Hot Shots - January 10, 2025
Charmaine Yam

Happy New Year, and welcome to 2025!

I hope your holidays were filled with family chaos, holiday parties you weren’t technically invited to (but totally crashed), and those hilariously terrible Merry Misfit presents that make you question humanity but somehow steal the spotlight every year.

The holiday season is always a marathon in my family, with five birthdays packed between November and January. December kicked off with my big 4-0. Yep, I hit the midlife milestone and promptly spiraled into an existential crisis fit for its own made-for-TV movie. After more than a decade of rocking long hair, I went full "new year, new me" and chopped it off. Not dramatic enough? My social media algorithm decided to troll me hard, serving up videos of people saying teary goodbyes to their 30s from inside literal coffins. (Thanks for the pep talk, internet.)

So, I hit pause. I turned off the noise, put down my phone, and focused on what really matters. I cooked meals for friends and family—the kind that fill a house with full tummies, stained wine glasses, and empty plates painted with leftover sauce evoking Impressionism, triggering warmth and laughter. Not to mention our cat Klaus, who decided to channel his inner art critic by licking a mound of butter on the counter. Picture Antoine Vollon's Mound of Butter, but with paw prints and significantly less dignity. I indulged in my favorite board games (shoutout to Viticulture, Clank, and Lost Ruins of Arnak for my fellow board game nerds). I drank wine, reconnected, and let myself breathe.

I’ve never been big on New Year’s resolutions—too much pressure, not enough follow-through—but this year, I’m making a quiet promise to myself: take better care of my health and create more joy-filled memories with the people I love. If 2025 brings more adventures, more laughter, and produce aisles overflowing with organic veggies, I’ll call that a win.

Wishing you all a year of good food, great company, and plenty of tiny moments worth celebrating.

Let’s see what I have uncovered this week:

Broccoli bunches from **Access Organics**

Pink variegated lemons from **Rainbow Valley**

Imagine making a vibrant pink lemon curd, with rose petals to enhance both the color and floral notes. Or for the adventurous mixologist, try crafting caddied and smoked lemon slices. Feeling bold? You could even experiment with your own dried lemon pepper. While most commercial lemon peppers contain citric acid and sugar (not bad in themselves), they often lack the complexity these pink beauties bring to the table.

Blood oranges from **Homegrown Organics**

Their distinctive red flesh is caused by anthocyanins—antioxidants typically found in berries, not citrus fruits. These antioxidants develop when the fruit experiences a combination of cold nights and warm days, which triggers the red pigmentation.

Fairtrade yellow ginger from **La Grama**

Green cabbage from **Snow Farms** - product of BC

Red grape tomatoes from **Divine Flavor**

Originally from Southeast Asia, they were cultivated by the ancient Egyptians, who believed radishes could enhance stamina and strength. Interestingly, red radishes have a natural spicy, peppery flavor due to the compound glucosinolate, which can vary in intensity depending on the growing conditions. The spiciness tends to mellow when they're grown in cooler climates, but the heat is more pronounced when the weather is warmer.

Over the holidays, I rekindled my love for billiards. It might finally be time to upgrade the ol’ pool cue! Back in high school, I desperately wanted to excel at some sport—or maybe even be academically inclined—but like the rebel I am, billiards ended up stealing my heart. I’ll never forget my first time walking into a billiard hall, a room full of men and not a single woman in sight. I remember thinking, “Why all the boys and no gals?” That had to change! Turns out, I had a knack for it (or just a desire to win). I ended up playing in a few 8-ball leagues during my high school years. To this day, I’m still baffled by how someone so bad at geometry, physics, and vectors can be decent at billiards.

FYI, the hubs commented, “Get ready to lose” last weekend before we got to the billiards hall—and the result was 7-0. If you’re ever in town and want to play, just say the word. Bring your A-game—whisky and cigars!

Thank you for reading along, and I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!
- The Compliance Officer

Hot Shots - January 10, 2025

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