soupnancy

Bits & Bites May - June 2013

Setting it straight with poutine Obviously the Quebec poutine (and all offshoots now common) is something independent and more recent than the original ‘poutines’. Like with tourtieres and tourtes, so many progeny and parallel stories, hard to pinpoint what’s original or authentic. But it’s nice to look back, take note and preserve old traditions while marching forward each in our own region. http://fooddaycanada.ca/featured-article/will-the-real-poutine-please-stand-up/

It’s about time people wake up to CSA’s – win-win for everyone! http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/Community+supported+agriculture+recipe+success+Quebec/8593722/story.html

Drinking while pregnant – more support for the common notion (outside the US and English Canada) that an occasional glass of wine is just fine,  even beneficial http://www.vinography.com/archives/2013/06/drinking_wine_while_pregnant_t.html

 Montreal’s official food truck list http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/montreal/201306/19/01-4663055-cuisine-de-rue-montreal-devoile-ses-27-choix.php  And there are more that didn’t make it into the rotation, that are only allowed at special events, like Le Cheese!

Will Travel for Food has a comprehensive listing of Mtl food trucks and how to track them down: http://willtravelforfood.com/2013/06/26/montreal-street-food-and-food-trucks/

Boucherie Lawrence Good news for Montrealers! A real butcher and lunch counter with well sourced, quality meat and small producer products http://www.boucherielawrence.com/http://www.montrealgazette.com/touch/life/top-stories/Showing+beef+where+comes+from/8543980/story.html

 More precision with ‘best before dates’ on food to limit waste; Europe always ahead of us.. Although this has always baffled me; people are so afraid of their food - just buy real food and use your nose! I would be more scared of commercial mayonnaise or a McDo burger with no expiry date!  http://qz.com/94634/soon-a-bunch-of-expired-french-food-will-suddenly-be-ok-to-eat/

Spark, always a good show even when food isn’t on the menu; here there is François Chartier on pairing wine and food with his molecular approach, and another segment on eating together.  http://www.cbc.ca/spark/episodes/2013/05/31/217-data-harvesting-and-social-games-the-battle-for-cyberspace-cooking-and-science-employees-eating/#4

David Suzuki on GMOS, an authority http://www.naturalcuresnotmedicine.com/2013/05/david-suzuki-speaks-out-against.html?m=1

Cronut madness - Impossible to ignore, exciting if you’re a sweet tooth.. although it could all be more media whoop than anything  In any case, a cross between a donut and a croissant merits more than a cupcake. http://www.lapresse.ca/vivre/cuisine/en-vrac/201306/03/01-4657129-fini-le-cupcake-place-au-cronut.php?

A new Montreal food truck with real dogs: home-made sausage, creative toppings, sounds good! Chaud Dogs http://www.urbanexpressions.ca/food/story/food-truck-chaud-dogs

The lighter side of Joe Beef http://willtravelforfood.com/2013/06/03/montreal-joe-beef-restaurant/

Changing the tip system  http://thebaddeal.com/post/52063538711/are-servers-hospitality-industry-mercenaries It makes sense to revise the tipping system and how servers are paid. Most waiters make out quite fine as is, taking home a bigger piece of the pie than anyone; if the waiter is hurting, the business is much more so when it comes to those serving quality. But it is true that it is a taxing and transient job without benefits. Overall, it is illogical; why should a career waiter rely on tips, make peanuts or take home an exorbitant amount depending on what falls from the sky. In a serious restaurant there is a team behind too; the happiness of a customer does not depend on one person, and the costs need to be covered no matter what if everyone is going to stick around.  Often, for a better quality of service, the house will hire an extra cook, manager, dishwasher or busboy instead of a waiter to provide and it is the ensemble that counts.  Every restaurant is different, with sommeliers or not, fixed menu or sales, waiters that have back-up or not. Service should be included in the ticket price, waiters paid a salary according to competence/experience - like cooks, managers, maintenance and everyone else that contributes to the restaurant meal.  The business owner knows the costs behind and who deserves what. Customers would be less confused with a price that includes all.  But there is no doubt that the outright price for a meal would be more (not good for marketing) – but no different in the end unless you’re cheap.. And it doesn’t mean that customers couldn’t leave an extra tip if they were super happy, but it would be bonus. Not counted on for salary. Maybe even divided between all, including the cooks!  Waiters wouldn’t make more, but would have a guaranteed, stable paycheck like a normal person. It would be more sustainable and make more sense; overall restaurant business might have a better chance. 

New openings in Montreal soon :  I can’t keep up.. http://blogues.journaldemontreal.com/thierrydaraize/art-culinaire/ca-bouge-dans-les-restos/

On trendy restaurant news and the food blogs/sites behind - A very good article about this crazy new food/media universe. How everything foodie has gone so tabloid-cheap is true, and is why I tune in so much less than before, why I don’t feel like blogging or posting food photos anymore, like I don’t watch food tv anymore. It’s all becoming depressingly stupid, so transient and full of shit, repetitive and empty.  So little substance, everything dumbed down. Everyone thinks it’s great for chefs & restaurants; I think it sucks that restaurants have to operate in this world where media buzz matters so much.. http://observer.com/2013/05/blog-tied-how-a-hunger-for-clicks-drives-new-yorks-brutally-fickle-food-scene/

Can you eat too little salt? Yes! Salt is not bad, au contraire, necessary. But it’s not something most of us have to worry about, unless you’re sick and vomiting all the time or exercising extremely, because salt is everywhere in our North American diets. Most of us eat too much of it. But like I always said, if you cook real food yourself and avoid fast food/processed food, you don’t have to worry about salt! opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/28/can-you-eat-too-little-salt/

Breeding the nutrition out of our food It’s true that we’ve weeded out much of the nutrition along with ‘the weeds’ in our new industrial, super efficient, cheap food system, all for convenience and cost.  Time to rethink it. I’m not saying everyone should be foraging, but what we should be buying is cultivated greens, vegetables & meat that aren’t so different from the wild, that follow what’s natural, ie. from small, organic farms that don’t mass produce but take care of plants & animals, nutrients and soil& biodiversity www.nytimes.com/2013/05/26/opinion/sunday/breeding-the-nutrition-out-of-our-food.html? 

Boycott Mosanto – Brand names to avoid http://fracturedparadigm.com/2013/04/02/boycott-monsanto-a-simple-list-of-companies-to-avoid/

On Star Chefs There all kinds – business men with a machine, tv types with brands and hands-on chefs who are big in their communities; all fine I think but it’s too bad that the first two seem to be the current definition of the summum of chefdom. No doubt that Jean Georges, Alain Ducasse and Thomas Keller can do what they want after so much real carreer time, blood, sweat & tears – good for them, they are free of scrutiny. But there are too many phonies, and it just should not be the prototype, not to mention what culinary students are thinking is their future.   www.montrealgazette.com/life/food-wine/Lesley+Chesterman+Critic+Notebook+star+chef+defined/8430274/story.html?

Culinary tourism in and around Quebec; the Portneuf area is a little known gem http://www.montrealgazette.com/travel/Checking+Food+tourism+route+maps+Portneuf+best/8425500/story.html

Martin Juneau in McDo ads Marie Claude Lortie and co weigh in.. Bottom line, can’t blame him, he needed the money. http://blogues.lapresse.ca/lortie/2013/05/21/un-chef-et-une-pub/

Explaining Chablis, one of my favourite wines  http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/What+makes+Chablis+different/8362038/story.html

Vegan diet an inspiration and useful tool, not as a rule  Like I say, just less but better meat and lots of veg and fruit.. And I would never cut out eggs or cheese. opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/21/why-im-not-a-vegan/

Artisan workshops in Toronto June 21-22  An impressive roster of interesting workshops with artisans and chefs from across Canada, if you’re near Toronto.. I’m giving two on the Saturday afternoon at George Brown College on salads and wild ingredients.. http://www.acebakery.com/artisan-incubator/workshops/

Processed meats are bad Yes, but I’m not that scared of nitrite in trace amounts, more so of industrial meat plus major nitrite! Charcuterie depends on it and that is fine, but the industrial players and supermarkets are dealing with toxic meat to start with and pump it up so much that no doubt it can become toxic. Nutmeg, rosemary and basil are toxic too – it’s all about dosage. I will continue to eat bacon, but mostly that I make myself thankyou. http://dreamhealer.wordpress.com/2013/05/16/processed-meats-declared-too-dangerous-for-human-consumption

Not Montreal Bagels, but still beautiful.. A Brooklyn bagel video http://www.wimp.com/makingbagels/

Lab meat making strides I’m all for science but it seems that there are many more places to put money and energy for food solutions.. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/14/science/engineering-the-325000-in-vitro-burger.html?_r=1&

Dodgy food practices banned in Europe, but ok in the US; Philpott is always digging. Who knows what the deal is in Canada but not so different I bet in the linked industrial system; bottom line, avoid all big companies and know where your meat come from! http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2013/05/7-dodgy-foodag-practices-banned-europe-just-fine-here

Celebrating longevity in restaurant business – no easy feat!  Katherine’s list of Montreal restos with 25yrs under their belt (French): http://www.katerinerollet.com/restaurants/les-25-restaurants-montrealais-de-plus-de-25-ans/

So happy about food trucks on the Montreal scene, but it seems that some don’t like the fact that they won’t be serving cheap schlop..  I so don’t agree.  Fast food is everywhere, who needs more industrial cheap food that is bad for you, bad for the local economy and the environment.. I’d much rather have options on the street for quality food prepared by restaurateurs who have properly inspected and equipped kitchens, who encourage local farmers and actually cook real food.  Encouraging quality does not exclude diversity. But if it’s cheap food you’re after, go to Belle Province for a 2$ dog; providing good food does not come cheap. http://www.vice.com/en_ca/read/montreals-food-truck-plan-is-a-symbolic-fuck-you-to-poor-people-and-immigrants

Top 50 restaurants in Canada – another restaurant list for what it’s worth.. Whatever, no list is the end all, but they are kind of fun and somewhat useful as a heads up on some places to check out.. http://vacay.ca/top-50-restaurants/

San Pellegrino’s Top 50 Restaurants in the world – leaked results show the Roca bros on top, Noma in #2, EMF New York climbs to #5… for whatever it’s worth http://eater.com/archives/2013/04/29/worlds-50-best-top-five-restaurants-leaked.php

A great article by Rowan Jacobson about apples and the apple detective http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2013/04/heritage-apples-john-bunker-maine