Overwhelmed By A Butterfly

Wonderful. Beautiful. Magnificent. Overwhelming. Loved it. To be told these words over and over again leaves no doubt that we knocked it out of the park with Madama Butterfly.

I thought it was wonderful. Absolutely wonderful.

Very entertaining. Very beautiful to look at.

Fabulous. May be the best opera we have seen and we've seen many good operas in Vancouver.

I don't even know where to begin. The emotions that it has brought out in me is just overwhelming.

Absolutely loved it. I think it's a wonderful production.

The set was magnificent. I struggled with it at first because it was so non-traditional, but it totally won me over.

Really, really great interesting set. Modern, very colourful, very eye-popping. It makes thematic sense as well. Towards the end, you really got the idea of a woman absolutely and emotionally abandoned, lost on a little rock in the middle of an ocean. So it works very, very well for that.

I loved the costumes. I thought they were fantastic. The whole stage was beautiful.

The orchestra was really terrific.

Very original. Unbelievable. This was just a one-of-a-kind piece of art on the stage.

It was extremely well done visually. The music was impeccable.

It was wonderful. I had tears.

This is the opera of the season. It was the most beautiful production I've ever seen.

Press play to hear what everyone had to say. Or double-click the video to see it directly on VO's Youtube channel.


Video by Bombshelter Productions & Mike McKinlay

Get your tickets now! Only 5 performances left! (and next Saturday is already sold out!) Call 604.683.0222 to speak to our box office or order online!

See you down at the theatre!

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Puppy Chow!

There are several things I must say IMMEDIATELY about this recipe.

First of all, it is Puppy Chow for people, not puppies. It is a concoction of Chex cereal that has been coated in chocolate and peanut butter and dusted with powdered sugar, and it is utterly addictive. I actually have no idea why it is called Puppy Chow in the first place, but every recipe I have come across for this stuff calls it Puppy Chow. Maybe because puppies are also addictive? But since it involves chocolate, which is bad for dogs, puppies are not allowed to eat it. Under any circumstances. Even if they look at you with big puppy dog smiles.

Even if they look at you with mournful puppy dog faces.



Even if they are so incredibly adorable you not only want to give them your puppy chow, but also take them home with you and hope your Southern husband doesn't notice.

Even if they look at you with big brown puppy dog eyes.

With pleading puppy dog wrinkled foreheads....

Even if they lie down and beg.

Or stand up and beg. Remain firm.

The next thing I have to say about this recipe is that I washed out that dog dish before I put the puppy chow into it. Or to be totally accurate, the Southern husband washed it for me. And then I proceeded to do one of the most cold-hearted things I have ever done to get a picture.

I took my dog's (clean!) bowl, which she absolutely knows belongs to her, and filled it full of chocolate puppy chow. I took one of my dog's beloved Milkbones and put it next to the bowl. I took my dog's leash, which to her means "hurray, let's go for a walk!" and arranged it next to the bone and the dish. I put it all right next to the back door, where she frequently eats her dinner. She thought it was Christmas and her birthday all rolled into one...and then I said the word she hates above all others.

NO.

She is such a good dog. She knows what "NO" means, and with every ounce of willpower she had in her doggy self, she didn't touch the bowl. But that doesn't mean she was happy about it. Oh no, she wasn't.

But I finally finished shooting the thing - it took about 15 minutes, which is about one thousand years in dog-time, and said ""Dixie! Want that Milkbone?"

Good things come to good dogs who wait. :-)

For the rest of us, here's the recipe for the Puppy Chow.

Puppy Chow!

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
9 cups Chex cereal (Any variety. I used Wheat Chex)
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar

1. Place peanut butter, butter and chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl.

2. Microwave for one minute, then stir to blend all ingredients thoroughly. Microwave an additional 30 seconds if not fully melted. Add 1/2 tsp. vanilla and stir well.

3. Put the Chex into a large bowl and pour the chocolate mixture over the cereal. Mix it up throughly, making sure all the cereal gets coated.

5. Divide the cereal mixture into two gallon-sized plastic zip-lock bags. Add one cup of powdered sugar to each bag and shake the bag gently until the cereal is well-dusted with sugar.

6. Spread the cereal on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and refrigerate for one hour. Store in refrigerator in between servings.

Click here for printable recipe

The International Federation of Trekkers Relaunch

I am glad the International Federation of Trekkers will relaunch their website because I never saw the first one! The countdown clock they have is very cool and as I write this there are 14 days left until it is up and running. From the article:

The International Federation of Trekkers (IFT), a Star Trek fan club, was first organized in 1984. A nonprofit corporation, IFT’s purpose, is “To promote the humanistic philosophies and ideals portrayed in the Star Trek myths in a realistic fashion conducive to the continued existence and responsible advancement of human kind. To provide, promote, and support education and positive legal activism in the area of human rights, racial and sexual equality, environmental causes, and space exploration. To promote a more positive impression of Star Trek fans as intelligent, socially conscious, active individuals who are aware and concerned about the real world today.”

Well, it looks like they have a lot of work to do in promoting their very positive ideals with an oil spill destroying the Gulf of Mexico, many wars currently being fought, and massive unemployment due to a global economic crisis. While a lot of the ideas are nice in the Federation, I doubt it would work and it sounds too much like one world government. I do not know if humans could evolve to the point of leaving greed for money and power behind, like the Vulcan species suppressed their violent emotions in exchange for approaching life with pure logic, and be able to handle a Federation that involves working with and getting along with other species when we cannot even get along on Earth with other races.
Here is a link to the article about the website.

Madama Butterfly: Final Thoughts

From left: Gus Fosarolli, John Biehler, Stacey Robinsmith, Kelsey Dundon

A HUGE thank you to all our bloggers who have joined us this past year in celebrating our Golden Anniversary season! What a way to go out! Madama Butterfly made an impact on everybody at opening night, including our bloggers. It may well be the first Blogger Night at the Opera where our opera left our bloggers all misty-eyed.

But don't take our word for it...

What a way to end the season. Vancouver Opera’s take on Puccini’s classic Madama Butterfly is beautiful and brilliant, not to mention, brightly coloured. - Kelsey Dundon

Mihoko Kinoshita’s portrayal of Madama Butterfly was amazing. Singing some of the classics that I’ve heard before were sung with passion and the chemistry between her and James were amazing. You can see the love she has for the naval officer and though the first Act is filled with flirting between the two, you wonder what would happen if their relationship did work out in the end. - Gus Fosarolli

One final thing that still surprises me that happens during the final bows at the end of both Opera’s I’ve attended is the extended ovation that gradually builds as the performers come out. For Butterfly, it went on for a long time and it was cool to see the passion the audience had for these performers. It’s not often you see an older gentleman hoot and holler while wearing a tux. - John Biehler

I have seen Madama Butterfly before but this time…the tears were streaming down my face. The ending of this opera was made all the more poignant due to the fact that at home are our two precious little angels. I cannot imagine being forced to relinquish my sweet little ones…the agony I felt as I sat there watching a woman’s child being stolen away…unbelievable. If you have not yet bought your ticket to this opera, do so as soon as you can. So exquisite. - Stacey Robinsmith

Thank you bloggers for helping to make Blogger Night at the Opera such a success. We look forward to seeing you all at the opera next season!

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

A Guy's First 'Madama Butterfly': Weep or Sleep?

The Tyee held a contest to find a reader who would accompany writer and opera buff David Tracey to Madama Butterfly on opening night. All entrants were opera newbies and had to explain why they wanted to go and why they feared the opera. Funny and heart-tugging responses came flooding in and the winner by random draw was Michael Bean.

Here's his winning email:

"I don't 'get' opera. The last time I went with a friend was years ago. She cried, I tried to stay awake. I'm a sensitive guy. I feel things. I watch chick flicks and occasionally cry. But I am completely unmoved by opera, despite my best efforts. I appreciate the musicality, I have some pieces in my music library that I love, I just don't understand the emotional engagement that seems to go with people's experience of watching it live. I end up reading subtitles and then getting drowsy.

"It's possible I just had lousy seats. I have no desire to be a philistine. I want to like capital-O Opera, I really do. Help a guy out. Michael Bean"

So after the curtain came down on Saturday, what did The Tyee's Tracey think of Madama Butterfly?

I didn't flood the lower bowl with tears, but I thought the singers were excellent, and the orchestra under conductor Jonathan Darlington just seems to get better with each production offered. I happen to like Puccini, enough to forgive him his flaws which include being too emotionally manipulative at times, but when the talent is up to his score, the results, as in this production, are admirable. - David Tracey
And opera newbie Michael?

With the second act, though, all the exposition from the beginning came together. That's when I got it. I thought the whole thing came to life, and even some of the set designs made sense. I really enjoyed it. A few moments I found genuinely moving. I can see now how opera is unapologetically art. I want to see more. - Michael Bean

Chalk it up to the art form that is opera! We have another convert!

To read more from The Tyee, click here.

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

A Madama Butterfly Like This Wings Its Way Into Town Once In A Lifetime

Photo credit: Tim Matheson

The Vancouver Opera is closing its golden-anniversary season in high drama, with a production that’s not just a visual feast—a giant, constantly shifting piece of contemporary art—but boasts the kind of vocal star power you’d expect on one of the world’s more famous stages.

To read more from the Georgia Straight, click here.

Ham and Pineapple Quesadillas, and Organizing Your Dinner!

Okay, so I admit it, I am a Type A, compulsive, inflexibly organized person. It's the only way I can keep the various parts of my life all (mostly!) heading in the right direction, and by parts I mean the care and feeding of one Southern husband, one picky but adorable teenager, one constantly hungry dog, one full-time job, and one obsession with photographing my dinner. In terms of the last one, my usual approach is to plan the menu for the week all in one fell swoop on Saturday morning by spreading cookbooks and clippings and scribbled notes all over the kitchen counter, picking out some good-sounding ones, making a giant list and hitting the local farmer's market and supermarket on Sunday morning. That way I know what I am making when I walk in the door each evening, and all the fixings are already there and waiting for me.



Now, I have gotten more than a little bit of teasing for this over the years, so I felt extremely vindicated when I heard about this new website that pretty much does EXACTLY this same thing, without the added complication of having to collect the recipes.

Relish

Relish is a service that collects a great variety of recipes, including lunches, desserts, kid-friendly dishes, vegetarian stuff -- you name it. The recipes change up every week, although the old ones are archived so if there is one you love you can go back to it. You pick out the recipes you want to make for the week, and it organizes them into a grocery list for you -- all the stuff you need to make them. When you print out the list, it prints out all the recipes too, so at the end you have a weekly menu, a grocery list with all the stuff you need to make everything, and all the recipes. It costs $7 per month, and less if you sign up in increments of 6 months or more.

Gee, what a great, organized IDEA!

The folks at Relish were nice enough to give me a gift voucher to road test this service, and so I took it out for a spin. It worked exactly as described, and the recipes were right at my level -- creative but not too fussy or elaborate for weeknight cooking. For example, the dinner pictured above, which is a ham and pineapple quesadilla with a lovely little side salad of sugar snap peas, mango, avocado, coconut and other nice things. (This was one of the things I liked best about Relish -- they don't give you the main course and then leave you to your own devices on the side dish. Each meal comes with both.) The recipe was quick and pretty easy, and delish.

So for those of you who don't get your kicks out of figuring out the weekly menu, you might want to give Relish a try. And in the meantime, try out their ham and pineapple quesadillas. I'm going to clean up my kitchen counter now.

Ham and Pineapple Quesadillas, adapted from Relish

• 1/4 cup apricot preserves
• 2 8 inch whole wheat tortillas
• 4 slices ham
• 1 8 ounce can pineapple tidbits, drained
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

1. Spray frying pan with olive oil cooking spray and heat over high heat.

2. Divide apricot preserves over half of each tortilla. Top evenly with ham, cheese and onions. Fold tortillas in half.

3. Place tortillas in heated frying pan and reduce heat to meidum high. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until cheese is melted and tortilla is golden.

4. Cut tortilla into wedges and serve.

Click here for printable recipe

A Butterfly That Soars In Style

Photo credit: Tim Matheson

Take away Jun Kaneko’s spectacular sets and costumes for Vancouver Opera’s current production of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly and you would still have a sublime performance, with some of the best singing that has graced the Queen Elizabeth Theatre’s stage. But the visual component of this production is so compelling, and so intelligent, that it lifts this opera to a new level.

To read more from the Globe & Mail, click here.

Beautification

                              Where a tree once was 22nd Street

Spring brings with it a great urge to improve and prettify things. An excellent idea. Some people do indoor projects like putting in new carpets or recessed lighting  or things like that. Other than ordering some Le Crueset cooking stuff (for when I feel ambitiously domestic) my thoughts turn to outdoors. Since I don't have a garden I long to take over a little plot of something outside and adopt it in a sort of guerilla gardener sort of way......

....just as Luis Lujan has done on the corner of 25th Streetand 9th Avenue. Petunias rule! I look forward to following his project. Buster is pretty impressed too!

This morning I met Shin Shin from California who pastes huge photos

 of fruit from her garden onto other graffiti. She wants to make things a great deal prettier.....

                              22nd St. between 10th and 11th Avenues.

.... and somehow succeeds.

The new park at the  west end of 23rd Street now has a carousel 

with lovely decorated creatures to ride on. A great hit on a late spring Sunday. 

Madama Butterfly Soars Anew In Unconventional Production

Photo credit: Tim Matheson

Butterfly always risks coming across as a highly effective series of great vocal numbers. What makes this Butterfly something to see and to treasure is how well it holds up as theatre. Without any sense of over-busy fussiness, every moment is filled with meaningful detail.

Click here to read the Vancouver Sun review.

Anyone Want A Cat?

This is what Elsie did last night -

There were tears. . . lots and lots of tears. . . and there was swearing. . . lots and lots of swearing. . . and there was threatening of sending her back outside. . . and then she curled up on my lap and said "moow" (yes, Elsie meows like Sponge Bob's snail Gary). . .

Madama Butterfly: The Trailer

Here's your peek at the visually stunning Madama Butterfly, conceived and designed by visual artist Jun Kaneko and directed by Leslie Swackhamer.

Press play or double-click the video to see it directly on VO's Youtube channel.


Video by Bombshelter Productions & Mike McKinley

Tickets going fast! Both Saturdays are already sold out!

Get yours today! Call 604.683.0222 or purchase online!

Madama Butterfly: The Book

When you're at Madama Butterfly, stop by the subscribers table in the main lobby to check out Jun Kaneko's book, Madama Butterfly.

This 125 paged souvenir book documents the story of how artist Jun Kaneko collaborated with Opera Omaha to design a contemporary look to the traditional opera. The book is filled with sketches and pictures of the whole creation process, along with a great backgrounder on Puccini, the Madama Butterfly opera and Japan in the early 1900s.

To order your copy, call 402-341-3800 (USA) or e-mail info@thekaneko.org and mention Vancouver Opera. All proceeds from book sales go to benefit Vancouver Opera & KANEKO. For more information on Jun Kaneko, visit his website here.

An awesome keepsake of a visually stunning opera that you won't soon forget.

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Puccini’s Madama Butterfly Tells A Timeless Story Of Tragic Miscommunication

Photo credit: Tim Matheson

How can a contemporary production offer all of Butterfly’s considerable traditional charms while maintaining interest for seasoned opera goers who may feel themselves to be rather too familiar with the piece?

For the answer to that question, click here for the Vancouver Sun write-up.

8 Reasons To Go To Vancouver Opera

We love it when we take someone's who never been to an opera before and convert them into an opera enthusiast, as well as a friend to the VO.

Ami Sanyal, one of bloggers from our very first Blogger Night at the Opera, posted a notice to all his Facebook friends on why they should go to the opera. We were so touched when we found out, that I have reposted it here with Ami's kind permission.

Cec and I have been going to the Vancouver Opera's productions since Jan 09. With Madama Butterfly coming up, we thought it would be a good time to share why!

How we Discovered the Vancouver Opera

Truth is, the Vancouver Opera came to us! In Jan 09 I was a contributor for a Vancouver blog called Beyond Robson. Ling Chan (VO's Social Media Manager) approached Beyond Robson inviting us to partake in their first 'Bloggers Night Out'. At the time, the opera conjured faint images of snooty elderly folk peering through bejeweled mini-binoculars...but the fact that VO was interested in social media scene intrigued me enough to accept Ling's invitation.

See more about the production on my post on Beyond Robson.

The show was Carmen, and from production quality to staff dedication, Cecily and I were really, really impressed!


Photo credit: Tim Matheson

8 Reasons We Keep Going to the Opera

Ami's Reasons

1. Something different! Grabbing a drink and heading off to a VO production guarantees a unique night out

2. It's affordable! Tickets start at $23...which is cheaper than most concert tickets

3. Great stories. Most of these productions have wicked plot lines! (I'm not sure why this surprises me every time)

4. Foreign factor. When I walk down the street I like it when I hear other languages. Having them sung to you by an opera singer while an orchestra provides instrumentals is even better. (Read the screen for English translations)

Cecily's Reasons

1. Men in Tights. 'nuff said.

2. Dress up. Get some use out that dress that you wore to a wedding that one time (Note: dressing up is optional...so you can show up in jeans if you like)

3. Support the local arts scene. Figaro boasted an all-Canadian cast

4. The music! Awesomely talented vocals and amazing instrumentals from the pit (a great motivation to pick up my trumpet again).

We really like the Vancouver Opera's productions and staff members. Go check them out, you might like 'em too!

Awwwww. This makes our Friday! Thanks Ami and Cecily for the kind words and for supporting Vancouver Opera!

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Would You Like To Be Infected With A Computer Virus?

If you would like to be infected with a computer virus, you would first need to have implanted in your body a chip, and I discussed that topic in a previous post. A scientist who has a chip implanted in his hand decided to infect it with a computer virus. From the article:

The virus, infecting a chip implanted in Gasson's hand, passed into a laboratory computer. From there, the infection could have spread into other computer chips found in building access cards.

All this was intentional, in an experiment to see how simple radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips like those used for tracking animals can host and spread technological diseases.

Gasson had a relatively simple chip implanted in the top of his left hand near his thumb last year. It emits a signal that is read by external sensors, allowing him access to the Reading laboratory and for his cell phone to operate.

He and his colleagues created a malicious code for the chip. When the lab's sensors read the code, the code inserted itself into the building computer database that governs who has access to the premises.

"The virus replicates itself through the database and potentially could copy itself onto the access cards that people use," Gasson said.

The experiment showed that implants which wirelessly communicate with other computers can infect them and vice versa.

He also goes on to explain that bionic medical devices such as a heart pacemaker, for example, may receive a malicious code to stop it from working properly thus endangering the patients life. Cochlear implants and brain stimulators used for patients with Parkinson´s disease also face interruption by a malicious virus.
My interpretation of this study is skeptical, but then again I usually am when it comes to research that looks at the nefarious uses of technology. Why choose to do research on how a computer virus can infect an implant unless in the future, an implant will be required for business, identification, and money transactions. Of course this is the science fiction, tin foil hat wearer in me, but I still wonder about this type of research.
You can read the entire article at LiveScience.com at the link below.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Man Infects Himself with Computer Virus (livescience.com)

Say Cheese!

Photo credit: William C. Shrout

Your opportunity to make funny, squishy faces (or not) is back!

A hit with our Figaro audiences, we're bringing back the SMART Pics photo booth for Madama Butterfly's opening night and June 3 performance. Click here to see all the peeps who took advantage of flashing their pearly whites at Figaro.

Take a picture of yourself. Take a photo with your date. Grab some random peeps in the lobby for one gigantic group shot. (just watch out for those photobombers!)

The best part? (besides the "love it" or "try again" option) You can email it to yourself or you can send it to someone else and let them know what they're missing out on!

The SMART Pics photo booth will be situated by the east end lobby staircase and bloggers table, just waiting for your smiles and poses.

A great souvenir for attending the last opera of the year. And a thank you from us for helping to celebrate our Golden Anniversary season.

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Sculptor Jun Kaneko Helps Make An Artful Madama Butterfly

The result is, not surprisingly, an artful Butterfly unlike any that audiences have seen before. Vancouver fans can expect a boldly visual and yet minimalistic, abstracted take on an opera that is usually presented in exotic, historical Japanese detail. This lovelorn geisha Cio-Cio-San (highly praised Japanese soprano Mihoko Kinoshita, in her most in-demand role) will wear a contemporary, graphic kimono, and she and her double-crossing naval officer, Pinkerton (tenor James Valenti), inhabit a stylized “house” with a geometrically gridded Japanese screen and a floor that swirls with concentric ovals.

Click here for more from the Georgia Straight.

Fiesta Party Invites

As I mentioned in my last post - I really like party planning. So this year I'm going all out and not letting a single detail fall by the wayside. Being that the first thing your guests see is the party invitation, that's where we'll start.

This is an edited version of the invitation I sent out to my guests -

I wanted something simple, casual, and most importantly FUN. How can you beat a chihuahua with promises of tacos and margaritas for all. . . crap, I just noticed that I misspelled margaritas. . . okay, so maybe I shouldn't have made these in the middle of the night and sent them out without proofing them. . . guess I can say that Emmett made them. . .

Oh well, if you don't mind the misspelling I have a lovely blank PDF version is here for your downloading pleasure.

This post might be better suited for the Biscuit & Sissy blog, but, whatever - I make my own rules.

Shrimp Rolls

Okay, so if a shrimp cocktail and a lobster roll fell in love and got married and had a baby, it would look a little like this:

Wait, wrong adorable baby picture! Although he is pretty delicious-looking too...

Anyway, it would look like that first picture up at the top, which is basically the world's fastest and most satisfying supper on a warm Friday night. First of all, you need to get New England style hot dog rolls, which are those kind that are split down the top instead of split down the side. I have no idea why this makes them New England style -- somebody out there please tell me? - but they work the best for these shrimp rolls. If you can't find them, go ahead and use the side-split kind, they will still taste just as good.

Next you boil up some nice peeled shrimp. Here is my usual pitch for buying your shrimp in bulk at Costco -- they have the best shrimp anywhere, their prices are amazing, and once you have your Southern husband separate them into freezer bags full of normal-sized portions, you will have a freezer full of wonderful shrimp just ready for whatever shrimp recipe you want to make next, and you will sleep easier at night.

Anyway, boil the shrimp up until they are just cooked through -- I usually throw them into a pot with enough water to cover, toss in a couple of spoonfuls of Old Bay seasoning, bring the whole thing to a boil and then turn it off as soon as it boils and let the shrimp sit in the hot water for about 5 minutes. Drain them and put them in a bowl of ice water to cool down.

Then mix up a batch of cocktail sauce - ketchup plus horseradish plus chopped celery. At this point you can decide if you want your shrimp whole, or if you would like to cut them up -- either is fine. Now the assembly: open up your hot dog roll. Line with one leaf of Bibb lettuce. Fill with shrimp. Spoon cocktail sauce over. Serve with salt and pepper potato chips. Be this happy.

Here's the recipe.

Shrimp Rolls, adapted from Everyday Food

• 1/3 to 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled, cooked and chilled.
• Bibb lettuce leaves
• Hot dog rolls, lightly toasted and buttered
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/8 cup horseradish (or more to taste)
• 1 stalk chopped celery

1. Mix together ketchup, horseradish and celery
2. Line rolls with one lettuce leaf each
3. Place shrimp on lettuce
4. Spoon cocktail sauce over top.

Click here for printable recipe

James Valenti on SAATO

Photo credit: Dario Acosta

Turn on the radio!

James Valenti will be the featured guest on Saturday Afternoon at the Opera on CBC Radio 2 with host Bill Richardson - 105.7 FM.

Become a Friend of VO!

It’s not too late to become a Friend of Vancouver Opera! Make a gift of at least $75 before June 15, 2010 and you will receive an invitation to our annual Friends’ Reception. We are only $28,000 away from our June 30 Friends fundraising goal for this season, and as only 41% of our revenue comes from ticket sales, your donation will directly affect VO’s ongoing commitment to offer exceptional productions and community programming.

Click here to donate now or call the Development Coordinator of Individual Giving at 604-682-2871 ext. 4857.

Tune in for Madama Butterfly

Our set and costume designer, the extraordinary Jun Kaneko, will be featured in today's The Georgia Straight and The Vancouver Sun on Saturday.

Friday morning at just before 8:00am, dial in to 88.1 FM or 690 AM to hear Jun Kaneko on CBC Radio's The Early Edition.

Jun Kaneko’s stunning designs will bring a fresh and colourful take on Puccini's classic Madama Butterfly. A Japanese-born ceramicist and sculptor, Jun is the creator of more than 25 public art commissions, recipient of an honorary doctorate from the Royal College of Art in London, and one of the artists at the forefront of the contemporary ceramics movement. Click here to see his works.

Opening night (May 29) of Madama Butterfly is sold out! There are only 5 more performances - June 1,3,5,8 & 10! Get your tickets today!

Call the VO Ticket Centre at 604-683-0222 or buy online!

What Kind Of Girl Do You Think I Am?

Well, I guess I deserve what I got, I did ask you to guess why I have 20 margarita glasses in the backseat of my car. . .

But, no, Lisa, I'm not learning to play the glasses. . . and no, Gene, just because I used to take silverware when I was in college does not make me a kleptomaniac. . . Jolie, while I didn't get wasted and take them with me from a party, your guess was the closest though - I have 20 margarita glasses in my backseat because I'm going to be having a party soon. I turn the dreaded 29 in 45 days and to celebrate (or numb the pain, whatever) I am hosting a Fiesta.

Why am I sharing this all with you, well, see, I like to throw parties - it's fun, and well, it's pretty much all that's going on at my house at the moment, so deal with it.

P.S. Jolie - I love love love Mt. Airy. . . we hit up Goober's every time we're in North Carolina.

Lemon Ricotta Potatoes

Okay, so I don't usually get too worked up about side dishes. I tend towards those dishes that pretty much feature all the food groups and courses in one handy pan. That's why I love Shepherd's Pie, and Chili Dog Casserole, and pretty much anything with pasta in it. But every once in a while a side dish comes along and steals my heart. That's what happened with these gorgeous little potatoes.

It might have been because they feature ricotta cheese. I have recently learned how to make my own ricotta cheese, and so my ricotta cheese radar is on high alert. You can feel free to be a normal person and buy your own ricotta cheese (Whole Foods has great fresh ricotta), or you can join me in home-made ricotta cheese paradise by clicking here. In any case, you need some ricotta cheese...

And a couple of these...

And the best olive oil you can find. I get mine at the wonderful Palisades Indoor Farmer's Market, and if you live in the northern New Jersey/Southern New York area, you must check this out. Olive oil, fresh veggies, cheese, fish, jam, glorious baked goods....yes, yes, yes.

Anyway, you cook up a bunch of baby red potatoes by drizzling them with olive oil, salt and pepper and wrapping them up in a foil packet. Bake the packet until the potatoes are tender. Let them cool just until you are able to press them open, and then you top them with a mixture made of the ricotta, some grated parmesan cheese and some lemon peel. Drizzle a little more olive oil on top, grind some fresh pepper, and you almost don't need a main course.

However, I live with the Southern husband, and so we had some beer and brown sugar-marinated rib-eye steak on the side of the lemon ricotta potatoes.

Life is good.

Lemon Ricotta Potatoes, adapted from Everyday Food

• 1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• Zest from 1/2 lemon
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil for drizzling

1. Preheat oven to 450. Place the potatoes on a 3 foot long piece of foil and drizzle with olive oil, coarse salt and ground pepper. Bring edges of foil together to make a sealed packet, place on baking pan and bake for 40 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, combine both cheeses, lemon zest and salt to taste. When potatoes are done, cool just until you can handle them, then cut a small X on each one and squeeze open.

3. Place a spoonful of the ricotta mixture on each potato, grind some pepper on top and drizzle a little more olive oil on top. Serve immediately.

Click here for printable recipe

Float Like A Butterfly, Sting Like A Ninja

Illustration credit: Jeremy Forson

There are many skills one needs in order to be an Opera Ninja:

* "Stealth" being their middle name. With great reflexes and sharp night vision, Opera Ninjas are able to move quickly and silently about the theatre.

* Must always be calm, focused and observant. They must keep an eye on what's happening onstage as well as, know what's going on in the very darkest corner of the room.

* Must know how to get out of a sticky situation quickly (vanishing bombs and firecrackers are sometimes used for distraction)

* Being an Opera Ninja means knowing how to debug and troubleshoot pesky technology

* And above all, Opera Ninjas must have a really cool ninja outfit

An Opera Ninja who is successful at gaining entry, gathering as much intel as possible and retreating undetected will, of course, be sent out on more assignments.

That is why Ninja Girl Kimli has been assigned to the Madama Butterfly dress rehearsal. She did such an awesome job live-tweeting The Marriage of Figaro, that she'll bring the stealth again for tomorrow night's Butterfly. Follow along on @OperaNinja for all the action.

We have no doubt she'll once again kill it.

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Margaritas in Bulk

I currently have 20 if these glasses in the backseat of my car. . . can you guess why?

Why?

Did you know you can buy your very own Tap Out (TapouT?, Tapout?) cage bed and matching bedding. . . but would you really want to?

Treasure Box Wednesday: Never Too Chicken for Thrifty Adventure!

Saturday the rain came down in buckets at times, but the lure of a day out adventuring for this chick was just too strong to deny. And as a result I came up with what I consider pretty nifty, thrifty fortune...

I had popped by Construction Junction just to see what was junkin', and didn't get very far in the store before I spied an unframed 24 inch by 40 inch antique stained glass window with a crest on it...
...For $25.

Let me just write that again: $25.

It's the panel above in the lower center. You can see how it coordinates with the crest windows I already had hanging. So, well, I had that baby in my hands in about three seconds flat and didn't even look around the rest of the store before I was heading to the register.

And it's probably just as well, too, as the window continued to cause a little stir on its way out the store. Folks in line pondered its history, marveled at its price and one lady even called her friend over to see it.

Talk about timing! And with a quick assemble-it-yourself frame I pieced together from Michaels' to sturdy it up, it's very happy in its new home.

Another favorite item of recent finds was this colorful vintage print of a cherubic little girl, chicks and her beloved St. Bernard in a farmyard...

The print was just so incredibly cheerful, I was unable to resist. It's hanging in my hallway now, so I can enjoy the scene as I pass through daily.

And lastly, I uncovered this cool old playbill from a performance of Richard III...
Long-time readers might remember I have Edwin Austin Abbey and Millais prints in my livingroom related to the Richard III tale, so I thought this play information, in its very medieval-looking frame, would be a nice addition. It's a bit worse for wear, but then Richard III didn't exactly have a cakewalk reign, either.

Anyway, that puts the lid back on today's Treasure Box. If you missed Sunday's post on eccentric knitwear modeling in "The Spinnerin Wives" click here.

Otherwise, perhaps I'll see you for our next post. Just as an FYI, I may move it to Monday, as I have a friend visiting this weekend and I doubt there's going to be a whole lot of blogging time. But I'll see you soon!