B&B April 2008
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..
He will be at Bon Appetit Cookbooks in Westmount for a book signing on Saturday May 10th 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!
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.
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
Nancy Hinton
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