Q1: Coffee, not bread is the new staff of life. Can you tell us what makes one bean pricier than another?

The price for coffee reflects rarity rather than quality. Coffee beans proudly keep the name of the country and area that they come from (Columbian, Jamaican Blue Mountain, Hawaiian Kona). If no country is mentioned on the label, it’s probably of a lesser quality. There are 2 main kinds of beans, arabica or robusta. Arabica is grown on steep slopes in higher altitudes and is considered superior quality as it seems to have a richer flavor. Robusta beans cost less as they are grown on lower slopes. Commercial blends and instant coffee use these.

Q 2: How does the roasting affect the bean’s flavor?

The taste of coffee is highly subjective. Regular roast is lighter and perhaps reveals more of the true bean flavor; Dark French roast (which cafes mostly brew) dispenses more dense flavor. A roast can be too dark and can overpower the bean flavor or even lead to a burned taste.

Q 3: Is there anything else we should know about buying coffee?

– Most importantly, how fresh is it? It should been roasted within the week that you drink it as the flavor rapidly deteriorates after roasting.
– To use word “fresh” means: just roasted, properly stored  and packed air-tight.
–  Ground coffee loses flavor more rapidly than whole beans.
– Storing in your freezer is best.
– Don’t forget too that coffee is 99% water and how the water interacts with it matters.

Q4: Does it matter what kind of a pot we use?

Drip pots make better coffee than percolators as the water pours over the beans only once. Also your pot, filters, plunger, and all parts must be cleaned regularly as they retain residues which may not be visible to your eye.  Soak your pot in boiling water for least 5 min. and lightly scrub it (try not to use soap) and rinse well.
Coffee retains  most potent flavor for only about 20 min after brewing, so sit down immediately and have a cup.

Q 5: So many of us splurge on the coffee made in our favorite cafes, is there anyway we can get those beans to brew at home? Yes, and you can even have them delivered to your door!

Made-to-measure coffee has brought java lovers to Café Union, a Montreal  institution since 1910. This wholesaler roasts the coffee right here, so you can choose one or custom blend your own from amongst the espresso, melange maison (regular and strong), french press, Kenya, Panama, Columbia Supremo, Fair Trade, decaf and Swiss washed decaf. Those who like flavors can buy Bavarian chocolate, Irish cream or hazelnut vanilla or one of the 30 flavored syrups (vanilla, hazelnut, caramel, etc.) to add in.

Coffee related products like iced cappuccino, or chai latte concentrate now line the shelves. Free delivery is offered for 5 pounds or more. They sell espresso machines (Saeco, Rancilio, Pavoni, Breville, Quick Mill, Jura La Spaziale) and teapots, too. Repairs to these machines are available.

Location: 148 Jean Talon St. West at Waverly St.
Phone: 514-273-5555
Hours: Mon-Fri 8- 5:30, Sat 9-3
www.cafe-union.com

The Coffee Gourmet Centre can deliver to you its trendy coffee beans in over 40 flavours (Yrgacheffe from Ethiopia, Italian espresso, Jamaican Blue Mountain, Hawaiian Kona, Costa Rican, Moka Java, Panamanian, etc.) and also pure Swiss water process decaf. You can also add to your order a wide selection of tea leaves: estate, white, green leaf, herbal.

Also available are gourmet goodies (Greaves jams, dips, balsamic vinegars, extra virgin olive oils) as they stock them for their custom gift baskets for all occasions. If you order over a kilo of coffee, you get free delivery on the Island, or you can pick up your order at one of their depots. Ask about the fund raising program for your school or organization using coffee and hot chocolate.

Location: 3966 Cool St. Suite 201,Verdun
Phone: 514-369-0368
www.cafegourmet.ca

A coffee or tea addict’s dream might be to have his favourite brew at a reduced price, delivered right to his door. Brossard Freres, open over 50 years, provides this service for a minimum order of 10 lbs. There are at least 20 kinds – regular coffee ($5.90 lb.), decaf ($6.90), flavours like amaretto, rum brandy, chocolate mint ($7.80), and ground for percolators, filter, Turkish, Melitta, Bodum, or espresso, but you can buy as little as one pound if  you come in person. About a  half dozen loose leaf  (herbal too) teas are $7.90 per lb. Delivery is the next day. Can you smell it brewing already?

Location: 10848 Moisan Ave, St. Leonard
Phone: 514-321-4121
Hours: Mon-Fri 7-5
www.cafebrossard.com

Here’s a impossible to find business called Toisons de Ville.  Mickey is a spinner who still uses a spinning wheel and sells them and teaches spinning in her home studio. She carries the natural fibers used by spinners and felters.  So if you need some  spinning done, wants to learn to spin or need some yarn dyed, you can make an appointment to see her.

Tel: 514-695-7838 or 800-695-7838
Hours: by appointment
Courriel: toisons@ca.inter.net

Q 1:  Sandra you say you’ve come across stores that people don’t normally think of shopping in but would be very helpful to a lot of them.

The boomer generation who are getting older and more worn out are not accepting it lightly. Every other facet that generation’s needs has the  retail industry  scratching their heads to come up with products that make their lives more comfortable and productive. However these same designs are for people of all ages

Q2: Okay so give me an idea of one of them.

Boutique Tout pour la Dos located right now at St.Laurent Blvd at Cremazie Blvd (but moving soon) sells products for aching backs. Injuries are not age related – anyone can hurt themselves sports accident wind up with a painful back.  They offer comfy desk chairs, adjustable keyboards, massaging lounge chairs, memory foam mattresses, belts for lifting heavy objects, portable pocket size footrests or seats and exercise devices. It’s a family business who have lots of advice of how to rid you of your aches and pains.

Location: 8780 St.Laurent Blvd
Corner: Cremazie Blvd.
Phone: 514-383-1582 or 800-268-1582
Hours: Mon-Thurs 10-6, Fri 10-9, Sat 10-4
www.toutpourledos.com

Q 3:  Well I can understand that but you also have one for electrical beds – most people would think of those only for bedridden individuals..

Electric beds are no longer being bought for bed-ridden patients. Everyone who reads or watches TV in bed would enjoy one that can, with a push of a button, sit up. Sommeil Davantage has 40 models (widths 30″, 39″, 54″or 60″) include some that give massages, others that can go back down if there is a loss of electricity. The showroom also features lifting chairs and massage chairs by Human Touch, Panasonic, iJoy, Tao and inada.

Location: 8777 boul. Langelier,  St Leonard
Phone: 514-355-5333
Hours: Regular
www.sommeildavantage.com

Q: 4 – Any other medical supply stores that would surprise us?

Maybe Ultravision, a store specializing in low vision and hearing impaired products doesn’t sound like a place you might want to browse through, but some of the gadgets are truly cool. How about a phone that announces the name of the caller or one that calls 6 numbers in an emergency situation, a talking clock or watch, computer keyboard with larger letters, a TV screen enlarger or TV ears for personal amplifying, a vibrating clock, wearable binoculars, magnifying makeup mirror, a personal listening system for people who are unable or hesitant  to wear a hearing aid, lens to cut computer glare and video magnifiers (CCTV). Here’s something we all could use: a bed, lazy-boy or armchair table that can be set to hold books, for games, crosswords, laptops or meals and a push button automatic jar opener.

Location: 5645 Cote des Neiges Rd.
Corner:  Cote Ste. Catherine Rd.
Hours: Mon-Fri 10-6, Sat 10-5
www.ultravisionmontreal.com

Lieberman Tranchemontagne is a hotel linen supplier who will sell you some durable lines. Flat sheets in white are available by the dozen. Look for Futurelle and Wonder fleece blankets (queen $22.95) and other blankets, bed bug-free mattress covers, facecloths, towels (usually white), Dolche and Bianca combo feather/polyester pillows and duvets and white terry bathrobes (around $50).

They manufacture the Lieberspun line of tablecloths, so you buy leftovers or can have one made-to-measure in polyester blue, green, ivory and perhaps other colors. There are cloth napkins to match, chef coats, restaurant uniform clearance items or shower curtains.

Location: 653 Hodge, Ville St. Laurent
Corner: Montpellier
Tel: 514-259-3500
Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30-5,
www.liebermantranche.com

If you think of bamboo as food that panda bears eat, you better think again.  Bamboo is going to be huge, because it is a renewable resource. Whereas hardwood trees take 50 to 100 years to develop for use in furniture, a bamboo forest regenerates every 5 years, and some species of the trees can grow up to one foot per day. Also, bamboo is naturally anti-bacterial, less affected by temperature and extremely durable.

In Montreal we have a Bamboo Entrepot and when you walk in, you will be blown away by the bamboo flooring and kitchen cupboards. There is fabulous furniture (couch, tables, wine bar, bathtub!) and a section of clothing (t-shirts, robes, yoga pants, men’s sweats, hoodies) and linens which are hypoallergenic.

Location: 7675  boul. St-Laurent
Corner: Villeray
Phone: 514-789-0055
Hours: Mon-Fri 10-6, Sat 10-5
www.entrepotdubambou.ca

Q: 1 We know that one of the concepts of staying healthy is to walk thirty minutes a day. In order to walk properly, we need a good pair of athletic shoes. Where do we start?

You should be buying in a specialty running shoe store. The easiest way to get correct shoe is to bring the old ones with you when you shop. The sales people are trained to evaluate the wear and know what you should be buying.

Q:2 When trying them out, what would the most important thing to look for?

Most important thing is to make sure your foot stays stable. Stability is important  to avoid injuries. If your foot is not stable, it can eventually lead to knee and hip problems.

Q:3 Why is it better to shop in the specialty athletic shoe stores?

They understand the bio-mechanics of gait. Does  your foot pronate, stay neutral or supronate? Are you wearing the right width? Did you buy larger size in order to make your foot more comfortable instead of buying the correct width?

Q:4 With so many kinds of athletic shoes, how do we know which one to buy?

Only buy one.  Cross trainers popular for people who may do all kinds of athletics like: take aerobics, do leg presses and squats, play tennis and perhaps also do weight-lifting. They cove a  little bit of this and a little bit of that. A running shoe is lighter, has more cushioning, more support and is quite breathable. Awalking shoe is heavier, but it lasts longer and is sturdier. It looks more like shoe so works well if you need wear it to work.

Q5: Okay – so where are these miracle stores?

Buying an athletic shoe in which your feet will have to endure undue stresses on it should be more than just popping into a mall and finding one on sale. If you want to save your feet for your old age, shop at  Boutique Endurance where the sales reps have been trained in fitting. What is the shape of your foot? Will you be running or walking? Do your feet turn in or out? Are you a beginner?

After they assess your gait on the indoor track, you will be helped in choosing from the Asics, Adidas, Saucony, Mizuno, New Balance and Brooks shoes (sizes 5-12 for women and 7-15 for men in widths AA to 4E).  Running and cross country ski clothes are sold, and orthotics  inserted.

Location: 6579 St. Denis St.
Corner: at Beaubien St.
Phone: 514-272-9267
Hours: Regular plus Sun 12-5
www.boutiqueendurance.ca

Running Room is a chain offers service along with running shoes (Nike, New Balance, Saucony, Asics, Mizuno, Adidas, Brooks) and clothing. It is for those of you who want to learn how to run or walk and don’t know where to begin or what you need to wear.

There are 10-week clinics that start at learn-to-run right up to running marathons, and a running or walking club for those who already know how to put 1 foot in front of the other.

Locations: 4873 Sherbrooke St. West at Victoria Ave. (514-483-4495); 950 boul St-Jean (514-695-8744); Brossard, Quartier Dix-Trente, 10 boul Lepage (450-678-7070); Laval, 800 boul.Corbusier (450-680-1115). 5044 ave du Parc (514-274-5888) www.runningroom.ca

My favorite running shoes brand, New Balance, has finally opened a store in Montreal. The owner, Jonathan Benoit is a second generation shoe salesman having learned the trade from his father Daniel at Le Depot in Verdun. New Balance models sold here are more technical athletic shoes; When you buy in general shoe shops, running shoes are sold more for fashion.

Also they know for a good fit, size and width are most important, so they have a huge variety from 7-18 narrow to 6E for men and for females 5-13 AA to 4E. In New Balance you can tell the degree of technicality of the shoe by the model number – the higher the number, the more details  have been included. They also sell regular shoes in the New Balance family – Aravon for men and women and Dunham for men.

Location: 677 Ste-Catherine St. West
Phone: 514- 844-2777
Hours: Mon & Tues 10-6, Wed-Fri 10-9, Sat 10-5, Sun 11-5

Carl Andersen, who used to own Distance Sports, summed it up for us, “We who have no time for our health today will have no health for our time tomorrow”.

Males and females who oogle the hot brands of  Energie, Mink Pink,  Firetrap, Bench, Scotch and
Soda, English Laundry, Full Circle, Karl Lagerfeld, Kaporal 5, Miss Sixty, Killah will love the 60%-90% off prices at the Premium Retail Group sales.

At this one there is a bankruptcy liquidation of Les Cuirs Akoury where you can scoop up deals on leather and sheepskin jackets, motorcycle and snowmobile clothes, boots and gloves. And yes there’s denim of course but also jackets, tops, dresses, hoodies, handbags and footwear.

Location: 4454 Garand corner of Pomba, VSL
Hours: Wed, Sat, Sun 11-5, Thurs & Fri 11-9
Dates:  Mar 4th – Mar 28th
www.premiumretailgroup.com