soupnancy

Bits and Bites April 2008

Dairy farmer arrests in Quebec and in Ontario;  are these purveyers of unpasteurized milk artisans or criminals?

Inside the raw-milk underground http://www.harpers.org/archive/2008/04/0081992, an indepth article on pasteurization, grass-fed cattle and the realities of the industry. 

GinaMallet on the Schmidt case in Ontario (Friday April 22 post): http://blog.ginamallet.com/blog

To save a species, serve it for dinner

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/30/dining/30come.html?_r=1&partner=rssyahoo&emc=rss&oref=slogin How nice when doing the right thing and good taste come together. It seems that that is how it often happens in nature - species thriving and co-evolving because they need each other.. Nothing is natural in the balance of things and the food chain anymore, mainly due to the unsustainable ways of our food industry. If we didn’t mass produce and mass consume everything...left the fishing to little fishermen not big trawlers, educated more and acted more like stewards on this earth, it would all just take care of itself. We took away the biodiversity, now we have to bring it back?!

Speaking of sustainable fish choices, Taras Grescoe has a new book out, Bottomfeeders, which can only help since in Quebec, we apparently need to be hit over the head a few more times before giving up the big fish faves..

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080430.wlgrescoe30/BNStory/lifeFoodWine/?page=rss&id=RTGAM.20080430.wlgrescoe30

He will be at Bon Appetit Cookbooks in Westmount for a book signing on Saturday May 10^th at 2PM . Call 514-369-2002 to rsvp.

Ban bottled water already ! Since Alice Waters took a stand a year or two ago and a few chef-restaurateurs followed, there has been much talk in the media, and little action. Here in Montreal , despite wake-up calls from a few including Lesley Chesterman, it’s still water-list snobbery reigning over eco-sensibility. What kills me is that restaurants are pushing imported bottled waters too boot! Including the American tap water Aquafina and all those fancy European brands flown and trucked in from miles, when we have the best water in the world right here! It’s not just the shipping footprint and recycling issue, don’t forget the footprint behind just making the plastic.. Bottom line - completely unnecessary, in fact outrageously stupid, as Amy makes clear in her blog with some good examples of stupid waters http://cookingwithamy.blogspot.com/2008/04/ban-bottled-water.html

A year ago: Restaurants making changes in CA http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/03/21/FDGU1OMMT61.DTL

Here in Quebec, filtered tap water is the way to go..

Water filters: Cheap and easy for the home or business http://www.greenerchoices.org/ratings.cfm?product=waterfilter

Aquaovo, a filter system with an eco-design (no electricity): http://www.aquaovo.com/

Quebec waters to support:  If you must do the bottle, from local springs, try Plus 1 (bonus bidegradable bottle) or Amaro, and St-Justin for bubbles  http://www.plusonewater.ca/en/our_water.php

A comprehensive list with links for all your local water info needs (in French)  : http://www.toile.com/quebec/Commerce_et_economie/Produits_et_services/Alimentation/Eau_de_source/

As Daniel Boulud and JG Vonghricten hit Vancouver, and Susur leaves TO for NYC, Vancouver and TO rival for Canadian food city status (outside Quebec of course)

Van City sizzles, T.O. fizzles’ http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080423.wvancouver23/BNStory/lifeMain/?page=rss&id=RTGAM.20080423.wvancouver23

Newfoundland cod stocks show signs of rebounding, BUT..

‘Not so fast for cod’s sake’ http://www.gourmet.com/foodpolitics/2008/04/politicsoftheplate_04_22_08

Boy or Girl? The Answer May Depend on Mom’s Eating Habits

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/23/boy-or-girl-the-answer-may-depend-on-moms-eating-habits/

The Pope’s risotto – he’s wilder than we thought; ramps play an integral role..

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/23/dining/231rrex.html?ref=dining

ElBulli tops the 50 Best restaurants in the world (S.Pelligrino) list once again http://www.theworlds50best.com/2008_list.html

Just as Ferran Adria plans on downsizing . So much for ever getting a rez..

http://www.bighospitality.co.uk/item/1559/pg_dtl_art_news/238/pg_ftr_art

Natural, ‘ethical’ foie gras in Spain , Dan Barber describes it as the best culinary experience of his life..

http://www.lancasterfarming.com/node/1197

Unbelievable! Heinz introduces gourmet ketchup to much ado

http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/blogs/editor/2008/04/heinz-introduce.html?mbid=rss_epilog

Manufacturing meat (cultured meat cells) – sounds like science fiction!

http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/11/can-people-have-meat-and-a-planet-too/index.html?ref=dining

Montreal hotspots in the New York Times travel section: The usual suspects, Pied de Cochon, Joe Beef et co. and Gardemanger impress a visiting New Yorker.. http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/04/06/travel/06choice.html?ex=1365220800&en=ca50a815e615af18&ei=5089&partner=rssyahoo&emc=rss

From the food scientists:

Caffeine helps protect against Alzheimer’s in a fat heavy diet http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Health/2008/04/03/adding_coffee_to_doughnut_protects_brain/4996/

Research says: water is no miracle cure. Good thing, because I could never do the 8 glasses a day, and it just doesn’t seem right to be spending so much time, energy and money on my pee.

http://www.smartbrief.com/news/cia/videos.jsp;jsessionid=DBC6A399A87E0443ABF696D8903327E0.web2?location=http%3A%2F%2Fplayer.clipsyndicate.com%2Fview%2F474%2F558540%3Fcpt%3D8%26wpid%3D

Raising food costs might be a good thing, because it’s only the commodities and all that it is heavily reliant on petroleum (for fertilizer, pesticides and transport) that will significantly increase. This could be the quickest way to a more sustainable food system, and hurt the fast, processed food the most, in effect levelling the playing field (between industrial food and small farms). This would automatically force us all to think about where our food comes and make more regional, sensible choices. Those of us priveleged enough to have the choice should be eating real food, and paying the real price. Wouldn't opting out of the industrial system take some pressure off the global food system, leaving more wheat, rice and corn for the rest of the world? Now, if only we would stop using it so much to make ethanol (hardly the best solution). http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/02/dining/02cheap.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&ref=dining

Then again, it's not so simple.  From Grist, the story on what's behind rising food prices. 

Sticker shock! What's causing the sudden run-up in food prices?http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/4/25/74229/2816

Why the ethanol as biofuel solution is not: Rex Murphy's end of the ethanol dream http://www.cbc.ca/national/blog/video/rex_murphy/end_of_the_ethanol_dream.html

A really great interview with Anthony Bourdain if you have an hour.. Not so different from the one in Mtl. but he’s undeniably authentic, witty, and entertaining, even wise at times.. http://gremolata.com/gfr.htm

One of my favourite quotes by the late physicist Nicholas Kurti.. At a presentation for the Royal Society of London in 1969 he lamented, "I think it is a sad reflection on our civilization that while we can and do measure the temperature in the atmosphere of Venus, we do not know what goes on inside our soufflés." See the article below. Although there seem to be some errors in this article (sodium alginate and calcium inversed in sphere making, confusing making spheres with foams, mixing the processes etc..), it's a good overview of food science, and I love the mention of the ouzo effect, still baffling to food scientists.. http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20080329/bob10.asp

Almonds extra good for you! Of course I know to take all nutritional information with a grain of salt now, but still I like to cheer on one of my favourites.. http://www.chillicothegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080331/LIFESTYLE/803310312

Bits and Bites March 2008

A stand for cheese on seafood pasta – a funny article that digs into this old controversy. I never agreed with the rule anyway even if I rarely put cheese on my pasta. Sometimes it goes, sometimes not, so I go on a case by case basis, and if someone wants to put cheese on their pasta, let them. But like they say, ‘When in Rome ..’ If I was in Italy or in the company of a chef who felt that the best way to appreciate his/her food was sans fromage, I would listen. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/30/magazine/30food-t.html?ex=1364616000&en=6eff2a1b6911d702&ei=5089&partner=rssyahoo&emc=rss

The dirty dozen – top 12 foods to eat organic

http://green.msn.com/galleries/photos/photos.aspx?gid=164

More reason to avoid farmed salmon, especially from Chile

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/27/world/americas/27salmon.html?ex=1364356800&en=4b2fce1eb855825c&ei=5089&partner=rssyahoo&emc=rss

Iron chef Montreal, Monday April 14th at the Queue de Cheval

A charity event for Nourrir un enfant. Tickets range from 350 to 1000$, 514-390-0090

Chefs involved : Marino Tavaress, Richard Bastien, Olivier de Montigny, Lindsay Petit, Jérome Lefil, Chuck Hughes, John Zoumis, Fred Morin

Judges : Patrick Huard, Ginette Reno, Maire-Josée Taillefer, Jonas, Annie Villeneuve

Cooking beaver, raccoon and squirrel – looking back to some old recipes from Gourmet archives :

http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/menus/2008/01/varmints

Leave my bacon alone! Just feed the pigs better, ie. Allow them to eat a more natural diet. I’m leary of the food industry fortifying everything with Omega 3’s even if they are so good for us. As M.Pollan reminds us in his In Defence of food, it is important to remember that nutritionism is a most imperfect science, and has been most misleading in the past, in effect screwing up the way we eat. Like Joe Schwartz says, adding DHA to pork doesn’t make it fish. Whole foods are more complex and better for us than nutrients, the ‘greater than the sum of its parts’ phenomenon. So keep the fish oil out of my bacon I say, I’d rather get my Omegas from my fish, from my leafy greens and from animals that graze on leafy greens. But it seems that others may want bacon with benefits..

Bacon with Benefits : http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080319.wlomega19/BNStory/lifeFoodWine/?page=rss&id=RTGAM.20080319.wlomega19

Pacific wild salmon season maybe cancelled

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/12/MNSLVHTM5.DTL

Mushrooms offer low cal nutrition and flavour - Good news for us

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/main/5623902.html

The Potato famine, the reason we have a St-Paddy’s parade, the story behind it and other repercussions on world trade economies - fascinating stuff.

The Fungus that conquered Europe http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/17/opinion/17reader.html?ex=1363406400&en=adc85a65affdc0d1&ei=5089&partner=rssyahoo&emc=rss

Cold water does not boil faster than hot water –duh? Someone told me this once, and I thought they were whacked; it went against everything I ever learnt in my many years of science. I was equally skeptical about the reverse effect, and this discussion animated many kitchen ‘in between rush’ moments over the years. Reading up on it then, I found out that hot water can freeze faster than cold in certain conditions, but in a normal kitchen scenario, this isn’t the rule.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/18/health/18real.html?ex=1363492800&en=771e2f1969057925&ei=5089&partner=rssyahoo&emc=rss

My latest discoveries in Quebec cheese :

Terre Promise , a Suisse style cheese from Fromagerie « Du Champ à la meule » by Martin Guilbeault, north of Joliette (already known for his other cheeses Le Victor et Berthold, Le Laracam, Le Fêtard)..

La Brise des Vignerons, a raw cow’s milk artisanal Brie style cheese from Farnham (Fromagerie des Cantons)

Cheddar des petits vieux, an aged raw milk Cheddar from Lac St-Jean

L’Alfred, a firm, washed rind raw cow’s milk cheese from La Station in Compton. It has a honeyed taste, nutty too, mild but super complex in taste – I LOVE this cheese. I discovered it at a tasting where it was paired with coffee(!) and have had it many times since, wow.

Le Bleu d’Élizabeth, a Roquefort type blue from St-Elizabeth de Warwick (Fromagerie le Presbytère), a Quebec blue for afficianados looking for more blue than the other Quebec blues typically offer.

Le Grand 2, a raw goat and cow’s milk firm washed rind from near Quebec City (Fromagerie Les Grondines)

The Baluchon Reserve (Fromagerie F.X. Pichet), organic raw cow’s milk (washed rind, semi-firm) from St-Anne de la Pérade, an aged version of the classic Baluchon, making it more complex, and more nutty than the fruity..

Other local goodies to get to know :

Le fou de la Gaspesie : a store selling everything from the Gaspésie

1253 rue Beaubien E , 514-656-1593

Products from La Terre Sativa, Terre de cultures in St Alban 418-268-4499, terrasativalobetrotter.net.. Organic herbs, plants and tisanes and their derivatives. I love their flavoured salt (and I generally hate flavoured salts) probably because it’s heavy on the anise scented herbs (lovage, dill, tarragon etc)..

Cochon tout rond at Marché Jean Talon (4ieme allée) : Artisanal charcuterie (or salaison) using all parts of the pig, no nitrites and less salt than most commercial charcuterie, this is the labour of love of a chef Patrick Mathey, and a cheesemaker Vincent Lalonde from Fromagerie Pied de vent fame in the Magdalen Islands. The star is their dry ham (proscuitto), I also like their lonzo (cured and dried loin) and the chorizo.

Les Serres Stéphande Bertrand in Mirabel – I came across these beautiful, and surprisingly tasty off season tomatoes the other day, better than everything else on the market and certainly better than no tomatoes at all.

Maple eau de vie La Gelinotte, true maple taste in a liqeur for those who like something sweet to sip. I mainly like to cook with it, available at most SAQ’s.

Big news in Vancouver : Daniel Boulud coming to town to revamp Lumière and Feenies

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080314.wlboulud14/BNStory/lifeFoodWine/?page=rss&id=RTGAM.20080314.wlboulud14

Chefs as waiters : Featuring Momofuku in NewYork and Montreal’ Kitchen Gallerie, a new concept for a certain type of chef, and a certain type of client, which also allows the kitchen to get a fair piece of the pie..

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/12/dining/12waiter.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&ref=dining&oref=slogin

Another interview with Michael Pollan, the ever fascinating common sense authority on the story behind our food, http://gremolata.com/michaelpollan.htm

While on the subject of Michael Pollan, I strongly urge you to read his latest book, In Defence of Food, the follow up to His Omnivore’s Dilemna. It is a wake up call on crisis that is the Western diet and a cry for us to eat real food, revealing where we went wrong and the misguided notion of nutritionsim as the basis of our food culture.

Bacon chocolate chip cookies I do believe that just about everything is better with bacon, although I must say this is a bit over the top; I dare you.. http://neverbashfulwithbutter.blogspot.com/2007/12/experiments-in-deliciousness-bacon.html

In denial over MSG : the truth in a New York times article

Yes, MSG, the Secret Behind the Savor http://soupnancy.squarespace.com/yes-msg-the-secret-behind-the/

An all coriander restaurant http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/0,26058,23317469-5014090,00.html

Top food trends this spring http://gremolata.com/danastoptrends.htm#trends

A newly discovered blog I love for seriously curious chefs

Ideas in food : http://ideasinfood.typepad.com/

Maple gone wild: A menu inspired by the sugar shack tradition at Les Jardins Sauvages the first weekend in April, 55$ BYOW Friday and Saturday night, Sunday lunch. Call 450-588-5125 or goto www.jardinssauvages.com
The menu in English to download: http://soupnancy.squarespace.com/menus/
In May, it will be lamb and suckling pig on the menu and of course, the first of François' pickings - stay tuned..

Thanks to fellow bloggers who have shown me some love :

Looks like I have a new fan in Chef Jonathan Strand http://cheffyboy.vox.com/library/post/higici-part-doux.html

Another blog I have discovered because they had me on their ‘crush list’ - meet Shuna Fish Lydon, a pastry chef in SanFran : http://eggbeater.typepad.com/

Chatter on Chowhound about female chefs : http://www.chowhound.com/topics/491775

Festival Highlights

The Gazette festival food diary for numerous reviews of dinner events

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/story.html?id=bd588cef-c163-4c14-94bb-abeeba7f5396&k=97279

Montreal is surprised that TO might have something to offer (from La Presse) http://www.cyberpresse.ca/article/20080223/CPACTUEL/802230953/5050/CPPRESSE

Mathilde Singer at Le Voir on the Renaud Cyr dinner at Toqué, Thierry Marx at the Beaver Club, and the Quebec city chef event among others..  http://www.voir.ca/blogs/mathilde_singer

Quebec cheese at the festival by Catherine McPherson (The Hour)  http://www.hour.ca/food/food.aspx?iIDArticle=14094

La Grande Bouffe An overview of the festival by Heather Sokoloff at the Globe and Mail http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080227.wxlhighlights27/BNStory/lifeFoodWine/home

My notes:  Two dinners, two hits

Perigee (Christopher Brown) at Vertige, Monday Feb. 25

A surprise menu with wine pairing

Roasted almond gelée with white chocolate foam, Abitibi sturgeon caviar (Prosecco, our choice)

Testina (Italian head cheese), seared with poached egg, truffle sauce, frisée (Sancerre rouge)

Arctic char, radish consommé, cabbage, orange confit (Cotes du Rhone blanc)

Foie gras, chestnut purée, fig compote, espresso froth (Juraçon)

Seville orange sorbet, lime, green olive

Smoked venison filet, rapini, gnocchi poached and fried, jus with balsamic (Chateauneuf du Pape)

Steamed chocolate cake with coconut sorbet, meringue, coconut water, pineapple (Pineau de Charentes)

Very nice and definitely interesting. Tasty, clean, carefully crafted food, with a few surprises here and there.. The wines worked, nothing more. The main could have been hotter, and I always want more sauce than most modern chefs like to give, but these are minor quibbles.  Although I never fell off my chair, I loved it all. I have to say, it was pretty flawless.  It was playful and daring without being out there, and precise.  Maybe I would have been more liable to swoon at this beautiful food if I hadn’t been scrapping with my boyfriend (sacrilege I know). My favourite was the sea trout (char I think) in a succulent (but no meat!) radish broth with cabbage and orange. This dish was absolutely stunning, both deeply savoury and delicate at once, truly outstanding. Next best, I loved the Seville orange-olive entremets and the pig, egg and truffle entrée.. I am dying to visit his restaurant in TO for the full on experience, perhaps with a different date.

Jamie Kennedy at Jolifou, Thursday Feb. 28

Ontario on the menu

Mixed hors d’oeuvres: Niagara Proscuitto, fresh sheep’s milk cheese, smoked duck, a trio of smoked and cured fish canapés, chicken liver mousse, assorted garden pickles and condiments (Henry of Pelham Brut rosé)

Oyster chowder (Charles Baker Riesling)

Splake poached in Pristine soya oil, soubise, beet reduction (Cave Spring cellars CSV chardonnay)

Ontario cheese platter: Thunder oak gouda , Highland Blue, 5 yr cheddar, Tosano

(Chateau des Charmes Late harvest Riesling)

Crepe with sour cherries, maple walnut ice cream

(Pilliterri Cabernet franc icewine)

I am naturally drawn to Jamie Kennedy’s style given that he is a long time proponent of local foods, and happily, the meal at Jolifou did not disappoint. His food is product driven, straight forward, flavourful, more rustic than fussy, more fun than serious. The only showing off going on here was with respect to the many special Ontario ingredients he brought with him. I especially loved the Proscuitto (Mario Pingue), although all of the little bites on the starter plate were bright, the pickerel gravelax,  all his house pickled vegetables. The New Brunswick oyster soup was the unanimous winner of the night, like a refined version of the best New England clam chowder, as was the accompanying Riesling from Vinemount Ridge. The wine pairing was very good across the board, all the wines were from Niagara and the sommelier (another Jamie) was charming and funny (I’m not accustomed to Scottish sommeliers). I also enjoyed the fish main (Splake? A Georgian Bay variety of lake trout according to the waiter), reminiscent of our doré, which was meltingly soft from the confit treatment in a cold pressed Ontario soy oil, alongside the savoury, comforting winter flavours of caramelized onion and beet. I was happy to be introduced to some new Ontario cheeses too.. The mood was relaxed and they seemed to be having fun in the kitchen which translated into a feel-good dinner overall, not to mention that it was all at a very reasonable price.

Bits and Bites February 2008

Renaud Cyr awards (celebrating Quebec regional cuisine):  François Blais wins best Quebec chef and Anicet Desrochers-Dupuis takes the artisan category (for his organic honeys), two of my favourite food professionals..  Way to go guys!   http://www.cuisineduquebec.com/blog/?m=200802

Who is Renaud Cyr?  http://www.lerenaudcyr.com/

See the ketchup crapper video with Martha Stewart and other more intelligent food news at Gremolata  http://gremolata.com/gfr.htm

Michael Ruhlman on our AFU relationship with food, part of a recurring theme on this blog (real food good, industrial food bad), but he says it all so clearly..

Food rant:  America's fat problem  http://blog.ruhlman.com/ruhlmancom/2008/02/food-rant-ameri.html

Martin Picard and co. in the NYTimes  http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/magazine/02Food-t.html?ex=1362114000&en=16d9ea0cb542f98a&ei=5089&partner=rssyahoo&emc=rss

Preserving biodiversity in face of climate change :

Near Arctic, Seed Vault Is a Fort Knox of Food http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/29/world/europe/29seeds.html?ex=1362027600&en=81961bd6351ee212&ei=5089&partner=rssyahoo&emc=rss 

My kind of TV reality show - About wine  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080227.wldecanter27/BNStory/lifeFoodWine/?page=rss&id=RTGAM.20080227.wldecanter27

Momofuku Ssam Bar’s Frankensteak http://nymag.com/restaurants/features/44204/

Pot cave for making cheese makes for a good story http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/blogs/editor/2008/02/pot-cave-turns.html?mbid=rss_epilog

Deadly delicacies: http://www.trifter.com/Practical-Travel/World-Cuisine/Seven-of-the-Deadliest-Delicacies-Come-Dine-with-Death.84785

Pasta with bones by Bittman: I agree, but vote for some pig bone. http://bitten.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/18/recipe-of-the-day-pasta-with-bones/?ex=1204088400&en=66f6cc5136df9624&ei=5070&emc=eta1

Oldest woman on earth, thanks to a glass of olive oil a day? http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jTWCmWUVtw2vA5wPeUcDfYzK5HYAD8UQBMUO0

Rediscovering the Forgotten Crops: Over the last century about 75% of the world's crop varieties have been lost, data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) suggests. Replanting millet in India is one effort to reclaim biodiversity and encourage reliance on locally grown food in the face of a potential global food crisis. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7247218.stm

I love you, but you love meat An article on the complications of inter-dietary dating.. I can’t sharing love without sharing meals, but I’m in the aforementioned Chowhound camp that sees ‘picky eaters as remarkably unsexy’. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/13/dining/13incompatible.html?ex=1360645200&en=cf90a3362f36fbc9&ei=5089&partner=rssyahoo&emc=rss

Baconizing desserts – a trend?

http://www.doriegreenspan.com/dorie_greenspan/2008/02/bacon-make-mine.html

A Bacon scarf! I want it!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9330217

Double dipping, Harold McGee weighs in. Too funny. I just love that George Castanza created a term for this particular form of obsessive fear of contamination. Of course, double dipping is sketchy bacteria wise, but whatever.. we should all just chill out, we’re too clean as it is, we should be kissing the neighbours more, or just eating more dip - for the sake of our immune system.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/30/dining/30curious.html

Pasta isn’t so evil after all . It has a relatively low glycaemic index, and nutrients to boot. Plus, as Josée Distasio says, it just makes us happy.

http://www.culinate.com/articles/opinion/pasta_myth

A man and his pet ham . ‘Some of us are cat people. Others are dog people. Lesser known are ham people, a cult whose mere existence makes potbellied pig people twitch and stammer .’ I choose a ham over a dog or a cat any day.’ http://www.gourmet.com/food/2008/01/ham

Beef, bacon and eggs used to deliver Omega 3’s before we started mass producing our food. This article explains how it is the balance of Omega 3’s and 6’s that matters, and how to get that nowadays, because getting it from food is always better than from supplements.

Where to find Omega 3’s: http://features.us.reuters.com/wellbeing/news/EF6A7FC2-D5BE-11DC-A508-2A9415A4.html

Bits and Bites January/ February 2008

With Valentine’s coming up..

My menu at les Jardins Sauvages : http://soupnancy.squarespace.com/menus/

www.jardinssauvages.com

Les Devins Chocolats de Sandra : A local artisanal FAIRTRADE chocolatier in Terrebonne with high quality chocolate that really tastes good! Available at Dix Milles Villages and at La Maison Verte.. http://www.ethiquette.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1206&Itemid=57&lang=fr

Nathalie Maclean reccomends wines for a first date or for a mature relationship.. I pick ‘endless love – celebrating the one you’re with’..

http://www.nataliemaclean.com/book/interviews.asp#110

Her favourite wine pairings for Chocolate

http://www.nataliemaclean.com/book/interviews.asp#103

Valentine’s Day Aphrodisiac foods with recipes from Epicurious

http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/valentinesday/aphrodisiacs

Bittman's new blog for home cooks

http://bitten.blogs.nytimes.com/

From Gremolata.com

Grass fed beef tastes better – It’s not just the eco-choice

http://www.slate.com/id/2152674/

Celebrity chef elected as prime minister in Thailand

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/celebrity-chef-is-elected-as-prime-minister-of-thailand-775252.html

Suggestions for an American chef-pres http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/blogs/editor/2008/01/president-celeb.html?mbid=rss_epilog

Mars/ Venus and taste : Waking up to the fact that women taste more and differently than men, some wine and food companies are starting to market to female tastebuds.

http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/blogs/editor/2008/01/chick-licks.html?mbid=rss_epilog

Susur at Otto? In Toronto, they seem equally puzzled by some of the Montreal Highlights Festival chef pairings. There’s a whiff of wierdness to it all, which might be understandable as Montreal and To do make awkward bed fellows. I wouldn’t know where to put Susur either. It doesn’t help that many of the city’s top chefs aren’t participating. Even if it looks like Mtl doesn’t want TO to be a smash hit, there’s certainly enough going on to make a festival, and I’m sure many great meals will be had.. But I hope the To crew rises above the difficult set-up and surprises, making it hard for those Montrealers who are waiting hungrily for a juicy round of TO bashing.

http://gremolata.com/montrealhighlights.htm

Rethinking the Meat Guzzler – A terrific article about the real cost of eating meat.. Some excerpts :

‘livestock production generates nearly a fifth of the world’s greenhouse gases — more than transportation’

“When you look at environmental problems in the U.S.,” says Professor Eshel, “nearly all of them have their source in food production and in particular meat production. And factory farming is ‘optimal’ only as long as degrading waterways is free. If dumping this stuff becomes costly — even if it simply carries a non-zero price tag — the entire structure of food production will change dramatically.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/weekinreview/27bittman.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1

The bottom line : we need to choose to eat less meat and better meat. 30g per day is enough nutritionally, even 100g instead of the twofold NA average.. And I think meat should be expensive, reflecting the real costs and only sustainable practices should be subsidized.

Eating meat is only human, Bittman qualifies.  http://bitten.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/05/eating-meat-is-only-human/#more-105

European retailers boycott bluefin tuna, leading the way. Chefs need to follow and stop serving an endangered species.

http://www.panda.org/index.cfm?uNewsID=123320

High Mercury Levels Are Found in Tuna Sushi

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/23/dining/23sushi.html?em&ex=1201237200&en=2c9a9232f1612301&ei=5087%0A

The Tuna Backlash Backlash - Another point of view

http://www.chow.com/grinder/4736

Killing chickens for a cause: Jamie Oliver pulls a few stunts to remind people where their food comes from, and what buying cheap food means. Good for him! Sales in the UK already show a shift in buying patterns. More and more, chefs are trying to educate people to care enough about the animals they eat to give them the best life possible and show the difference in quality.

Chef’s new goal – to look dinner in the eye

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/16/dining/16anim.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ei=5089&en=61f0f741bee34119&ex=1358226000&partner=rssyahoo&emc=rss

Clones as food – This was the story of the past few weeks

BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7190305.stm

FDA says clones are safe for food http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/14/AR2008011402941.html

For me this excerpt says it all : ‘we conclude that meat and milk from cattle, swine, and goat clones are as safe as the food we eat every day’

Because the thing is.. by the minute, that isn’t safe at all! That’s the point. We should be moving towards more natural and sustainable food sourcing, not expanding and complicating the industrial supply. As the mainstream food supply becomes scarier, the case for buying organic and local only gets stronger.

I don’t want to be anti technology.. I’m the girl who studied biotechnology at McGill (it was my minor) back when it was a new exciting field, all hype and no bad wrap, also before I had any notion of food ethics. It’s not as if I think that cloned meat will be any different, but I just don’t see why we need it, and I’d rather not think of where it could lead us. When it comes to the motivation behind it, am I missing something? Why is it exactly that we want cloned meat? Only because we can do it? Or is the prime goal to select for certain characteristics to later facilitate mass producing those special beasts for big business lucre? Even if production goes ahead, the idea of Not labelling it in the US is unbelievable -how can that possibly fly? This would just make for a trade mess with obligatory labelling in the EU. Besides, the consumer has the right to know and choose. The origin of anything should be on the package, whether it’s a farm or a lab.

More on this :

French minister says no to cloned bifteck http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080117/sc_nm/cloning_france_dc_4;_ylt=AtoZzzWMZyrZ5sxlSoJk_.L0kPUI

Commentary on Grist with links to more: http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/2/6/83532/92532?source=food

CBC's report with Canadian feedback http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2008/01/15/cloning-food.html

The super carrot: More fiddling with food, this time in the name of medicine. The latest controversy over GM Crops involves a super carrot..

When a carrot isn’t a carrot http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/01/14/scicarrot114.xml

Again, why do we need this? Through industrialization of our food, we’ve diminished the quality of our food, so now we need to be boosting it – how backwards.. When we can easily enough eat healthily by choosing to (by avoiding processed and fast food, shopping at farmers markets, buying local and organic and consuming a varied diet).

A larger portion of our food supply is already GM since corn, soy and wheat are largely GM and they are in everything (a conservative estimate in the US iso ver 60%, here ?), so lets protect the rest!

Again more fiddling with the food supply - Mosanto.. While we weren’t looking, big companies like Mosanto cleverly sneaked GM traits into the mainstream while they took control of the commodities, in effect forcing farmers to plant their seeds (that are resistant to the pesticide they sell) for competitive yields.

Going against nature in everyway way, farmers are required to buy the seeds annually, because Mosanto owns this genetic material. Completely AFU (All fucked up) - it makes me sick. Tom Philpot explains it well here :

http://www.grist.org/comments/food/2008/01/17/?source=food

The anti-locavore : A very tongue in cheek article dissing the ‘eat fresh and local’ movement.. Even if I don’t agree, I appreciate original opinions, and this writer is witty, and quite amusing..

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1702353,00.html

The Power of Suggestion : High price makes wine taste better

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/article3177658.ece

Bits and Bites January 2008

Our annual duck dinners at Les Jardins Sauvages!

Seven courses of duck with wild things, 75$ BYOW, 45 min NE of Montreal.

As of Jan. 18, through to Feb. 3, Friday and Saturday nights at 7pm , Sundays at 1pm .

For info and to view menus, visit www.jardinssauvages.com.

To make a reservation: 450-588-5125 or submit an email to me.

To download English menu and wine picks: http://soupnancy.squarespace.com/menus/

More bits and bites

The Saveur 100 2008 – Lots of intriguing entries on this list of what’s hot, including exotic ingredients to discover (a Mayan corn beverage, Balkan sausage, dried yogurt and an Indonesian honey-soy condiment, heirloom beans), kick-ass kitchen tools (steel pans, the Wusthof bread knife) and cool people (Les Blank, independent butchers) … Gotta love that Montreal chefs got a mention along with the honey bees, the Canadian Big Turk Chocolate Bar, and my favourite flavour – liquorice!

http://www.saveur.com/back-issue/miscellaneous/2008-saveur-100-21046800.html#muff

Bacon jokes – check out this video, it’s too funny.

http://www.seriouseats.com/required_eating/2008/01/in-videos-jim-gaffigan-on-bacon.html

Salt blocks.. After reading a blog post by Traci DesJardins about a meal with chefs featuring sashimi on a salt plate, I couldn’t help but be intrigued and read on.. Mainly, these blocks are just beautiful, but many culinary possibilities beckon too – to use as a cooking tool or a hot serving platter, or even throw chunks into your mortar and pestle or into your bath!

http://www.saltnews.com/cooking-with-himalayan-salt-plates-blocks-bricks-platters/

‘What a 265$ steak tastes like’ .. Tasting Kobe and Wagyu beef, the luxury meat ‘must’ on every high end menu nowadays – is it worth it?

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080105.wxkates05/BNStory/lifeFoodWine/home

I don't know now..  Here's the scoop on how they are actually raised.

http://www.gourmet.com/magazine/2000s/2007/12/kobe_beef_estabrook

Ducasse is trashed in London . Yikes.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/magazine/story/0,,2232167,00.html#article_continue

No, not another great Michael Pollan article, but another book – In Defence of Food

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/03/books/03masl.html?_r=1&em&ex=1199509200&en=c0934889f10bf2c0&ei=5087&oref=slogin

And an interview with Michael Pollan at Gourmet’s Choptalk on the point of the book, which is that we should pay more attention to culture and a little less attention to science, when it comes to food and a nutritious diet. As in look to the old cuisines of the world, and to our grandmothers..

Beyond his trademark three phrase motto, ‘Eat Food . Not too much. Mostly plants.”, MP always offers up more words of wisdom always put so simply. Here are excerpts from the interview:

‘ it would be fine to have French fries, as long as you're willing to cook them yourself. So then how often would you have French fries? Maybe once a month, because it's a real pain, and you've got to clean it up.’

‘You should eat mostly plants, but if you're going to eat meat, your meat should eat mostly plants’ as in the wild, not a cocktail of corn, antibiotics, and hormones as in the industrial meat of the Western diet..

‘Yeah, we've been suckers for scientific eating in this country longer than anybody else. I think it's because we have not had a strong culinary tradition’

The only belief of his I never liked, however valid, was, ‘Eat until you are 80% full.’

http://www.epicurious.com/gourmet/blogs/foodeditors/2008/01/keep-it-real.html?cid=96360634

What’s Organic? A promising film to look out for.

http://www.whatsorganicmovie.org/

Wine labelling, Bonny Doon leads the way . I agree that it might cause some unnecessary alarm initially because the truth is we don’t know much about what goes into our wine, but I think honest information and education is always the way to go. And I’m all for replacing all the useless descriptive blah-blah for some real information.

http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/blogs/editor/2008/01/ingredient-labe.html?mbid=rss_epilog

Don’t forget - The Montreal Highlights Festival takes place from Feb.21 to March 3^rd, and so it’s time to book before everything is sold out. The featured city is Toronto , with Susur (at Otto) leading the pack of To chefs, Anthony Walsh at Decca 77 and Jamie Kennedy at Jolifou. The country in the spotlight is Chile with top chefs and winemakers visiting Raza and Madre, as well as Decca 77 and La Chronique. Quebec City ’s 400^th is also being marked with a special gala at the Queen E that is sold out. There are demo workshops at Jean Talon, lunches and wine tastings at various bistros to round out the busy schedule. The only puzzling and disappointing thing is the absence of many of Montreal ’s best chefs on the roster of hosts.. Still, there’s a lot to choose from.

For the full schedule: http://www.montrealenlumiere.com/volets/liste_eve_en.aspx?volet=table

Bits and Bites December 2007

Two terrific quotes to inspire you in the new year..

“ Work is about daily meaning as well as daily bread. For recognition as well as cash; for astonishment rather than torpor; in short, for a sort of life rather than a Monday through Friday sort of dying... We have a right to ask of work that it include meaning, recognition, astonishment, and life.” - Studs Terkel

" The secret to longevity is to decide early on what one does well and then do it relentlessly, fanatically well, never wavering, never letting things slide, never allowing oneself to lose sight of one's original standards and intentions, and not falling victim to trends or unreasonable fears." Anthony Bourdain

http://www.chewswise.com/chews/2007/12/workin-in-the-n.html

Food trends for 2008

Offal, small plates, dessert restaurants, ethical eating.. nothing all that new, just some of last years’ trends becoming more established.

From Hotels magazine : http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=616&topicId=12552&docId=u:711874309&start=1

http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=81699-datamonitor-flavor-trends

Entrepreneur.com’s 2008 hot list:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22217181/

From Gremolata , Malcolm Jolly’s predictions for 2008:

http://gremolata.com/trends2008.htm

Top tens and trends of 2007

Lesley Chesterman’s fine dining top ten in Montreal..

I like her picks, although I have yet to make it to a couple of them..

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/story.html?id=229c7c36-d357-455a-8308-dadc4a089aab

The best and worst trends of 2007 from Epicurious

http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/blogs/editor/2007/12/best-food-trend.html

Casual fine dining is where it’s at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/26/dining/26year.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

The food sections says that ‘2007 w as the year that cauliflower was cool , meatballs were the new black, the eat local movement got zeitgeisty, square tarts intrigued Parisian chefs, and brunch was big in South Korea.’ See more of their top food stories in 2007.. http://www.thefoodsection.com/foodsection/2007/12/2007-the-year-i.html

Articles that caused a stir:

Our decrepit food factories : Michael Pollan’s article on the consequences of unsustainable food production, sick bees and antibiotic resistant bacteria – a must read.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/16/magazine/16wwln-lede-t.html?_r=1&ref=magaz

Lessons from the oil patch, A related article from Grist

http://www.grist.org/comments/food/2007/12/20/?source=food

Is the entrée heading for extinction? How small plates have taken over.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/05/dining/05entr.html

Frank Bruni defends the entrée

http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/05/in-defense-of-the-entree/

More great articles :

We are rat obsessed. There was Ratatouille, and now stands up for the rat. Or at least brings the overblown fear of them near our food into focus..

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/16/opinion/16shaw.html?ex=1331697600&en=fafe448c82627ccd&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

The right stuff and the right touch : For great food –which is more important, good ingredients or cooking skills? Both, obviously.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/pacificnw12162007/2004063614_pacificptaste16.html

I refuse to tolerate food intolerances – Yes!!!

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/food/2007/11/i_refuse_to_tolerate_food_into.html

The rebuttal comments are just as good.

A whole other beast Inspired by Fergus Henderson or generations past, a reminder to be creative and not waste the nasty bits, be it with a pig or a head of brocoli..

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GourmetFoodEditors/~3/192407453/a-whole-other-b.html

Quote by Fergus Henderson (and added on to by the author):

This is a celebration on cuts of meat (parts of broccoli), innards, and extremities that are more often forgotten or discarded in today's kitchen; it would seem disingenuous to the animal (plant) not to take the most of the whole beast: there is a set of delights, textural and flavorsome, which lie beyond the fillet (floret).

Other bits of interest from December :

Blue fin blues In case you didn’t know, blue fin tuna is one of the least sustainable choices out there..

http://www.chewswise.com/chews/2007/12/safinas-blue-fi.html

Faux foie gras – reminds me of tofu dogs and ChuChai, oh boy

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/food/2007/12/step_forward_for_faux_gras.html

Jean Beaudin in Mtl. Trusted sommelier and wine teacher from the Laurentians, Jean recently opened a Montreal wine tasting workshop where he will give classes, his specialty being food and wine pairing.

http://www.voir.ca/publishing/article.aspx?zone=1&section=21&article=55690
http://francoischartier.typepad.com/laselectionchartier/2007/12/des-cours-de-dg.html

Bam! Emeril gets the axe . And I’ve never heard seen so many fans.. Foodies and restaurant industry people always loved to criticize poor Emeril and his show, but now that the food network has really gotten dumbed down, he no longer seems to be be such a clown. Afterall, he is a real chef unlike most of the others with big ratings now.. And now, he’s gone, the end of an era. http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/blogs/editor/2007/11/bam-emeril-gets.html?mbid=rss_epilog

Bits and Bites November (and end of October) 2007

Over the top: A 208 000$ truffle and a 25 000$ dessert !

The truffle, ok maybe. But the dessert? Cooking with the Guiness book of world records in mind just seems twisted to me.. Oh well, I guess it makes for a good story.

The truffle: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/15/world/asia/15briefs-truffle.html?_r=1&ref=dining&oref=slogin

White truffle prices go through the roof. I say big deal; there is so much else out there to cook with. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071121.wtruffles07/BNStory/lifeFoodWine/?page=rss&id=RTGAM.20071121.wtruffles07

The dessert: http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN0753679220071107

Oops! That dessert had but a brief moment of fame.  A rat in the kitchen did it in..  http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN1531592620071115

Wine and music pairing. In the quest for the sublime, matching food and wine is not enough. Now, how about the music. Talk about adding more subjective layers to the ultimate in wine or food or life. Then again, we already do match food and wine to mood in the first place and music is a big part of mood, so.. Sounds like a fun thing to experiment with in any case.

http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/blogs/editor/2007/11/music-and-wine.html?mbid=rss_epilog

It’s guide book season, and everyone is scrapping over the results

In NYC : http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/10/dining/10guid.html?_r=2&ex=1349755200&en=8f0b80402942e5a6&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Only Keller nabs the top score in the San Fran Bay area http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/10/02/BAG93LGQUP21.DTL

And no three-stars for LA, only Joel Robluchon in Las Vegas . http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=a8dbvj9bTMTw&refer=muse

An overview: ‘Who’s haute and who’s not’ http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071121.wxlmichelin21/BNStory/lifeFoodWine/?page=rss&id=RTGAM.20071121.wxlmichelin21

Puzzled in LA - ‘Its Amateur hour at Michelin’

http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-dish21nov21,1,2209879.story?coll=la-headlines-food&ctrack=3&cset=true

In a witty article about non-local local cooking , Jon Fasman urges would-be smart American restaurants to offer more in the way of local cooking, and less of the Franco-Italian-Asian-accented stuff that you can find in almost every city of the developed world ... I have always been puzzled myself by the phenomenon of this one style of haute cuisine even if I do it to a certain extent. Most every high end place does the Franco-Italian-Asian thing while sourcing local ingredients, or at least pretending they do. I equally dislike the new preciousness of the locavore mantra, especially when it is superficial and marketing oriented as opposed to simply doing it.
D eracinated in DC: http://moreintelligentlife.com/node/445

Fergus Henderson on the mend. The guy known for cooking brains and strange things is now getting his brain fried as a part of his treatment for Parkinson’s. He good naturedly talks about the ordeal and how good food is helping..

http://uk.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUKL075802020071108?pageNumber=3

Bad service backlash: From a diner’s rights manifesto in the LA times to Frank Bruni’s whining about waiterspeak in his New York column and blog, the blogosphere heats up with other grumpy voices, and many defenders of the person behind the waitron.

http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-rights24oct24,1,3334428.story?coll=la-headlines-food&ctrack=2&cset=true

Frank Bruni’s column: Tonight, Patronizing Language. Enjoy http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/07/dining/07note.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

His blog: http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/07/serving-in-tongues/

Cuisine Canada annual cookbook awards

Vij Vikram wins best Canadian English cookbook with his book of recipes from his popular restaurant in Vancouver , Carol Off wins for Bitter Chocolate bringing a bit of activism to the foodie world, and Martin Picard’s Album du Pied de Cochon takes the Canadian Culture prize in French. Cuisine Canada is a national alliance of Canadian culinary professionals who share a common desire to encourage the development, use and recognition of fine Canadian food and beverages. The University of Guelph has for more than 140 years contributed to Canadian cuisine in its programs in agriculture, food science, hospitality and tourism management and is the home of one of Canada’s best cookbook collections. For more information about the awards visit: www.lib.uoguelph.ca/resources/archives/culinary/cuisine_canada/index.html

Heritage turkeys: one guy who’s mission is to save the precious breeds

Despite the fact that eating turkey is a part of our tradition, we’ve somehow neglected turkey to the point of almost losing it.. The line of turkeys we now eat have been manipulated to the point that they are no longer able to mate, and we no longer know how to raise or cook a real turkey, let alone what one tastes like – a very sad story. Thankfully, a few dedicated people are doing something about it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/07/dining/07turk.html?ref=dining

Cooking heritage turkeys http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/blogs/editor/2007/11/heritage-turkey.html?mbid=rss_epilog

Dan Barber on turkey

http://www.salon.com/mwt/food/2007/11/21/thanksgiving_dan_barber/

Rob Feenie splits with Lumière http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071107.wlfeenie07/BNStory/lifeFoodWine/home

The Future of Food: A Popular Science feature on the latest kitchen gadgetry

http://www.popsci.com/popsci/technology/cc94d7f2faa85110vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html

Foodie voyeurism: If you’re the type to walk into someone’s house and open the fridge, this quirky site is for you..

http://www.fridgewatcher.com/

What’s new with Heston Blumenthal..

An ipod at the table, a new book and TV series, an upcoming menu featuring ancient British dishes – never a dull moment with England’s most cutting edge chef..

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071017.wlheston17/BNStory/lifeFoodWine/home

A conversation with Michael Pollan on Grist about the impact of Omnivore’s Dilemna, his new book and more – interesting as usual.

http://grist.org/feature/2007/10/12/pollan/index.html

Durs à cuire – a film documenting the lives of Quebec chefs Normand Laprise and Martin Picard opened October 19th

http://www.radio-canada.ca/arts-spectacles/cinema/2007/10/11/001-durs-festival.asp?ref=rss

Rare – an all female kitchen team in Vancouver

http://www.vanmag.com/foodanddrink/07oct/Food.shtml

Top chefs gather in Chigaco to celebrate Charlie Trotter’s 20^th

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1669463,00.html?xid=rss-nation&CFID=2383368&CFTOKEN=92376794

A movie about Zen in cooking

How to cook your life http://www.cookyourlifemovie.com/home.html

A review on epi-log http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/blogs/editor/2007/10/how-to-cook-you.html?mbid=rss_epilog

Organic is better More proof roles in every day as science catches up to what we already intuitively know, that pesticide/fungicide/gm free food made by people who care, is better for us!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7067100.stm

Beware of labels like Product of Canada ! Like the Acheté au Québec logo, none of these are true local products; it is totally misleading and the government must change this fraudulent endorsement, or at least we can not buy the stuff.

http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/2007/10/24/product_of_canada_eh/

Hey, here's what Jonathan Bloom has to say - smart guy.

Waste not, want not. http://www.culinate.com/read/articles/wasted_food

Something Cooking podcasts : You know those videos I have been doing of chefs cooking? Well, the first of them are out on itunes: David and Laurent at Duel, Patrice at Laloux, and me at Les Jardins.. Check it out, and don’t laugh too hard..

http://somethingcooking.com/ Click on itunes or subscribe.

Bits and Bites September (and beginning of October) 2007

Lots going on on the Montreal Restaurant scene..

Dual finally opened in the gay village, Stelio has reemerged with his resto/épicerie, Conserves on Laurier and Papineau; there’s lots of buzz over Liverpool House , the Joe Beef group's new venture on Notre Dame, and Laloux officially opens the next door lounge Pop. In my recent outings, I went to the Dual opening, revisited Laloux, sampled Vertige on Duluth st., and tried the new winebar Vino on Monkland – See my detailed report below..

Is Organic better? Rats seem to think so.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/03/dining/03curi.html?r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

A phenomenal year for Canadian wine. If only we got to see more of them here.. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071001.wwine1001/BNStory/lifeFoodWine/home

Bacon news: A new book ‘150 ways with bacon’ and a new condiment ‘bacon salt’ http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/blogs/editor/2007/09/pigging-out.html?mbid=rss_epilog

‘Salt’ – a new cheese and cured meat bar in Vancouver .. Sourcing top notch ready to eat foods and slicing them up – sort of like a deli with wine and ambiance or the ‘anti-restaurant’ as this article coins it – I like it. Its how I eat half the time anyway.. I bet it will be a hit with chefs after their shift.. They might not need a chef, but they still need quality and cost control for success, so employees who know and value food enough to take proper care of the precious hams, terrines and cheeses.. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070926.wlsalt26/BNStory/lifeFoodWine/home

Anthony Bourdain’s overrated menu – I don’t agree with him in that I care about how my meat is raised and who picks the mushrooms, but I do appreciate his mockery of the ubiquitous fine-dining NA menu. I too abhor overly convoluted menus and cooking, especially when it is superficial and in the name of food snobbery. I tend to find his out-to-shock, cynical, bad boy machismo a bit tiring, but he often makes me laugh out loud with his undeniable wit.. Here’s a good example of that.

http://radaronline.com/from-the-magazine/2007/09/anthony_bourdain_overrated_menu.php

For a more serious side of Bourdain, view his ‘Decoding Ferran Adria’ available on DVD at Bon Appetit Cookbooks on Victoria . It’s an interesting overview of who M.Adria, ‘the most influential chef of his time’ is and what he does with his team at El Bulli. You see Bourdain in awe, as he tours the village, visits the lab, and samples a tasting menu of some of Adria’s signature creations at the restaurant. No details for curious cooks, but engaging nonetheless.

More satire on the business of food snobbery in a new book by David Kamp, the author of ‘The United States of Arugula’. http://www.randomhouse.com/broadway/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780767926911

On Service: Upon reviewing Phoebe Damrosch’s new book ‘Service Included’, Sara Dickerman on Slate sketches out the essentials of good service, an apparently increasing rarity nowadays (according to Frank Bruni’s blog).

Table Manners, http://www.slate.com/id/2174796/pagenum/all/#page_start

Frank Bruni’s blog (NYtimes restaurant critic), http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/

Since oyster ‘season’ is upon us..  An interview with Patrick McMurray who has an oyster restaurant in TO and a new book out, ‘Consider the oyster’: http://gremolata.com/mcmurray.htm

Ode to the oyster at Saveur  http://www.saveur.com/web-exclusive/other/ode-to-the-oyster-21015424.html

Wines to go with those oysters.. http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/blogs/editor/2007/09/what-wine-goes-.html?mbid=rss_epilog

Environmentalists squabble over eating meat as PETA launches a campaign promoting vegetarianism based on the fact that meat production is the number one contributor to global warming. http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/9/12/9262/63548/?source=weekly

http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/9/16/174625/254/?source=weekly

Gyweneth Paltrow the next celebrity chef? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20517192/

King Corn – a shock-u-mentary coming to theaters soon. Uncovering how we North Americans are made of corn, if the saying ‘you are what you eat’ is true. This documentary shows how this happened and how it has negatively affected our health, and that of the planet. http://www.kingcorn.net/

A review of the movie on Grist : http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/9/12/10919/0331/?source=food

Hog Futures - How the meat industry thrives, even as costs rise - Another disturbing article by Tom Philpott of Grist on the state of the American food industry, which closely parallels and influences our own. As corn prices rise due to ethanol, strangely the monolith producers are only doing better.. Because they are so big, and their costs superficially low, they control the markets. Thanks to a low American dollar, not to mention readily exploitable labour and comically lax environmental codes, they have managed to increase exports. This is bad news for all of us other people and for the environment. Philpot makes a good point in explaining the importance of a three pronged approach to tackle these guys. Beyond consumers shunning industrial meat, labour unions need support to organize and mobilize, and government needs to find some way to make them pay for the environmental costs. http://www.grist.org/comments/food/2007/09/13/?source=food

Being a restaurant critic: The new reality in the world of Google and bloggers http://www.latimes.com/features/printedition/food/la-fo-dish12sep12,1,136047,full.story?ctrack=3&cset=true

My Montreal Restaurant report - a non-critic’s view:

Dual - new ‘concept’ restaurant in the old Area location, 1429 Amherst (between St-Catherine E. and Ontario E.), 514-528-3278 www.restaurantduel.com

Something different on the Montreal dining scene, finally! It’s refreshing to see someone daring to do something else besides another haute-bistro.. This is a very ambitious project, and I shudder at the logistics of making it work, which gives me even more respect for the brave owners, Laurent Godbout (of L’Épicier and Version Godbout) and David Biron (formerly of Yuzu in Quebec city, Toqué..). The concept is based on a dual between the two chef’s styles, one more classic French versus the other which is Asian inspired. The restaurant is a 45 seater with a modern black and neon green color scheme, a gorgeous brick wall, and two looming giant posters of the two chefs in combat stance.

So.. 2 Chefs, 10 ingredients, 20 creations. The menu lists 10 creations by each chef, including starters and mains, each dish using one of the 10 ingredients. The waiters are on sides, trying to sell their respective chef’s dishes. Each waiter describes the menus they represent at the beginning and then show up to deliver the dish and explain it, emphasizing how much better it will surely be then the other chef’s dish being presented to your dining partner if he/she opted for the opposite side. You do choose whatever you want à la carte, and so you can take the dual aspect as far as you want.

The menu is appetizing on its own, offering a wide variety of intricate dishes with exotic ingredients. If you do decide to play along, it can be pretty amusing. There is novelty everywhere, from the food to the utensils through to the service. Gimmicks and gadgets abound. There is a strong element of theatre here and the tone is very playful, leading to lots of oohs and ahhs, laughter and heated discussions about the food, especially at dual time. This is when the waiter surprises your table with amuses by both chefs and you vote.. There is no music, an open kitchen, and yelling out in favour of one side or another is encouraged, hence the ambiance is lively.. In essence, this place is not for the faint of heart, rather for the adventurous and the open minded diner looking for a good time and something new. Food-wise, the flavours are bold and surprising (especially on David’s side). It looks like Laurent’s menu is there for the more conservative palates, and to showcase David’s cuisine, as he will be the actual chef de cuisine in house.

Dishes we sampled (oversimplified in description): Three mini melon soups with a smoked duck, avocado, melon and ginger skewer. Foie gras from each side: one pan-seared with a date square, the other parfait style with crispy duck and mushroom jam. A ravioli from each side: scallop sashimi ‘ravioli’ with a pork stuffing, seaweed salad and a bonito caramel, up against traditional pasta stuffed with green peas and goat cheese with a garlic jus and apple juice. The dual amuses played on the pickle theme, with one being a tofu-daikon skewer, the other a proscuitto-fried cheese-pickle skewer. Both were delish, although the tofu one won out, the surprise factor packing extra umph. Mains included black cod with crispy pork and wasabi lima beans, monkfish with banana-bread and lemon (both from David’s side) and I had the lamb two ways from Laurent’s side. I liked mine the best, although both pieces of fish I tasted were beautifully cooked. As with the entrées, all dishes were quite successful; it came down to what kind of thing you prefer. Personally, I’m more conservative in my tastes, and often don’t take to preparations too crazy or too sweet, so I was more drawn to Laurent’s side. But the fireworks tended to come from the other side, and certainly the evening would not have been the same without the flare of David’s food in juxtaposition. Besides, many people love the salty-sweet thing and like to experiment and try bold flavour combinations and textures more than anything when they go out, in which case, David’s creations would take the cake. Here, there is something for everybody.

All we could handle for dessert was a peach maki (with pineapple skin) accompanied by grape coulis and fried sweet potato, a nice, light, fun dessert.

Naturally, two days in, there are still kinks to work out, and the menu format could be simplified to make the whole concept clearer for a smoother déroulement of the evening. With the energy and talent here, I’m sure they’ll get it down. Actual Iron chef style contests will take place once a month, and occasionally with invited chefs. Noteworthy is the beautiful wine-rack lined conference or party room downstairs available for groups or 5 à 7’s.. Bottom line: this is definitely a place to check out. Go to have fun, and to tickle the taste buds, not when on a schedule or with heavy conversation or business on the agenda…

The ‘new’ Laloux on Pine E, just west of St-Denis:

I love the classic French bistro feel of the place. The new fresh face is apparent in the menu that reads trendy fine dining, as opposed to Classic French, very appealing. I want to try everything on the menu. I am excited by the three fish option which is rare unless in a Greek restaurant - unfortunately only one is sustainable. Another disappointment: no Quebec bottled water, only imports! Back to the food: The amuse of wild mushroom arancini (fried risotto balls) were so crisp, light and tasty – they disappeared fast. An entrée of yellow beets and chevre was simply prepared and presented, and a simple salad was similarly minimalist consisting of only greens punched up with some fresh herbs and a mustardy dressing. Both dishes were elegant, balanced and delicious with clean flavours – perfect in my mind. My main of monkfish with white beans, chorizo, crisp fennel and green olives was pretty perfect too, although I could have used more of the fennel olive garnish for better balance. Minor squabble, I polished it off sans probleme. My dining partner’s main was less successful, an impressive chunk of filet mignon nicely seasoned but underdone, served with a less than inspired side of mixed greens, cold potato, and green beans drenched in more mustard dressing. The pleasant ambiance, a good Chateauneuf du Pape and most importantly, the brilliant grand finale that is dessert with Patrice Demers made up for any prior hiccups (like a forgotten appetizer). Not being much of a dessert girl, I knew it would be sacrilege to pass it up here. Patrice’s desserts are beautiful and scrumptious, often surprising, never cloying. I can’t decide which was better, the hazelnut cookie with tonka bean foam and apricot sorbet or the decadent chocolate wafer concoction, both were incredible.. The wine list is long and interesting when it comes to French wines. All in all, Laloux is a great restaurant revitalized, and remains a sure thing on the Montreal bistro trail.

Vertige 540 Duluth E. (corner St-Hubert), 514-583-0709:

With Thierry Baron as chef owner, this pretty little bistro borders on high end in many ways, fancy for Duluth in any case (and not Byob). The menu is loaded with special treats, very French in style with foie gras, truffle, veal cheeks etc., but with many sunny Provencale touches (sardine Pizzaladiere) and the odd international influence. The preparations were very savoury tending towards rich, the most successful dishes the perfect foie torchon with fresh fig, porto glaze and homemade brioche and his signature sweetbread dish (if you are into butter and cream rich). The crispy shrimp with coconut were also quite delicious. The service was warm and attentive, the wine list held few surprises, but more than adequate for most of us. All in all, this place is a good bargain for fine dining, with tasting menus starting at 39$, and especially on Mondays and Tuesdays when they charge SAQ prices for wine with only a 5$ corking fee.

Vino, a new resto-wine bar on Monkland (next to Maitre Boucher, beneath Dix Milles Villages)

This is a promising, cute little wine bar that is certainly a welcome addition to NDG. One