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They all sound good and the fresh mushrooms would have fewer purines than dried, so I think I could probably handle them. I've added oatmeal to my diet and that has one of the highest levels of purines for the grain products, so until I'm certain that oatmeal once a day isn't going to set things off with a cumulative effect, I'm being extra careful. And my hubby loves eggplant, so that is also good.According to the American Medical Association, purine-containing foods include:* Beer, other alcoholic beverages.* Anchovies, sardines in oil, fish roes, herring, all shellfish and shrimp etc.* Yeast.* Organ meat (liver, kidneys, sweetbreads)* Legumes (dried beans, peas)* Meat extracts, consomme, gravies. Meat based soups* Mushrooms, spinach, asparagus, cauliflower.And this is just the start. I gave myself gout one week with split pea soup, mushrooms, asparagus, and spinach. (OUCH) This was before I started on a very strict low purine diet. I'd stayed away from organ meats (Yuck) and shrimp (Yum) per my doctor's advice. I didn't know about all the other foods that had higher level of purines in them. I very quickly learned. Legumes are a favorite food group which I've now learned to handle very carefully. Ken Hulme said:

So here are some low-purine, low-fat recipes for Folkfan. None of these are "spicy" as in hot, but they do contain spices for flavor. When you can't eat a lot of things, you can help satisfy your tastebuds by using greater quantities of spices and herbs to flavor the things you can eat.

Mushroom Barley Bake
8 ounces fresh sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup medium barley
1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste or need)
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 cups vegetable stock (see below)

Preparation:
In a large skillet over medium-low heat saut mushrooms and chopped onion until lightly browned. Add barley and brown lightly, stirring. Add salt and pepper; turn into a buttered 3-quart casserole.

Pour vegetable broth into the skillet and cook until hot. Pour over the barley mixture and mix well. Cover and bake in a preheated 350 oven for 1-1/2 hours, or until barley is tender. Check the barley occasionally and add more broth or water if needed.

Low Purine Vegetable Stock
All the veggies below are listed as "low in purines".

4 quarts water
1/4 of a Red Cabbage, shredded small
4-6 fresh Tomatoes, diced
1 bunch of Celery Tops (save the stalks for something else), minced
1 Teaspoon Marjoram
1 Teaspoon Thyme
1 Teaspoon Oregano
1 Teaspoon Rosemary,chopped fine
1 Teaspoon Cumin
1/2 Teaspoon White Pepper

Simmer on low for 1-2 hours until the liquid is reduced by a third to a half and is flavorful. Strain. Use.


Rotkraut - Braised Red Cabbage
2 Tbsp Oil for sauting (or use water)
1 Onion, chopped fine
1 head Red Cabbage, cored and shredded
2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 to 1-1/2 cups Vegetable Stock or Water
1 Tbsp Sugar
3 Whole cloves
2 Bay leaves
Salt and Pepper -- to taste

Over medium heat in a large pot saut the onions until translucent. Add the cabbage in batches, stirring each addition until it wilts and begins to cook down. Stir in the vinegar and then add the remaining ingredients. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20-30minutes until the cabbage is tender. Adjust seasoning and serve.


Greek Style Eggplant Boats
Cut eggplants in half lengthwise; hollow into "boats". Rub skin with oil (you arent going to eat the skins), bake 30 mins @ 350F.

Meanwhile, brown about half a pound of ground lamb (or use diced tofu), add onion, bell pepper, garlic, tomato, fresh sage, 1/2 oz feta cheese (just this once, for flavor), bread crumbs and eggplant guts. Simmer until thick. Stuff eggplant boats, top with breadcrumbs. Bake again @ 350 30-45 min.


Imam Biyaldi
Classic Middle Eastern Stew can be vegetarian or meated.
1 Eggplant, cubed
2 large Onions, sliced
6-8 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon All Spice
1 Teaspoon Cloves
Carnivores and others who can eat meats can add 1 lb of ground lamb.

Brown and drain the meat if you're using it. Combine everything in a pot with a cup or so of water and simmer into a thick stew. Serve with unleavened bread for scooping.


Moroccan Lemon Chicken
2 Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless
1/3 cup Kalamata or other Green Olives, pitted
1/2 teaspon Oregano
1 Lemon, sliced
1 cup, uncooked Israeli Couscous (large pearl, not the small grain kind)
2 cups water.

Brining the chicken in a handful of Kosher salt and a gallon of water for 1 hour before cooking will make the meat much more moist, but not particularly salty. Rinse and pat dry. Sear the chicken on both sides. Reduce heat, add the other ingredients, and simmer for 30-45 minutes until the chicken is tender and the couscous is cooked. If you're not on a low purine diet, you can substitute a couple cans of garbanzos for the couscous.

The Kitchen Sink - talk about food

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So here are some low-purine, low-fat recipes for Folkfan. None of these are "spicy" as in hot, but they do contain spices for flavor. When you can't eat a lot of things, you can help satisfy your tastebuds by using greater quantities of spices and herbs to flavor the things you can eat.Mushroom Barley Bake8 ounces fresh sliced mushrooms1 cup chopped onion1 cup medium barley1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste or need)1/8 teaspoon pepper4 cups vegetable stock (see below)Preparation:In a large skillet over medium-low heat saut mushrooms and chopped onion until lightly browned. Add barley and brown lightly, stirring. Add salt and pepper; turn into a buttered 3-quart casserole.Pour vegetable broth into the skillet and cook until hot. Pour over the barley mixture and mix well. Cover and bake in a preheated 350 oven for 1-1/2 hours, or until barley is tender. Check the barley occasionally and add more broth or water if needed.Low Purine Vegetable StockAll the veggies below are listed as "low in purines".4 quarts water1/4 of a Red Cabbage, shredded small4-6 fresh Tomatoes, diced1 bunch of Celery Tops (save the stalks for something else), minced1 Teaspoon Marjoram1 Teaspoon Thyme1 Teaspoon Oregano1 Teaspoon Rosemary,chopped fine1 Teaspoon Cumin1/2 Teaspoon White PepperSimmer on low for 1-2 hours until the liquid is reduced by a third to a half and is flavorful. Strain. Use.Rotkraut - Braised Red Cabbage2 Tbsp Oil for sauting (or use water)1 Onion, chopped fine1 head Red Cabbage, cored and shredded2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar1 to 1-1/2 cups Vegetable Stock or Water1 Tbsp Sugar3 Whole cloves2 Bay leavesSalt and Pepper -- to tasteOver medium heat in a large pot saut the onions until translucent. Add the cabbage in batches, stirring each addition until it wilts and begins to cook down. Stir in the vinegar and then add the remaining ingredients. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20-30minutes until the cabbage is tender. Adjust seasoning and serve.Greek Style Eggplant BoatsCut eggplants in half lengthwise; hollow into "boats". Rub skin with oil (you arent going to eat the skins), bake 30 mins @ 350F.Meanwhile, brown about half a pound of ground lamb (or use diced tofu), add onion, bell pepper, garlic, tomato, fresh sage, 1/2 oz feta cheese (just this once, for flavor), bread crumbs and eggplant guts. Simmer until thick. Stuff eggplant boats, top with breadcrumbs. Bake again @ 350 30-45 min.Imam BiyaldiClassic Middle Eastern Stew can be vegetarian or meated.1 Eggplant, cubed2 large Onions, sliced6-8 Roma Tomatoes, chopped1 teaspoon Cinnamon1 Teaspoon All Spice1 Teaspoon ClovesCarnivores and others who can eat meats can add 1 lb of ground lamb.Brown and drain the meat if you're using it. Combine everything in a pot with a cup or so of water and simmer into a thick stew. Serve with unleavened bread for scooping.Moroccan Lemon Chicken2 Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless1/3 cup Kalamata or other Green Olives, pitted1/2 teaspon Oregano1 Lemon, sliced1 cup, uncooked Israeli Couscous (large pearl, not the small grain kind)2 cups water.Brining the chicken in a handful of Kosher salt and a gallon of water for 1 hour before cooking will make the meat much more moist, but not particularly salty. Rinse and pat dry. Sear the chicken on both sides. Reduce heat, add the other ingredients, and simmer for 30-45 minutes until the chicken is tender and the couscous is cooked. If you're not on a low purine diet, you can substitute a couple cans of garbanzos for the couscous.

The Kitchen Sink - talk about food

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Stephanie Stuckwisch said:

So, Ken, does this mean you might want to share your recipe for Tropical Shrimp salad you brought to one of the FOTMD celebration?

Do you mean my Basil-Mango Shrimp Cocktails?That's easy:6 or more raw shrimp per person, peeled, with tails left on1 large mango, peeled and pitted12 leaves of fresh BasilCajun/Creole Spice Blend, to taste1 Tbsp Oil for frying.Dust the shrimp with Cajun/Creole spice blend and toss in a hot skillet with a splash of oil. Stir-fry the shrimp until they just turn pink. Most cooks over-cook shrimp and they get tough. Remove the shrimp and cool them.You can make the shrimp extra special by brining the them in a handful of Kosher salt dissolved in a quart of water, for about half an hour. Then drain and pat dry before seasoning and cooking.Put the peeled Mango in a blender of food processor with the shredded leaves of Basil. Take them for a spin until you have a beautiful bright green puree. Chill the sauce. To serve, spoon the sauce into margarita glasses or delicate glass ice cream dishes, and hook the shrimp over the rim. Makes about a dozen shrimp cocktails.

The Kitchen Sink - talk about food

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So, Ken, does this mean you might want to share your recipe for Tropical Shrimp salad you brought to one of the FOTMD celebration?

The Kitchen Sink - talk about food

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Ken, I forgot to mention that another item I throw into my Mac N' Cheese is half a bag or more of chopped broccoli. I'm fixing it for tonight. Since I have a bit of roast chicken left over, I'm going to chop it up and throw it in too. A one dish meal. (I really have learned to hate cooking. Especially if I have to chop up a lot of stuff.)

The Kitchen Sink - talk about food

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Ken, While I admit to drooling over your recipe for Mac n' Cheese, leaving out the fresh cracked black pepper is not the only thing I'd have to leave out. My triglyceride levels are too high so I'm under doctor's instructions to lower my fat consumption. Also it will help in lowering my calorie intake as I've got to lose weight for the arthritis in my legs. So here's my Mac n' Cheese recipe.Use 2 boxes of a good mac and cheese mix and prepared as per box instructions only don't add the margarine or butter (a small amount of an olive oil based spread might be used), use skim milk, add a few slices of fat-free cheese. I don't add salt to the dish as I use a bit of kosher salt in the water when boiling the macaroni. Which I rinse and drain.I'd much prefer your recipe, but my doctor wouldn't. Got any good tasting low to no fat, not spicy, and low in purine recipes, Ken????? I'm getting kind of desperate as there are just so many things I'm suppose to stay away from. DANG

The Kitchen Sink - talk about food

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So I figured it's about time we had a regular place to talk about food. Share recipes, complain about high food costs, availability of ingredients, all that good stuff.

So to start, here's an old family recipe - a different take on the classic Mac & Cheese. I made it again last night! This is not the usual "cheese soup with macaroni in it" that most folks make, But it's really cheesy (in a good way) and tasty (what's not to like about mac & cheese).

Mom's Mac & Cheese

• 16 oz dry Macaroni
• 16 oz block of Colby Jack Cheese (you can use any combo of cheeses you like here, but use block, not shredded). More cheese is always welcome
  
• 1 Tbsp Kosher Salt (Mom used regular salt, but I like Kosher better)
• Fresh Cracked Black Pepper to taste (Keigh, you can leave this out!)
  
• 1 cup Whole Milk (not that wimpy 1% or 2% stuff - use real milk or even half&half)

Preheat your oven to 350-375F. Cook the macaroni to package directions. Drain and cool. Cut the cheese(s) into 1/2" or 3/4" cubes. Use a DEEP oven proof bowl. Put down about an inch of macaroni. Dust lightly with salt & pepper. Add a layer of cheese cubes. Repeat until you fill the bowl, ending with lots of cheese on top for a crust. Pour the milk all over the top.

Place bowl on a baking sheet to catch the spills. Place in the oven and bake for at least 1 hour; a bit longer won't hurt. Remove and cut into oohey, gooey wedges. Hot from the oven I like it just like that. When I re-heat, I like it dusted with a little chile powder, or Garam Masala or curry powder. Yyyyuuuummmm Will feed six hungry folks!




updated by @ken-hulme: 08/02/23 11:50:45PM

Mt. Dulcimer, Guitar, % string banjo in a clawhammer & 2 finger styles, ukulele, and harmonica.Paul

I also play the piano. I have messed around with other instruments upon occasion... organ, autoharp, piano accordian, guitar, mallet percussion (vibes, marimba, xylophone, bells, etc.), HD... but I never stick with any of them for long. I feel like it will take me a lifetime to master the two instruments I play without adding any more to my list!

Strumelia said:

In my 20's I lived in Puerto Rico for 13 years

Pretty good trick. I've been in my 40s for a little over 30 years, now. Also, I can play most brass instruments (of the band type); most fretted strings (but concentrate on kontrabass balalaika, mainly because the Washington Balalaika Society orchestra keeps me too busy to have time for many other musical activities); some keyboards, including bayan (Russian B-system chromatic button accordion), which doesn't have the piano type arrangement of keys; several recorder-like flutes (but not the transverse ones); twangophones, such as Jew's harp and mouth bow; jug, washtub bass, etc.

Hi Hunter and others,I still consider myself mainly a guitarist, having only discovered the dulcimer under a year ago. I play 6- and 12-string acoutic guitar but also some mandolin along with the autoharp and now the dulcimer. I also bought my daughter a ukulele and play a couple of songs on that as well.My passion right now is for the dulcimer, but if I go to a jam, I have to have a guitar with me, since I am so much more proficient on that than anything else.

FF - I'll definately check out that bare-knuckle style bodhran playing; I like playing other bare hand drums anyway.

2 funny Teri! I'm a blade of grass player 2!... : )..... TERI WEST said:

Mtn. Dulcimer, violin, guitar, tin whistle, harmonica, native flute, a little bit of mandolin, paper comb, washboard, a blade of grass, kazoo..............

Ken, You might want to try County Roscommon style (as my video instructor called it). It doesn't use a tipper, but the knuckles of the hand. You can get the triplets by the way you flick your hand.I had problems with jig beats until I learned to chant PINE-ap-ple, AP-ri-cots. Hit harder for the PINE and the AP .Worked wonders or maybe it was just thinking about two of my favorite fruits that did it . Ken Hulme said:Doumbek drum, Scottish Pipe Band Bass drum, assorted hand drums (just can't get the hang of that backwards stroke style of the Bodhran)Psalmodikon

Hey thank you Mary.My Easter treat for FOTMD was finding a way to install smilies. But I can see you guys are going to wild with your smilies. Well, ok, go on and get it over with. lol!

Mtn. Dulcimer, violin, guitar, tin whistle, harmonica, native flute, a little bit of mandolin, paper comb, washboard, a blade of grass, kazoo..............

MD, Ocarina, used to play the Hohner Melodica but the steel reeds rusted out on my HM-901 ... and I sing, as a chorister I am an instrument in the conductor's hands.

Heck--these new smiley faces are way too fun. Let's start a wave for Lisa.

Lisa,You are like a renaissance (spel?) woman--you go everywhere, play everything and have a lovely ski cap too. You go girl. Best wishes,Mary Z. Cox www.maryzcox.com

As a child, I played 'cello in school for about 5 years. I worked hard at it and could read music, etc. As a teenager I unsuccessfully dabbled in blues harmonica.Then years passed without playing music.In my 20's I lived in Puerto Rico for 13 years and played the national instrument, the cuatro , in a folkloric cuatro orchestra in the mountains.Years later, I took up the mandolin for a couple of years. Never got particularly good at it.Then I found the lap dulcimer, which 'stuck'. I began playing clawhammer banjo as well, which 'stuck'. I've played these two instruments for years happily.In the past 6 months I've been also taking up some other instruments for fun, and have been enjoying them a whole lot too: the very percussive limberjack/dancingman, the mouth bow, and the bowed psaltery (which I had bought 12 yrs ago but never learned to play until now....guess I wasn't 'ready' for it yet.

Mountain Dulcimer, first & foremostPenny WhistleAnglo-Saxon LyreKannel - Estonian version of the KanteleDoumbek drum, Scottish Pipe Band Bass drum, assorted hand drums (just can't get the hang of that backwards stroke style of the Bodhran)Psalmodikon

Ok . . . .now that clip was really cool.Good stuff. Mary Z. Cox said:

Hello,
My first love is old time banjo--but the mountain dulcimer is so relaxing and fun to play too. And I actually play Afro/Caribbean drums pretty well--but just don't have time to pursue it in any kind of public playing.
Also--can only play one instrument at a time and it takes a lot of time, effort, and hauling power to lug multiple instruments on stage --so I mostly stick to banjo and dulcimer--although I have and play many different instruments for my personal enjoyment at home. :)

Here's a fun little Youtube of banjo and drums.
Best wishes,
Mary Z. Cox
www.maryzcox.com

Hello,My first love is old time banjo--but the mountain dulcimer is so relaxing and fun to play too. And I actually play Afro/Caribbean drums pretty well--but just don't have time to pursue it in any kind of public playing.Also--can only play one instrument at a time and it takes a lot of time, effort, and hauling power to lug multiple instruments on stage --so I mostly stick to banjo and dulcimer--although I have and play many different instruments for my personal enjoyment at home. :)

Here's a fun little Youtube of banjo and drums.Best wishes,Mary Z. Cox www.maryzcox.com

Doh!!!!!sorry,JohnH Dave Kirkpatrick said:

Close...

Strumelia said:

John Henry said:

Forgor the pluked psaltry!!!

Pluked? Is that one of those English cuss words? lol!

Started with guitar (currently a couple of steel strings), then electric (currently 6- and 12-string), electric bass guitar, banjo (clawhammer, sort of gave up on bluegrass for the time being), mandolin, autoharp, and, oh yes, Appalachian dulcimer. Attempted pennywhistle but saving my lungs for the bicycle (and, off topic, what great riding weather lately!).Hmmmm. As a kid, I wanted to play violin and drums (!). Is banjo in between (one of them is fretless)?

Percussionist by day.Mountain Dulcimer player by night.

John Henry said:

Forgor the pluked psaltry!!!

Pluked? Is that one of those English cuss words? lol!

Forgor the pluked psaltry!!!JohnH folkfan said:

Does it count that I used to play the bodhran but do to hand problems I don't pick it up anymore. I do have a plucked psaltery with a lovely wire strung harp sound to it as it's a big instrument. At the moment though it's living in down in Warrensburg, MO with my brother. I know one of these days I'll get it back. And other than things that make noise when shaken, the MD and HD are the only two instruments I play. Well the HD, I fool around with on occasion. I'll be honest.

Does it count that I used to play the bodhran but do to hand problems I don't pick it up anymore. I do have a plucked psaltery with a lovely wire strung harp sound to it as it's a big instrument. At the moment though it's living in down in Warrensburg, MO with my brother. I know one of these days I'll get it back. And other than things that make noise when shaken, the MD and HD are the only two instruments I play. Well the HD, I fool around with on occasion. I'll be honest.

Hunter! I got more than one string on my dulc., does that count?............... Sorry, straight face now, honest. Mountain dulcimer, Hammered dulcimer,Bowed Psaltry,Bodhran(with a very sympathetic touch, check it out with Butch Ross,it got him dancing one time!)) and if I have had enough liquid refreshment to throw caution to the wind, I have been known to play the spoons. Right, thats got the joker in the pack out of the way, now lets hear from some real multi-instrumentalists!regards, JohnH
updated by @john-henry: 02/17/16 12:43:25PM

I like a 3 string set-up for chord/melody and generally playing with my fingers and a 4 string set-up for noter/drone. I have used two different 4 string set-ups - the standard close paired melody course and the Galax style wider spaced melody course. I'm not too sure which I prefer. A close pair feels slightly easier to play and the wider spaced pair (Galax) seems more balanced - I'm still experimenting with this.Robin

I'm with Lisa. I've been playing noter & drone on a doubled melody course for over 35 years. It's all a matter of getting accustomed to it. Pick the noter up and put it down vertically, not at any angle, and you eliminate 99% of the fubars. It might take a couple weeks longer to become comfortable playing a double melody course with noter or even fingers, but IMHO it's worth the effort. The balance of the melody to the drones is much better with the double course compared to a single string. Heck even after 35 years I'll still tangle 'em up once in awhile. Just ease off and start again.

For what it's worth, I am a passionate noter player and I use double melody strings and I like them very much. Once in a great while the noter might get tripped up by having the pair, but I'm usually moving fast enough for it not to matter. ;D

I'm only a very occasional noter player, but a fair bit of what I do is melody/drone using finger(s). I use just 3 strings on nearly all my dulcimers, however many strings the maker intended them for! I love the clarity of sound of one melody string, and I don't find that two strings are significantly louder than one. As someone who slides the index finger a lot up and down the melody string I sometimes have a distressing habit of pushing the two strings of a double course into each other. Having said that, I have one dulcimer that sounds just wonderful with a double course on the treble, so I use that one if that's the sound I want.I think you are right, Dave, that 3-string instruments were the norm in the folk revival 40 or 50 years ago, and 4-string dulcimers have become something of a standard since that time. Of course there always was a 4-string tradition in Virginia, as borne out by many historic dulcimers; and in south-west Virginia Galax instruments have 4 strings. But the folk revival norm established by Jean Ritchie was initially for 3 strings, as was standard in her part of eastern Kentucky.

As a finger dancer which is a melody drone style as is the noter/drone, I play only 3 strings. It's just simpler to work with for me. I even had my last dulcimer made for just 3 strings. If I went 4 strings on an instrument it would be on the middle or bass line for an added drone tone as a CcGG or CGgG.

I, too, have only three strings on my dulcimers built to accommodate four. Play just seems to come easier for me with this set-up and the sound, to my ears, is fine.

Hello Dave, I own a number of dulcimers and like you I play a lot using a noter(have enjoyed the stuff you have posted so far). I made my dulcimers, and they were set up to accommodate four strings but they all have just three strings at this time. I too have found to a certain degree that the extra melody string seemed to 'get in the way', could be my technique of course, but I am happier without! I know players who use chording as their main style who have also discarded that extra string. It may be argued that some volume is lost; I have increased the guage of my single melody string and in my opinion this seems to compensate for that supposed loss, and the extra stiffness of the thicker string is not a big problem if one is using a noter. I know that you have a wide experience of other instruments and will almost certainly know that if you are not using one of your tuners it may be required that you 'damp' it down in some fashion in order to prevent unwanted buzzes and rattlesregards,JohnH,Bristol

Party Time coming for 700 !!

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Paul Rappell said:

By the way, I hope our 800 revelers don't get out of hand! Is FotMD a "dry" site?

Anything goes. What happens at FOTMD parties.... stays at FOTMD parties. (hey, why are we still yakkin' on this old 700 member thread? - there's a new thread already for 800!)

Party Time coming for 700 !!

OFF TOPIC discussions

Paul, regarding FOTMD and its status relating to 'drink'. You need to talk to Rod Westerfield on this subject, but be careful, he managed to get me into real trouble at a previous party, DO NOT offer to look after the 'Dew'Thanks for the info on TorontoJohnH Paul Rappell said:

John Henry said:

Good morning Paul, read your notes on Swansea. Wondered if there is direct historical link with ours?
my regards, JohnH

Ontario is full of British place names - London, Perth, Brighton, Inverary, Windsor, Scarborough, York, to name but a few. Sawnsea was originally called the village of Windermere. I have no idea why they changed it (maybe someone came from there). In the early 1900s the rowdy railroad workers would have too much alcohol and get into fights, so they made it a "dry" town. Swansea includes High Park, a huge park in the which had coyotes (in the middle of Toronto!) when I was there. Swansea/West Toronto ("The Junction" - a former railroad town) was the last neighbourhood in Toronto to be dry. It went wet after a referendum in the early nineties. I suppose it wouldn't have made a such good place for a "party for 800" before the vote.

By the way, I hope our 800 revelers don't get out of hand! Is FotMD a "dry" site?

Party Time coming for 700 !!

OFF TOPIC discussions

John Henry said:

Good morning Paul, read your notes on Swansea. Wondered if there is direct historical link with ours?
my regards, JohnH

Ontario is full of British place names - London, Perth, Brighton, Inverary, Windsor, Scarborough, York, to name but a few. Sawnsea was originally called the village of Windermere. I have no idea why they changed it (maybe someone came from there). In the early 1900s the rowdy railroad workers would have too much alcohol and get into fights, so they made it a "dry" town. Swansea includes High Park, a huge park in the which had coyotes (in the middle of Toronto!) when I was there. Swansea/West Toronto ("The Junction" - a former railroad town) was the last neighbourhood in Toronto to be dry. It went wet after a referendum in the early nineties. I suppose it wouldn't have made a such good place for a "party for 800" before the vote.By the way, I hope our 800 revelers don't get out of hand! Is FotMD a "dry" site?