Chatelaine - December 2021

79 gorgeous, made-in-Canada gifts

Eggnog Snowflake Cake Bites

P 18

P 94

PLUS! FAMILY DRAMA? HERE'S WHAT COULD HELP P 44

A Hanukkah menu that delivers all the hits

OUR FIRST-EVER DORIS ANDERSON AWARDS P 48

P 64

7 recipes to clinch the cookie exchange P 72

SALTY SNACKS + BOOZY DRINKS! P 82

Every kid grows up thinking they can change the world.

We’re counting on it.

All young Canadians should have the chance to reach their highest potential. That’s why we’re helping remove financial barriers and investing in their future, Canada’s future. Over the last five years, we’ve offered nearly 1,800 scholarships to youth attending post-secondary education.

And since 2017, we’ve awarded 300 grants to organizations making a difference in the lives of thousands of youth.

Through the Ted Rogers Scholarships and Community Grants, we’re supporting youth as they continue their education and develop the skills to succeed, lead, and make their dreams possible.

Learn more at Rogers.com/GenerationPossible.

You can’t go wrong with homemade truffles. P 61

Contents Volume 94, Issue #08

December

chatelaine.com

30 Solid gold Christmas

90

Inside a decor shop owner’s classic holiday home.

Health

Your favourite holiday cookie recipes from bakeshops all across Canada.

38 Notes

82 Game on

Should you carry naloxone?

Winning snack-and-cocktail combos guaranteed to fuel your next game night.

40 Team player Why you should seriously consider volunteering for a clinical trial.

Life 44 The home front

In every issue

48 The first annual Doris Anderson Awards

Food

Your month in culture.

60 Notes

Style

Easy homemade truffles, delicious food gifts that give back and more.

We’ve added icons to indicate products from brands that are Canadian and/or owned by Black people, Indigenous people or people of colour (BIPOC).

CANADIAN

4

BIPOC-OWNED

CHATELAINE • DECEMBER 2021

6 Editor’s letter 98 Humour A guide to emotional baking.

Need gift inspo? Let us light the way.

P 18

14 Notes An ice-cold tip for puffy skin, chic and cozy holiday dressing and more.

CHECK THIS OUT

5 You tell us

We’ve renamed our annual Women of the Year to celebrate our most iconic editor-in-chief, who had grit, grace and tenacity in spades— as do our 2021 honourees.

7 Agenda

Every one of our recipes is tested multiple times to make sure it’s delicious and foolproof.

90 Got nog?

The festive sipper is the star of the show in these incredibly satisfying sweet treats.

Holiday gatherings often drum up family conflict, but with a bit of work there can be peace on the horizon.

Notebook

72 The ultimate crosscountry cookie swap

18 Present perfect 70 made-in-Canada gifts for everyone on your list.

Home 28 Notes Wildly colourful dishware is making a comeback.

62 They call me Chef Chefs are famously cranky about working brunch. But for Suzanne Barr, the morning meal has been a cornerstone of her career—and keeps her connected to her ancestors.

64 Light it up This Hanukkah feast delivers all the hits, including latkes, roasted root veggies and a nice piece of fish.

ON THE COVER Photography by Erik Putz; creative direction by Sun Ngo; food styling by Michelle Rabin; prop styling by Madeleine Johari.

you tell us

LETTERS

MAUREEN HALUSHAK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

SUN NGO CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Deputy Editor GILLIAN GRACE Senior Editor CHANTAL BRAGANZA (ON LEAVE) Senior Editor, Style and Beauty ANDRÉANNE DION Associate Editor RADIYAH CHOWDHURY Assistant Editor ISABELLE DOCTO CHATELAINE KITCHEN Food Content Director IRENE NGO

[ LETTER OF THE MONTH ]

ART Art Director STEPHANIE HAN KIM Deputy Art Director AIMEE NISHITOBA PRODUCTION In-House Photographers ERIK PUTZ, CHRISTIE VUONG Digital Colour Specialist NICOLE DUPLANTIS Production Manager JOYCELYN TRAN CONTRIBUTORS CHARNEL ANDERSON, TINA ANSON MINE, SUZANNE BARR, RANDI BERGMAN, S. BEAR BERGMAN, TAYO BERO, NADIA BROPHY, SUZANNE CAMPOS, KATIE CAREY, CARMEN CHEUNG, LEEANDRA CIANCI, CARLA CICCONE, JEN CUTTS, FLANNERY DEAN, CATHERINE DOHERTY, RENÉE DREXLER, REBECCA GAO, DANIELLE GROEN, TRICIA HALL, ALI HARRISON, MADELEINE JOHARI, BONNIE KRAVITZ, DOMINIQUE LAMBERTON, ERICA LENTI, SARAH LISS, SYDNEY LONEY, NATALIE MICHIE, LIAM MOGAN, ESHUN MOTT, BECKY DE OLIVEIRA, KALPNA PATEL, MICHELLE RABIN, MAGGIE RAHR, ZEAHAA REHMAN, AMY ROSEN, RAYNA MARLEE SCHWARTZ, ALEC SCOTT, SHARINE TAYLOR, KAI CHENG THOM, MAYA VISNYEI, H.G. WATSON, ROBERT WEIR, CURTIA WRIGHT, VIDAL WU

Nice buns!

The recipes are my go-to section of your magazine. So no surprise that I loved the spin on cinnamon buns in your October/November 2021 issue. I made the Pumpkin Pie Buns with Maple Cream Cheese Glaze yesterday for a lovely Sunday morning brunch treat.

Since they are best served warm, I shared with a few neighbours. One texted back with, “Those cinnamon buns were award-winning!! Honestly I think they are the best I have ever had. Thanks for sharing.”

— Joan Hildebrand, Guelph, Ont.

ADVERTISING Managing Director, Sales TRACY MILLER tracy.miller@stjoseph.com ST. JOSEPH COMMUNICATIONS INC. Chairman & CEO TONY GAGLIANO Vice-Chairman JOHN GAGLIANO President & Publisher KEN HUNT

BUNS PHOTO, ERIK PUTZ. FOOD STYLING, ASHLEY DENTON. PROP STYLING, CHRISTINE HANLON.

Vice-President, Content & Creative MARYAM SANATI Managing Director, Consumer Revenue ALLAN YUE Managing Director, Research & Consumer Insights CLARENCE POIRIER Managing Director, Marketing NADINE SILVERTHORNE Director, Customer Success TERRY SMITH Director, Production MARIA MENDES Managing Director, Branded Content SASHA EMMONS Head of Business Development JASON MAGHANOY Director, Marketing Sponsorships JESSIKA FINK SUBSCRIBER SERVICES Telephone 1-833-632-0833, 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays (ET) Website chatelaine.com/ service Email service@chatelaine.com Mail Chatelaine Subscriber Services, Box 460, Station Main, Alliston, Ontario L6R 1V7

CONTACT US Toronto 416-248-4868 Montreal 514-843-2651 Vancouver 604-872-6167 Advertising Inquiries 516-835-2836 Email terry.smith@stjoseph.com

VISIT US AT CHATELAINE.COM Subscribe or renew your subscription · Give a gift subscription · Pay your bill · Change your mailing address · Order fragrance-free issues · Check your account status and expiry date · Report delivery problems or duplicate issues › chatelaine.com/service CHATELAINE IS PUBLISHED BY ST. JOSEPH COMMUNICATIONS, 15 BENTON ROAD, TORONTO M6M 3G2. MONTREAL OFFICE: 246, RUE SAINT-JACQUES, BUREAU 201, MONTRÉAL H2Y 1M6. VANCOUVER ADVERTISING OFFICE: 180 WEST 2ND AVENUE, VANCOUVER V5Y 3T6.

WEBSITE: WWW.CHATELAINE.COM. CONTENTS COPYRIGHT 2021 BY ST. JOSEPH COMMUNICATIONS; MAY NOT BE REPRINTED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION. ARTICLE PROPOSALS AND MANUSCRIPTS MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY SELF-ADDRESSED ENVELOPES AND SUFFICIENT POSTAGE; OTHERWISE THEY WILL NOT BE RETURNED OR ACKNOWLEDGED. WHILE THE PUBLISHERS WILL TAKE ALL REASONABLE CARE, THEY WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LOSS OF ANY MANUSCRIPT, DRAWING OR PHOTOGRAPH. ISSN 0006-1665. SINGLE COPY PRICE: $4.66 + TAX. FULL SUBSCRIPTION PRICES: CANADA, 1 YEAR (8 ISSUES), $20 + TAX. IN U.S., 1 YEAR, $60; FOREIGN COUNTRIES, $100. INDEXED IN THE CANADIAN PERIODICAL INDEX. PRINTED IN CANADA BY ST. JOSEPH COMMUNICATIONS, PRINT. WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA. CHATELAINE RECEIVES UNSOLICITED MATERIALS (INCLUDING LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, PRESS RELEASES, PROMOTIONAL ITEMS AND IMAGES) FROM TIME TO TIME. CHATELAINE, ITS AFFILIATES AND ASSIGNEES MAY USE, REPRODUCE, PUBLISH, REPUBLISH, DISTRIBUTE, STORE AND ARCHIVE SUCH UNSOLICITED SUBMISSIONS IN WHOLE OR IN PART IN ANY FORM OR MEDIUM WHATSOEVER, WITHOUT COMPENSATION OF ANY SORT. THIS STATEMENT DOES NOT APPLY TO MATERIALS AND/OR PITCHES SUBMITTED BY FREELANCE WRITERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS OR ILLUSTRATORS IN ACCORDANCE WITH KNOWN INDUSTRY PRACTICES.

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ST. JOSEPH COMMUNICATIONS CAN BE REACHED AT 15 BENTON ROAD, TORONTO M6M 3G2

A whole lotta love

Just finished the September issue and had to write—SO MUCH TO LOVE!! LOVED the features on the women in agriculture [“Ground work”]. Loved hearing about their challenges and triumphs, and putting faces to the food I’m so lucky to consume. LOVED the feature on Andrea Constand [“Before and after”]. Loved hearing about where she’s at now, her perspective on the overturned verdict, and was inspired by her words. LOVED the piece by Carla Ciccone [“She fed us all”]. It had me sobbing because it brought to mind my own precious Gram, who I miss every day. Well done, Chatelaine! Thank

you for enlightening me, inspiring me and resonating with me.

— Marion Abbott, Brampton, Ont. Soup and a story

Thank you for “She fed us all” by Carla Ciccone in the September 2021 issue. This story, along with its recipe, is truly wonderful. I feel proud and excited to be reading a magazine that features pieces like this one. Also, the soup is amazing. I love it, and so do my kids. Keep up the great work!

— Melissa Matos, Windsor, Ont. Works of art

Thank you for sharing the beauty of [breast cancer survivors] following mastectomy

[“Five women on the healing power of mastectomy tattoos,” Chatelaine.com]. I am a breast cancer surgeon and admire the courage and strength of all of our breast cancer patients each and every day. So delighted to know that these options exist after surgery! @lover_of_all_ things_cookie

We need to clarify something In the October/ November issue of Chatelaine, we listed the incorrect price for the reusable tampon applicator and cotton tampon set featured on page 41. It’s available at getonly.ca, and the correct price is $55. Our apologies for this error.

We love hearing your feedback on the magazine—please keep it coming. Send your thoughts to letters@chatelaine.com.

DECEMBER 2021 • CHATELAINE

5

letter from the editor

Also in this issue

An inspired read Have a green Christmas Inside the holiday home of Meg Gizuk, whose Fonthill, Ont., decor shop is one of my faves (page 30).

Join Team Science No matter which COVID vax you got, you have a clinical trial volunteer to thank. Here’s how to return the favour (page 40).

Make eggnog everything I asked for eggnog recipes, and food content director Irene Ngo delivered (page 90).

can’t come Sorry, you vaxxed! if you aren’t

I think the real virus is government overreach!

Maureen Halushak @maureenhalushak letters@chatelaine.com Ease family drama A little bit of work (and a lot of deep breaths) can go a long way (page 44).

6

CHATELAINE • DECEMBER 2021

HALUSHAK PHOTO, ERIK PUTZ. MAKEUP AND HAIR, ROBERT WEIR FOR P1M.CA.

I’VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE of speaking with an incredible number of inspirational women over the years.

Long-term care advocate Dr. Vivian Stamatopoulos just might top the list.

Last winter, my mom’s long-term care home experienced a lengthy and deadly outbreak of COVID-19. I’ve never felt so helpless in my life. The only thing I could do, aside from hope and pray for the best, was make noise about the situation however I could: by calling politicians, giving interviews to local news outlets and sharing my experience on Twitter. Realistically, none of this made a lick of difference, but I’ll never forget the day Dr. V—as the sociologist is known by her many fans—messaged me to share her outrage (as well as a profanity or two) about what was going on at my mom’s home. I felt seen, and as I started to follow Dr. V in the media, I felt increasingly grateful for the countless hours she has spent loudly advocating for quality, compassionate care for Canada’s LTC residents.

So it’s no wonder that she’s included in this year’s celebration of inspirational Canadians (formerly known as our Women of the Year, which we’ve decided to rename the Doris Anderson Awards, after Chatelaine’s most iconic—and rabble-rousing—editor). I hope you’ll feel uplifted after reading about her work, alongside that of other remarkable women, including Phyllis Jack Webstad, who founded Orange Shirt Day, and Sabrina Craig, who helped thousands of Canadians get vaxxed through her work with Vaccine Hunters Canada (page 48).

As we call it a wrap on 2021, it’s been a joy to think about entertaining once again. Whether you’re in search of a contemporary Hanukkah feast (page 64), knockout recipes for your next cookie exchange (page 72) or a cocktails-andsnacks menu for New Year’s Eve (page 82), we’ve got you covered.

On the subject of entertaining, I’d like to mention my mother-in-law, Janie Boyd. Janie was a long-time Chatelaine reader, who introduced me to both charger plates and Boursin cheese, and radically changed my opinion on the colour blue (a constant throughout her home—and now mine). She passed away suddenly this fall, and I’d like to dedicate this issue to her.

8

PHOTO, COURTESY OF THE TEXTILE MUSEUM OF CANADA.

THINGS TO DO RIGHT NOW

1 [ THE FINE PRINT ]

Check out Nunavut’s rich textile tradition

THE TEXTILE MUSEUM OF CANADA’S new exhibit, “ Printed Textiles from Kinngait Studios,” tells the story of a collective of Inuit artists and printmakers from, well, Kinngait, Nunavut, who created vibrant, graphic textiles during the 1950s and ’60s—a time in which Indigenous people across Canada experienced a violent loss of their land, language, culture and livelihood. These colourful textiles of animals, spirits and stories are feats of innovation and resourcefulness: Since printmaking tools were scarce in the Arctic, the artists improvised with carved linoleum tiles and paper soaked in melted wax. The exhibit juxtaposes the work of Inuit printmakers with that of modern Inuit fashion designers to show how textile traditions shape current trends—and how both the cloth and the culture its patterns depict endure. “ Printed Textiles from Kinngait Studios,” the Textile Museum of Canada, until Jan. 19, 2022. — Zeahaa Rehman

DECEMBER 2021 • CHATELAINE

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agenda 2 [ SCREEN TIME ]

Choose your own movie adventure Hollywood is once again loading up on films for the holidays, and we couldn’t be happier. But which flick is the right pick to see over the break with your vaccinated relatives? This chart might help Written by REBECCA GAO

hissss

No thanks, I’m still recovering from Cats.

What about another musical?

What about a period piece?

Yeah, let’s abandon 2021 altogether.

Let’s start easy.

Sure!

Are you looking for BCoop with a ’70s SoCal vibe or BCoop at the circus?

Do you want to belt out Broadway standards or kick it like a pop star?

I prefer to stay firmly in the present.

My “Top Songs” playlist is all Billie Eilish and Dua Lipa.

Set in the early 1900s, The King’s Man tells the story of one spy’s journey to save the world from history’s greatest villains.

Dec. 22.

Grounded in reality or something a bit more out there?

Historical-flick enthusiast Joe Wright (director of Atonement) and Peter Dinklage pair up for a new, period-accurate adaptation of Cyrano.

Dec. 31.

Right now, anything close to “normal life” is good enough for me.

I want to escape our world!

The Matrix Resurrections reunites Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss as Neo and Trinity after 18 years.

Dec. 22.

He sure does.

Does Bradley Cooper need to be in the movie?

Tom Holland is back, balancing the high stakes of superherodom and the even higher stakes of high school, in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Dec. 17.

The animated musical Sing 2 covers tons of pop hits as singer/ koala/Matthew McConaughey and his friends try to persuade reclusive rock star/ lion/Bono (!!) to sing in their new show.

Dec. 22.

American Underdog stars Zachary Levi as quarterback Kurt Warner, who went from stocking grocery shelves to becoming the NFL’s greatest undrafted player.

Dec. 25.

Sondheim or bust.

You’re in luck!

Sondheim’s iconic musical West Side Story has been adapted for the big screen again, with Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler.

Dec. 10.

Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut, The Lost Daughter, stars Olivia Colman as a woman on vacation who becomes obsessed with a young wife (Dakota Johnson) and her daughter.

Dec. 17.

COOPER PHOTO, GETTY IMAGES. CYRANO PHOTO, PETER MOUNTAIN © 1011 METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER PICTURES INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS PHOTO, COURTESY OF WARNER BROS. PICTURES. WEST SIDE STORY PHOTO, NIKO TAVERNISE © 1010 TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX FILM CORPORATION. AMERICAN UNDERDOG PHOTO, MICHAEL KUBEISY/LIONSGATE.

Nah, I only liked him in A Star Is Born.

agenda 3

A love story between two awkward teens (including Alana Haim—yes, that Haim), Paul Thomas Anderson’s new Licorice Pizza features a memorable turn from a bearded Cooper.

Dec. 25.

Take me to SoCal.

Let’s hit the circus.

LICORICE PIZZA PHOTO, COURTESY OF MGM/UNIVERSAL PICTURES. NIGHTMARE ALLEY PHOTO, KERRY HAYES. © 2021 20TH CENTURY STUDIOS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THE LOST DAUGHTER PHOTO, COURTESY OF YANNIS DRAKOULIDIS/ NETFLIX © 2021. COWBOY BEBOP PHOTO, COURTESY OF NETFLIX CANADA. SAID THE WHALE PHOTO, LINDSEY BLANE.

[ O U T TA T H I S W O R L D ]

WATCH A BELOVED ANIME SHOW GET THE REBOOT Rooney Mara, Cate Blanchett (Carol stans, get excited!) and Cooper star in Nightmare Alley, Guillermo del Toro’s latest about a manipulative carny and a psychologist.

Dec. 17.

For those of you feeling a bit restless on Earth, escape both the decade and the planet altogether with Cowboy Bebop. The Japanese anime series is—like all beloved ’90s and early-2000s cartoons—getting a live action adaptation, starring the suave (and swoonworthy) John Cho as the titular space cowboy, who travels from planet to planet in his spaceship in search of criminals he can turn in for bounties. Cowboy Bebop masterfully blends sci-fi, Western and action-adventure to create one of the greatest anime series of all time.

— ZEAHAA REHMAN Cowboy Bebop lands on Netflix Nov. 19.

4 [ WHALE MUSIC ]

Brighten up your playlist As the days grow shorter and colder, you need a dose of sweet, sun-drenched harmonies and buoyant synth bursts.

Find it in Dandelion, the latest album by Vancouver crew Said the Whale, who won the Juno for Best New Group a decade ago and have been refining their sublime power pop ever since. — SARAH LISS Out Oct. 22; saidthewhale.com.

DECEMBER 1011 • CHATELAINE

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agenda

5 [ L E T ’ S DA N C E ]

Welcome prima ballerinas back to the stage ONCE the National Ballet of Canada shut its doors in March 2020, principal dancer Heather Ogden tried to make her work from home work a little harder. She and her husband, dancer/choreographer Guillaume Côté, each picked up a square of the vinyl flooring they were used to practising on. They cleared a spot in their bedroom for a ballet barre they bought online. They made ridiculously cute videos dancing with (and around) their kids, aged 4 and 6. Still, by the summer, Ogden was so itchy to perform that she found herself on a gravel road in shorts and Keds, starring in the film Lulu for the company’s virtual season. “I remember dropping to my knees in the gravel and thinking, ‘This is going to hurt,’” she says. “But, honestly, I think it shows my dedication and my desperation to dance.”

Now, after 20 months away and a variety of protocols to get dancers safely back into the studio—at one point, they were practising in four-person pods under a sign that read “Get in. Dance.

Get out.”—the National Ballet is returning to the stage. “I’m so excited for that togetherness with the company and the audience,” Ogden says. “The performance is when you feel most like an artist.” It feels fitting that the first show back will be Canadian

Dancers Harrison James and Heather Ogden in the National Ballet of Canada’s Angels’ Atlas.

6 [ M E M O RY L A N E ]

Kick it old school At a time when the future seems so uncertain, it’s no surprise we want to indulge in a bit of nostalgia.

Thankfully, pop culture came through this season, offering up some primo blasts from the past.

Throw it back to: 2313 Dexter: New Blood brings back the Robin Hood of serial killers (Michael C. Hall), who continues his vigilante pursuit of (other, evil) criminals in a world where murder podcasts now reign supreme. Premieres Nov. 7 on Showtime.

Throw it back to: 1636 In the four centuries since a witchy prophecy first sent power-hungry Macbeth and his guiltwracked wife spiralling into madness on the British stage, superstitious theatre types have viewed Shakespeare’s so-called Scottish Play as a cursed production. But Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth feels like nothing short of a blessing, with Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand turning in spellbinding performances. Dec. 25. — SARAH LISS

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CHATELAINE • DECEMBER 2021

Throw it back to: 1996 Blink and you’d think it was the mid-’90s all over again: barrel-leg jeans and scrunchies are back in style, and the Fugees are hitting the road.

Even if you miss the trio live, fire up their sophomore album, The Score—it may be 25 years old, but its fusion of reggae-laced hip-hop, R&B and pop sounds as fresh as ever. Tour kicks off Nov. 2 in Chicago.

ANGELS’ ATLAS PHOTO, COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL BALLET OF CANADA. DEXTER PHOTO, BELL MEDIA. FUGEES PHOTO, GETTY IMAGES. TRAGEDY OF MACBETH PHOTO, COURTESY OF APPLE CANADA.

choreographer Crystal Pite’s Angels’ Atlas, a mesmerizing work that depicts the unpredictability and impermanence of human life—and that happened to premiere in Toronto days before lockdown. “It’s always nice to come back to a ballet, and this piece is so meaningful and spiritual,” Ogden says. “I think it’ll be emotional to be back on stage, but I so look forward to it.” — DANIELLE GROEN Angels’ Atlas runs at the National Ballet of Canada from Nov. 11 to 27.

agenda 7 [ GIFT SHOP ]

TREAT THE CULTURE LOVER IN YOUR LIFE

Blame It on the Juice: Lizzo 1,000-piece puzzle Perfect for anyone feeling “Good as Hell,” this vibrant puzzle is a piece of art, much like Lizzo herself, and includes references to the singer’s iconic repertoire: her ’80s aerobics look from “Juice,” the pink cowboy hat from “Tempo” and, of course, her show-stealing instrument, Sasha Flute. $30, thepuzzlenerds.com.

8 [ S TO RY B OA R D ]

Curl up with a divine new book It took SJ Sindu five years to finish the first full draft of her gripping new novel, Blue-Skinned Gods, about a blue-skinned boy who is worshipped as a living god but begins to doubt his own divinity.

We spoke with the Toronto-based Sindu about her influences, how gods deal with gender and her favourite writing teacup Written by S. BEAR BERGMAN

Chinatown Pretty Searching for a little fashion inspo? Look to your elders! That’s what photographer Andria Lo and writer Valerie Luu have done, capturing the street style and wisdom of fashionable seniors across six Chinatowns in North America, including Vancouver’s. $36, typebooks.ca.

Custom Spotify code key chain No, mixtapes aren’t a thing of the past—they’ve just caught up to the 21st century. Choose a song or album (or create a playlist) that’s significant to you and your giftee. The QR code for the music is etched on a wooden key chain, ready to scan through the Spotify app. You can also add a custom message on the back. $17, etsy.com/ca/shop/WhiskeyRoseStudio.

— IZZY DOCTO

What inspired this story?

I saw this documentary called Kumaré by the filmmaker Vikram Gandhi, who pretends to be a guru, amasses a huge following and . . . is just making stuff up: making up yoga moves, making up meditations. At the end of the documentary, he tells his followers, “I don’t even have this accent. This is complete fraud.” The reactions are fascinating—some of them felt completely betrayed, but some decided, “I still think you’re a guru. I still believe in you.” That’s when I started the book that became BlueSkinned Gods.

What do you need to start writing on a given day?

Tea. Usually an orange pekoe from the Darjeeling region, which has a minerality that I like. I’ve come to associate it with writing, so—on my writing days—I absolutely

have Darjeeling tea. Then I pick a teacup from my collection; my favourite writing teacup has mint polka dots, with roses on the inside. I also have teaching teacups, and one I only use on my birthday.

Did you listen to any music while you wrote?

No. I can’t multi-task. Not at all. Even if I’m having a conversation and somebody hugs me, I stop talking because I’m receiving a hug.

Were there books you returned to often?

I read Vivek Shraya’s work while I was writing this novel—specifically, I’m Afraid of Men and She of the Mountains. I kept going back to those two books, because I felt like they captured something about both salvation mythology and gender fluidity. Kalki,

my main character, is nonbinary and feels himself as somewhere between god and human. That’s his concern, figuring out that part.

I don’t know what it’s like to be worshipped as a god, but my experiences—how I relate to my gender, how I relate to my sexuality—really informed my understanding of that process, and Shraya’s work is all about that.

What did you do when you got stuck while writing?

I lived in Florida then, and I would go to the beach. I would get into the water, into the ocean, and it instantly calmed me. Just thinking in the ocean, moving the water around with my body, really helped. Every single time I got stuck, I did that, and I would stay in until I had the answer I was seeking. It worked every time.

BlueSkinned Gods is out now.

DECEMBER 2021 • CHATELAINE

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When people think of their health-care experience, they think of long wait times, harsh lighting and cold rooms. They think of being unheard and unseen.

They think of getting lost in a frustrating system. It’s that much worse for those experiencing disadvantage.

Nearly 70% of Canadians say the system needs an overhaul, and we don’t disagree.

So, at St. Michael’s Hospital, we’re creating – along with our patients and their families – the new face of health care.

Because we stop at nothing to deliver the patient experience people deserve.

JOIN OUR $1-BILLION HUMANCARE MOVEMENT. STMICHAELSFOUNDATION.COM/DONATE

TEXT, ANDRÉANNE DION. PHOTO, ERIK PUTZ. PRODUCED BY AIMEE NISHITOBA. STYLING, TRICIA HALL.

Pop this (admittedly terrifying-looking) reusable gel mask—complete with cooling metal acupressure beads—in the freezer to revive a tired complexion. $76, charlottetilbury.com.

To reap cold therapy’s benefits on a budget, keep a couple of spoons in the fridge or use ice cubes wrapped in gauze.

[ DEEP FREEZE ]

Ice, ice, baby Legend has it that Russian empress Catherine the Great iced her skin daily, and she might have been onto something—a facial massage with fresh-from-the-freezer tools is said to have a host of benefits. “It can soothe skin and regulate blood circulation by constricting vessels, which helps calm inflammation and puffiness,” says facialist Vee Mistry, who uses cold therapy in her Toronto studio and just launched her own set of cooling sticks. Lightly glide icy tools over a cleansed face that’s been prepped with a serum, oil or sheet mask, moving from the middle toward the hairline.

For bonus sculpting action, use a press-and-release motion. Gua Sha Cryo Sticks, $150, skinbyvee.com (available Nov. 16).

DECEMBER 2021 • CHATELAINE

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style

NOTES

It’s been a minute since we’ve had an occasion to get dressed up. The good news? Lockdown life’s casual vibe isn’t going anywhere. Post-pandemic festive dressing is all about layering comfy textures with lavish fabrics. Dress down sequins, silks and tinsel-like trimmings with your go-to knits for a look that will take you from a soiree with colleagues to a good old-fashioned family bash.

Wilfred sweater, $128, aritzia.com.

Silk maxi slip dress, $279, bananarepublic.ca. Hoop earrings, $41, iamkrwnd.com.

Necklace, $234, rebekahprice.ca.

Leather clutch, $324, anavidesigns.com. michaelkors.ca. Right: Sequin turtleneck, $214, stevenlejambe.com.

Ralph Lauren cardigan, $139, thebay.com.

Pants, $94, gapcanada.ca. Headband, $74, aitorontoseoul.ca.

Pearl earrings, $144, ilovebiko.com.

Bracelets,

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CHATELAINE • DECEMBER 2021

TEXT, ANDRÉANNE DION. PHOTO, ERIK PUTZ. PRODUCED BY ANDRÉANNE DION AND AIMEE NISHITOBA. STYLING, TRICIA HALL.

Cozy and bright

style

NOTES

Beauty talk READERS SHARE THEIR FEEDBACK ON OUR FAVOURITE NEW(-ISH) PRODUCTS

Milk Makeup Colour Chalk Multi-Use Powder Pigment, $24, sephora.com.

“This multi-purpose stick comes in 12 shades and works well on eyes, cheeks and lips, without the need for touch-ups throughout the day. It’s soft and shimmery, and I find that using a dense brush is the easiest way to apply the pigment.”

— Ameeta, 46, Halifax

FUZZY LOGIC Summer’s coolest hat is back—this time in winter-friendly fabrics like fleece, bouclé and faux fur. Splurge on Canadian brand Sentaler’s luxe alpacaand-wool version, or dip into the trend with an equally covetable iteration that rings in under $30.

Bouclé alpaca bucket hat, $325, sentaler.ca.

M.A.C Cosmetics Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour in Ruby Phew!, $30, maccosmetics.ca.

“I love a good liquid lip colour, and unlike most formulas, this one doesn’t immediately suck the moisture out of my lips.

The formula doesn’t budge, but removal is a breeze with an oil-based cleanser.”

— Nicole, 40, Pickering, Ont.

$25, simons.ca.

$29, veromoda.ca.

$20, hm.com.

INTO THE GLOSS SPLIT DECISION

Silver or gold?

Lise Watier Irresistible Blush Duo (Limited Edition), $39, lisewatier.com.

“From the moment I put on this blush for the first time, I was sold! The powder goes on silky smooth and gives my skin a beautiful, radiant glow.”

— Roxanne, 32, Montreal Want to join our roster of beauty testers?

Email us at style@chatelaine.com.

Canadian jewellery designer Jenny Bird definitively answers that age-old question with this mixed-metal stunner that’s guaranteed to solve all of your accessorizing woes. Show a little bit of both, or adjust so a single tone hangs forward. $175, jenny-bird.ca.

Fact: It’s hard to be in a bad mood when you’re having a good hair day.

Our secret weapon is Redken’s Shine Flash. Spritz on this lightweight mist after styling to tame flyaways and get the shiniest locks of your life. $22, chatters.ca.

DECEMBER 2021 • CHATELAINE

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CHATELAINE SHOPS TSC It might be cold outside, but these stylish gifts— hand-picked by our Chatelaine editors—will bring the heat this holiday season!

All available at tsc.ca.

COUNTER APPEAL The great debate: Give a SMEG vintage-look small appliance to someone you love or buy one for yourself?

SMEG Retro-Style Espresso Machine Item# 555-387, $789.99 SMEG Electric Variable Temperature Kettle with 3D Logo Item# 555-381, $339.99 SMEG 2-Slice Toaster Item# 555-376, from $249.99

STRAIGHTEN UP This revolutionary flat iron’s patented flexing plates gather hair, using less heat to straighten and smooth frizz.

LAB FAB

Dyson Corrale Item# 486-974, $649.99

THE ONE THAT HE WANTS

A sustainable alternative to traditionally mined diamonds, the EVERA lab-grown diamond line uses machine technology to create the pressure needed to form eye-catching, brilliant gems.

This fragrance set for him hits all the right notes.

Dolce & Gabbana The One, Men’s 2-Pc Gift Set Item# 707-157, $96 Shop the full collection of EVERA Diamonds exclusively available at tsc.ca

PRO ON THE GO WINTER WONDERS These chic Canadian pieces strike a fine balance between comfort and style— perfect for the fashionista on your list.

Lamarque Deora Feather Jacket Item# 216-725, $525 Lamarque Leonie Leather Pant Item# 216-721, $595 Rebecca Minkoff Edie Nylon Crossbody Item# 215-362, $228

As the world of work evolves from coffee table to coffee shop and beyond, give the gift of cutting-edge technology.

Macbook Pro 13-inch Item# 646-371, $1,989.99

Let’s gift better TM

tsc.ca

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GIFT GUIDE

Present perfect After scouring the country for the best made-in-Canada gifts—from spices to slippers to paint sets to spirits—we can say one thing for certain: There’s no place like home Produced by ANDRÉANNE DION and STEPHANIE HAN KIM

AURA INTERIOR PAINTS IN RAINFOREST FOLIAGE 2040-10, YELLOW OXIDE 2154-10, FANTASY PINK 1290, BENJAMINMOORE.COM.

Photography by ERIK PUTZ Set and styling by SUZANNE CAMPOS

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GIFT GUIDE

GARDEN VARIETY

ALL CLEAR

Rainy days are no match for this stained glass ornament by New Brunswick artist Stéphanie Couturier, which lends a lovely pastel glow.

Glass mobile, $75, lavieenverreglass.com.

GET IT TWISTED

This stylish duo’s curves are right on trend. Chandelier, $75, marieevedompierre.com.

Beeswax candles, $26 per pair, etsy.com/shop/ MileEndSoapandCandle.

Know someone who dreams of living off the land?

Get them started with sprouts and microgreens.

Seed tins, $6 each, manoverde.ca.

LUSH LIFE

Pair with a hardy pothos for a great first-time plant-parent gift.

FINGER FOOD

IN THE MIX

Stock their bar cart with handcrafted spirits and liqueurs from this small-batch Ontario distillery, including crowd-pleasers like amaretto and limoncello, and unique flavours like sugar maple liqueur. 3-pack liqueurs, $45, eloradistillingcompany.com.

This adorable veggie set is hand-knitted in Montreal using landfill-bound wool scraps from the fashion industry.

Knitted carrots, $22, ouistitine.com.

Made from kelp, a nutrient-rich algae harvested off the coast of British Columbia, this liquid plant food is guaranteed to turn even the least-experienced thumb green.

Growth booster, $29, kelpy.ca.

CALL OF THE WILD

SHAPE UP

HOT ONES

Take your host and hostess gifting game to the next level with a pair of linen oven mitts in a festive hue. Oven mitts, $42 each, confettimill.com.

Sculptural candles are having a moment, but this stunning fluted cube is unlike any other style we’ve seen.

Candle, $24, etsy.com/ca/ shop/FormaStudios ByMaria.

Reconnect with nature from the comfort of home, thanks to this colourful 500-piece puzzle. Puzzle, $54, thebalticclub.com.

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SEE THE LIGHT

CHANGE OF ART

Wee sailors can customize their masts and more.

With holiday scents like gingersnap and peppermint, these soy wax candles make great stocking stuffers.

Candles, $21 each, sundaylightandlifestyle.com.

TOTES AMAZING

MAKING WAVES

Kids of all ages will love this build-your-own sailboat kit. Creative box, $44, desenfantillages.com.

Whoever you’re buying for, you can’t go wrong with a bag that will stand the test of time.

Leather carryall, $274, cantintraditions.com.

SWEET SPOT

Swap basic paints for a small-batch alternative made from Manitoulin honey, wildcrafted tree sap and high-quality pigments.

Paint palette, $70, beampaints.com.

HIDDEN GEM

A freshwater pearl nestled inside an organically shaped oval pendant gives this necklace an understated elegance.

Necklace, $220, cadettejewelry.com.

Based in Sudbury, Ont., pastry chef Tammy Maki makes stunning— and delicious!— hand-painted chocolate bars. Chocolate bar, $14, ravenrising.ca.

GET FIZZY WITH IT

Bubbly is always a good idea, especially when it features juicy notes of berries and peach.

Sparkling rosé, $19, saintlywine.com.

SHOW OF HANDS

TAKE COVER

This cozy throw by Ojibwe designer Trisha Pitura features a pattern inspired by the Indigenous medicine wheel.

Wool-blend blanket, $124, minitipi.ca.

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Soften winter’s blow with chunky mittens hand-knitted in Innisfil, Ont. Mittens, $34, wheatfield knitwear.com.

MIXED BAG

At home or away, this expandable pouch makes it easy to corral all the essentials. Drawstring utility bag, $40, thebasic.ca.

style Bonus points for loading up the board with your favourite local cheeses and preserves.

GIFT GUIDE

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AURA INTERIOR PAINTS IN TWILIGHT MAGENTA 2074-30, FANTASY PINK 1290, BENJAMINMOORE.COM.

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Walnut serving board, $125, thewoodsmansdaughter.com.

2. This rich espresso roast gives coffee lovers the jolt they need to kick-start their day, and it also gives back: A portion of the proceeds goes toward providing Indigenous communities with clean water. Espresso roast, $16, birchbarkcoffeecompany.com. 3. Happy hour just got a lot fancier—each blend of flavoured nuts is crafted specifically to pair with your favourite drinks, from wine to martinis. Gift box, $45, salted.company. 6. Give your pooch’s ego a boost with a gorgeous new leash. Rope leash, $40, lakesandleashes.com. 5. Just add a few drops of essential oil to this dome-shaped diffuser to fill any room with your chosen fragrance. Terracotta diffuser, $40, maisonbelanger.com. 6. Bergamot, black pepper, rosemary and vetiver make an invigorating blend. Essential oil blend, $26, shoplohn.com. 7. So long, sticky messes! This chic jar is big enough to store an entire can of Syrup container, $45, ateliertrema.com.

DECEMBER 2021 • CHATELAINE

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GIFT GUIDE

Toast, waffles, oatmeal—any breakfast

mint jam.

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AURA INTERIOR PAINTS IN HYDRANGEA FLOWERS 2008-40, EVENING BLUE 2066-20, BENJAMINMOORE.COM.

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GIFT GUIDE

TOP DRAWER

FLIGHT OF FANCY

This luxe merino wool mask-and-pillow set comes in a travel-friendly storage bag that clips on to carry-ons. Comfort set, $149, volprive.ca.

MAKE A POINT

This DIY kit contains everything needed to get crafty, including a foolproof preprinted pattern.

Embroidery kit, $35, hipsterstitcher.square.site.

A leather case filled with pencil crayons makes a chic gift for the adult-colouring-book enthusiast in your life.

Pencil rolls, $65 each, atelierchalet.com.

FESTIVE SPIRIT

Notes of orange, coffee and cocoa give this gin, brewed in Hamilton, Ont., extra holiday cheer.

Flavoured gin, $49, collectiveartsbrewing.com.

HIGH PROFILE

So cute it doubles as decor, this pipe was handmade, painted and glazed in Halifax.

Ceramic pipe, $65, instagram.com/taylormade_xox.

BOSOM BUDDIES GAME NIGHT

Do your part to #FreeTheNipple with a boob-shaped stocking stuffer from Cold Gold in Victoria.

Boob magnets, $11 each, coldgold.ca.

Play après-dinner tic-tac-toe with an Instagram-worthy board. Wooden board game, $60, atelier-d.ca.

HEART AND SOLE

Buy a pair for everyone in your family, then put your feet up because the shopping is done!

Slippers, $89, etsy.com/shop/ crochetmilie.

$1 from each set sold supports mental health causes.

COME CLEAN

Poured in Gatineau, Que., these small-batch suds contain moisturizing ingredients like shea butter and olive oil. Soap, $9, lamarcotterie.com.

FULL STEAM AHEAD

Delight the tea lovers with a sampler of six delicious loose-leaf teas packaged in gold and silver tins. Need more convincing? Oprah is a fan. Tea set, $120, cupofte.ca.

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GIFT GUIDE

TWISTED SISTERS

FINE TUNE

SOURCE MATERIAL

These linen serviettes feature pottery patterns created by the Indigenous peoples of Manitoba. Napkins, $68 for a set of 4, indigoarrows.ca.

Intentionally mismatched earrings, like this knotty bronze pair handmade in Montreal, make a statement.

Earrings, $70, mariemaudebrunet.com.

SOFT TOUCH

This delicately embroidered top is made from a warm, cozy fleece that feels like a hug. Fleece sweatshirt, $114, provinceofcanada.com.

FIRED UP

Pretty and practical, this elegant ceramic match holder has a ridged striker strip.

Match striker, $30, stainsbystudios.com.

The perfect gift for music aficionados, each one of these perfume oils was inspired by a song. Scented oils, $60 each, jazminsarai.com.

READY TO ROCK

These wood-and-stone containers have endless uses, from storing pantry essentials to organizing jewellery. Pots, from $65 each, atelierbussiere.com.

CHEERS TO THAT

Gift this beer stein, hand-thrown and glazed in Deux-Montagnes, Que., along with your favourite craft brew. Enfin Atelier beer mug, $38, chicbasta.com.

Tea-bag-like sachets make tub cleanup a breeze.

SPICE WORLD

This Montreal-based company employs Syrian refugee women.

SUPER SOAKER

They’ll rediscover the joy of cooking with this set, which includes coriander, cumin, dried mint and Aleppo pepper. Levantine gift set, $35, lesfillesfattoush.com.

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Sensitive types will love this gentle herbal soak formulated with calendula and lavender.

Bathing tisane, $32 for 3, woowoolab.com.

AURA INTERIOR PAINTS IN YELLOW OXIDE 2154-10, BURNT CINNAMON 2094-10, FANTASY PINK 1290, BENJAMINMOORE.COM.

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GIFT GUIDE

5 virtual experiences to gift this season Whether it’s an online sourdough bread-making class or a digital road-trip itinerary, these gifts can be enjoyed from the comfort of your loved ones’ homes (or cars) Written by DOMINIQUE LAMBERTON

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Peak Paper Co. watercolour lessons Edmonton

Twig & Bloom floral workshops Saskatoon

Grape Witches wine tastings Toronto

Guess Where Trips surprise road trips Multiple locations

This farm bakery tucked in the Thompson River Valley specializes in organic, wild-yeastfermented sourdough baked goods and teaches its techniques in its popular virtual group classes.

All ingredients (including sourdough starter!) are delivered in advance, and shipping is available across Canada.

From $75, bluebunchfarm.com.

Perfect for the budding painter in your life, this package includes lifetime access to a 90-minute video lesson that teaches colour theory and basic brush strokes for beginners, plus a 36-colour paint palette, a watercolour florals workbook, a paintbrush and more. Kits can be shipped across Canada. $100, peakpaperco.com.

Take the gift of fresh blooms up a notch with a gift card redeemable for one of this elegant floral studio’s at-home live video workshops.

Supplies are delivered locally (not including clippers and a vase) for your giftee to create their own seasonal arrangement while learning the fundamentals of floral design from the pros.

From $90, twigandbloom.ca.

Gift cards from this natural wine shop can be put toward its biweekly virtual education hours, which feature sommelierled deep dives into different wine-producing regions. There’s an option to “Just listen,” or those in Ontario can opt to receive three-ounce pouches or full bottles of the wines spotlighted during the session.

From $15, grapewitches.com.

Buckle up: With this curated itinerary service, sending your loved ones on a surprise one-day road trip is as simple as deciding whether you want the news to arrive in the mail or via their inbox. They can then choose one of the multiple available itineraries departing from eight cities across Canada and hit the road. $72, guesswheretrips.com.

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GLITTER PHOTO, ISTOCK PHOTO. TWIG & BLOOM PHOTO, EMILY MICHELSON.

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Bluebunch Farm baking classes Savona, B.C.

Trim the tree with a bit of Canadiana, handmade in Ottawa. $23, etsy.com/shop/ creationzbycatherine.

INSIDE A DECOR SHOP OWNER’S HOLIDAY HOME

[ FREESTYLE WR AP ]

Net effect

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TEXT, MAUREEN HALUSHAK. CRAFT, KALPNA PATEL. PRODUCED BY STEPHANIE HAN KIM. PHOTO, ERIK PUTZ. STYLING, RENÉE DREXLER.

We love this smart wrapping hack from master crafter Kalpna Patel, which involves reusing the colourful netting from supermarket fruits and veg. Simply wrap your gift in a layer of tissue, then mesh, and tie it all up with a ribbon.

Visit chatelaine.com/ wrapping for six more enviro-friendlier ways to wrap your holiday gifts.

DECEMBER 2021 • CHATELAINE

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FASHION PLATES Five of our favourite, brighter-than-bright dishware brands

XENIA TALER This Toronto brand uses sustainably sourced bamboo (usually scraps from chopstick factories) as the basis for its quirky dishware.

Set of four Carwash dinner plates, $48, xeniataler.com.

GUNIA PROJECT A modern take on Ukrainian folk art, this hand-painted ceramic plate features gilded edges. Gunia Project ceramic tiger plate, $216, goodeeworld.com.

A bold sampling from Yotam Ottolenghi’s new, more-is-more dishware collection.

A feast for the eyes Just as intimate dinner parties are making a comeback, so is wildly colourful dishware

MISETTE These made-in-Portugal plates feature a custom marble print with blue and brown veining. Set of four Natural salad plates, $146, misettetable.com.

Written by RANDI BERGMAN

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e’ve just lived through a very sombre time, so it’s no wonder we’re embracing maximalist decor again, from neon-lit mirrors to kaleidoscopic hand-tufted rugs to grassgreen velvet sofas. Now exuberant, colourful dishware has entered the room, just in time to welcome the return of home entertaining.

“So many people got serious in the kitchen over the pandemic that it only makes sense to make the experience of eating that food be just as special,” says Sarah Pecaut, who recently co-founded the dinnerware brand Misette with her sister, Amy Burstyn Fritz. (It’s fair to say that the siblings, who are both event planners—Pecaut in New York and Burstyn Fritz in Toronto—know a thing or two

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about setting a stylish table.) The brand, which features an assortment of quirky mix-and-match dishes, placemats, napkins and table accessories, was inspired by the shift toward a more personality-driven dining experience.

“There has been this trend for so long about everything being minimal and lacking colour,” says Pecaut. “Increasingly, I think people are looking to be more expressive and fun in terms of what they bring into their homes.”

According to Burstyn Fritz, when mixing and matching tableware, it helps to stick to the same general colour palette and shapes of your existing pieces, so that it feels fun but still curated. “As with everything,” she says, “choose pieces that feel like you.”

MEG DOES POTTERY Hand-thrown in Winnipeg, this blossoming set is inspired by the timelessness and sense of renewal found in magnolia blooms. Meg Does Pottery set of four Magnolia ceramic plates, $140, simons.ca.

YOTAM OTTOLENGHI The London chef collaborated with Belgian brand Serax and Italian artist Ivo Bisignano on a dishware collection that’s bursting with colour. Ottolenghi and Ivo Bisignano for Serax serving plate, $114, ottolenghi.co.uk.

A SPECIAL INTEREST SECTION BY MEDIAPLANET

Read more at healthinsight.ca

Transforming the Standard of Care in Psoriasis

With safe, effective options, patients with psoriasis can make clear, or almost clear, skin a realistic treatment goal.

Abigail Cukier

T

here's a misconception that psoriasis is “just” a skin disease. But the disorder is caused by a dysfunction of the immune system and can affect many areas of the body, as well as a person’s mental health and daily quality of life.

Skin cells usually grow, mature, and are shed over 28 to 30 days. With psoriasis, faulty signals in the body’s immune system trigger new skin cells to form in three to four days. Because the skin cells grow so fast, they don't shed normally and pile up on the skin, causing red and scaly patches that can often be itchy, most commonly on the knees, elbows, and scalp. Psoriasis can also cause inflammation in other areas of the body, such as the joints or blood vessels.

In about one third of cases, people develop psoriatic arthritis, which can lead to joint pain and stiffness and, if untreated, can cause deformity in the joints.

Dr. Marni Wiseman, a dermatologist at SKiNWISE DERMATOLOGY in Winnipeg, MB, says that psoriasis affects one to three percent of the population. It’s considered a chronic disease and can affect people at any age.

There's no cure for psoriasis, but treatment is available. Factors that may lead to psoriasis include a genetic history, as the disease runs in some families. Some medications have also been linked to psoriasis, while infections, such as strep throat, can precipitate psoriasis or cause a flare-up. Smoking is also a risk factor for the disease and can increase its severity.

Psoriasis affects physical and mental health, self-esteem, and relationships

Treatment goal is for psoriasis to have little impact on daily life

“Psoriasis is much more than skin deep,” says Dr. Wiseman. “Psoriasis can seriously affect how people feel about themselves. It can affect psychosocial relationships, affect work attendance, and negatively impact self-esteem. Additionally, psoriasis can be associated with anxiety or depression.”

But Dr. Wiseman says that excellent treatments are available and that it's important for people with psoriasis to have it treated early and optimally. She reassures anyone who has been delaying seeing their doctor due to concerns over COVID-19 safety that dermatologists follow strict protocols, and that it's safe to make an appointment.

“It's unnecessary for psoriasis patients to delay care and suffer in silence. It's also important to find a dermatologist who will partner with you to aim for clear or almost clear skin, the new standard of care,” Dr. Wiseman says.

Treatment for psoriasis depends upon its severity. “Severity depends not only upon how much psoriasis a person has, but also how significantly it impacts their quality of life, ” she adds.

For someone with mild psoriasis, creams, gels, foams, or ointments can be very effective. “If somebody has extensive psoriasis that affects more of their body or impacts their life in a significant way, the dermatologist may recommend a treatment with a biologic agent. These treatments are safe and very effective because they specifically target the immune system dysfunction that is specific to psoriasis,” Dr. Wiseman says.

With advancements in science and newer treatments,“the goal for most patients with moderate to severe psoriasis is for their disease to have little if any impact on their life,” Dr. Wiseman says. “I encourage people with psoriasis to talk to their dermatologist.

I like psoriasis patients to Dr. Marni set the treatment bar high. Wiseman We have great treatments Dermatologist, and patients should expect SKiNWISE DERMATOLOGY no less.”

For more information on the signs and symptoms of psoriasis, speak to your dermatologist.

This article was sponsored by an IMC Member Research-Based Pharmaceutical Company.

To learn more about psoriasis, join the conversation online at

#KnowPsO

Strategic Account Director: Jessica Golyatov Country Manager: Nina Theodorlis Content & Production Manager: Raymond Fan Designer: Kylie Armishaw Content & Web Editor: Karthik Talwar Content Strategist: Emma Yordanov Photo of Dr. Marni Wiseman: John H. Bartelings. All other images are from Getty Images unless otherwise credited.

This section was created by Mediaplanet and did not involve Chatelaine magazine or its editorial departments. Send all inquiries to ca.editorial@mediaplanet.com.

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Please recycle

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HOLIDAYS

1. Meg on the main floor of the home she purchased with her husband, Trevor, 12 years ago. The house, whose original structure dates back to the 1920s, is a perpetual work-in-progress—and the majority of that work has been done by Meg and Trevor themselves. 2. Most recently, Meg made the bold move of painting the worn hardwood in her entryway white, and she has no regrets. The couple bought the bronze bust in nearby Fenwick, Ont.; it was one of their first joint purchases.

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Shop owner Meg Gizuk knows what she likes when it comes to holiday decor: lots of green, lots of gold, lots of vintage. Here, she takes us inside her classic Christmas home Written by MAUREEN HALUSHAK Photography by ERIK PUTZ

PINE BRANCHES THROUGHOUT, ISTOCK PHOTO.

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hen you own a beloved interiors store that’s even more of a destination come Christmas, holiday ennui can be an occupational hazard. Luckily, that’s not the case for Meg Gizuk, who owns Oliver and Rust Vintage Interiors in Fonthill, Ont. Every November, Meg and her team shut down the small shop—known for its carefully curated European vintage wares, locally sourced plants and stunning, madeby-Meg throw pillows—and transform it into a holiday marketplace straight out of a Hallmark movie. Over the course of four 10-hour days, as Christmas classics like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and Home Alone play in the background, they decorate the space from floor to ceiling with ornaments, greenery, wreaths and giftables. “We have a lot of fun,” says Meg. On reopening day, devoted customers line up at the door for first dibs on the new stock—but one thing they won’t find is this year’s equivalent to 2020’s toilet paper ornament. “I tend not to follow trends,” says Meg. “We do a lot of vintage, a lot of green and a lot of neutrals.”

It’s a similar colour story at the semi-rural Cape Cod–style home Meg shares with her husband, Trevor, and five-year-old daughter, Emma, as well as 70-pound rescue dog Rico and senior cat Sammy. (Meg’s shop was named for another beloved kitty, Oliver; DECEMBER 2021 • CHATELAINE

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1. Meg and Trevor first whitewashed, then painted the formerly orange brick fireplace, and added the wood mantel. The Ralph Lauren leather club chairs were a Kijiji find that Meg originally regretted—in part because of the faded, sun-baked leather. She was able to bring it back to life with a Canadian product called Leather Better. All of the throw pillows are sewn by Meg—“If I get in the zone, I can do 25 or more a day”—and available in the store. 2. Meg’s childhood Santa sits next to some vintage Italian carboys once used to transport wine.

rust is a nod to the fact that some of the shop’s vintage items are a little. . . rusty.)

Once the storefront’s Christmas-fication is complete, maximalist Meg moves on to her house. On the main floor—site of what she dubs “Mom’s pretty tree”—the year-round palette of green, cream, rust and white is amped up with loads of faux greenery, vintage (and vintage-looking) ornaments and accents, plus a Where’s Waldo–worthy trove of wintery vignettes.

Spotted: a bronze squirrel figurine holding a little bowl of bell ornaments, a sweet ceramic village set on her kitchen windowsill and a Santa doll nestled between some vintage Italian glass carboys.

Meg rotates some of the ornaments she uses from year to year, and swaps in new additions from the shop, like this year’s clear glass balls with gold-and-white leaf detailing. But most decorations make repeat appearances: the elf tree topper was purchased from a local greenhouse the DECEMBER 2021 • CHATELAINE

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Shop talk

1. “We have a lot of squirrels,” says Meg. This bronze one is currently available at the shop. 2. The stag centrepiece in the dining room was a surprise hit last season—“I could not keep him in stock,” she says—and will make a repeat appearance this year. The bowl perched on his antlers can be filled with greenery or ornaments. 3. The white ceramic village, another item Meg snuck home from the store, can be lit up with tea lights. 4. A pair of vintage doors straddle the dining room credenza. “They were picked out of a barn during the early days of our vintage hunting,” says Meg. “Then I stripped them down to the bare wood.” 5. “They’re white but they’re still quirky,” says Meg about these stag and fox busts.

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“When we first opened, it was mainly vintage with a little bit of plants,” says Meg. “Then the plants exploded, and the pillows got bigger.” You’ll also find lots of candles, kitchenware, linens and local foodstuffs. oliverandrust.com

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HOLIDAYS

Meg amps up her year-round palette of green, cream, rust and white with loads of faux boughs, vintage ornaments, and brass and gold accents. first Christmas she was married, while the aforementioned Santa formerly adorned her childhood bedroom. And a trio of vintage brass deer roam the mantel each winter alongside lots of faux garland and giant pine cones. “Big brass animals are so having a moment right now,” she says.

The former dental hygienist has always been passionate about decorating, and she and Trevor have long shared a love of scouring vintage sales in Canada, the U.S. and beyond. In 2009, inspired by Julie & Julia and also by the purchase of her “forever home,” Meg began blogging about her decor projects. A few years later, she signed the lease on her store after running an Etsy 4

shop and hosting vintage sales out of her garage. Parenthood and the pandemic have put a temporary halt to IRL vintage picking, but, for the time being, there’s no place like home. Last year’s Christmas was a quiet one, but a ridiculously fluffy snowfall set the scene for what Meg says was a perfect day—and a much-needed break from the store. “Retail Christmas is hard on everyone,” she says, so the shop shuts down for a few days before its annual winter sale. But even after the decorations are cleared out, the next Christmas is never far from Meg’s mind. “It’s become such a thing for us at the store,” she says. “We talk about it at least eight months of the year.”

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WE ARE W NEOK! O L

Relaunched with a print and digital redesign— and a new focus on challenging the status quo.

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[ S T U DY N OT E S ]

Hearing aid It’s perhaps unsurprising, given the year we’ve all had, that the Harvard Business Review found nearly two-thirds of workers tried speaking about their mental health with a colleague. Unfortunately, 51 percent of them said it wasn’t exactly a positive experience. “Imagine if someone has been struggling for six months, and we think we have a solution for them in about five minutes,” says clinical psychologist Taslim Alani-Verjee. “Instead, really listen to someone: Hear them, validate their feelings and, once they’re done saying what they need to, ask how you can help.”

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NOTES

Though it’s life-saving stuff for people experiencing an overdose, naloxone won’t harm someone who hasn’t taken opioids.

the opioids in a person’s system off the brain receptors where they’re having their effect, naloxone (often known by its brand name, Narcan) reverses overdoses in just a few minutes. And because of the sheer number of overdose deaths that are happening across the country—approximately 20 people die due to opioids each day, a rate that’s risen sharply during the pandemic— Chapman sees this training as crucial. “It’s something we should all be doing.”

“The people in the community who need naloxone are non-medical professionals. If we tied it to medical professionals only, we The free, easy-to-use spray can reverse would see an increase in overdose deaths,” the effects of an opioid overdose in says Christy Sutherland, medical director of the PHS Community Services Socijust a few minutes, buying enough ety in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. time for medical help to arrive A 2020 study found that, in B.C., more Written by TAYO BERO than 40,000 kits were used to reverse an overdose between 2012 and 2018, after a concerted provincial effort to get naloxone into the hands of not just those at risk of an overdose but also friends and family likely to witness an overdose, as well as the wider population. Sutherland says she’s lost count of how many overdoses she herself has reversed on the streets outside her clinic; more than 100, probably, over the past few years.

The process of using naloxone is fairly simple: Every kit includes gloves, a protective plastic barrier for mouth-to-mouth breathing and the drug itself, either as an injectable (via a syringe inserted into a muscle) or, more commonly, as a nasal inhaler. To determine whether someone is experiencing an overdose, first try to wake them by shouting and pinching the webbing between their thumb and finger.

Chapman points out that people who are hen Leigh Chapman’s brother died of an opioid over- unresponsive are not able to consent to having the drug adminisdose in 2015, she began working tirelessly to advocate tered to them. And while naloxone isn’t harmful to someone who for better harm reduction strategies and services. isn’t experiencing an overdose, you certainly don’t just go up to a A registered nurse in Toronto, Chapman knows all too well that stranger and stick it in their nose or arm. “Whenever I’ve encounit’s crucial to train as many people as possible on how to inter- tered somebody on the street, I’ve said several times, ‘You’ve got vene. But up until 2016, naloxone, the life-saving opioid-overdose to wake up because I’m going to give you naloxone.’ And if they reverser, was mostly only available in Canada to medical profes- don’t wake up, they need naloxone,” she says. sionals and emergency-response personnel.

Once administered, the drug continues to work for 20 to 90 minNow, Chapman says, “You can pick up a kit for free at a drug- utes. But opioids can remain in the body for longer than that—and store and get the training [on how to administer it] from the phar- that’s why, even after you’ve stepped in to give someone naloxone, macist,” a process that takes, at most, 20 minutes. By knocking it’s still important to dial 911 and bring in the professionals.

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PHOTO, ERIK PUTZ.

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• GET YOUR MOJO BACK DURING MENOPAUSE •

he hormonal shifts that occur during menopause are responsible for more than just hot flashes and mood swings. They signify a loss of estrogen and testosterone which can lead to changes in a woman’s body and sexual health related issues. For example, women may notice that they’re not as easily aroused, leading to less interest in sex.

According to the Bonafide® State of Menopause Survey 2021, 53% of women surveyed engaged in sexual activity with a partner(s) less often after menopause. It’s a common issue, but women often feel embarrassed or ashamed discussing these topics with their partner or doctor.

During menopause and post menopause, the body’s production of estrogen decreases, which also influences collagen’s ability to provide support for the pelvis. The tissue in the vaginal area and the bladder region loses tone and elasticity, which can decrease the body’s ability to keep things functioning as they once did. Women with vaginal laxity can be uncomfortable with vaginal appearance or may experience reduced sensation and pain during sexual activity. Beyond the physical symptoms, this can have a significant impact on one’s emotional health and relationships.

“Oftentimes, when we stop having sex, we also stop being physically close and affectionate,” says Dr. Jess O’Reilly, a Torontobased Sexologist who holds a PHD in Human Sexuality. “This occurs Dr. Jess O’Reilly because many couples only express

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Let's Talk { } About Intimacy

PHOTO CREDIT: DAVE L AUS

physical affection as a means of initiating sex. A lack of intimacy can also have a major impact on one’s confidence and self-esteem.”

What many women don’t know is there are options other than hormone replacement therapy, lubricant, and abstinence. Silk’n, a global leader in home-use medical aesthetic devices for over a decade, has recently launched Tightra, a device that is clinically proven to treat the symptoms of menopause, tighten the pelvic floor, improve sexual function, and increase sexual sensation.

Tightra is a safe, painless, and effective intimate wellness solution for intimate health-related issues. Cleared by Health Canada, Tightra is the first and only home-use device that utilizes Radio Frequency Energy, a medically proven technology that increases blood flow and boosts elastin and collagen production in weakened pelvic floor muscles. Tightra also stimulates the cells, enhancing natural lubrication, increasing sensation, and improving external appearance.

92% of the women who participated in Tightra clinical trials experienced reduced feminine itching, burning, and pain, and 89% experienced improvement in sexual function. Participants used the Tightra three times a week for 20-minute sessions for a period of four weeks.

O’Reilly stresses that communication is an essential component when navigating changes in the sexual relationship. “Assumptions and expectations are often tied to a lack of communication,” says O’Reilly. “Don’t blame your partner or yourself. Share your feelings and speak your truth, even if it is a difficult conversation.”

Tightra retails for $499 CAD and is available on silkn.ca, shoppersdrugmart.ca, tsc.ca and costco.ca.

To find out more, please visit Tightra.ca or email your questions to: tightra@silkn.com.

#YoureInC ontrol

PHOTO, GETTY IMAGES. CAPE ILLUSTRATION, STEPHANIE HAN KIM.

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CLINICAL TRIALS

TEAM PLAYER Whether it’s cold medicine or a COVID vaccine, any new treatment won’t get Health Canada’s go-ahead before it’s been through rigorous clinical trials.

But for that, researchers need participants. Here’s why you should volunteer for science Written by SYDNEY LONEY

’M NOT SURE how many tubes of blood I donated in the end—not being fond of needles, I fixed my gaze over the nurse’s left shoulder throughout the proceedings. But it felt like a lot. And yet it also felt like it was the least I could do to give back.

I’m now one year into a five-year clinical trial studying my emotional response to the results of genomic sequencing, a relatively new type of test that digs into nearly every letter of your DNA code (unlike traditional genetic testing, which only looks at a few genes at a time). One of the goals of the trial is to determine how useful genomic sequencing is for both doctors and patients. In addition to the bloodletting, all that’s required of me is periodic 30- to 60-minute Zoom interviews with the researchers for the first year and a half, after which the team will continue to study my health data quietly in the background.

I

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CLINICAL TRIALS

As someone who has been treated successfully for two different types of cancer, I know just how important clinical trials are when it comes to finding new ways to detect, diagnose and treat disease.

Quite frankly, I wouldn’t be here otherwise. And it was thanks to the trial of a new drug that a cousin of mine, who had been diagnosed with a rare, and terminal, form of lung cancer, was able to spend an extra year with his young family.

In my case, scientists were looking for cancer patients who had been given a negative genetic test result and were open to receiving genomic sequencing in hopes of discovering a gene related to their disease: Maybe it would help identify a new genetic link to cancer. Maybe it would offer my family answers about our seemingly genetic susceptibility to wayward cell mutations. And, just maybe, it would help lead to new treatments for future generations of cancer patients. To me, it’s humbling to be even a small part of that possibility.

Not all health research is created equal If you’ve ever shut down a case of the sniffles with cold medicine, had an antibiotic prescribed for an infection or hiked up your sleeve for a vaccine, it’s only be cause that treatment endured a long, thorough research process. Clinical trials are the gold standard for determining the benefits and harms of any health intervention, says Dr. Jonathon Maguire, a pediatric scientist in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. “We want the health care system to be as strong as it can be and for the risks of health interventions to be as low as possible—and for that, we need clinical trials.”

There are three main types of health research: population research (like correlational studies that look for relationships between two or more variables), laboratory studies involving controlled experiments

NOT EVERYONE IS KEEN TO PLAY GUINEA PIG, BUT THE RISKS OF PARTICIPATING ARE VERY LOW. CLINICAL TRIALS ARE REGULATED BY RESEARCH-ETHICS BOARDS— THEY JUST DON’T HAPPEN IF THEY’RE RISKY. 42

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(think beakers and Bunsen burners) and clinical trials. “A clinical trial assigns human participants to one or more treatments or interventions to study their effects,” says Alison Orth, unit director of Clinical Trials BC at Michael Smith Health Research BC, and a former clinical trial participant herself. (Orth was part of a study involving a new-and-improved whooping cough vaccine that showed fewer side effects than its predecessor.)

A great deal has to happen—four phases, in fact—before Health Canada will give any new health intervention the go-ahead. When the trial begins, Phase 1 is all about safety and side effects, and involves small numbers of participants—maybe 20 to 80 at most. “Once the intervention has demonstrated its safety, researchers then focus on how well it works in different populations with an increasing number of participants, often in multiple countries,” says Orth. Phase 2, which might involve up to 300 people, studies whether the treatment works as expected, while Phase 3 looks at larger groups, 1,000 to 3,000 people, to determine how the treatment compares to other options or a placebo.

Finally, once the treatment has proven itself, Phase 4 looks at its long-term effects over time. All of this can take up to 10 years.

The speedy introduction of COVID vaccines occurred because of an unprecedented collaboration between scientists, politicians and manufacturers on their combined quest for a safe medical solution to the pandemic problem. Countries shared information and research findings, extra funding materialized while red tape vanished and a lot of non-COVID research was put on hold. What would normally have taken years took months instead. “It’s essential to understand that the COVID-19 vaccines were developed based on science, technology and preparedness protocols that had been under clinical development and testing for some time before the pandemic,” adds Orth.

But in addition to saving countless lives, the COVID vaccines may point the way toward faster clinical trials in the future.

More awareness could mean more participation Unfortunately, not everyone is keen to play guinea pig. In 2019, Canadian researchers (Orth among them) published a survey of 1,602 people in Ontario and British Columbia that found 49 percent were “somewhat willing” to participate in a clinical trial. On the other hand, 43 percent said they didn’t feel very well informed about them, and 37 percent didn’t have any opinion whatsoever. While many people have no problem volunteering their time to other worthy causes, Maguire has seen first-hand a reluctance to volunteer for science. He says that can stem from a fear of the potential risks (even though, he says, “the risks are very low—clinical trials are regulated by researchethics boards and they just don’t happen if they’re risky”) and a general sense of “what’s in it for me?”

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6,013 TOTAL NUMBER OF ACTIVE CLINICAL TRIALS IN CANADA IN 2020* *Source: National Institutes of Health.

It’s a fair question. For some, enrolling in a trial comes from pure altruism. Others, like me, enrol out of a sense of gratitude. As one of Orth’s survey participants said, “Without previous clinical trials, I would not have received the excellent care and treatment plan. I feel it is paying it forward to be included and hope that, when the trial is over, it will help other women in the future.”

CLINICAL TRIALS

For a long time, women weren’t explicitly required to be included in clinical trials—in fact, it wasn’t until 1997 that Health Canada decided they needed to be.

“Historically, clinical trials have lacked demographic diversity in their study populations,” says Orth. But everyone gets sick—and not everyone gets better the same way. “People may react differently to the same treatment based on their age, sex, weight, race or ethnicity,” she continues. “It’s essential to include people in trials who closely reflect the population for whom the treatment is intended.” Orth adds that there is finally a global recognition that we need to ensure better access and support for all communities to participate in clinical trials. Still, it’s not always easy to get people to sign up.

“There’s still a degree of skepticism about science and the medical system as a whole,” says Maguire.

(You need only watch the daily news cycle and coverage of anti-vaccine protests to see just how serious a problem this skepticism has become.) He adds that we also don’t celebrate the people who participate in clinical trials enough, citing the COVID-19 vaccine trials as an example. “Every one of those people saved a lot of lives,” Maguire says. “They’re heroes.”

THE NEW RECRUITS

How to find a clinical trial Whatever you’re interested in and however much time you have, there’s a trial in Canada (or beyond) for you. These organizations will point you in the right direction

Every year, Health Canada authorizes about 100 clinical trials, and its clinical trial database is a good place to start, as is Clinical Trials Ontario (which, despite its name, gives you access to studies across the country). If you’re interested in participating in a cancer trial in Canada, you can search by cancer type, province, drug or keyword at Canadian Cancer Trials, which is currently recruiting for more than a thousand studies.

Meanwhile, for clinical trials outside Canada, the World Health Organization offers a search portal for both ongoing and completed

ones (so you can track any interesting new treatments on the horizon), while the U.S. National Institutes of Health has set up a comprehensive database of nearly 400,000 clinical studies in 220 countries.

Another option is to ask your health care provider about clinical trials that might be a fit for you—while you don’t necessarily need a doctor’s referral, it can be helpful to have an expert take you through the risks and benefits of participating. Local universityaffiliated hospitals, medical centres and patient support groups are also excellent

places to learn about clinical trials in your area. In 2020, there were 6,013 active trials taking place across the country, so there are plenty to choose from—everything from those for Canadianmade COVID vaccines (including a DNA-based vaccine that can be refrigerated for more than a year, which is entering a Phase 1 trial in Alberta) to a cross-Canada study on the use of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) in ovarian cancer prevention, which is currently recruiting volunteers for Phase 2.

As an added perk, you can sometimes get paid for your time or, at the very least,

have any expenses (such as parking) reimbursed.

For those who still aren’t sure they want to be part of an experiment, pediatric scientist Dr. Jonathon Maguire recommends checking out the People’s Trial. A website created by a health research board in Ireland, it asks people from around the world what questions they’d like answered (one submission: whether reading a book in bed makes a difference to sleep), and then sets up trials to find the answers. Turns out, 42 percent of people felt their sleep improved after they read a book in bed. Thank you, science.

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The home front I think the real virus is governmen t overreach !

Holiday gatherings have a gift for drumming up family conflict—and that’s before you add in 20 months of pandemic stress. But with a bit of work (and many deep breaths), there can be peace on the horizon Written by KAI CHENG THOM

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PHOTO, GETTY IMAGES.

me if can’t co No, you x ed! x a v ’t y o u ar e n

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here’s something that happens to me when my older sister starts talking, no matter what she’s talking about. My stomach clenches, my face heats up and I can hear the blood pulsing in my ears. I become snippy and overcritical, and in every sentence that leaves her mouth I hear a hidden criticism of me and the way I live my life. In short, I regress fully and completely to my teenage self, becoming ferociously insecure and ruthlessly competitive with my sister for our parents’ approval.

In my previous career as a family therapist, I was relieved to find that I am not alone in my experience of spontaneous age regression. Other people undergo this phenomenon, too! Tolstoy wrote that happy families are all alike, while each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way—but, with all due respect to Tolstoy, he was not a family therapist.

Every holiday season brings a wave of clients to therapy, each seeking answers to conflict-themed questions: How do I put up with my mother’s hints that I’m getting long in the tooth and, if I want to give her grandchildren, I need to start trying now? What can I do instead of strangling that sibling who just can’t stop reminding everyone how accomplished they are?

How can I possibly deal with being seated next to That Homophobic Uncle at dinner yet again?

The current state of global affairs is likely to create new conflicts among traditionally amicable families and put added strain on historically divided ones.

What happens when grown-up siblings disagree on the matter of vaccinations and social distancing? How do Christmas dinner showdowns between left- and right-wing family members look when cancel culture or trans rights get brought up? These questions might be exacerbated for folks who haven’t had to navigate big family gatherings for nearly two years. Not only do COVID politics make things more complicated, but COVID restrictions have also put us out of practice at being with challenging family members.

Family conflict has a way of hitting the heart particularly hard. It often triggers painful childhood memories, can go unresolved for decades and frequently results in many of us getting stuck seeing or hearing about family members we don’t like. So what do we do with this conflict? Is finding resolution—or at least reducing tension and stress—possible? I believe it is, though it frequently requires effort, self-reflection and compromise.

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ILLUSTRATION, ISTOCK PHOTO.

How do we . . . deal with the feels?

Regardless of what your specific family conflict is about, it’s liable to bring up some powerful emotions— even if you’re normally cool-headed. I’ve known veteran psychotherapists, fearless CEOs and hardened activists who were reduced to tears by something a parent or sibling offhandedly said at dinner one time.

Family members have this powerful effect on us because they play a key role in shaping our sense of identity: Family tells us if we are a golden child, a screw-up, “too sensitive,” the baby, the black sheep,

The trick is remembering that we aren’t defined by how our family members see us—or even by the way our family makes us feel.

or the disappointment. We usually grow up and develop new narratives about ourselves as adults, but when we are among family members, those old stories can rise up and take over again.

The trick is remembering that we aren’t defined by the way our family members see us—or even by the way our family members make us feel. Just because being around my sister makes me feel like the second banana doesn’t mean that I actually am second-best, nor that she really sees me that way. I’ve had clients stock their phones or wallets with notes full of key phrases they want to remember, like “My father’s expectations and my self-worth are different things” or “I am in charge of my own life now.”

When we reclaim our own stories, family conflicts lose some of their emotional power over us and we can begin to shift old patterns and respond in new and liberating ways. Instead of lashing back at a parent who insinuates that we’re not living up to our potential, we can react from a place of understanding that this parent might actually be feeling shame about their own perceived failures. Instead of getting so angry about a cousin with “problematic” political views, we can protect ourselves by maintaining solid boundaries while also staying open to conversations that might change their views.

How do we . . . handle potential safety issues?

Many of us have been raised on the mistaken idea that conflict resolution is about turning the other cheek or making allowances for bad behaviour in order to preserve artificial family harmony. This is particularly painful when potential risks to physical and emotional safety are involved. It’s essential to remember DECEMBER 2021 • CHATELAINE

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that one perfectly acceptable conflict resolution strategy is to end or limit relationships, especially when safety is at stake.

You don’t have to resign yourself to Christmas dinners sitting next to someone who was abusive to you, and you don’t have to send your kids to play with an adult who isn’t COVID-vaccinated if you aren’t comfortable with it. Nor do you owe anyone explanations when it comes to your safety or that of your loved ones.

A simple “I don’t feel safe in that situation” is sufficient—you can choose when and with whom to go into further detail.

How do we . . . set boundaries?

Another major source of family conflict is unwanted expectations, or the pressure for us to live up to standards or ideals that don’t align with who we are. This kind of conflict often arises over issues like having children, career paths or coming out as LGBTQ+. When a family member starts to exert pressure on you to do something you don’t want to do, try using a simple twopart strategy: First, firmly and politely set a boundary.

Then, hold your boundary against attempts to test it.

It’s human nature to test boundaries, and family members sometimes feel particularly entitled to do so because of shared history. Many of us are raised with the assumption that familial bonds imply some kind of ownership—that because we know someone so well and because they are related to us, we are allowed to drop the

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social norms of politeness and respect that would otherwise apply. Hence the unsolicited advice, gossip and hurtful joking that negatively impact so many families.

Setting a boundary means offering a clear statement of what you are and are not okay with. In many families, boundaries are unheard of, so you might be surprised at how effective this technique alone can be at stopping unwanted behaviours. Setting effective boundaries involves being direct and honest while refraining from mean-spirited attacks. For example, you might say to a parent who won’t stop badgering you to get on the property ladder, “I know you’re trying to be helpful, but when you keep telling me to buy a home I can’t actually afford, it makes me feel bad.

I’d like to change the subject.”

Holding a boundary is when we stand our ground after making that sort of statement. It means refusing the many invitations to return to old patterns of conversation and conflict. For instance, if you have a sibling who likes to make hurtful comments about your love life and you don’t want to talk about it, don’t get into a conversation about your love life. Ignore common strategies they might use to reel you back into an argument, such as “Stop being so sensitive” or “I’m just trying to have a conversation!” These comments are a reflection of the speaker’s issues, not yours. Set your boundary and stick to it: Change the topic; explicitly say, “I’m asking you to stop trying to force me to talk about this”; or leave the room if you have to.

PHOTO, GETTY IMAGES.

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How do we . . . manage political differences?

Political conflicts with family members are challenging because they bring up fundamental questions of right, wrong, good and bad in a context in which most of us are deeply sensitive to feelings of belonging and rejection. When we tell a family member that their opinion on a sensitive political issue is wrong, what they tend to hear us saying—whether we mean it or not—is, “You are a bad person and you don’t belong in my family.”

Managing political differences in families can take several different forms. Keeping one’s distance, for example, is a powerful strategy that is safety-focused.

Sometimes a political conflict with a family member is deeply personal and so painful that it threatens one’s psychological well-being, such as a white family member making racist remarks around a family member who is a person of colour. In such cases, I might recommend maintaining a healthy amount of space, as engagement is unlikely to be helpful.

In other cases, you might prefer to agree to disagree.

This means compromising by setting aside political disagreements for the sake of the relationship and focusing instead on common ground. What are the traits you like about one another? What shared interests do you have? If possible, I suggest making an explicit agreement to not go there when it comes to potentially explosive political disputes. Over time, this strategy can create deeper trust and serve as a foundation for building bridges.

As for bridge building, sometimes it can actually serve your familial relationships and your political beliefs to engage in meaningful conversation about political differences. After all, if you can help your family to better understand your position, then you might actually change their views. The catch is that this strategy requires patience and emotional skill.

Rather than simply trying to explain why you are right and they are wrong, it’s often more effective to lead with questions and curiosity: Why do they believe what they believe? Where did this perspective come from and what does it mean to them? What would it take to change their mind? This approach tends to be the most fruitful with family members who you feel have a genuine interest in building a strong, reciprocal relationship with you.

ILLUSTRATION, ISTOCK PHOTO.

How do we . . . mend fences?

Repairing a broken relationship is one of the most re warding parts of conflict resolution. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to not walk on eggshells anymore?

Relationship repair usually starts with an invitation: One person asks the other to have a brave conversation about what went wrong. Once the other person accepts, the next step is hearing each other’s experiences in order to come to a real understanding of the other’s perspective, needs and hopes.

Apologies can help this process, but if you do apologize for something, try not to expect immediate

Don’t rush repairing a relationship so you can get to the “good” part, where nobody feels bad anymore. Move at the speed of trust.

forgiveness. Both forgiveness and repair are a process that can take time. Don’t rush a repair so that you can get to the “good” part, where nobody feels bad anymore. Move at the speed of trust.

Sometimes, family members will signal that they want to repair the relationship: They may ask for it directly, extend olive branches or even cast longing glances at you over the table at a family gathering. These are good signs that a repair will work out. Other times, neither party will know what they want until they try—this kind of fix takes the most courage of all.

Relationship repair requires openness to negative feedback. Generally, a fix won’t work if you aren’t able to really listen to the other person and hear where they feel things went wrong. This isn’t to say you have to uncritically accept everything the other person says, but, in order to shift a conflict dynamic, you have to be able to at least validate their emotions even if you disagree with their perspective.

People often assume that, because I am a mediator, I am an expert at resolving my own conflicts. On the contrary—though I often joke that I’m certainly an expert at getting into conflicts, it’s the getting-out part I still have to work on. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about conflict, it’s that all the skill and strategy in the world won’t necessarily change family members’ behaviours. Paradoxically, that’s actually made conflict less scary for me, because I no longer have to measure my success solely by how others feel about me. I can’t control that. I can only focus on working to be the person I want to be. I can forgive myself when I make mistakes. And I can commit to always trying to do better the next time around.

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THE FIRST ANNUAL

We’ve renamed our annual Women of the Year to celebrate our most iconic editor-in-chief, who had grit, grace and tenacity in spades—as do our 2021 honourees

Chatelaine has had quite a few editors in its 91-year history—I’m number 14—but no one has broken ground and busted expectations quite like Doris Anderson.

Anderson grew up in Depression-era Calgary, where her mom ran a boarding house and her dad wasn’t always around. She put herself through teachers’ college and university, eventually making her way to Toronto.

There, she landed an entry-level job at Chatelaine before rising through the ranks to become editor-in-chief in 1957 (taking over from a man!).

She bristled at the expectations society held for women at the time, writing in her 1996 memoir, Rebel Daughter, that she realized she “would go mad with boredom and frustration at the effort to be the perfect, little hem-stitched housewife that the magazines, including Chatelaine, were urging me to be.” Instead, she set out to create a women’s magazine that armed its readers with the information they needed to reimagine their lives. During her 20-year tenure as editor, she published features on topics previously ignored by women’s magazines: the work world, abortion rights, divorce, universal child care, sexual fulfillment, the wage gap and many more. She also doubled Chatelaine’s readership in the process.

Anderson, who passed away in 2007, paved the way for Chatelaine to become the magazine it is today. That’s why we’ve decided to rename our Women of the Year—an annual celebration of Canadian women who inspire us—the Doris Anderson Awards. Prepare to be awed by their accomplishments, just as we are by Anderson’s. — MAUREEN HALUSHAK

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Illustration by KATIE CAREY

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PHOTOS, GETTY IMAGES.

ARE DORIS ANDERSON AWARD RECIPIENTS

anada’s national women’s soccer team went to the Tokyo Olympics hungry for a gold medal win, and served one up on a platter—ultimately defeating Sweden in a riveting 3 to 2 upset.

“I am really proud and honoured to be part of this team and hope we made this country proud,” says midfielder Julia Grosso, who delivered the game-winning goal.

But while there’s lots to celebrate this year, the team is also using its

platform to address a dark side of the sport.

In recent years, allegations of sexual abuse, misconduct and coercion have been made against women’s soccer coaches in Canada, the United States and beyond—allegations that often went unheard or were mishandled. As a result, before agreeing to play two exhibition matches in October, the team demanded that Canada Soccer—the governing body of the sport—commit to improving

for drawing a new generation of girls to the sport— and making it safer for them, too.

INSPIRATION

player safety, apologize to players who have experienced abuse and misconduct, and initiate an independent investigation into a former coach, who is now facing several sexual-offence charges.

Once Canada Soccer signed off and the team hit the field for their first exhibition game in Ottawa, they held a moment of silence before the opening whistle to show solidarity for players who have been victims of abuse.

Aside from making conditions safer for the next generation, the team also wants to stoke enthusiasm for the sport. “The biggest thing for this team,” says Grosso, “is inspiring the younger generation, to let them know to always follow their dreams and just never give up.”

Grosso’s own ambitions were powered by the same type of inspiration.

“I remember watching the national women’s team at the Olympic Games and FIFA Women’s World Cups as a kid,” says Grosso, who was once a ballgirl for a Team Canada game.

“Just watching some of the players really inspired me. I hope that this gold medal, for a little girl or little boy out there, will inspire the next generation to do the same thing.” — SHARINE TAYLOR

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Giulia Di Giorgio IS A DORIS ANDERSON AWARD RECIPIENT

for working tirelessly to bring crucial harm reduction strategies to her community.

G

iulia Di Giorgio has spent years advocating for the needs of drug users in Cape Breton, located in the eastern Nova Scotia region that has the highest rate of deaths from drug use in the province.

She started out training people on how to administer naloxone, a lifesaving medication that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose (for more on naloxone, see page 38). After a year of that work, Di Giorgio formed the Cape Breton Association of People Empowering Drug Users, an organization that advocates for harm reduction strategies—including access to a safe supply of opiates, so that people who use them don’t have to resort to illicit street drugs.

n April 2013, Phyllis Jack Webstad shared her orange shirt story for the very first time.

Webstad, a third-generation residential school survivor from Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation, spoke at a media event organized by the St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School Commemoration Project in Williams Lake, B.C., and told the crowd how, at the age of six, she was excited for her first day at St. Joseph’s Mission Indian Residential School.

Webstad had chosen a bright orange shirt to wear for the occasion, which she had picked out on a shopping trip with her grandmother. But when she arrived at school, her shirt was taken from her. She never saw it again.

Those at the event recognized Webstad’s orange shirt as a symbol of the legacy of residential schools, and on September 30, 2013, the first Orange Shirt Day was held in various communities.

Now, eight years later, Orange Shirt Day—a day to educate and

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CHATELAINE • DECEMBER 2021

This year, she’s back on the front lines as part of an important push to establish a much-needed overdose-prevention site in Sydney—a safe, hygienic location where people can use drugs under the supervision of staff who can quickly intervene in case of an overdose. Di Giorgio, who fought her own decade-long battle with substance addiction and currently relies on a safe supply of opiates from her doctor, knows all too well how vital these kinds of services are.

“People who are still accessing opiates on the street are paying really high prices for those drugs,” she says. “To generate the amount of money they need for their daily amount of drugs, they’re often finding themselves committing crimes of survival—petty theft and such—and they end up being criminalized because of their substance use.” Di Giorgio knows first-hand that this is a difficult situation to climb back out of, and she strongly believes that having safe access to opiates will help in more ways than one.

“Even if it’s not [preventing] an overdose, [there’s a] quality of life that it would allow people to have.” — TAYO BERO

IS A DORIS ANDERSON AWARD RECIPIENT

raise awareness about Canada’s residential school system—is commemorated across the country.

This year, the significance of Orange Shirt Day was underscored by the identification of more than one thousand unmarked graves at residential schools—a revelation that led countless Canadians to wear an orange shirt, or hang one outside their houses, in honour of the children who never returned home.

for creating a national movement that’s more resonant than ever.

This fall, a years-long effort by Webstad and others culminated in the creation of a federal holiday on September 30 honouring residential school survivors and their families, officially known as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

It’s been a busy year for Webstad, who, as ambassador and founder of the Orange Shirt Society, continues to raise awareness about the residential school system. She has written two children’s books about her experience and regularly speaks at events. It’s been “scary, overwhelming and exciting,” says Webstad. “I can’t find any better words than that.”

— CHARNEL ANDERSON

DI GIORGIO PHOTO, TOM AYERS/CBC LICENSING. WEBSTAD PHOTO, GETTY IMAGES.

life

life

INSPIRATION

SANDRA OH

PHOTO, GETTY IMAGES.

IS A DORIS ANDERSON AWARD RECIPIENT

WHEN THE CHAIR debuted on Netflix in August, it quickly became the top-watched show in Canada and the subject of much online discussion. The series follows Ji-Yoon Kim (played by Sandra Oh), the newly minted English department chair at the fictional Pembroke University. Kim is the first woman and person of colour to lead the department, and what unfurls over the course of six episodes are the endless struggles and microaggressions a pioneer like her would face while trying to keep a sinking organization afloat. (Only being offered a leadership role when the institution is tanking? That’s called the glass cliff.) “Here is a woman, a single mom, a woman of colour, who’s now ascended to the position of chair of her department in a patriarchal, old institution,” Oh told CBC. While the show deals with the insular world of academia, it’s her distinct charm and capacity to bring nuance and relatability to her character that made The Chair a widespread success.

The Ottawa-raised actor could teach a master class on playing

strong women—including the iconic Dr. Cristina Yang of Grey’s Anatomy and MI6 agent Eve Polastri of Killing Eve, whose final season will air next year—but she has said that Ji-Yoon Kim is the closest a character has ever felt to herself. (In part, that might be because the role was written with her in mind.) Oh understands how pushing inclusivity forward can be a slow process and, like Kim, she’s a pioneer in her own right: the first Asian actor to win multiple Golden Globes; the first to be nominated for an Emmy in a starring role; the most-nominated Asian actor in Emmys history, period. She’s always been intentional about including her culture in her work, revealing in an interview that she knew The Chair’s role was meant for her after a glance at the script. “It was one of the first things that just lit up something inside, actually seeing a Korean woman’s name on the page.” She also provides audiences with a similar jolt: Oh’s name in the opening credits is indication of a stunning performance ahead. — RADIYAH CHOWDHURY DECEMBER 2021 • CHATELAINE

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life

INSPIRATION

MELISSA LANTSMAN IS A DORIS ANDERSON AWARD RECIPIENT

IN SEPTEMBER’S federal election, 37-year-old PR exec Melissa Lantsman became the Tories’ only openly lesbian member of Parliament, and just one of two LGBTQ+ women elected to the House of Commons. Her arrival in Parliament could signal the beginning of a new kind of progressive Conservative movement—one that prioritizes the rights of queer and trans Canadians for the first time.

Try as he might to modernize the party, Erin O’Toole has spent most of his year and a half as Conservative leader rallying against the most extreme social conservatives in his caucus—62 of whom voted in June against legislation to ban the harmful and discredited practice of LGBTQ+ conversion therapy. But queer and women’s rights are top of mind for Lantsman, the daughter of Jewish immigrants who fled communist Russia. “I want people to see that there is a place in the Conservative Party no matter who you are, who you’re married to, whether you pray on Friday or Saturday or Sunday, or you don’t pray at all,” she says.

Lantsman is no stranger to Canadian politics: She was a long-time advisor to former prime minister Stephen

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CHATELAINE • DECEMBER 2021

Harper, and served as chief spokesperson for Ontario Premier Doug Ford during the 2018 election. But the Thornhill, Ont., MP’s first foray into public office hasn’t been without its issues. During the 2015 federal election, she sided with Conservative MPs who fought to ban niqabs and other religious face coverings at citizenship ceremonies. This year, she tweeted that her views on the matter have changed. “I think it’s okay to say that your view has evolved once you learn about an issue,” she says. “If you can’t admit that you’ve evolved, you’re not paying attention to what’s out there or who you represent.” — ERICA LENTI Photograph by CARMEN CHEUNG

life

IS A DORIS ANDERSON AWARD RECIPIENT

ore than 58 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine were administered in Canada by October. It’s no stretch to say that thousands of the people who got those shots were helped by Sabrina Craig and the rest of the volunteers at Vaccine Hunters Canada.

for helping thousands of Canadians get vaccinated.

“It’s amazing what can be done when people work together,” says Craig, the director of the organization, which, via its social media feeds, helped anxious Canadians find vaccination appointments and sort through eligibility requirements for the shot.

Offline, Craig is an analyst at BMO Capital Markets who, prior to joining Vaccine Hunters, had some experience in outreach campaigns but very little in public health. Many of Craig’s family members are older, and some are immunocompromised. She knew the more people got vaccinated, the faster she’d get to see the people she loved.

In early April, Craig started sending tips about vaccination appointments at various pharmacies and hospitals to Vaccine Hunters Canada, using information she gleaned online. The organization was growing rapidly—thousands of Canadians were sending in tips. Craig formally joined the team, becoming one

Dr. Nadia Chaudhri

CRAIG PHOTO, COURTESY OF SABRINA CRAIG. BACKGROUND PATTERN, ISTOCK PHOTO. CHAUDHRI PHOTO, LISA GRAVES /© CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY.

IS A DORIS ANDERSON AWARD RECIPIENT

for sharing crucial information about ovarian cancer— and giving back to her field—from a palliative care bed.

“I

have a painful abscess in my cheek which I’m only just feeling better from,” begins Dr. Nadia Chaudhri’s final post on Twitter, the platform where she shared the most intimate details from the end of her life with an ever-growing following. “Spent all day a snooze and being supported by the beautiful nurses and PABS.” One week later, the 43-year-old neuroscientist died in palliative care at a Montreal hospital.

Her life was claimed by terminal metastatic ovarian cancer. Only six months elapsed between her diagnosis and death, during which Chaudhri, with grace and bravery, demystified the experience of dying. She shared photos of her husband, Moni Orife, whom she called her “Moon,” and her young son, lovingly known as her “Sun,” whom she tried

INSPIRATION

of the volunteers who sorted through the mass of information arriving daily.

Through Twitter, Craig and her volunteer colleagues blasted out frequent vaccine clinic details and updates to nearly a quarter million followers. Soon the adulation rolled in from public health units, Canadian celebrities and even the prime minister. “It’s just about ‘let’s get through this together,’ ” said Justin Trudeau in a video meeting with the Vaccine Hunters team in May. “It’s really amazing.”

In late summer, after 80 percent of Canadians had received their first dose, Craig and the Vaccine Hunters team decided to shelve their Twitter account. But the work continues. The same team behind Vaccine Hunters has now created vaxinations.org, a site helping to further the global vaccination effort.

Now Craig gets to enjoy the fruits of her labour. “I have a lot of family,” she says. “It’s been so nice to reunite with them.” — H.G. WATSON

to prepare for what was to come. She did not spare us the details of her suffering, her fear and her courage in the final days of her life.

Chaudhri also used her growing platform to give back to her field. In late August, she embarked on a walkathon, pledging to pace the length of her palliative care ward once a day for as long as she could in exchange for donations; she raised more than $645,000 for the Nadia Chaudhri Wingspan Award, a grant to support graduate neuroscience students from under-represented groups at Concordia University, where she taught. (Neuroscience remains a male-dominated field; Chaudhri—who ran her own lab focusing on drug and alcohol addiction—was often asked by visiting scientists whose lab she worked for.)

But perhaps her biggest contribution came in the form of a Twitter thread, shared thousands of times, that contained urgent, excruciating and highly detailed information about her challenges in getting diagnosed, which she hoped would lead to fewer cases of the disease and aid in the effort of early detection.

“Know your bodies,” Chaudhri concluded.

“Do not dismiss your pain or malaise.”

— MAGGIE RAHR

DECEMBER 2021 • CHATELAINE

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INSPIRATION

Dr. Vivian Stamatopoulos IS A DORIS ANDERSON AWARD RECIPIENT

for relentlessly sounding the alarm on Canada’s longterm care crisis.

Dr.

Vivian Stamatopoulos has been thinking about long-term care for nearly a decade, since she was paired, midway through her PhD in sociology at York University, with Dr. Pat Armstrong, a legendary academic who was researching staffing levels at nursing homes. But it wasn’t until she actually stepped inside an LTC home—after her grandmother moved into one—that she truly understood how radically broken the system was.

“You press that call button, and you wait, and you wait, and you wait,” she says. “There just aren’t enough people in these homes to provide care.” Her grandmother passed away before the pandemic arrived at Canadian LTC homes, but the experience sparked Stamatopoulos’ relentless advocacy.

In March 2020, she started tweeting information about COVID outbreaks in LTC, then began connecting family members who had reached out to her with journalists looking to cover their stories. Dr. V., as her fans call her, made her first media appearance in May 2020—“I’ve never had training; I’m just speaking the truth”—and has since given more than 250 scorched-earth interviews on LTC’s most burning issues. Among them: forprofit care (“a cancer on the sector,” she tells me), increasing reliance on an Uber-style gig workforce (“so dangerous”) and Ontario’s $5,000 incentive

IS A DORIS ANDERSON AWARD RECIPIENT

for her outsize talent and tenacity.

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CHATELAINE • DECEMBER 2021

oo tiny was the verdict of Quebec’s provincial tennis association, when it cut Leylah Annie Fernandez a few years ago from its development program. (The association

to attract new personal support workers to LTC (“throwing money down the drain because it doesn’t address the revolving door of workers leaving this sector”). These news hits are in addition to her other advocacy work, which includes presenting to Ontario’s LTC COVID-19 Commission, teaming up with Ontario MPP Lisa Gretzky to table a bill that legislates visitation access for caregivers, and researching the impact of Ontario’s LTC lockdowns on residents and caregivers. And she does it all on her own time, while working full-time as a professor of criminology and social justice at Ontario Tech University in Oshawa, Ont. “It’s gotten to the point where some of these family members are worried that I have vicarious trauma from hearing about what they’ve been through,” she says. “And it does weigh on me.” She finds relief in the Real Housewives franchise—and in knowing that her work is making a difference.

The week before we spoke, Ontario enacted a mandatory vaccine policy for LTC staff, with Minister of Long-Term Care Rod Phillips acknowledging something that Stamatopoulos had been making a lot of noise about this fall: Unvaccinated staff are a “significant cause” of fourth-wave outbreaks. “Family members and staff had been telling me this,” she says. “And I was hitting it home like it was nobody’s business.” — MAUREEN HALUSHAK

also took exception to her forehand and serve.) Big mistake. The Montreal-born player, now five foot six, is still small relative to many of her opponents, but at this year’s U.S. Open, she showed just how big a game she has. En route to the final, she knocked off three of the world’s top five players as well as a former number 1, celebrating her 19th birthday in the thick of her epic run. Though she lost the final to another talented teen, Britain’s Emma Raducanu, she signalled to the tennis world that she was a force to be reckoned with, another part of the extraordinary crop of rising Canadian talents.

What is remarkable about Fernandez is her ability to figure out, often mid-match, what makes other players tick—and what frustrates them. It’s a skill that was encouraged by her coach father, a former pro soccer player in South

America, who got her to watch all the greats play—and not just the highlight reels, but recordings of entire matches. In several of her matches at the U.S. Open, Fernandez initially looked out of her depth. Then, slowly, you could see her figuring things out.

It helped that the underdogloving New York crowd was behind Fernandez throughout—and you could see this self-described introvert also learning how to harness its energy, to help shift a match’s momentum. Earlier this year, Fernandez told the CBC, “Every time I would watch tennis [growing up], it was so beautiful. The way you can create something out of nothing is what attracted me to it.” When she’s on court, you sense her creativity, this desire to create something out of nothing; to find, when the way forward is blocked, some new way through. — ALEC SCOTT

STAMATOPOULOS PHOTO, ERIK PUTZ. BACKGROUND PATTERN, ISTOCKPHOTO. FERNANDEZ PHOTO, GETTY IMAGES.

life

life

INSPIRATION

DR. ROBERTA TIMOTHY IS A DORIS ANDERSON AWARD RECIPIENT

AS THE world locked down at the start of the pandemic, a lot of politicians dropped a lot of platitudes about how COVID-19 was “the great equalizer.” That, of course, was ludicrous: Racialized and low-income people were getting infected at rates hugely disproportionate to their populations. But Canada didn’t actually have a policy of collecting race-based data in health care—which made it exceptionally difficult to understand the pandemic’s true impact and target interventions where they were needed most.

Dr. Roberta Timothy, an assistant professor at University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, knows how important this data is. She’s been calling for it throughout her 30year career. “I thought, okay, I am in a position where I just need to do this work for our community,” says Timothy, who holds a PhD in adult education, community development and women and gender studies. “We need to collect our own data, and we need to create interventions that can support our community and get Black health and wellness to be a permanent consideration in the Canadian health system.”

Photograph by CARMEN CHEUNG

She launched Black Health Matters—first nationally, in December 2020, then globally, in March of this year—with surveys to determine the impact of COVID-19 on Black communities as well as to identify systemic barriers to effective and dignified care. “When you go to a health practitioner and you’re treated in a way where you don’t feel human—who’s going to go back?” asks Timothy. “So this project is a larger project in many ways, talking about anti-Black racism in health care and how we can challenge and change outcomes for Black folks.”

Another way to confront racism in health care is to overhaul the curriculum itself. In July, Timothy became Dalla Lana’s inaugural Black Health Lead and immediately set about strengthening mentorship opportunities for Black students and creating a master of public health in Black health—the first of its kind in North America. The quick turnaround is by design. “This is the window we have right now, where people are talking about anti-Black racism in health,” she says. “So I am hoping to get all this done so it can be a catalyst for further change.” — DANIELLE GROEN DECEMBER 2021 • CHATELAINE

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o g

y Wine-and-appetizer combinations that will elevate any holiday gathering.

Created for JOSH CELLARS

As you plan your gatherings for the festime season, set the stage for an occasion you can enjoy just as much as the guests by choosing delicious yet simple appetizer recipes that can be prepared just before guests arrime. Elemate the experience by pairing your party fare with Josh Cellars wines that enhance each recipe’s signature flamours.

Josh Cellars was founded in 2005 by Joseph Carr as a tribute to his late father, who went by the nickname Josh. Raised by hardworking, modest parents, Carr has instilled his father’s malues of hard work, gratitude and family in his company. Josh Cellars’s award-winning wines make the perfect addition to your holiday gatherings.

Try these palate-pleasing wine-and-appetizer pairings this holiday season.

Find the full recipes online at chatelaine.com/joshcellars.

Josh Cellars Chardonnay and Chili-Coconut Shrimp Josh Chardonnay is fruit-forward and rich, balancing out the weight and earthiness of this dish. The tropical and citrus notes complement the mild spice and delicate shrimp flamour. Josh Chardonnay is grown in soil composed of molcanic ash, old seabed, sand and rimer-run gramel, making seafood a natural choice as a pairing.

Josh Cellars Prosecco Rosé and Cranberry-Almond Baked Brie

Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon and Beef and Blue Cheese Brochettes

Josh Cellars Prosecco and Caramelized-Onion Tart with Asparagus

Made from glera and pinot noir grapes, Josh Prosecco DOC Rosé has wild berry and blackberry aromas and refreshing acidity on the finish.

The acidity of the Prosecco Rosé cuts through the creamy brie in this warm and exciting pairing. This appetizer is easy to prep beforehand and is best sermed warm just out of the omen. The crisp Prosecco Rosé is a great choice for welcoming guests and setting a celebratory mood.

A tantalizing, party-starting appetizer, these sirloin skewers with blue cheese and balsamic are simple to prepare the night before. Recently awarded a 91-point rating and named Editor’s Choice from Wine Enthusiast Magazine, Josh Cellars’s full-bodied cabernet saumignon bursts with aromas of intense dark fruits like black cherries and blackberries. With notes of manilla and spice, it finishes with subtle oak and soft tannins on the palate. The unique flamour combination of the beef, blue cheese and the tannins of the wine will impress your guests; make sure you prepare enough so you don’t run out.

The decadent and refreshing qualities of this match will surprise and delight your palate. Nothing says celebration quite like a bottle of prosecco; the texture of the caramelized onion and the earthiness of the asparagus contrast nicely with the fresh acidity and effermescent bubbles of this sparkling wine.

*Limited time offering holiday 2021 only, may not be available in all provinces.

*Limited time offering holiday 2021 only, may not be available in all provinces.

The world’s most advanced

breathing machine

Introducing Trees. This once-in-a-million-year innovation doesn’t just clean the air we breathe, it has powerful Earth-cooling abilities and can improve our mental health. But in so many places, nature’s inventory is quickly running out.

You can help turn things around. Donate now and join us in increasing the tree canopy in communities across Canada at TreesForLife.ca

Thank you to our sponsors and supporters.

CULLEN’S

The de Pencier Family

CANADA’S FAVOURITE HOLIDAY COOKIES

RECIPE, IRENE NGO. PRODUCED BY SUN NGO. PHOTO, ERIK PUTZ. PROP STYLING, MADELEINE JOHARI. FOOD STYLING, MICHELLE RABIN.

page 72

We love the golden touch of edible lustre powder. For messfree application, fill a small bowl with powder, then drop and roll individual truffles.

[ FESTIVE SPECIAL ]

Edible arrangement These decadent truffles are both intensely satisfying and incredibly easy to make.

After whipping together a simple ganache using melted chocolate, butter and cream, pop the mixture in the fridge and let it firm up. After that, it’s just a matter of rolling into bite-sized balls and choosing your favourite toppings to coat them in. Turn to page 61 for the full recipe.

DECEMBER 2021 • CHATELAINE

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food

KITCHEN NOTES

Head turner

Romanesco’s earthy taste is nuttier and sweeter than broccoli and cauliflower.

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CHATELAINE • DECEMBER 2021

PHOTO, MAYA VISNYEI. PROP STYLING, CATHERINE DOHERTY. FOOD STYLING, ESHUN MOTT.

With its pyramidal florets and fractal appearance, romanesco (also known as Roman cauliflower) is broccoli and cauliflower’s better-looking cousin. Look for heads that are brightly coloured with sturdy leaves, and serve this veg as a unique crudité or substitute an equal amount for broccoli or cauliflower in recipes

PANTRY HELPERS

6 feel-good foodie gifts Nothing tastes better than a delicious gift that gives back

This Vancouver-based vegan chocolate company donates one percent of sales to a variety of charities, including those that support women and children who have experienced domestic violence.

Maple-Smoked Salt and Rosemary bar, $6, shopca.zimt chocolates.com.

This vegan sauce and condiment collection is certified organic and made with all-natural ingredients. Each jar sold is a meal donation to someone in need by way of Buy One, Feed One, an organization that helps fight hunger across the U.S., Canada and India. 4-pack, $32, goodfoodforgood.ca.

Ten percent of the proceeds from this fair trade, family-owned coffee roaster based in Moncton, N.B., is donated to animalrescue organizations, such as Save Our Scruff, the SPCA and the Humane Society.

Go Fetch! medium/ dark roast, $20, rescuecoffeeco.com.

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES Makes 16 Prep 15 min; total 2 hr 15 min 1/4

cup 35% cream

1

100-g bar milk chocolate, finely chopped

1

100-g bar dark chocolate, finely chopped

2

tbsp butter, cut in small cubes

16

foil liners for candy

Garnish ideas: • Cocoa powder • Icing sugar • Sprinkles • Edible lustre powder • Coarse sugar • Shredded unsweetened coconut

CHAI/BAKING SPICE BLEND PHOTO, ERIK PUTZ.

• Finely chopped toasted nuts

A portion of the profits from sales of Turmeric Teas products—which include loose tea, tea bags and latte blends— help support charities that provide meals to people in need. Organic Ginger Turmeric Tea, $20, turmericteas.com.

This reusable cooking tool infuses any boiling liquid with a significant amount of iron. A portion of each Lucky Iron Fish sale funds the distribution of fishes to families in need around the globe to help reduce the impacts of iron deficiency—the world’s largest nutritional challenge.

Lucky Iron Fish, $50, ca.luckyironfish.com.

This line of Indian spice blends, developed by Kelowna, B.C.-based chef Aman Dosanj, donates one percent of sales to local charities—including anti-racism organizations. Chai/Baking spice blend, $32, paisleynotebook.com.

1. Pour cream into a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high until very hot, 30 to 45 sec.

2 . Add milk and dark chocolates and butter. Stir until chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Refrigerate until mixture is firm, about 2 hr.

3. Place candy liners in a container that has a lid. Using a melon baller, scoop tablespoonfuls of mixture into balls. Coat in desired garnish and place in candy liners. Seal container and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

DECEMBER 2021 • CHATELAINE

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food

MEMOIR

They call me Chef Chefs notoriously don’t like working brunch. But for Suzanne Barr, who has fond memories of the morning meal with her late mother, it’s been essential to her career Written by SUZANNE BARR Illustration by CURTIA WRIGHT

B

runch is the service that can break you. In order to keep the hungry crowds moving, the kitchen and floor staff all have to engage in a fast-paced dance. By sunrise, line cooks have already been prepping for more than an hour. Servers are stacking napkins on the table and filling milk containers.

The front of house directs traffic, waiters manoeuvring around one another with plates of food before pulling out their pens and pads for the next table. At the back, cooks move seamlessly between stations, careful not to fall behind as new orders come in every few minutes. Luckily, my whole life prepared me for the moment I opened the doors of my first restaurant. A small

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alcove space with checkerboard-tiled floors and black marble tabletops, Saturday Dinette first opened in Toronto’s east end in September 2013 and quickly became a hot brunch spot. Our mornings were always lively, music pumping as we strove to keep people’s spirits high enough that they wouldn’t be bothered by the long lines.

I was born in Toronto but grew up in Florida, and the breakfasts of my childhood were a lot calmer. My desire to cook started with my mum and dad, who were chefs in their own right. My mum understood the power of flavours, from curry and boiled salted cod to coconut-infused rice and beans. Even now, the sound of bacon

food

popping in the frying pan or ketchup squirting into a pot of stewed cabbage reminds me of simpler days. My sister and I would sit at the countertop and watch her make dumplings or ackee and saltfish, dishes she probably learned how to make when she was a girl.

We also spent many afternoons with my dad, learning how to spice juicy ground beef with Scotch bonnet, minced onions, garlic, black pepper and scallions for the perfect patty filling—a skill he picked up from his mom while growing up in Jamaica. My father was the first entrepreneur in my life, a Black business owner who opened a flower shop 50 years ago.

I was 25 when my mother died. The cancer had taken over her body. The year before, I had left Atlanta—where I’d been living at the time—to become her caretaker in Florida. I would take her to doctors’ appointments and prepare her meals, making soups and vegetarian stews, anything to help, as she gradually lost the taste for her classic Jamaican favourites. My love for my mother, and my frustration at not being able to adequately feed her, made me want to become a chef. She taught me the joys of cooking before anyone else. Five years later, I found myself at the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York. I felt a longing to connect with my mother; the kitchen is where it happened.

My first official break came in my early 30s, when I was invited to serve as a junior cook at Abistro: a small, family-run restaurant in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, whose owner and head cook was named Abdoul. Fort Greene is a neighbourhood known for its eclectic and diverse foods, which reflected the cultures of the people who had settled there. Born in Senegal and a veteran of Parisian cuisine, Abdoul paid homage to his motherland with flavourful dishes, like savoury-and-sweet Senegalese fried chicken and his famous mussels, served with plum tomatoes, scallions and mushrooms in a ginger and lemongrass broth. Along with the technique and art of cooking, I also learned about the business of running a family restaurant by watching Abdoul.

A few months into working at Abistro, he asked me to create a vegetarian special. “Chef’s choice,” he said. I remember thinking, “Who, me? Who you calling Chef?” I dreamed about dishes.

The visions came to me the moment my head hit the pillow. I was vegan when I started at Abistro and I wanted to show Abdoul my creativity and passion for plant-based foods. I was determined to make something that would appeal to the regulars. It needed to have flavour, texture and complexity. Eventually, I came up with seitan-based shepherd’s pie. It sold out, and Abdoul gave me the opportunity to create a brunch menu and work with him

Saturday Dinette’s GlutenFree Buckwheat Pancakes with Warm Maple Butter Serves 3-5 Warm Maple Butter 2

cups maple syrup

2

cups cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

½

tsp kosher salt

Pancakes 2½

cups buckwheat flour

2

cups brown rice flour

½

cup granulated sugar

4

tsp baking powder

4

tsp baking soda

1

tbsp kosher salt

4

large eggs

2 1/2

cups 3.25% milk

1¼

cups sour cream

1. Maple Butter: Pour maple syrup into a small saucepan set over medium-high. Bring to a boil, and then remove

MEMOIR

“

My love for my mother, and my frustration at not being able to adequately feed her, made me want to become a chef. She taught me the joys of cooking before anyone else.

on Saturdays. We were a small but lively team, and this incredible time in my life would prepare me for the opening of Saturday Dinette years later.

Brunch, despite the accompanying chaos, is my favourite service. I’m a morning person. I enjoy getting up early and making someone the exact thing that’s going to start their whole day off in the right direction. Opening a brunch restaurant, while crazy in retrospect, felt like a dream come true. My husband had 20plus years of experience opening restaurants by the time I met him, and that’s what gave me the push to open Saturday Dinette— the knowledge that I wouldn’t be doing it alone. Circumstances had brought us back to Toronto, where we decided to open shop.

I combined the jovial spirit of my mum in her kitchen, always dancing and listening to music, with Abdoul’s precision on the stovetop and menu creativity. People lined up for mushrooms on toast with lavender ricotta and fried egg, and our fluffy, buttery house-made biscuits with pork gravy.

We had three amazing years at Saturday Dinette but, after mounting disagreements with our landlords, were forced to shut down. It was crushing. Since then, I’ve opened up a few more restaurants and advocated for more diverse, inclusive spaces in the culinary world. I’m also working on an autobiography, My Ackee Tree, that charts my family’s migration from Jamaica to England to, ultimately, Canada, and chronicles the memories and stories that inspired me to become a chef.

These days, I find myself inviting my son into the kitchen, mirroring the relationship I had with my mother. Breakfast always brought us to the table and connected us to our ancestors, our culture and our homeland of Jamaica. Holding on to these traditions is what continues to bring us together as a family. The stories we tell our children are what fuel their journey ahead.

from heat before it boils over.

Whisking vigorously, gradually add cold butter and ½ tsp kosher salt. Mixture will begin to thicken when all the butter is added. Set aside.

2 . Pancakes: Sift flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and 1 tbsp kosher salt into a large bowl. Stir to combine.

3. Stir eggs, milk and sour cream in a medium bowl until combined. Using a spatula,

gradually stir egg mixture into flour mixture until just combined. Do not overmix.

4. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-high. Add 2 tbsp batter to pan. Cook until bottom is golden-brown, and then flip and repeat.

Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining batter.

5. Serve pancakes with Warm Maple Butter. Leftover butter can be refrigerated for 1 week.

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This Hanukkah menu delivers all the hits— a nice piece of salmon, plenty of roasted root vegetables and, of course, a boatload of latkes—with enough tasty twists to keep things interesting night after night (after six more nights)

Recipes and introduction written by AMY ROSEN Produced by AIMEE NISHITOBA Photography by ERIK PUTZ Food styling by MICHELLE RABIN Prop styling by RAYNA MARLEE SCHWARTZ Floral arrangement by BECKY DE OLIVEIRA, owner of Blush & Bloom

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HANUKKAH

Author Amy Rosen (far right) and family celebrate Hanukkah.

Latkes with Green Goddess Sauce Serves 6 to 8 Prep 30 min; total 1 hr

1

cup mayonnaise

1

cup sour cream

1

small clamshell pkg tarragon, leaves removed from stems

1

small clamshell pkg chives, coarsely chopped

1

garlic clove, chopped

1

tsp anchovy paste or 1 anchovy, finely chopped

1

lemon, juiced

Latkes

decidedly low-key affair consisting mostly of kibitzing with second cousins over latkes in condo party rooms, Hanukkah might be less overtly celebratory than Christmas, but it’s no less joyous. It is, however, a bit less predictable: Because the Jewish calendar is lunisolar, Hanukkah sometimes falls close to Christmas, and sometimes doesn’t. (This year it does not.) Happy 5782, y’all!

The celebration of Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the temple in Jerusalem, where, in ancient times, the Jews rose up against their Syrian Greek oppressors in the Maccabean Revolt. The temple was destroyed and had to be repaired in time for the Sabbath, but there was only a small amount of oil to keep the lanterns burning—just enough to last one night. The miracle of Hanukkah—the Festival of Lights—is that the oil burned for a full eight days, which is why we light the menorah. Meanwhile, because of the symbolism of the magical oil, we get to eat delicious fried food for eight days straight.

It’s not Hanukkah without latkes. Case closed. But what is up for discussion is whether you prefer the potatoes shredded in a food processor and dropped into hot oil until crispyedged, or hand-grated and fried in the oil until lacy and crunchy throughout. (I’m going for grated every time.) Latkes are traditionally served with applesauce and sour cream, but here I propose a herbaceous green goddess sauce, a play on the sour cream that provides a lot more interest and oomph. It works well with the latkes—and also with everything else on the plate.

So what else is on the plate? If there’s one thing you should know about Jews and food, it’s that we never say no to a nice piece of fish. And this salmon is a nice piece of fish!

Instead of the usual Hanukkah spread of bagels, lox and cream cheese, impress the entire family and roast a whole side of salmon seasoned with za’atar. They’ll plotz for it.

While the fish is in the oven, you can quick-pickle red onions, make sure your 20-cup coffee percolator is working and toss together some herbs to top the salmon. Suddenly, you’ve got a Hanukkah main course fit for the ages. Plus, you’ll make a nice grainy salad full of roasted root vegetables, pomegranate and dill. (Note: Certain cousins may be disappointed by the absence of bagels. You should probably get some bagels.)

For dessert, save the chocolate gelt for playing dreidel. Instead, core little McIntosh apples, sprinkle them with sugar and spice, and wrap them in pastry. While they’re turning puffed and golden, you’ll make a caramel sauce out of Manischewitz, the sweet sacramental wine that tastes like nothing short of another Hanukkah miracle.

I say let the others enjoy their bedazzled trees, fat bronzed turkeys and elaborate gifts.

This Hanukkah, the Jews will have crispy latkes, a perfectly seasoned roasted fish, sacramental caramel—and perhaps a new pair of tube socks. Failing that, we’ve always got Chinese food for Christmas.

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CHATELAINE • DECEMBER 2021

8

russet potatoes, scrubbed

2

small onions

3

large eggs, beaten

1/3

cup all-purpose flour Vegetable oil, for frying

1. Sauce: Combine mayo, sour cream, tarragon, chives, garlic, anchovy and lemon juice in a blender. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Blend again. Pour into a serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

2 . Latkes: Coarsely grate potatoes (no need to peel them) onto a clean tea towel.

Squeeze out as much liquid as possible by twisting towel (potato shreds should be as dry as possible). Transfer potatoes to a large bowl and grate onions overtop. Stir in eggs and flour until combined. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Pour enough oil into a large cast iron pan (or any heavy-bottomed pan) until it reaches ½ in. up the side. Set over medium. When oil is hot, add heaping tablespoonfuls of latke mixture, frying 4 or 5 at a time, until deeply golden-brown, about 3 min per side. Transfer to a papertowel-lined plate. Repeat with remaining latke mixture, adding more oil as needed.

4. Serve latkes hot, topped

Photograph by LIAM MOGAN

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Green Goddess Sauce

WHITE DINNER PLATES, CB2.CA. BLACK SERVING DISH, PATTERNED APPETIZER PLATE, WHITE SIDE BOWL, WINEGLASS, WATER GLASS, HOMESENSE.CA.

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Latkes with Green Goddess Sauce

P 66

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with Green Goddess Sauce.

Sprinkle with more chopped herbs, if desired.

Kitchen tip Any extra sauce can be refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 5 days. It’s also great with salmon or as a salad dressing.

Make-ahead tip Sauce and latkes can be made up to 1 day ahead. Refrigerate, and then reheat latkes, in a 200F oven until hot, when guests arrive.

4. Roast salmon until just opaque in the centre, about 20 min. Let cool slightly.

5. Topping: Combine half of the pickled onions with parsley, basil, chives, capers, 1 tbsp oil and thyme in a medium bowl.

6. Place salmon on a serving platter and artfully top with herb mixture. Serve warm or at room temperature, with remaining onions alongside, if desired.

Za’atar-Roasted Salmon with Herbs and Pickled Onions

Pearl Barley Salad with Roasted Root Vegetables

Serves 6 to 8 Prep 20 min; total 45 min

Serves 6 to 8 Prep 15 min; total 1 hr

Pickled Onions ½

cup red wine vinegar

¼

cup granulated sugar

1/2

tsp sea salt

½

red onion, thinly sliced

Salmon 1

whole side skin-on salmon (about 1.5 kg)

1

tbsp olive oil

1

tbsp za’atar spice blend

½

tsp sea salt

Herb Topping ½

cup chopped parsley

½

cup basil leaves, chopped

2

tbsp chopped chives

2

tbsp drained capers

1

tbsp olive oil

1

tsp thyme leaves

1. Onions: Combine vinegar, sugar, ¼ cup water and salt in a small saucepan set over high. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add onion.

Set aside and let cool for 1 hr.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

2 . Salmon: Position rack in centre of oven; preheat to 450F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment or foil.

3. Place salmon, skin-side down, on prepared sheet.

Rub with 1 tbsp oil and sprinkle with za’atar and salt.

Season with pepper.

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1

900-mL carton vegetable broth

2

cups pearl barley, rinsed and drained

1

large sweet potato, peeled

2

parsnips, peeled

2

carrots, peeled

½

small red onion, thinly sliced into half moons

3

tbsp olive oil, divided

2

lemons, juiced

2

tsp honey

1

cup chopped dill

½

cup pomegranate seeds

½

cup sliced almonds, toasted

1. Position rack in centre of oven and preheat to 425F. 2 . Combine broth and barley in a medium saucepan set over high. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until barley is tender and liquid is absorbed, 30 to 35 min.

3. Meanwhile, cut sweet potato, parsnips and carrots into equal, bite-sized pieces.

Toss vegetables and onion with 1 tbsp oil on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Roast, stirring halfway through, until lightly browned and fork-tender, about 20 min.

4. Fluff cooked barley with a fork, and then transfer to a large serving bowl. Set barley

Za’atar-Roasted Salmon with Herbs and Pickled Onions P 68

WHITE DINNER PLATES, LEO NAPKINS, CB2.CA. BLACK SERVING TRAY, PATTERNED APPETIZER PLATES, GOLD SERVING UTENSILS, PATTERNED SERVING BOWL, WHITE SIDE BOWL, WINEGLASS, HOMESENSE.CA.

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Pearl Barley Salad with Roasted Root Vegetables P 68

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and roasted vegetables aside and let cool slightly.

4. Whisk remaining 2 tbsp oil, lemon juice and honey in a small bowl. Drizzle over barley. Add roasted vegetables, dill and pomegranate seeds.

Toss to combine. Sprinkle with almonds. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Apple Dumplings with Manischewitz Caramel Sauce Serves 6 to 8 Prep 20 min; total 1 hr Apple Dumplings small McIntosh apples

2

tbsp packed dark brown sugar

1

tbsp butter, melted

1

tsp cinnamon

⅛

tsp salt

1

450-g pkg puff pastry sheets (2 sheets), thawed

1

large egg, beaten

Caramel Sauce 1

cup granulated sugar

6

tbsp butter

½ 3 ⅛

cup 35% cream, at room temperature tbsp Manischewitz Concord grape wine tsp salt

1. Position rack in centre of oven and preheat to 375F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.

2 . Core apples and retain ¼-in. piece from the bottom of each core. Insert into cores to plug bottoms of apples. (This will keep filling from leaking.)

3. Stir lemon juice with brown

WH AT A PAIR We asked wine pro Vidal Wu to play matchmaker for this feast. Here’s what he recommends

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Hanukkah gelt: dessert that doubles as decor.

lemon, juiced

CHATELAINE • DECEMBER 2021

sugar, 1 tbsp butter, cinnamon and ⅛ tsp salt in a small bowl.

4. Cut each puff pastry sheet into 4 equal squares. (You will have 8, but you’ll only need 6.

Save remaining pieces for another use.) Arrange 6 squares, 2 in. apart, on prepared sheet.

5. Place 1 apple in centre of each square. Drizzle lemon mixture into hollows of apples. Gently gather corners of pastry up sides of apples, twisting to secure at the top as artfully as you can. Brush pastry all over with egg wash.

6. Bake until pastry is puffed and golden all over, 20 to 25 min. (Don’t bake for longer than 25 min; otherwise,

apples may collapse inside pastry.) Set aside.

7. Sauce: Place granulated sugar in a medium saucepan set over medium. Cook, without stirring, for 2 min. Then start stirring with a wooden spoon until sugar clumps melt and liquid is amber-coloured, about 6 min.

8. Add 6 tbsp butter and carefully stir (it will bubble up).

Stir until combined, about 1 min, and then let it bubble, without stirring, for 1 min more. (If sauce splits, whisk until it comes back together.)

9. Slowly stream in room temperature cream (it will bubble up) and stir for 1 min. Then

boil, without stirring, for 1 min. Stir in Manischewitz and ⅛ tsp salt and cook for 1 min. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.

Caramel sauce will thicken as it cools.

9. Serve dumplings with a generous pour of the cooled but still warm Manischewitz caramel sauce.

What is Manischewitz?

This kosher sacramental wine is used to celebrate the Sabbath and other Jewish holidays. It’s widely available, so it has become the go-to kosher sweet wine.

Terra Vega Sauvignon Blanc

Tzafona Cabernet Sauvignon

This clean, crisp and vegan Chilean wine is mevushal-certified and an easy (and dry!) crowd-pleaser at an incredible value. Grassy, green apples and wet rocks leap from the glass, followed by citrus zest, refreshing acidity and a savourymeets-salty finish.

Tzafona means “northward,” and this herbaceous, surprisingly light red—from one of the first Ontario wineries to produce kosher wine—is structured, elegant and perfectly food-friendly. Think blackberries and dark cherries with Italian green herbs and spicy white pepper.

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6 ½

LEO NAPKINS, CB2.CA. WINEGLASS, HOMESENSE.CA.

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Apple Dumplings with Manischewitz Caramel Sauce P 70

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THE ULTIMATE CROSSCOUNTRY COOKIE SWAP We asked our readers which local bakeries serve up the best holiday cookies, then asked the bakeries if they’d be willing to share the details. Here, six beloved recipes—from vegan chocolate crinkle to glazed gingerbread—from six beloved bakeshops across Canada

Produced by RADIYAH CHOWDHURY, IRENE NGO and AIMEE NISHITOBA Photography by ERIK PUTZ Food styling by MICHELLE RABIN Paper art by ALI HARRISON OF LIGHT + PAPER

Mint Chip Cookies P 78

Crave Cupcakes “Our dark chocolate cookie is an original recipe we started baking at our first Crave location 17 years ago. This version has a hint of mint and is decorated with a fun green chocolate drizzle and mini chocolate chips. For the classic dark chocolate cookie found in our stores, omit the mint extract.” — CAROLYNE JACKSON, CO-FOUNDER, CALGARY

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Brown Butter Holiday Confetti Cookies P 78

Nutmeg Bakeshop

MEGAN FISHER, OWNER, NEWMARKET, ONT.

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COOKIES

ChocolateDipped Star Cookies P 78

Dutch Bakery & Diner “When our family started the bakery 65 years ago, they never would’ve imagined their shortbread cookie recipe would be featured in a magazine! This is our Dutch take on the classic Canadian shortbread—we hope you have fun baking them.” — MICHELE BYRNE, MANAGER, VICTORIA DECEMBER 2021 • CHATELAINE

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Glazed Gingerbread Cookies P 78

Kooky Biscuiterie We bake cookies that go beyond your imagination. This unique gingerbread cookie is soft and chewy. While our customers say eating these is like having a piece of Christmas in your mouth, we’re confident you’ll enjoy them all year long.

— MÉLANIE CHAMPOUX, OWNER, SHERBROOKE, QUE.

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Duchess Bake Shop These traditional French butter cookies are a snap to make. They positively melt in your mouth and make a great addition to any holiday cookie lineup. The cardamomand-orange combination is perfect for the holidays, but if you aren’t a fan, you could simply omit those flavourings and add a bit more vanilla.

— GISELLE COURTEAU, CO-OWNER, EDMONTON

Cardamom Orange Sablés Bretons

Cardamom Orange Sablés Bretons Makes 16 cookies Prep time 20 min Total time 1 hr 50 min Plus cooling time 1½

cups cake and pastry flour (180 g)

2

tsp baking powder

1

tsp ground cardamom

½ 3 ⅔ 1 ½

1

tsp salt large egg yolks

cup granulated sugar (128 g) tsp vanilla cup + 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature tsp orange zest

Topping 1

egg yolk, beaten

2

tsp sanding sugar or granulated sugar

1. Line a 9 × 9-in. baking pan with parchment, leaving overhanging edges on 2 long sides.

2 . Sift flour, baking powder, cardamom and salt into a large bowl.

3. Combine 3 yolks and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until thickened and pale yellow, about 2 min.

Beat in vanilla until combined. Beat in flour mixture,

butter and orange zest just until combined.

4. Transfer dough to prepared pan. Press down with your hands, working dough into all corners. (You may need to sprinkle a little flour on top so it doesn’t stick to your fingers too much.) Using the flat bottom of a cup, smooth top. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

5. Position rack in centre of oven, and then preheat to 350F. 6. Topping: Brush top of cold dough with beaten yolk.

Run the tines of a fork across dough horizontally and vertically to create a design.

Sprinkle generously with sanding sugar.

7. Bake until cookies are golden-brown, 25 to 30 min.

Remove from oven.

Immediately run a knife between parchment and pan.

Lift overhanging parchment and transfer sablés to a cutting board. Cut into 16 squares.

Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely, about 30 min. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Baker’s tip Sanding sugar’s shiny, coloured crystals won’t melt in the oven. Find it at craft or bulk food stores.

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Mint Chip Cookies Makes 20 cookies Prep time 30 min Total time 1 hr Plus overnight setting time Cookies 1

cup all-purpose flour (120 g)

1

cup cocoa powder (80 g), sifted

1/2

tsp baking soda

1/4

tsp salt

1/2

cup salted butter, at room temperature

1/2

cup granulated sugar (96 g)

1/2

cup packed dark brown sugar (96 g)

1

large egg

1

tsp vanilla

1 to 2 tsp peppermint extract

then dip into melted white chocolate in a small bowl. Stir to combine until a light green colour forms. Scrape chocolate into a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Drizzle chocolate over cooled cookies on rack and immediately sprinkle with chocolate chips.

Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let stand overnight until chocolate is firm. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Brown Butter Holiday Confetti Cookies Makes 20 cookies Prep time 25 min Total time 1 hr 5 min Plus cooling time 14

tbsp unsalted butter, divided

2

cups all-purpose flour (240 g)

Topping 1/4

1/3

cup white chocolate chips, melted Green gel food colouring

1/2

tsp baking soda

cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

3/4

cup packed brown sugar (144 g)

1/2

cup granulated sugar (96 g)

1

tbsp vanilla or vanilla bean paste

1

tsp kosher salt

1

large egg

1

large egg yolk

3

tbsp mixture of red, white and green sprinkles

1. Cookies: Position rack in centre of oven and preheat to 325F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

2 . Whisk flour with cocoa, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.

3. Beat butter in a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-low, until fluffy, 2 to 5 min. Beat in sugars.

Beat until very pale and fluffy, 10 to 12 min. Reduce speed to low. Beat in egg, vanilla and peppermint extract.

4. Beat in flour mixture until combined. Scoop heaping 1-tbsp portions of dough, roll into balls and arrange 2 in. apart on prepared sheets.

Press down and flatten cookies slightly.

5. Bake until cookies are no longer shiny, 12 to 13 min.

Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely, about 20 min.

6. Topping: Dip the tip of a toothpick into food colouring,

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CHATELAINE • DECEMBER 2021

1. Position rack in centre of oven, and then preheat to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

2 . Melt 10 tbsp butter in a medium saucepan set over medium. Increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring often with a heatproof spatula, until milk solids have turned a medium-dark brown and butter begins to smell nutty, 5 to 7 min. Pour browned butter into a large bowl. Add remaining 4 tbsp butter to browned butter. Stir until melted. Set aside and let cool slightly, about 5 min.

3. Meanwhile, combine flour with baking soda in a small bowl. Set aside.

4. Whisk both sugars, vanilla

and salt into melted butter.

Whisk in egg and egg yolk vigorously until well combined. Set aside for 5 min.

Then whisk vigorously for 30 sec. Continue this cycle until mixture is pale and thick, 1 or 2 more times.

5. Stir flour mixture into sugar mixture until only a few streaks of flour remain.

Add sprinkles, and then stir just until combined and no streaks remain. (Be careful not to overmix.) Scoop 2-tbsp portions of dough and arrange 2 in. apart on prepared sheets.

6. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are just browned at the edges, about 8 min. (Middles of cookies will be slightly puffed; they may have some “wiggle” and look slightly underdone, but they will set as they cool.)

Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

4. Transfer dough to a floured surface. Roll out dough to ¼-in. thickness. Cut out cookies with a 3-in.-wide star-shaped cookie cutter, arranging 2 in. apart on baking sheets.

5. Bake until cookies are light golden, 13 to 14 min. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely.

6. Dip cooled cookies halfway into melted dark chocolate and let excess drip off.

Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and let stand until chocolate is firm, about 2 hrs. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Glazed Gingerbread Cookies Makes 26 cookies Prep time 30 min Total time 1 hr 20 min Plus setting time Cookies 1

Chocolate-Dipped Star Cookies

1½

Makes 18 to 20 cookies Prep time 30 min Total time 1 hr 15 min Plus setting time

1/4 2 1/3

cup vegetable shortening cups granulated sugar (288 g) cup packed dark brown sugar (48 g) large eggs cup molasses

4

cups all-purpose flour (480 g)

2/3

cup salted butter, at room temperature

4

tsp cornstarch

½

cup + 1 tbsp icing sugar (73 g)

2

tsp baking soda

2

tsp ginger

1

tsp water

1

tsp nutmeg

1/2

tsp vanilla

1

tsp cinnamon

1½ 5 ⅔

cups all-purpose flour (180 g) tbsp cornstarch (40 g) cup dark chocolate chips, melted

1/2

tsp ground cloves

⅛

tsp salt

¼

cup orange juice

Glaze

1. Position rack in centre of oven and preheat to 350F. 2 . Beat butter with icing sugar, water and vanilla in a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium, until well combined.

3. Stir flour with cornstarch in a medium bowl. Gradually beat flour mixture into butter mixture until a dough forms.

2½

cups icing sugar (300 g)

1½

tbsp white corn syrup

1

tsp clear or regular vanilla

1 to 3 tbsp water ¼

cup finely chopped candied ginger

1. Position rack in centre of oven and preheat to 350F. 2 . Beat shortening with

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Cherry Pistachio Shortbread P 80

Sable Shortbread

LORRAINE PIKE, CO-OWNER, KENTVILLE, N.S.

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granulated and brown sugars in a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium, until fluffy, 1 to 2 min. Beat in eggs and molasses until combined.

3. Stir flour with cornstarch, baking soda, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and salt until combined. Beat into shortening mixture, along with orange juice, until combined.

4. Roll dough into 26 balls, arranging 4 in. apart on baking sheets. Press down lightly on cookies to flatten slightly.

5. Bake until edges of cookies start to brown, 20 min.

(Cookies will appear undercooked but will firm up as they cool.) Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely, about 30 min.

6. Glaze: Beat icing sugar with corn syrup and vanilla in a large bowl until combined.

Beat in water, 1 tbsp at a time, until glaze is runny but still thick. Use a spoon to drizzle over cooled cookies on rack and immediately sprinkle with candied ginger. Set aside until glaze is firm, about 2 hrs. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Cherry Pistachio Shortbread Makes 24 cookies Prep time 35 min Total time 2 hrs 50 min Plus overnight setting time

1½ 2 ¼

cups icing sugar, divided (180 g) tbsp reserved maraschino cherry liquid from jar tsp vanilla Red food colouring (optional) Red and green coarse sugar (optional)

1. Cookies: Beat ½ cup butter in a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium, until fluffy, about 1 min. Beat in granulated sugar and 2 tbsp icing sugar just until combined.

2 . Reduce speed to low. Beat in vanilla, and then cherries and 2 tbsp pistachios just until combined. (Don’t overmix.) Beat in flour, scraping down side of bowl, just until dough forms. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface.

3. Gather dough into a ball, then shape into a log about 12 in. long. Roll log in remaining ½ cup pistachios, coating well. Wrap log in parchment or waxed paper.

Refrigerate until firm enough to slice, at least 2 hr.

4. Position rack in centre of oven and preheat to 325F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.

5. Slice chilled log into 24 ½-in.-thick cookies, arranging 1 in. apart on prepared sheets.

6. Bake until cookies start to brown on bottoms and spring back lightly when touched, about 15 min. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely, about 15 min.

7. Buttercream: Meanwhile, beat ¼ cup butter, using an electric mixer on medium, until fluffy, about 1 min. Beat in ¾ cup icing sugar until combined. Reduce speed to low. Beat in cherry liquid and vanilla. If you’d prefer a deeper red colour, beat in a few drops of red food colouring. Beat in remaining icing sugar, ¼ cup at a time, until soft peaks form.

8. Scrape buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe a swirl onto each cooled cookie. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let stand overnight until icing is firm.

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Vegan Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Makes 24 cookies Prep time 20 min Total time 1 hr Plus cooling time 4/3

cup icing sugar (80 g)

1 1/2

cups granulated sugar (288 g)

1/2

cup melted coconut oil or vegetable oil

1/2

cup oat or almond milk, at room temperature

1 1/2

tbsp ground flaxseed

1 1/2

tsp vanilla

2 3/4 1 1/2 1/2

cups all-purpose flour (240 g) cup cocoa powder (60 g) tsp baking powder tsp salt

1. Position rack in centre of oven and preheat to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Pour icing sugar into a medium bowl.

2 . Stir granulated sugar with oil in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in milk, flaxseed and vanilla until combined.

3. Sift in flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Stir until a soft dough forms. Scoop heaping 1-tbsp portions of dough and roll into balls. Coat balls completely in icing sugar and arrange 2 in. apart on prepared sheets.

(The more icing sugar on the cookie, the more you will have a defined “crinkle” look.)

4. Bake cookies for 15 min.

Cookies may look a bit wet or soft in the middle but will firm up as they cool. Let cookies cool on sheet for 10 min.

Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Cookies ½

cup salted butter, at room temperature

¼

cup granulated sugar (48 g)

2

tbsp icing sugar (25 g)

¼

tsp vanilla

¼

cup quartered maraschino cherries (reserve 2 tbsp liquid for buttercream), drained well

½

cup + 2 tbsp chopped roasted pistachios, divided

1

cup all-purpose flour (120 g)

Buttercream ¼

80

cup salted butter, at room temperature CHATELAINE • DECEMBER 2021

Chatelaine Test Kitchen cookie tips Spoon and level Use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup, and then use a straight edge (such as the spoon handle) to level off the top. If you scoop flour straight from the bag, you may end up adding more than necessary, resulting in a drier cookie.

Do a temperature check All ovens vary in temperature—we offer a range of baking times for this reason—but it’s worth investing in an oven thermometer to know just how hot or cool your oven runs.

You can then adjust your temperature and/ or baking time.

Use a cooling rack

Store separately

After your cookies are out of the oven, transferring them from the pan to a wire rack will keep them from overbaking due to the residual heat. Because air can circulate on all sides, the rack also allows for faster cooling of the cookies.

Cookies can be sensitive to air and humidity, so store soft and crisp cookies in separate, sealed containers to preserve texture. Separating layers of cookies with parchment will reduce breakage, especially if you’re transporting them.

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COOKIES

Vegan Chocolate Crinkle Cookies P 80

Whisk and Sugar “One of my best memories growing up was making holiday cookies with my family—now I get to pass that tradition to my own kids. These soft and fudgy vegan chocolate crinkle cookies are a classic holiday cookie that’s perfect for any party or cookie exchange. They’re sure to please even the pickiest cookie or chocolate lover.” — COURTNEY VAN HORNE, OWNER, CHARLOTTETOWN (NOW CLOSED, SADLY) DECEMBER 2021 • CHATELAINE

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ENTERTAINING

Furikake Popcorn with Grapefruit Sake Cocktail P 88

Whether you’re settling in for some friendly hands of poker or a super high-stakes round of Monopoly, you definitely need two things close by: a tasty, salty snack and a punchy, no-fuss cocktail.

Here, six winning combos guaranteed to fuel your next game night

Recipes by IRENE NGO Produced by SUN NGO Photography by ERIK PUTZ Prop styling by MADELEINE JOHARI Food styling by MICHELLE RABIN

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CHATELAINE • DECEMBER 2021

JEWELLERY, COURTESY OF HIDDEN.ATTIC. PRESS-ON NAILS, COURTESY OF KISSUSA.COM AND IMPRESSMANICURE.COM. CLOTHES, COURTESY OF BANANAREPUBLIC.CA.

WARDROBE PULL, SUN NGO.

food

BLOUSE, MODEL’S OWN.

UP THE ANTE Parmesan and Parma Ham Kettle Chips with Limoncello Prosecco Cocktail P 88

food

ENTERTAINING

SNAP TO IT Rice Paper Chips and Peanut Dipping Sauce with Spiced Rum and Ginger Beer Cocktail P 88

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CHATELAINE • DECEMBER 2021

ALL THE RIGHT MOVES Chocolate-Covered Pretzels with Cranberry-Orange Vodka Soda P 88

food

ENTERTAINING

CLICK AND COLLECT

BLOUSE, MODEL’S OWN.

Cheddar Cheese Crackers with Mulled White Wine P 89

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CHATELAINE • DECEMBER 2021

LETTER-PERFECT

DRESS AND SHIRT, BANANA REPUBLIC.COM.

Warm Sweetand-Savoury Nuts with Forager Whisky and Tonic P 89

food

ENTERTAINING

THE GAME PLAN

Furikake Popcorn

¼

cup furikake seasoning tsp salt

1/3

cup popcorn kernels

¼

cup ghee (clarified butter), melted, or canola oil

1. Combine furikake seasoning and salt in a resealable bag. Finely crush with a rolling pin.

2 . Pop popcorn kernels following package directions.

Popcorn should measure 8 cups.

3. Drizzle ghee over popcorn.

Sprinkle with furikake mixture. Toss to combine.

Kitchen tip We prefer ghee— which has the water and milk solids removed—over regular butter, as it doesn’t make popcorn soggy.

Kitchen tip Furikake is a dry Japanese seasoning, typically composed of bonito (dried fish), sesame seeds, nori, sugar and salt, used to season rice or fish. Look for it at your local Asian grocery store.

Grapefruit Sake Cocktail Serves 1 Prep 5 min; total 5 min ¼

cup grapefruit juice

¼

cup grapefruit sparkling water

2

tbsp sake Grapefruit slices Mint sprigs

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CHATELAINE • DECEMBER 2021

Serves 1 Prep 5 min; total 5 min 1

tbsp limoncello Chilled dry prosecco Lemon slice

1. Pour limoncello into a champagne flute or coupe glass. Top with prosecco.

Garnish with lemon slice.

Mocktail version Substitute 2 tsp elderflower cordial and ½ tsp lemon juice for limoncello. Substitute nonalcoholic sparkling wine, such as Gruvi (available at well.ca), for prosecco.

Makes 8 cups Prep 5 min; total 10 min

1/2

Limoncello Prosecco Cocktail

juice in a small bowl. Whisk in 1 tbsp water if you prefer a looser dipping sauce.

2. Chips: Cut rice paper sheets into 2- to 3-in. pieces. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.

3. Pour oil into a large pot until it reaches ½ in. up side of pot. Heat over medium.

When hot, add a few rice paper pieces. Do not crowd pot.

Cook until puffed, about 5 sec.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer chips to prepared sheet.

Repeat with remaining rice paper pieces.

4. Sprinkle lime zest and cayenne over chips. Serve with dipping sauce.

Parmesan and Parma Ham Kettle Chips

Spiced Rum and Ginger Beer Cocktail

Makes about 8 cups Prep 10 min; total 20 min

Serves 1 Prep 5 min; total 5 min

1

¼

220-g bag low-sodium kettle chips

3/4

cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1/3

cup finely chopped Parma ham or prosciutto

1. Position rack in centre of oven and preheat to 350F. 2 . Arrange potato chips in a single layer, but close together, on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle cheese and Parma ham evenly over chips.

Season with pepper.

3. Bake until cheese is melted and chips are starting to turn golden, 8 to 10 min.

4. Remove from oven. Let cool slightly, and then transfer to a serving bowl.

Kitchen tip If you’re using regular kettle chips instead of low-sodium ones, reduce cheese to ½ cup.

cup spiced rum Ginger beer Lime wedge

Rice Paper Chips and Peanut Dipping Sauce Serves 4 to 6 Prep 10 min; total 15 min Dipping Sauce ¼

1. Fill a highball glass with ice, and then add rum. Top with ginger beer. Garnish with lime wedge.

Mocktail version Use 3 tbsp Borrago non-alcoholic spirit (available at bradshaws.ca) in place of spiced rum.

cup coconut milk

4

tsp natural smooth peanut butter

1

tbsp hoisin sauce

1

tbsp Thai yellow or red curry paste

1

tbsp lime juice

Chips 8

round rice paper sheets Canola oil, for shallowfrying

2 1/4

Chocolate-Covered Pretzels

tsp lime zest tsp cayenne (optional)

1. Dipping sauce: Whisk coconut milk with peanut butter, hoisin, curry paste and lime

Makes 4 cups Prep 20 min; total 1 hr 20 min 1/2

cup unsalted pistachios, finely chopped

ILLUSTRATION, ISTOCK PHOTO.

1. Combine grapefruit juice and sparkling water in a lowball glass, then add sake. Top with ice and garnish with grapefruit slices and mint sprigs.

Mocktail version Substitute a citrus non-alcoholic spirit, such as Seedlip Orange Grove (available at well.ca), for sake.

food

1 80

100-g bar dark chocolate, coarsely chopped mini pretzel twists (about 4 cups) or 30 large pretzels

1. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Place pistachios in a small bowl.

2 . Place chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl.

Microwave on medium, stirring every 30 sec, until almost melted, 1 to 2 min. Remove and stir until smooth.

3. Dip each pretzel halfway into chocolate, and then dip into pistachios. Place on prepared sheets. Let stand until chocolate is firm, about 1 hr.

Kitchen tip If you prefer milk chocolate instead of dark, tempering is necessary to ensure the chocolate will firm up on the pretzels: Microwave three-quarters of milk chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl on medium at 15-sec intervals.

Remove, stir well and check the temperature after each interval. (Chocolate temperature should not exceed 105F.) When chocolate is almost completely melted, remove bowl from microwave and stir until smooth. Stir in remaining chocolate. Let chocolate cool to 85F to 87F. Chocolate should be glossy and smooth.

Use immediately.

Cranberry-Orange Vodka Soda Serves 1 Prep 5 min; total 5 min 2

tbsp vodka

1

tbsp orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau

ILLUSTRATION, ISTOCK PHOTO.

Club soda 1

tbsp cranberry sauce or jam

1

lime wedge

1

orange wedge

1. Fill a lowball glass with ice, and then add vodka and orange liqueur. Top with club soda. Dollop with cranberry

sauce. Garnish with lime and orange wedges.

Mocktail version Substitute Seedlip Orange Grove nonalcoholic spirit for vodka and orange liqueur.

1/4

tsp cayenne (optional)

Using a pastry cutter or paring knife, cut dough into 1-in. squares, using a ruler for straighter lines, if desired.

(It’s okay if there is no space between crackers.) Transfer parchment with crackers to baking sheet.

5. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until crackers are puffed and golden-brown, 13 to 16 min. Transfer parchment and crackers to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Repeat with remaining pastry sheet. Store crackers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Kitchen tip Because the crackers are so thin, rotating the sheets halfway through will allow them to bake more evenly if there are hot spots in your oven.

1/4

cup cold butter, cut in small cubes

Mulled White Wine

1 1/4

cups grated orange or white aged cheddar cheese (113 g)

Cheddar Cheese Crackers Makes 4 cups Prep 20 min; total 1 hr 15 min 1 1/4

2

cup all-purpose flour (120 g) tsp salt

tbsp cold water

1. Position rack in centre of oven and preheat to 350F. 2 . Whirl flour with salt and cayenne in a food processor. While pulsing, gradually add butter and cheese until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add cold water. Pulse just until mixture forms coarse crumbs. Form dough into 2 balls, and then flatten each into a square.

3. Cut 4 pieces of parchment to fit a baking sheet. Place 1 piece of dough between 2 parchment sheets. Roll to 1-mm thickness. Repeat with remaining dough and parchment sheets. Refrigerate dough sheets on a flat surface until firm, about 15 min. (If you don’t have room in your fridge, place both dough sheets, lined with parchment, on top of each other on a baking sheet and place in the freezer.)

4. Working with 1 pastry sheet at a time, place on counter.

Peel off top parchment.

Makes 8 cups Prep 5 min; total 35 min 1

1-L carton 100% apple juice

3

clementines, sliced into ¼-in.-thick rounds or half moons

6

cinnamon sticks

4

star anise

1

tbsp whole cloves

1

750-mL bottle pinot grigio

1

cup clementine juice (optional)

1. Heat apple juice with clementines, cinnamon sticks, star anise and cloves in a pot over medium-low for 30 min.

Stir in wine and clementine juice. Divide among mugs.

Kitchen tip Add the optional clementine juice if you prefer your mulled wine sweeter.

Mocktail version Substitute pinot grigio and apple juice with 7 cups apple cider to make a mulled apple cider.

ENTERTAINING

Warm Sweet-andSavoury Nuts Makes 2 cups Prep 5 min; total 15 min 1½ 1/2 2

tsp finely chopped rosemary tsp garlic salt cups mixed unsalted nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, cashews, almonds, hazelnuts and peanuts

¼

cup pepitas

1

tbsp olive oil

4

tsp packed brown sugar

1

tsp flaked sea salt

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Combine rosemary and garlic salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

2 . Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium. Add nuts and pepitas. Cook, stirring often, until the lightcoloured nuts start turning golden, 5 to 8 min. Stir in oil.

(Nuts will start to be fragrant.)

3. Remove pan from heat.

Sprinkle sugar overtop. Stir constantly until sugar melts, about 10 sec. Sprinkle with rosemary mixture and stir just until coated. Transfer mixture to prepared sheet.

Spread out in an even layer.

Sprinkle with flaked salt. Let cool slightly. Serve warm.

Forager Whisky and Tonic Serves 1 Prep 5 min; total 5 min 2

tbsp botanical whisky, such as The Forager Tonic water Lemon slice

1. Fill a highball glass with ice and then add whisky. Top with tonic. Garnish with lemon.

DECEMBER 2021 • CHATELAINE

89

food

SWEETS

Got nog?

Then you’ve got dessert or breakfast—or the most delicious latte. The festive sipper is the star of the show in these incredibly satisfying sweet treats

Recipes by IRENE NGO Produced by STEPHANIE HAN KIM

People with compromised

Photography by ERIK PUTZ Food styling by MICHELLE RABIN

immune systems should avoid

Prop styling by RENÉE DREXLER

the lightly cooked eggs used in this nog. Try pasteurized eggs, like Egg Creations, instead.

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CHATELAINE • DECEMBER 2021

Homemade Rum Eggnog Makes 2 cups Prep 10 min; total 2 ½ hrs 4

large eggs or 1 cup pasteurized eggs cup 3.25% milk cup 35% cream

1/4

cup granulated sugar

3

tbsp dark rum (optional)

1

tsp vanilla

When mixture just starts to bubble, remove from heat. While whisking constantly, slowly pour milk mixture into eggs.

3. Reduce heat to low.

Pour eggnog back into saucepan and whisk constantly until eggnog starts to steam, 30 sec to 1 min. (Don’t overcook or eggs may curdle.) Immediately pour eggnog through sieve into measuring cup set in ice-water bath. Whisk in vanilla. Let cool completely, whisking occasionally, about 5 min. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve or use.

ATWELL DECANTER, CRATEANDBARREL.CA. MUG ILLUSTRATION, ISTOCK PHOTO.

1 1/4

1. Lightly beat eggs in a medium bowl. Set aside. Fill a large bowl halfway with ice and cold water. Set a large measuring cup (or bowl to fit 3 cups liquid) inside the ice-water bowl.

Place a sieve over the measuring cup.

2 . Heat milk with cream, sugar and rum in a medium saucepan set over medium-high, swirling saucepan occasionally, about 3 min.

DECEMBER 2021 • CHATELAINE

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Eggnog Latte P 94

Eggnog French Toast

MARIN SPICE ORANGE LINEN NAPKIN, CRATEANDBARREL.CA.

P 94

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CHATELAINE • DECEMBER 2021

food

SWEETS

Don’t have a 10-cup Bundt pan? Use a standard 12-cup Bundt—your panna cotta will just be slightly shorter.

Eggnog Panna Cotta P 94

DECEMBER 2021 • CHATELAINE

93

SWEETS

Eggnog Latte Serves 1 Prep 5 min; total 5 min 1 1

cup Homemade Rum Eggnog (page 91) shot espresso Freshly grated nutmeg (optional) Cinnamon sticks (optional)

1. Pour eggnog into a small saucepan set over medium.

Cook, whisking vigorously and constantly, until just heated through and foam develops, 1 to 2 min. (Don’t let eggnog come to a simmer or it may curdle.)

2 . Pour espresso into a mug.

Top with eggnog. Spoon foam over latte. Grate fresh nutmeg overtop and serve with a cinnamon stick.

Eggnog French Toast Serves 4 Prep 10 min; total 20 min 2

cups Homemade Rum Eggnog (page 91)

4

tbsp unsalted butter, divided

8

1-in.-thick challah loaf slices, divided Maple syrup or marmalade (optional) Icing sugar (optional) Fresh berries, such as raspberries, blackberries and blueberries (optional)

1. Pour eggnog into a shallow baking dish.

2 . Melt 1 tbsp butter in a large non-stick frying pan set over medium-high. Place 2 slices of bread in eggnog and soak for 15 to 20 sec per side.

3. Add soaked bread to hot pan. Fry until golden-brown, 2 to 3 min per side, adjusting heat if needed to ensure even browning. Wipe out pan, and

94

then repeat with remaining butter, bread and eggnog.

4. Serve French toast with maple syrup, icing sugar and fresh berries.

CHATELAINE • DECEMBER 2021

Eggnog Panna Cotta Serves 8 to 10 Prep 15 min; total 5 hrs 15 min Agave Layer 1 ¼

tsp gelatin powder, such as Knox cup agave syrup

Custard Layer 2

cups Homemade Rum Eggnog (page 91)

1 1/2

cups 3.25% or 2% milk

2

7-g pkgs gelatin powder

Garnish Sugared cranberries (optional; see Kitchen tip for recipe) Fresh berries, such as raspberries, blackberries and blueberries

1. Agave layer: Pour ⅓ cup water into a small saucepan.

Sprinkle 1 tsp gelatin evenly overtop. Set aside for 5 min.

Set saucepan over medium.

Cook, whisking often, until mixture just starts to bubble, 1 to 2 min. Measure agave in a small measuring cup. While stirring constantly, slowly pour hot gelatin mixture into agave until combined. Pour into bottom of a 10-cup Bundt pan. Let cool slightly, and then refrigerate until agave layer is firm, about 1 hr.

2. Custard layer: Meanwhile, pour eggnog into a large measuring cup (enough for 4 cups liquid). Pour milk into a medium saucepan. Sprinkle 2 packages gelatin evenly overtop milk. Set aside for 5 min.

Set saucepan over medium.

Cook, whisking often, until mixture just starts to bubble, 5 to 7 min. (Don’t let milk

come to full simmer, as it can scald.)

3. While whisking constantly, slowly pour milk mixture into eggnog. (Don’t stop whisking or eggnog may curdle.) Set aside, whisking occasionally, and let cool to room temperature, about 45 min.

4. Pour cooled eggnog into Bundt pan over firm agave jelly.

Refrigerate until panna cotta is set, about 4 hrs or overnight.

5. To unmould, fill a large bowl with hot water. Dip bottom of Bundt pan halfway into hot water to just loosen edges, 10 to 15 sec. (When you press gently on edge of panna cotta, it should pull away easily from pan.) Place a rimmed platter on top of mould; invert very quickly. Remove pan.

6. Garnish: Top panna cotta with sugared cranberries and serve fresh berries alongside.

Kitchen tip Bundt pans vary in thickness. If yours is thin, don’t leave it too long in the hot water when unmolding, as your panna cotta may start to melt.

Kitchen tip To make sugared cranberries, dip fresh cranberries (don’t use frozen) into beaten egg white, and then roll in granulated sugar. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and let dry completely.

Ba k e the ! cover

Eggnog Snowflake Cake Bites Serves 10 to 12 Prep 30 min; total 2 hrs 15 min Plus overnight chilling 1½ 1

cups cake and pastry flour (180 g) tbsp baking powder

1/4

tsp salt

⅛

tsp nutmeg

2

egg whites

1

cup granulated sugar, divided (192 g)

1/2

cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1

cup Homemade Rum Eggnog (page 91)

1/2

tsp vanilla

3/4

cup icing sugar, for garnish

1. Position rack in centre of oven and preheat to 350F. Line a 9 × 13-in. baking pan with parchment.

2 . Sift flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg into a medium bowl.

3. Beat egg whites, using an electric mixer on mediumhigh, in another medium bowl until foamy, about 2 min. Continue beating, gradually adding ⅓ cup granulated sugar until mediumstiff peaks form, 3 to 4 min more. Set aside.

4. Beat butter with remaining ⅔ cup granulated sugar, using same mixer (no need to wash beaters), in a large bowl until fluffy and pale yellow. Beat in eggnog and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture at low speed just until combined.

5. Gently fold egg white mixture into eggnog mixture, using a rubber spatula, until no streaks remain. Scrape batter into prepared pan.

6. Bake until top is golden and a cake tester inserted into centre of cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 min. Let cool in pan for 10 min. Remove cake from pan and invert, top-side down, onto a wire rack. Let cool completely, about 1 hr.

Refrigerate cake overnight.

7. To arrange eggnog cake into a snowflake pattern, cut cold cake lengthwise into 1 1/4-in.-long strips. Then cut each strip diagonally into seven 1 ½-in. diamonds. (Cake should yield about 42 diamonds.) Place cake diamonds on a wire rack. Sift icing sugar overtop. Transfer to a platter, arranging in a snowflake pattern, if desired. (One snowflake will use 18 cake bites.)

Let come to room temperature before serving.

MUG ILLUSTRATIONS, ISTOCK PHOTO.

food

food

SWEETS

Chilling the cake overnight will make it easier to cut clean slices. If you plan on serving the cake without cutting it into diamonds, you can omit chilling.

Eggnog Snowflake Cake Bites P 94

DECEMBER 2021 • CHATELAINE

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one last thing

HUMOUR

Emotional baking: A guide Written by CARLA CICCONE Illustration by LEEANDRA CIANCI

ALTHOUGH THIS IS MEANT TO BE the most joyful time of the year, you may find guilt, bitterness, anger, sexual frustration and a clogged chakra or two are preventing you from experiencing maximal cheer. It’s time to let those feelings go, by eating them.

SHAMEFUL SHORTBREAD It’s been one year since you turned your camera off to aggressively pick your nose during a company-wide Zoom meeting, which means it’s been one year since your office bestie, Tara, messaged to tell you that your camera was, in fact, still on. Add 1 tbsp of butter for each day you’ve held on to your shame. Mix with as much sugar as feels right. Form into balls and bake for 10 min. Add to a blender with rum. Blend. Drink. Let it go.

TOXIC GINGERBREAD MEN Remember when you were passed over for a promotion in favour of fast-talking Rob, who winks at you during one-on-one meetings and calls everyone “girl” and “bro”? Think about him as you mix together butter, flour, molasses, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, brown sugar and Ex-Lax. Bake. Stab eyes and buttons with a toothpick. Mail to Rob on behalf of women everywhere.

CRANKY CANNOLI For some reason, you agreed to make cannoli for your family Christmas, even though you’re the busiest person in your family and no one ever appreciates anything you do. Make the most perfect goddamn cannoli any Italian has ever tasted. And wait. Wait for that one uncle, who’s guaranteed to say, “Mamma made it better.”

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CHATELAINE • DECEMBER 2021

When this happens, stand up, take the cannoli from his hand and crush it in yours while maintaining eye contact.

NAUGHTY NANAIMO BARS It’s been a hell of a sexually repressed few years. Combat this by putting on lingerie and slathering yourself in Nanaimo layers. Lick off while staring at yourself in a full-length mirror. Rarr.

PISSED-OFF PECAN CLUSTERS Mix together pecans and honey in a bowl, then chuck the entire thing at your neighbour Doug, who keeps letting his dog shit on your lawn.

The dog will surely enjoy eating the pecans off the ground, and that’s okay, because he is not the one to blame here.

AVENGING AMARETTI COOKIES First, think about your ex, for whom you missed Christmas Dinner 2018 because he had to see Avengers: Infinity War the day it was released.

Next, make amaretti cookies and set aside a tumbler of amaretto. Drink it while the cookies bake and think about texting your ex to say how much better off you are without him. Instead, put on some lipstick, dab a little almond flour on your nose and post a baking-beauty thirst trap.

CYNICAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES Channel your sour feelings toward Santa into the best choco chippers of your life. Eat them all while wrapping gifts, because you’re the one who makes the magic happen in this house, dammit.

BITTER BISCOTTI Follow Lidia Bastianich’s classic recipe while ruminating on your enemies, but give the cookies to your real friends in cute li’l tins. Happy holidays!

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