Q Who?

So, Shadrach Kabango, known simply as Shad, is leaving as the host of q, CBC Radio's morning arts and culture show, and not of his own accord, so it seems.

According to CBC reports, the show has been losing listeners over the past couple of years, since former host, Jian Ghomeshi, was fired over sexual abuse charges.

I don't know: Shad was okay. He had a nice demeanor and seemed comfortable, laid back. He was welcoming to his guests and he was well-prepared (even though, in truth, we know his preparedness comes down to the writers and researchers who line up his guests and get the questions to Shad). I did find, when I listened to him, that while he could ask the questions that were prepared for him, he didn't seem to be spontaneous and wouldn't always follow up with answers that begged more questioning.

I've experienced that, first-hand, when I was interviewed by a previous host to CBC Ottawa's All In A Day.

Which brings me to the crux of this post: the next host of q and the current host of All In A Day.

I know nothing about Tom Power, who will be sitting in the q chair in October. He's been a guest host on the show in the past, and it's possible that I've heard him on the show before. He's currently the host of Toronto's Radio 2 Morning and he's the previous host of the music show, Deep Roots.

I got all of that from the CBC report of Shad's departure. I really don't know anything about Power.

I'm hoping that he'll have better music choices than Shad. Much of the current host's musical tastes are far from mine. I'm hoping that he's a more-engaging interviewer, who doesn't just stick to the script.

When I thought of a replacement for Ghomeshi (I called his sleaziness years before the scandal broke—you can ask my wife), I thought of a local host, the current host of All In A Day, Alan Neal. I remember Neal's enthusiasm and energy when, many years ago, he was the Trends Guy on Ottawa Morning with John Lacharity. I remember when he wrote and performed a song about one of his favourite shows, Dallas. I've talked to him on Ontario Today, when he was a guest host, as I told him of my tale of abduction in South Korea.

And I've been with him and my youngest daughter in a cooking segment on his weekday afternoon show.

He's a great host for many reasons. He's geeky, in that good, fun way. He's informed. He's engaging and isn't afraid to go off script or go for those difficult questions. He knows art. He knows culture. And he comes extremely prepared.

What I really enjoy is that when he interviews a writer, he comes across as having read the writings of his guest. When he interviews a musician, he has listened to that artist's music, often drawing themes in songs and tying that theme together as a vehicle for driving the whole interview. I'm drawn by how impressed his guests are at how insightful Neal is.

Alan Neal would have made a great host for q, though it would be sad if he had to move to Toronto to fulfill that role. It would be Ottawa's loss.

I hope that Tom Power brings life back to the ailing morning show. I wish Shad luck in his next project.

Cooking for the Radio

I could never cut it on Masterchef.

To prepare a restaurant-quality dish in one hour is way beyond my culinary skill level. I'm not saying I can't cook: I just can't plan a dish, gather the ingredients, and organize my time in order to get  something from scratch onto the table in a short period of time.

And yet, I did manage to join two other parents and prepare a lunch for a contest on CBC Radio One's afternoon show, All In A Day.

Earlier last week, listeners were asked to submit menus for school lunches that would be child-friendly: that is, allergy-free and healthy. When the top-three menus were selected, the folks at CBC wanted to know how easy these menus were to prepare, how readily available the ingredients were, and most importantly, how these food items tasted.

So host Alan Neal put out the call to parents to make these meals and present them on the show. The judges would be those parents' children. Based on feedback from the parents—the ease at which the meals were put together and the practicality of making them—and the kids—whether they would actually eat this food if they found it in their lunch bags—a winner was found.

I was one of the parents chosen to prepare a menu and I selected my youngest daughter as the judge.

Here's what I had to make:

• Butternut squash and lentil soup, served with rice crackers.
• Sunny oat & honey bites.
• Sweet-potato hummus with baby carrots and cucumber slices.

 The recipes were fairly simple and straightforward, but some of the ingredients had me running around. For example, the oat and honey bites called for gluten-free rolled oats and brown-rice syrup. While oats are gluten-free, they may actually be processed where glutenous grains are also processed. In most stores, I could find organic oats, but I had difficulty finding a package of rolled oats that were specifically "gluten-free." In the end, I found out that the kids who would be judging the food had no allergy issues, and so I went for regular rolled oats.

The brown-rice syrup was also a challenge. I finally found it at Rainbow Foods, but it wasn't cheap. However, the label said I could use it in place of honey, so I figured it wouldn't take long to go through. Not with my sweet-toothed young'uns.

For prep time, I found that the butternut squash took the longest to prepare, and if I were to do it again, I would prep it differently. The recipe called for you to peel and cube the squash, but because it was going to cook in vegetable stock before being whizzed in a blender, I would have roasted the squash in the oven before scooping it out of its skin and adding it to the broth. The squash could have been cooking in the oven while I was working on the hummus. Or the oat bites.

I started working on the menu items at 10:00. By 1:30, I was pouring a serving of the soup into thermoses to take to the studio. For me, while the items I made were tasty (my wife, eldest daughter, and I loved the soup), I would never prepare them together again. I would make up a batch of the soup on a weekend and warm up enough for a lunch during the week. The hummus didn't take too long, but it did take more time than I would have to prepare a lunch, so again, it would have to be made in advance.

The bites were good, but they are a sticky proposition, and I don't think I would make them again.

But the ultimate judges of the meals were the kids, who didn't get to taste any of the three meals until we went live, on air.

The folks at CBC Radio are uber-organized, and the dishes were laid out, warm, and ready for the kids. The parents sat around the table with our host, while the kids stood at another table. The producer, Susan Burgess, lined up the correct foods for each menu, and held out a microphone to get each child's opinion of the meal.

The kids were great, giving their honest opinion about each meal, though, knowing my daughter, I suspected they were a bit nervous. While my daughter ate the rice from one meal, she indicated to me (by mouthing the words) that it was too spicy, yet she didn't tell that to the listeners when the microphone was placed in front of her. She merely said that she would give that meal a 1 out of 10.

Alan Neal is a true professional, and also a very kind person. He was sure to address the children as well as the adults when he arrived to start the show, he was fully engaged, and he came out of the studio after the segment, during the news break, to thank us again for coming onto the show.

While it was a lot of fun to be on the show, I don't think I would do it again if given the opportunity. That is, I wouldn't cook for a radio show. I wouldn't cook for a contest. Because I'm a slow chef. I do much better with smaller meals. My wife could have probably prepared the items in half the time.

But I would go on the show again. Definitely to talk about my book. Maybe to be a judge in a contest.

If you're interested, here are the recipes for the meal items I made:

Butternut squash and lentil soup

Ingredients:

• 4-6 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash 
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup sprouted red lentils
• 1 tsp ground cumin seeds
• 2 tsp ground coriander seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2-3 cups veggie stock
• 1 cup coconut milk

Directions:

1. Heat coconut oil and add onions and spices and sauté until golden
2. Add the stock and butternut squash
3. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.
4. Add sprouted lentils and simmer for 10-15 minutes until lentils are tender but not overcooked
5. Add salt and optional coconut milk. Mash with hand held blender or potato masher.

Sunny Oat and Honey Bites

Ingredients:

• 2 cups gluten free rolled oats
• 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries
• 2 tbsp raw sunflower seeds
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup sunflower seed butter
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 tbsp brown rice syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Grind 1/2 cup coconut and 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds in food processor until powdery. Transfer to a medium bowl, set aside.
2. Combine remaining 2 cups oats, remaining 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, raisins, sunflower seeds and cinnamon in a large bowl.
3. Stir in almond butter, honey, brown rice syrup and vanilla until soft dough forms.
4. Moisten hands, and roll dough into 1-inch balls. Coat balls in coconut-pumpkin seed powder. Place in freezer 20 minutes to set, then serve or store in the fridge. Enjoy!

Oh-So-Sweet Potato Hummus

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chickpeas, cooked and drained
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup cooked sweet potato
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp garlic, minced (optional)
• 1 tsp cumin (optional)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions: 

1. Blend all ingredients, except sweet potato
2. Add the sweet potato and blend until smooth
3. Serve on crackers, bread or with vegetables.

A link to Friday's show is here.

Music Monday: Drinking Games

Though I'm not a football fan, this post is dedicated to you, Regina. Congratulations to the Saskatchewan Roughriders on their Grey Cup win.


Have you ever heard a song that you liked so much the first time you heard it that you had to have it?

That's how I felt when I heard a song that Alan Neal of CBC's All In a Day played one Wednesday when I was working from home. Halfway through the song, I found myself tapping my feet and bobbing my head as my fingers worked the keyboard of my work laptop.

I grabbed my iPhone, activated SoundHound, and before the song was over, I had purchased a copy of it and played it again through my device.

Thanks, Alan.

Library Voices is a Regina, Saskatchewan, band that has been around since 2008, but I don't really know anything more about them. As much as I like their song, Drinking Games, I haven't really pursued other songs by the band. What I like about this song is how it builds from a quiet, sleepy state to full-blown, energetic tune that I feel tempted to dance along with.

The accompanying female vocals in the chorus add depth to the song, and the howling guitar at the end builds to a raw, solid finish.

The following video of Drinking Games is cleverly shot, with smooth transitions between live shots and animation. When you watch it, make sure you take advantage of a full screen.


Library Voices - Drinking Games (music video) from Young Soul on Vimeo.

Perhaps, now that I've shared this song with you, you will download a copy of Drinking Games for yourself. And perhaps I will follow Library Voices more closely and will download more of their music. If they ever come to Ottawa, I'll be sure to check them out.

Happy Monday!

From the Spotlight to the Searchlight

Photo by Jennifer Churchill

Last November, I asked you to check out one of Ottawa's gems of the music scene, Amanda Cottreau.

I hope that you did.

I know, I ask a lot of my readers: buy my book, try this beer, check out that artist... but have I ever steered you wrong? If you did, in fact, check out Amanda's music, you know that I was spot-on when I said that she has an ethereal voice that warms the heart, haunts the soul (and believe me, I'm using haunt in a good way).

Amanda's music plays all the time now on my portable device. And because I carry that device with me everywhere, I hear her in the house, in the car, at the office, and in the gym (when I actually do go there).

Now, I want to hear her on the radio. And this is where I once again call on you, my wonderful readers, for your help.

CBC Music and Ottawa's All In A Day are looking for the next Best New Artist. And they are calling on fans to vote for their favourite. I've already voted for mine and I want to help her succeed. Can you help me to help her?

Go to the CBC Searchlight page, find Amanda's song, Couldn't Wait, and give it a listen. And then vote for her.

And if you haven't yet picked up her CD, go to iTunes and treat yourself.

Thanks.

And good luck, Amanda!