The Artful Desperado

Paintings by Gustavo Peña

April 28, 2014

Happy Monday boys and girls! How was y’alls weekend? Hope you had a good one!

I had a rather exciting one (thanks for asking). I finally completed – for the very first time – the Vancouver Sun Run, which is Canada’s largest 10K run. And yes, I made it to the finish line! (though by the end of it I was so hungry that it looked like a stretched cupcake). I must say, I now know why peeps get so worked up about races and running, it really pumps your endorphins and makes you happy.

Speaking of happy, these paintings by Gustavo Peña are like happy memories of summers past, you know? Dressing up in your hipstery clothes, taking photos of friends jumping in the lake, dressing up in obscure outfits for chic soirees, that kind of stuff. I like the grungy vibe of these paintings – my fave being the very first one with lots of pink and blue.

Ah, are you as thirsty as I am for summer? Seriously, as of late that’s all I can think about, and this kind of art is making me itch for sunshine even more!

Artful Travels: Grand Canyon and Meteor Crater in Arizona

April 24, 2014

Hello! It’s Gab here checking in. So I just came back from a – much needed – mini vacation (seriously, I need mini breaks so I don’t go cray cray). I didn’t take as many photos as I should’ve, and for a good reason: I basically wanted to enjoy the vacation without ANY kind of interference, including taking photos of every single thing. In a way it felt so awesome to be so free of technology (except for a couple updates on IG and twitta).

For this mini vaca I went down to visit a dear friend of mine in Arizona, a state that has become one of my favourites! Probably because it’s WAY different than Canada. All of those desert-y landscapes are out of a movie.

Here are a few tips in case you want to visit the Grand Canyon state (which you totally should):

Bike around the Grand Canyon: yes, you can bike around the rim. SO COOL. We rented our bikes at this spot, and it was about $30 each for half a day. The staff was lovely and gave us a couple easy routes to explore. Dudes, I’m telling ya, biking around the canyon and in and out of the forest is the bees knees. Be ready to make sudden stops to snap the perfect photo and bring some snacks to have an impromptu little picnic.

Oh and there are actual bike paths along the canyon with map stations so you don’t have to worry about getting lost.

Visit Meteor Crater: if you want to feel like you’re in an X-Files episode – and you are a total geek like us – then you should definitely pop by Meteor Crater. It’s crazy to be able to see an actual – and the best preserved in the world – crater created by the impact of a meteor. Again, this attraction is only for those who love geeking out on earth/space stuff. The little museum by the crater is kinda cheesy but has neat stats and info about the site and you can buy some fossils and alien IDs HA!

On your way back from the crater you’ll get to enjoy the stunning desert landscapes, and if you’re lucky enough, you might catch an electrical storm!

Pop by Flagstaff: Flagstaff is a charming little town (well I think it’s a city?) that’s on the way to the Grand Canyon. During winter is buzzing with skiers, but on spring and summer it becomes a super chill town with cute little shops and greasy-spoon yummy eateries. A couple to try: Macy’s (good chai lattes and delicious breakfast croissant sandwiches), and Brandy’s Bakery (get the swedish oat pancakes!).

If you need to crash for the night, the beds at the Little America are pure heaven! (Don’t you love sleeping in comfy hotel beds?). Also, the graden in front of the hotel is home to a family of incredibly adorable prairie dogs.

Oh, and did I mention it was 30 degrees and sunny (almost) the whole time? Yah. Such a treat! Unlike here up north where we are still wearing boots and scarves. Oi.

Hope you get to visit these copper-hued natural beauties soon! It’s so worth it!

Posters by Lene Nørgaard

April 18, 2014

Another Danish gem! These posters by designer Lene Nørgaard are a minimal-interior-design-lover’s dream. They would look smashing against a bare white wall or with some plywood to make the colours and textures pop even more.

BTW, as you are reading this post today I am probably hiking down the Grand Canyon, so let’s just hope I make it back to Canada in one piece so I can purchase some of these awesome posters. If you want to get some too, you can buy them over here.

Well fellas, I’m cyber signing off for the weekend. I’ll see you here on Monday ok. Enjoy the weekend!

Local Folks: Revolver Cafe Vancouver

April 17, 2014

Hey fellas! Guess what? The Artful Desperado is premiering a brand new series in collaboration with two talented dear friends: Vancouver photographer Tomasz Wagner and his lovely accomplice Amy Tran. Together we’ll unearth the best kept secrets and treasures of a specific destination. Obviously we’ll start close to home and take it from there.

Our very first post features Revolver Cafe along with their new place next door, Archive. Both spots are a must-go for coffee lovers! Let’s hear from George Giannakos (pictured on top image), one of the men in charge of this family-owned gem in the heart of Gastown.

What occupied your days before Revolver and Archive?

Coffee! More coffee! Ever since my parents opened up a coffee shop called Crema in West Van (December 2006) I have been working in coffee. I worked there right up until we got the keys to the space that is now Revolver. If you want to go further back than that though, I was studying Languages at various colleges/universities for a bit, only to ultimately leave to work full-time at Crema not long after it opened.

What influenced your design decisions for Revolver and Archive?

Revolver’s design decisions were influenced by many places we’ve been to, seen or imagined. We worked with Craig Stanghetta of Ste. Marie Art Design who has done some gorgeous rooms in Vancouver and he did a great job of translating what we were saying and thinking into realization. There is certainly more than one aesthetic you could lop Revolver into, but one of the main themes is the idea of being ‘open/exposed/transparent’. And this is something that is persistent in our open bar and shelving, exposed electrical and plumbing, all the way through to every drink being served in glass.

What challenges have you faced as a business owner in Vancouver?

I can’t say there have been many challenges that I would attribute specifically to Vancouver internally. At least in Gastown and specifically on Cambie St., life is good! That being said, because we work with shops and roasters based out of the U.S. there is always the potential for extra shipping fees and customs/duties hassle. This would be a reality for any business that imports goods from another country though

What are your favourite places in Vancouver?

I have a long list of go-to places but some of the establishments that I keep finding myself back at around town would be the Pourhouse for imbibing, Moderne Burger for immortal burgers and fries, Shiro Sushi for humble Japanese sushi, Paperhound Bookshop for reads, and Paper-Ya on Granville Island to feed my stationary vice.

What is your most memorable travel experience?

After I finished my first year of college I went travelling for 6 weeks — 3.5 of which were spent in Greece, 2.5 which in Iran — and as you can probably imagine it was a pretty great time. I absorbed a lot at the time but would love to go back now for a second round so I can really see what’s going on, like a re-reading a book or re-viewing a film.

Any developments and/or projects you’re excited about right now re: Revolver, Archive, or otherwise?

On the coffee side of things we’ve set up accounts with some really great roasters based out of Europe that have world wide recognition and are quite rare to see on this side of the water — so we’re obviously excited to be able to offer those. We’ve also just started bringing in Field Notes in Archive and are looking to dip our toes a little deeper into ‘cafe lifestyle’ items (think stationary/pens/magazines, stuff like that.)

Thanks so much for chatting with us, George!

Photos: Tomasz Wagner

Spelt Coconut Honey Cake with Chocolate Ganache

April 15, 2014

This is the tale of a blogger that tried several cake recipes and couldn’t find one that was coconut-y enough to satisfy his living-la-vida-loca tropical cravings. Because you know, Mexico. And Spring. That’s until he found Love Bake Nourish by Amber Rose, a mighty book full of healthier cakes and desserts. Here’s the thing, if you’re going to hit the sugar pipe on a regular basis like I do, you gotta be responsible.

Anyways, this recipe from Mrs. Rose book is a DELIGHT. A coconut delight. It’s super easy to make and – wait for it – it’s vegan! Except for the honey, but whatevs, chill, bee puke never hurt anyone. As an extra added bonus; I bathed this cake in rich chocolate ganache because I really love you AND I added a touch of lemon zest to bring spring closer to your taste buds.

Alright, let’s do this.

Spelt Coconut Honey Cake with Chocolate Ganache
Serves 8-10 awesome friends, lame ones get shit

Ingredients:

CAKE
- 1 3/4 spelt flour sifted
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened dried coconut
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup of honey
- 3/4 coconut milk
- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt

GANACHE
- 1/2 cup almond milk (if you have no dietary restrictions, use whipping cream for an even richer texture).
- 1/2 cup good quality dark chocolate chips

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven at 350F and grease your pan or pans (I used small bundt pans ’cause I’m fancy pants).
2. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl, then add lemon zest, honey, coconut milk, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix until combined (be gentle). I find spelt flour gets gluten-y quite fast, so don’t overmix or you’ll get a tough cake.
3. Place batter in mould and bake for about 35-40 min. Use a toothpick to test AND also poke a bit of the cake out and taste it to make sure it’s all good. Once it’s done, remove from the oven and let it cool down before removing from the pan.

Now the ganache:

Heat up the almond milk and bring it to a gentle simmer, then turn the heat off and add the chocolate chips. Lets them melt for a bit, and then whisk until mixture gets shiny. Easy!

Drizzle warm chocolate ganache over the cake and eat! Warm, cold, anyway you want it, this cake is PUUURFECTION.

Photos and Styling: The Artful Desperado
Recipe: adapted from Love Bake Nourish

Paintings by Erik Olson

April 14, 2014

Oh hey, is this a new type of cubism? Perhaps coolism?

These portraits by Canadian artist Erik Olson (yaaas, represent!) give me feelings. I love how each brush stroke has so much texture, it’s almost like icing, but in the shape of art.

His new portraits series is packed with bright hues and multidimensional subjects. They kinda remind me of those weaved collages that have been recently featured in several fashion magazines (you know which ones I’m talking about?).

Portraits, texture, and lots of colour. I am definitely gonna keep an eye on this guy.

The New Cocktail Science

April 11, 2014

I recently discovered this article in the NY Times about cocktails and simplicity. Even though the article focuses more on the recipes, it was still super interesting to see that you don’t need to be schooled to do something you love. A lot of these crazy-talented bar tenders are actually artists-turned-mixologists. Quite different from the old days when you wouldn’t even dare to step in a kitchen or bar without having the proper credentials.

It’s fantastic how – regardless of your educational or vocational background – you can transfer almost any skills to a different field, and these guys do it in such a way that you feel like you’re reading a story about mad scientists trying to come up with a new chemical compound to save the world.

Now, these cocktails are not than simple to make, and you do require a certain level of skill to put them together (and to find or make some of the ingredients), but they are simple enough in the sense that the focus is the one ingredient or flavour, and the “cocktail story” is built upon that. Mixing and matching ingredients. So poetic!

Now I’m sure this post just made you very thirsty, so ama let you go so you can prepare some of these liquid lovers. Find the recipes to make the cocktails above in here.

Happy weekend!

Image Credit: Sarah Anne Ward for The New York Times. Food stylist: Suzanne Lenzer. Prop stylist: Paola Andrea

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