' -- a two-and-a-half rotation turn in the air.

Two and a half rotations -- no written description can do justice to Burke's skills the way video can, and clips of her finest moments show her owning the superpipe at the X Games, where she was a four-time gold winner. Or she's heli-skiing down a seemingly untouched mountain, almost lost in the endless white -- but not quite.

Other videos show the gorgeous Burke in white, but in a different way -- on her wedding day. The love story between Sarah Burke and Rory Bushfield now feels almost heartbreaking to watch, but it's clear from watching the couple in a clip from the Ski Channel documentary 'Winter' that the two skiers shared a rare love full of mutual admiration, respect and romance. And an infinite love of the hill.

For Burke, her love of the hill was fraught with battles -- battles to allow women to compete in freeskiing competitions, and more recently, the fight to have the free-ski half-pipe included in the Olympics -- which thanks to her lobbying will make its debut at the 2014 Sochi Games. Few interviews passed without Burke speaking of the hardships endured in those early days when neither she nor her sport had the respect they deserved. But she persevered with the passion and good nature that many who knew her say was emblematic of her character, and which is evident in the demeanor displayed on video -- always smiling, often laughing, an advocate and a friend of women.

Things have changed thanks to Sarah Burke. Her strength and spirit are captured in some of the clips below that helped the world know her a little better.







]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog// 2012-01-06T12:38:37-05:00 2012-01-06T12:38:56-05:00

Lisa Yeung http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-yeung/ Test Drive: Each week, the Huffington Post Canada's Living team will try out something that has sparked our curiosity, and as long as we live to tell the tale, we'll let you know all about it.

Who:
Me, a fearless HuffPost manager, lover of trends and lazy beauty junkie. I love product but wear very little makeup, often neglect the expensive potions I buy, and can't be bothered with a three-step skincare regimen (toner, what?). Alas, my dry-yet-breakout-prone skin has probably suffered for it. As a woman in her later thirties who's starting to think about a) her fine lines and b) the synthetics she's putting on her skin, I wanted an age-preventing something or other that I could dab on when half-asleep and be done with it.

What:
I decided to give argan oil a whirl. Long touted by celebrities like Josie Maran (who has her own argan oil skincare line) and 'natural' skincare shopping sites as a miracle anti-aging product, argan oil is a vegetable oil made primarily in Morocco by cooperatives of women. The labour-intensive process involves expressing the oil from the nut in the argan fruit. The oil is supposedly rich in vitamin E and essential fatty acids, and started emerging as a skincare trend a couple years back (it's in the popular Moroccanoil hair products) -- but like I said, I'm lazy. And bigger brands like Maran's are often pricey -- and also like I said, I tend not to use the expensive treatments I buy.

Why:
I decided to take the plunge when a friend told me she'd found argan oil at the organic food stores in Toronto's Kensington Market for cheap. And she said it worked so well she started seeing fine lines on her palms disappearing. (Erasing your life line? Now that's effective.) I picked up a bottle of Divine Essence argan oil for a mere $10.25. Score!

When:
I used the product pretty much every day for about four months, and went through two bottles of Divine Essence (the name, er, could use a little work).

Where:
I dispensed about a quarter size amount and applied it on my face after cleansing. I applied it to all areas of my face, including around my eye area, my neck, and my lips (it's edible, after all). I also tried it on the ends of my hair as a conditioner.

How...
...did it work, you ask? Pretty darn good as a moisturizer. It left my skin feeling ridiculously soft, and didn't cause breakouts like I feared it would, but that may be because I use another moisturizer with glycolic acid to help keep my skin clear. But it left my skin dewy, plumped up and kind of glowing, and was a good companion to my other moisturizer (NeoStrata, which I can't recommend enough).

But in terms of anti-aging properties, I haven't seen any wrinkles erased as far as I can tell. They're not any worse, but they haven't disappeared. So while there could be some preventive properties to argan oil, there was no reversal happening -- although maybe you need longer than four months for any significant results. Or maybe my other products were interfering. Or maybe I shouldn't have partied my way through my twenties. Who can say, really?

Oh, and it made my hair a little stringy when I used too much on the ends.

Nevertheless, I'm sold and will keep using argan oil. It's cheap, simple and natural, a super moisturizer and skin softener, and it's not making my wrinkles or my breakouts any worse. And I like that it helps collectives of women earn legitimate wages independently. For all that, I can put up with the name Divine Essence.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog// 2011-12-30T17:15:00-05:00 2011-12-31T10:11:32-05:00

Lisa Yeung http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-yeung/ the Royal Wedding to Galliano's shocking fall from grace to the somewhat unsettling rise of celebrity teen muses, we had plenty to gawk at, talk about and marvel over.

But in between the Lady Gaga egg hatchings and the obsession over Pippa's butt were some genuinely enjoyable style moments. Some were understated, like calming neutral palettes that dominated the runways. Others were loud and joyful noises, like the awesomeness of Sophia Grace and Rosie. They were the looks we couldn't keep our eyes from and the gossip we couldn't wait to discuss, and they all played a part in making 2011 a heck of a lot more fashionable. Check out our slideshow and see if you agree.

]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog// 2011-11-29T14:00:00-05:00 2011-12-07T10:19:36-05:00

Lisa Yeung http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-yeung/
Now, with holiday party season fast upon us, crimson ensembles are popping up in store windows everywhere. Call it a seasonal sartorial dilemma: how do you pull off red without looking like Santa's wife (no offence, Mrs. C)?



"I'd stay away from anything pile-knit or trimmed with white faux fur, for starters!" says Cynthia Rowley, the renowned designer and author who was in Toronto this fall for LG Fashion Week, where she unveiled a unique collection created in support of the Special K Start Something Fabulous campaign. Rowley custom-designed dresses for three women, and in keeping with the brand's iconic logo, the frocks were a vibrant scarlet, similar to the shade that's given red a fresh take.

"I think a bright, orangey-red is particularly relevant right now, as so much of what's in style this season is about experimenting with more daring color," says the designer, who spoke to HuffPost at Fashion Week and via email. And tone can make all the difference when choosing a holiday outfit.

"More sophisticated fabrics and a fusion of multiple shades of red within one look are both easy ways to avoid building a closet that's a little too holiday cheer-y." For those who are daunted by the thought of wearing such an intense hue, there are ways to downplay.

'It's bold, but it's so classic that you can think about it like you would a black dress," she says. You can temper a bright red piece by pairing it with black pieces, such as tights or accessories. Or start small: "Red lips are always a great way to stand out and dress up whatever you've got on, but red is also good for highlights within an ensemble -- a bag or a shoe."

"Think of it as more of a neutral," Rowley says, referencing Liza Minnelli, who said something along the lines of, "All a woman ever needs is red, white and black." This holiday, that includes all of us, not just Mrs. Claus.

Check out our slideshow of red worn well. Will you wear it this holiday? Tell us how in the comments below.

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