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ESCAPE Welcome to the second issue of Mish Mash! For this edition, we wanted to focus on the idea of escaping and what that means for others. Whether you are physically removed from your home, find solace in your kitchen, or relive moments from your childhood, we all have different forms of escape that provide us with comfort. Join us as we cover all the ways in which we take a break from reality.
Jenn & Karen xx
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Editors Jennifer Perutka Karen La Contributors Alexander McNaughton Alex Mazerolle Natalina Percival Justine Sandhu
Illustrations By Alisha Davidson Special Thanks Lizzy Karp Collage Collage Layout Jennifer Perutka Karen La
WWW.MISHMASH-MAGAZINE.COM
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GARAM MASALA words by Justine Sandhu photos by Jenn Perutka
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I am sharing my mother’s super secret Indian masala recipe with all of you. Masala is essentially a mixture of various spices that lends itself as the base of pretty much every Indian savoury dish. I’ve personally found masala extremely handy in non-Indian recipes as well. It definitely adds a (much needed) kick to soups, stews and even spagetti sauce! If you speak to any indian woman, their recipe or process for masala-making tends to differ based on personal experience or passed down family recipes. Here is how we make home-made masala in my home.
YOU WILL NEED 1 cup of coriander seeds 3/4 cup of cumin seeds 1/2 cup of black peppercorn 1/2 cup of cloves 1/2 cup of ground cinnamon 1/2 black cardamoms
All spices except the ground cinnamon should be thoroughly washed and dried. We prefer to lay out the spices in the sun to dry but putting them in the oven at a low heat until all moisture is gone also works. Let the spices cool off and completely dry off; this usually takes a day or two. Grind all ingredients together. The more modern and efficient way of doing this is a blender or coffee bean grinder. Store the masala in a jar and use as you please!
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Cardamon
Peppercorn
Coriander
Cloves
Cumin
Cinnamon
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words and photos by Natalina Percival
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I LOVE LEAVING THE CITY It’s a slow steady build of excitement that starts with making the supplies list (weeks in advance, meticulously crafted, tirelessly edited), and takes a sharp, exponential spike as I move further away from Vancouver (to date, I’ve managed to explore a fair swathe of BC), culminating in a near-hysteric energy that I find hard to contain (raging, big ol’ nature boner). No one likes sharing their favourite spots. I think there’s something to be said for discovering something on your own. I will say that I prefer BC’s recreational sites and trails to the provincial park campsites. You never know what you’ll find at the end of a logging road. The Okanagan Valley is my favourite. I’m a bit of an asshole and I like to cook it up right. Hot dogs are always necessary (grainy mustard + pickled garlic is so good), but give these other ideas a try:
ESSENTIAL CAMP BLEND Sesame seeds Sea salt Black pepper, fresh ground Sumac Rosemary, chopped finely (fresh preferred) Parsley, chopped finely (fresh preferred) Try adding: Sage (fresh), lemon zest Mix well, store in an airtight container or glass jar. Brush whole wheat pita with olive oil and sprinkle generously with your herb blend, and grill over an open fire. Try with slices of potatoes and onions and olive oil, wrapped in tinfoil, for a good breakfast.
CAMPFIRE POPCORN 1. Tear an 18”-long piece of heavy duty foil. Pour 2 tsp vegetable oil in the centre of the foil, then add 4 tsp popcorn. 2. To make the packet, bring the two longest opposite ends of the foil together above the popcorn, and fold over three times, as if you’re folding down the top of a paper lunchbag. Bring the remaining two ends up to the centre, and roll the edges together to seal the packet. There should be enough space for the popcorn to pop. 3. Securely poke a campfire form through the thick folds at the top of your foil packet. Place the packet in the hot coals of the campfire. Listen for the oil to sizzle, and for a kernel to pop. 4. Once you hear the first pop, raise the packet above the coals and shake the packet until the popping slows. 5. Let cool. Careful when opening. Add salt, butter, flavoured oil, spices, to your taste.
COWBOY COFFEE 1. Bring 4 cups water to a boil 2. Add 3/4–1 cup of course ground coffee 3. Allow to remain at a boil, then immediately remove from heat 4. Wait until the grounds sink to the bottom, 5 minutes 5. Serve
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HOW TO BUILD A KICK-ASS FIRE sharp axe dry, dry firewood newspaper matches 1. Chop your wood. Break them down into at least 5 piles, based on thickness. 2. There are varying camps on the teepee vs log cabin debate. I subscribe to the log cabin. 3. Make a tiny nest of your smallest size splinters. Twist single sheets of newspaper into a long roll, then twist together to make a donut shape. Add a couple to your nest, and light. 4. Continue to build your log cabin, slowly, going up in stick-size as your fire grows. 5. Make sure when you’re done to properly extinguish your fire! Use sand and water. Most campsites will require your ashes be cool before you leave.
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N E A R O R FA R A collection of photos of various spots in Thailand and Bowen Island Photos by Jennifer Perutka
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ELDERFLOWERS words and photos by Alexander MacNaughton
IF SPRING IS A TIME WHEN MY THOUGHTS OUGHT TO BE TURNING TO FANCY, I DARE SAY I DO FANCY MYSELF SOME ELDERFLOWER. THE DELICIOUS UMBELS HANG HEAVY FROM THE BRANCHES OF ELDERFLOWER SHRUBS IN VANCOUVER; YOU CAN FIND THEM IN MARSHY AREAS ALONGSIDE LAKESHORES AND AT THE WOODLANDS EDGE IN GRASSY FIELD AREAS.
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The black elderberry fruit is reputed to have medicinal qualities, and is used to treat allergies and to improve respiratory health. There are three varieties of Elder that you will encounter as you forage for the flowers, red, black and blue, of which I have harvested flowers from all of them. Be forewarned, the fruit of the red elder should not be consumed raw as it contains seeds with cyanide producing glycosides that can cause serious damage if eaten in large quantities, the strained fruit, when cooked however, it is safe.
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Make sure you remove any large stems or leaves from your pick and if you’re using the red elderberries, only use juice from ripe berries with no seeds in the final product. The black and blue varieties are delicious raw and cooked, but for the purposes of this article I will deal with the flowers and their various preparations. Harvest yourself some of the gorgeous flowers, look for their delicate clusters at the ends of branches, pick on the ones high off the ground to avoid any canine contaminants. You need a large amount, approximately 20 flowers per liter. Store the flowers for the shortest amount of time possible, each hour they sit a bit of the floral scent and flavor is lost. Ideally you use them with 6 hours of harvesting. Prepare the flowers by removing any large stems and bugs that may be hiding amongst the clusters, do not wash in water as this will remove scent and flavor. Make sugar water by dissolving a small amount of white sugar in warm water and letting it cool, your syrup should not be sickly sweet but still sweet enough to offset the tartness from the lemon slices that get added in the next step. Take your sugar water and add organic lemon wedges, feel free to squeeze the juice from the lemons first. Taste your liquid, it should be palatable as is (not too sweet, not too sour). I generally use 1-2 lemons per litre. Steep your elderflower blossoms in the liquid for 12-24 hours, any longer and the bitterness from the stems and green parts of the flowers will impart an flavor to your syrup. After steeping, strain the liquid and bottle. Keep in mind that elderflowers have natural wild yeasts present, and the liquid will begin to ferment if left at room temperature. This is not a bad thing, effervescence is quite pleasant as long as you don’t let things slip into yeasty funky territory. I tend to freeze and refrigerate my syrup until I am ready to enjoy it.
ELDERFLOWER GIN COCKTAIL
HOLLERKUCHEL - ELDERFLOWER PANCAKES
2 parts elderflower syrup 1-2 parts dry gin, depending on your taste Shake with ice and strain into a highball glass.
1. Make a simple pancake batter using egg yolks, milk, flour sugar and salt, with the addition of either white beer or Prosecco/Champagne 2. Dip your elderflower umbels into your batter by holding the stem between your thumb and forefinger and twirling in the bowl, your batter should be thin and runny, not thick and clumpy. 3. Fry in butter until golden, stems sticking straight up in the pan 4. Dust with powdered sugar and cinnamon and trim the stems at the base to serve.
Elderflower white wine spritzer Two parts elderflower syrup 2 parts prosecco or other dry white wine Serve either of these cocktails cold with summer salads, cucumber and watercress sandwiches, fresh fruits and cheeses and other such delectable summer fare. My personal favorite would be served with a grilled asparagus, goat cheese and summer green salad, eaten outdoors in the sunshine.
Serve for breakfast, late brunch, or as a sweet accompaniment to a lunch spread. Share with friends and enjoy.
In Denmark, if you stand under an elder tree on midsummer’s night, you can see the Elf-King and his host, presumably drinking from tiny cups of elderflower wine. I hope this inspires you to go out and gather elderflowers and to share the sweet taste of spring with your friends and family. Bon appetit!
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FRIENDSHIP BRACELETS words and photos by Jennifer Perutka
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On the third Tuesday of every month the fine folks at Collage Collage, situated at 621 King-
sway, host a night of crafts that is meant only for adults. The classes have covered everytthing from paper flowers, hand lettering, and illustrating. I was pretty stoked on the idea that the night was a bit of a mental vacation from the nine to five and you learn something that, while you might not need it in your day to day life, is a cool skill to have. And who knows when you may INSTRUCTIONS need to bust out some paper flowers or a kick ass hand lettering poster?! On this particular night, we went back to that time in our childhood where we expressed our utter devotion to our childhood best friend with the ever symbolic friendship bracelet. While my end product wasn’t the most aesthetically pleasing, it’s ok because these days I express my devotion to friends through bottles of wine and meticulously crafted cheese boards.
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SAL AD ROLLS words by Karen La photos by Jennifer Perutka
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T
his is the easiest, cheapest, freshest, most satisfying thing you will make this summer. Sub asparagus and broccoli for any other vegetables you have lying around or throw in some panfried tofu strips for extra protein.
Salad Rolls 1 bunch of asparagus 1 head of broccoli 1 carrot 1 mango 1 ripe avocado ½ cucumber handful of bean sprouts rice paper
Dressing handful of cilantro 1 or 2 stalks of green onion fresh grated ginger chili flakes (optional) juice of 1 lime 1tbs apple cider vinegar 3 tbs olive oil salt to taste 1. Preheat oven to 400F. Lay asparagus and broccoli flat on a baking sheet, coat with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. We also added some peanut sauce for extra flavour. Bake for 15mins or until slightly brown.
2. Cut cucumber and carrots into thin shreds. 3. Cube mango and avocado. 4. 1 at a time soak rice paper in a shallow dish of warm water and take out immediately once fully submerged. Let dry for a minute on a plate. 5. Assemble salad roll by putting all ingredients on the bottom of the rice sheet and roll as you would a burrito.
Dressing 1. Finely chop cilantro and green onion. 2. Combine with ginger, chili flakes, lime juice, and apple cider vinegar. Whisk until it’s all blended. 3. Slowly whisk in olive oil until everything is integrated.
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M e d i tat i o n words by Alex Mazerolle photos by Jennifer Perutka
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HOW DO YOU MEDITATE? THIS IS A QUESTION I GET ASKED A LOT AS A YOGA TEACHER. MOST PEOPLE THINK IT IS MORE COMPLICATED THAN IT REALLY IS - YOU BASICALLY JUST SIT THERE AND BREATHE. “BUT HOW DO YOU GET YOUR MIND TO STOP?” YOU DON’T. WELL, NOT AT FIRST. MEDITATION IS SIMPLY AN OBSERVATION OF THE MIND AND ITS THOUGHTS. IT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO TUN INTO OUR INTERNAL LANDSCAPE, CONNECT WITH OUR BREATH AND RELEASE NEGATIVE THOUGHT PATTERNS THAT DIMINISH US. AS A RESULT WE FEEL CALMER, CLEARER AND MORE CONNECTED. However, in starting a meditation practice, it is challenging to sit and just listen to what Buddha called, our Monkey Minds. It can feel very intimidating or really frustrating to just sit there with all of your thoughts. I would like to introduce you to the SO HUM meditation. SO HUM is a MANTRA, something you repeat in your head as you meditate to stay focused. Mantra literally translates into Mind Protection. The focus remains on these two syllables instead of letting your mind run wild. This is a very basic mantra that connects us to a greater source. I find mantra meditation works well for beginners because the repetition gives you something to focus on.
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Benefits of Meditation Clears the mind of negative thoughts and feelings Promotes tranquility and calm by quieting the mind Can help with depression
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Effective for stress management Creates more mental focus and concentration Relieves anxiety Increases serotonin levels Balances moods
1. Sit comfortably in a straight backed chair with your feet planted firmly on the ground or sit cross legged on a cushion on the floor.
4. Feel you chest and belly rise and fall with breath, connect to the feeling of relaxation throughout your entire body.
2. Close your eyes
4. As you inhale silently repeat the syllable SO
3. Take a few deep breaths in and out through your nose to relax. Focus on lengthening your breaths and releasing and tension you are holding in your body.
5. As you exhale silently repeat the syllable HUM 6. Repeat, inhale= SO, exhale = HUM
You will find the mind will stray and other thoughts will enter. This is completely normal! Don’t get upset if you have lost the matra and have started to think again. This is why we call is a meditation practice. We are simply practicing being present and mindful. When you catch yourself thinking about something else, release the thought and return back to So Hum. I like to set my iphone timer for 5 minutes to do this meditation. As you get more comfortable with it, you can go for longer. Feel free to make your space really beautiful. Sit on a nice cushion, light a candle, and make sure you are warm. Try to commit to 5 minutes a day for one week and see how you feel at the end of it. Don’t be too hard on yourself in the beginning. Just try it and see what happens. Good luck!
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ISSUE 02 WWW.MISHMASH-MAGAZINE.COM
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