soupnancy

Bits and Bites March 2013

A film about Michel Bras and son restaurant, haute cuisine in France http://www.cinemaguild.com/stepuptotheplate/

And a film about hunger in the U.S.A., A Place at the table  http://www.culinate.com/articles/sift/a_place_at_the_table

Montreal chefs with Lesley Chesterman discuss currant restaurant issues http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/food-wine/Restaurant+unrest+Lesley+Chesterman+takes+look+changes/8167182/story.html

Quebecoise Veronique Rivest wins second place in world wide sommelier competition  http://communiques.gouv.qc.ca/gouvqc/communiques/GPQF/Mars2013/29/c9479.html

On the corn system, the omni-present monoculture that rules the world and affects us all – it’s important to be aware how out of whack, unsustainable and expensive it is, how it needs be revamped through policy and consumer demand http://ensia.com/voices/its-time-to-rethink-americas-corn-system/?viewAll=1

More evidence that antibiotics in animals are transferred to humans http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/28/us/study-shows-bacteria-moves-from-animals-to-humans.html

"Respect nature by leaving it alone?" No, "we learn respect through the great responsibility of using" via Dylan a KnowWildFood http://j.mp/YdgLbb   and living in sync. Similarly, I woke up to nature and all kinds of life cycles when I moved to the country only cooking local & wild. My early blog posts circa 2006 resonate with this.  And its still, a constant marvel..

Alice Waters on rebuilding Chez Panisse post fire – looks like a happy ending http://eater.com/archives/2013/03/27/alice-waters-on-the-silver-linings-of-rebuilding-after-the-chez-panisse-fire.php

Behind the junk/processed food industry – a team of marketing people and scientists working to addict the consumer.. Don’t know about Lunchables, but the same type of thing has been going on here.  Nothing new, but a good read, and reminder of how our society’s eating habits have slowly gotten AFU..  http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/magazine/the-extraordinary-science-of-junk-food.html?

Most people don’t need to be afraid of gluten, but by all means avoid cake and cookies (refined flours, sugar and bad fat) and cut down on bread, pasta with respect to fruit, veg and good protein/fat http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=most-people-shouldnt-eat-gluten-free

Food poisoning at Noma – yes, it can happen at the best restaurants even those who are more careful about quality than anyone and have preventative systems in place - a restaurateur’s worst nightmare. Happens everyday all the time and you don’t hear about it; in this case, it made a spectacular headline although it was hardly scandalous. I sympathize. http://world.time.com/2013/03/10/when-the-worlds-top-restaurant-serves-up-a-bug/

Cracking down on sodas with size – why it’s a good idea  I say let people have their cake and soda too, but it’s ok that bad things are underlined as such, frowned upon and so heavily taxed like cigarettes http://www.foodpolitics.com/2013/03/daily-news-op-ed-bloombergs-soda-ban-should-be-only-the-beginning/

Food writing to tuck into – such a great list  I’ve read many/most of these, all good reading. This is my favourite kind of book no doubt; I rarely pick up a cookbook these days, more often a fiction novel or something on medicinal plants. But nothing beats good food writing. Top notch is old school MFK Fisher, James Beard, Jacques Pepin or Ruth Reichl and Jeffrey Steingarden.  Michael Ruhlman’s books were good too for a certain time, ‘the soul of a chef and etc’..  I also enjoyed The Perfectionist, and from the more recent batch:  Heat, Frank Bruni’s Born Round,  Blood, bones and butter, and Marcus Samuelson’s bio. Then there is all the fabulous foodwriting more focused on issues and food stories than egos – by Michael Pollan, Singer, Taras Grescoe, Rowan Jacobson, Sarah Elton.. That merits another list. http://www.abebooks.com/books/features/food-memoirs.shtml?cm_mmc=nl-_-nl-_-C130113-h00-memoirAM-131214TG-_-01cta&abersp=1

Thursday wine tastings at Toque 65$ for a series of bouchées with wines from a visiting producer http://www.restaurant-toque.com/fr/Evenements.php

NYC hot new restaurants - Not that there isn’t enough to check out in Mtl

http://ny.eater.com/archives/2013/03/the_manhattan_heatmap_where_to_eat_right_now.php

Then there’s Carbone, the Torissi team’s new ritzier spot http://ny.eater.com/archives/2013/03/carbone_the_torrisi_teams_ritzy_new_italian_restaurant.php

And the Brooklyn scene http://ny.eater.com/archives/2013/03/the_brooklyn_heatmap_where_to_eat_right_now_3.php

A fine-dining comeback, Ruth Reichl predicts

http://www.latimes.com/features/food/dailydish/la-dd-fine-dining-comeback-20130306,0,1346327.story

Blackstrap BBQ – a must try smokehouse in Verdun with brisket, chicken & ribs, all the classic sides with a twist http://voir.ca/voir-la-vie/gastronomie/restos/2013/02/21/blackstrap-bbq/

Bilan resumé de Montreal en Lumière 2013 avec Katherine Lune http://www.katerinerollet.com/en-vedette/bilan-et-resume-de-la-14-edition-de-montreal-en-lumiere/