Monday Musings – It’s Civilized
Happy Monday ladies. We spent a glorious weekend exploring Victoria and will be driving up island tomorrow. We made the rounds at Munro Books, Murchie’s Tea Shop, The Irish Times Pub, and tons of other great spots. The strange thing is, we didn’t visit the Empress Hotel.
We’d had high tea there two summers ago, and while it was fantastic, we didn’t feel the need to repeat it.
Here are a few things on my mind this week:
Tea
Everyone in my family drinks coffee. I would venture to say that several of them aren’t quite human until they’ve had their first or second cup in the morning. For me, it’s tea and I’m pretty particular about it. Darjeeling in the morning and Earl Grey, preferably as a London Fog, in the afternoon. We’ve been having afternoon tea and scones at Murchies more tmes than I can count this week. 
A London Fog is made with Earl Grey Tea and Vanilla so imagine my delight to fine this Earl Grey Cream tea with vanilla already in it. I may need another suitcase to get everything home with me later this month.
I could spend hours (oh wait, I did) wandering around a tea shop. All the gizmos and accountrements for tea just delight me.
This little Hedgehog Travel mug is so stinking cute. I found a rabbit one here online which made me think I might want an entire set. I am that person who still has the entire Beatrix Potter Set of books from when the kids were little:) I’ve always used tea bags but this trip is making me rethink using loose tea, and since my pot does have an inner basket… What do you use, loose or bags?
Chowder
Good fish chowder is amazing. Outstanding fish chowder is worth going back for several times…and we did. The Red Fish Blue Fish Spicy Chowder is loaded with fish and veggies and satisfying enough to be an entire meal.
This one is from Red Fish Blue Fish on Victoria Harbour. When I taste something this amazing I immediately hunt for the recipe online. Here it is:
Ingredients
1 can (341 ml/12 oz) corn kernels
30 ml (2 tbsp) canola/olive oil blend
375 ml (1 1/2 cups) finely chopped onions
375 ml (1 1/2 cups) diced carrots
375 ml (1 1/2 cups) diced celery
375 ml (1 1/2 cups) diced parboiled potatoes
50 ml (1/4 cup) crushed garlic
10 ml (2 tsp) toasted ground coriander
5 ml (1 tsp) toasted ground cumin
5 ml (1 tsp) sea salt
5 ml (1 tsp) pepper
1 can (398 ml/14 oz) crushed tomatoes
3 cans (each 400 ml/14 oz) coconut milk
125 ml (1/2 cup) sweet chili sauce
50 ml (1/4 cup) chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, chopped
30 ml (2 tbsp) hot sauce
30 ml (2 tbsp) Worcestershire sauce
Leaves from 1 bunch fresh cilantro, minced
Sustainably harvested white fish or seafood (such as cod, halibut, shrimp, scallops, lobster), cut into bite-size pieces
Cilantro leaves and sliced green onions, for garnish
Directions
Drain corn, reserving liquid. In a large pot over medium-high, heat oil. Add corn, onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, garlic, coriander, cumin, salt, and pepper. Saute until vegetables are soft. Add reserved corn liquid, tomatoes, coconut milk, chili sauce, chipotles, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and minced cilantro. Simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in fish; simmer for another 5 minutes or until fish is just cooked. Serve garnished with cilantro leaves and green onions.
Makes 8 servings.
Source: “Eat St.: Recipes from the Tastiest, Messiest, and Most Irresistible Food Trucks” by James Cunningham (Penguin, 2013).
Double Double
So here I am back in double denim and this time they’re the same blue! Fashion faux pas? Not to me but as they say, you do you, and I’ll do me. I spotted Oprah wearing a matching denim jacket and jeans on her magazine cover a few months ago and loved the look. So if it’s good enough for Oprah, it is certainly good enough for me:)
Are you enjoying fall weather where you are?
Victoria is so beautiful. Would love to go back sometime!
Hi! I am currently quarantining for two weeks after returning to my home in Victoria. It is a lonely time here in the rain knowing that all that wonderful atmosphere is just down the road, so thanks for sharing your pictures! I’m packing up our house here after my husband’s death and moving to be closer to my daughter. I think of your advice to wear what I love as I go through my wardrobe and decide what to keep and what to let go of. Red Fish Blue Fish is on top of my list to visit as soon as I am out of quarantine!! So glad to have the recipe for the future as well. Thank you for all the inspiration, cheery pictures and thoughts. Your posts have helped me through the last few months of grieving and beginning again! Cheers!
Like you, I’m a tea drinker. English Breakfast or Yorkshire Gold in the morning and Earl Grey later on. I do love a London Fog! Murchies is so fun to visit – I have hardly been anywhere since the start of the pandemic, and you have me hankering to roam around a store again. Glad you’ve enjoyed your visit to Victoria. It’s a great place to live (and visit).
Thanks for sharing the great Chowder recipe. Red Fish Blue Fish is a favourite, but I never thought to hunt for the recipe.
Glad to see you enjoy yourself when you return to the Island.
Always enjoy your posts.
Be Well…..
I’m a tea drinker too. Green tea in the morning and usually Earl Grey or Vanilla Earl Grey (Tetley) in the afternoon, though I like to experiment with other flavours as well. While I generally use tea bags because they’re so simple, there are wonderful loose teas too.
I love tea! It would be great to look around a shop just for tea. Don’t believe I ever have. I mostly drink green tea but really love them all. Not a coffee drinker at all. Like your all denim outfit!!!
I’m saving this post and comments. It’s a treasure trove of information and delights and brings back fond memories of trips to Victoria, B.C. ! I’m now residing in Hayden/Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, formerly Palm Desert/Indian Wells, CA and oh so happy to be here! P.S. gotta have that jeans jacket!
Jennifer, you look great! And, thanks for beautiful photo of the tea shop. Gosh I would love to browse through it. I drink loose tea, mostly organic green tea. I buy all my tea from Upton Tea Importers online—their organic Lung Ching is my absolute favorite. I’m sipping a mug as I write this to you. Hugs to you—I’ve so enjoyed reading about your trip.
My husband and I spent our honeymoon in Victoria forty-six years ago. It was December and snowed while we were there. All the tea and china shops were so warm and quaint with the snow falling outside the windows. You have brought back wonderful memories. Now I long to return!
I love Victoria! Would move there in a minute if it was possible.(Texas weather and politics can get a person down. Lol) – I am trying to cut back on caffeine, and have just discovered the London Fog which is wonderful! Will look for the Earl Grey with vanilla. Thanks for info!
Loose leaf drinker here. I was once told that bagged tea was the sweeping dust off the tea warehouse floor. I get my high quality tea from Gong Fu Tea in Des Moines Iowa. They sell it in their shop and also online.
There does seem to be lots of dust in many tea bags =:-O!!
Yes about the dust! After reading about that possibility, I switched to organic black loose tea. I was pleased to find out that the loose tea tasted much fresher! I have never looked back.
What a happy post! I loved it. Victoria is enchanting and I can just visualize it and think of some trips I made there. Thanks for the memories!
p.s. I love Beatrix Potter books and memorabilia too.
Jennifer-Thank you so much for sharing your adventures in Victoria and especially your time at Murchie’s. I was there way back in 2004 and that day has been in my heart ever since. I am a tea gal but find with quarantine measures in place (working from home) I drink more coffee. Murchie’s was such a special moment for me-that “I think this must be heaven on earth “feeling. My husband was at a business conference, held at The Fairmount Empress, so I was free to wander around Victoria. Once I found Murchie’s, I went no further! I will be there again someday I hope. One delightful treat I brought home was a loose leaf tea blend called “Canadian Breakfast”-a mix of malty Assam, Earl Grey, and Keemun teas-absolutely wonderful. I make my own now! So enjoyed this post, thanks again!
I missed that one! I need to try Canadian Breakfast!! I sense a big order coming in my future. Thank you Jules.
I am a coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon and evening kind of gal. Early Grey or Lady Grey teas are my fav. When I’m lazy, use a tea bag; when feeling more into the experience use loose tea. Sad that many of the David’s tea shops closed down. Here in Calgary, its unusually warm +24C. Its gorgeous! I agree with you: High Tea at the Empress is a lovely experience but once is enough at that price point!!
I saw the Lady Grey and wondered. Now I’ll have to order some. Thank you!
I have been known to haunt Murchie’s stores myself from time to time. I moved to Vancouver from Montreal 45 years ago to work at Vancouver General and found Murchies to be a comfortable find. Their coffee is quite good as well. When I moved back east to Toronto my luggage was full of Murchies product! It’s a go to every time I’ve gone back and one can order online…. Just saying..!
Nothing wrong with the “Canadian Tuxedo” (matching denim jeans and jacket)!! Looks great!