soupnancy

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