soupnancy

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 thing is for sure – it is bound to please the neighbouring clientele. The décor is stylish but warm, the service eager to please and fairly knowledgeable about wine, and the food appears tailor made for the fussy, less than daring Monkland clientele. Hence the generic, predictable menu with fried calamari, crispy shrimp, salmon tartare, beef carpaccio, chicken, salmon, pasta etc.) . But since good is more important than groundbreaking, I say so far so good, because everything I tried was tasty, nicely executed and presented, not to mention generous. The wine list is conservative as well - no obscure gems here, but the offerings are varied and better than average. I can’t blame them for playing it safe and giving people what they want, but I can’t help but hope that once they are on sure footing, they might go out on a limb with a bit more personality. In the meantime, I will go back to sample more; it’s great to have another spot in the hood to go for a glass of vino and a bite.

Bits and Bites

August 31, 2007

Opening and closing - Leslie Chesterman's scoop on the Montreal scene:  New chef in the old Cube space, the Joe Beef empire expands.. http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/weekendlife/story.html?id=5b82be34-89df-407b-9d9a-49ce04eb3924

La Belle Excuse olive oil : This is an olive oil worth seeking out, made by a Greek couple from the Lanaudière. They have two oils, one made from green, and the other from black olives from their family’s estate in the old country. It is the black olive one that I particularly like - so smooth, rich and complex, and partly Québecois.. Available in specialty stores and at Marché des Saveurs.
La Belle excuse olive oil

A food and wine show in Ottawa Sept 14-15 featuring a TV celeb chef I don’t know, but my brother’s band will be playing..

http://www.teamredeye.ca/owad.html

Slowfood autumn events : Slowfood celebrated 75 years of local eating at the Marché Jean Talon last weekend, kicking off the fall schedule of festivities. There is a conference at Concordia on Irish cuisine with Darina Allen on Friday, September 14 at 20h00. This autumn, there will also be events on Mon, Tues, and Wed. (good for us restaurant people), including a session on special vegetables, one on mushrooms and one on coffee and cheese pairing. www.slowfoodquebec.com

Lenoir Lacroix coffee cheese tasting: Les pates fermes et leurs cafés

On Sept 5, 2007 at 19h00, at the Centre d’animation SAQ Selection Rockland, 2305 chemin Rockland , suite 502.1 , Mont-Royal. For more information or too reserve a spot, call 514-733-7843 or email s.larose saq.qc.ca

Anti-microbial films for food –scary! Why is the US government (may as well be ours) investing in this? More elaborate food manipulation than we are already bombarded with? It is just another way to make industrial food that will keep forever so that it can be shipped for miles, as opposed to supporting small farmers, sustainable and organic practices, promoting education and taste.. Which seems to be the simpler solution in securing a safer, tastier, healthier food supply? Take the chemists to a farmers’ market and treat them to a real meal, for fork’s sake. To think I was almost one of them. That’s harsh, it’s not the chemists - some of them might just be in search of the truth, caught up in their research and only happy that someone is willing to subsidize it. “This is not intended to make up for sloppy growing or handling or cleaning and processing,” Professor Krochta said. But of course, big agri-business has other less noble ends.

Edible films with superpowers. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/29/dining/29film.html?ref=dining

Alice Waters and Chez Panisse – a book I highly recommend to anyone interested in NA food history, or just a good story. It’s an authorized biography of sorts. I just loved it, but I am an Alice fan. In any case, it is a fascinating look behind the scenes of this infamous Berkeley restaurant (of 30+ years), with its huge cast of colourful characters, and their incredible journey in being the first to source out pure local ingredients and apply classic technique, all in an unpretentious setting. You meet the real Alice , not entirely flawless, but you can’t help but be moved and cheer her on. To see her determination, integrity and extraordinary vision translate to ultimate success and a transformation of the culinary scene in North America is inspiring. It is also disheartening, because it makes you realize how long it takes for things to change. She has been working her whole life to make a difference with Slowfood and related projects to promote better quality local food and knowledge, and twenty years later, so little has changed; these issues are just starting to enter the mainstream. The now ubiquitous ‘local, seasonal’ mantra among North American chefs, as well as the increasing popularity of farmer’s markets and organic food, talk of the environment and sustainability, and better food for kids are all very positive signs, and somehow linked to a set of principles that Alice and her protégés set in motion along time ago.

Groundbreaking pilot project in the townships: In the image of Alice Water’s Edible schoolyard project, a new non-profit Quebec organization dedicated to school gardens is off to a successful start in teaching kids about real, good food and sustainability.

www.jeunespousses.ca

Celebrating the tomato :

The history of the tomato:

http://www.saveursdumonde.net/?action=ingredientitem_show&id=33&lg=fr

NYTimes article with tomato recipes:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/22/dining/22appe.html?_r=1&ref=dining&oref=slogin

My tomato post last year:

http://soupnancy.squarespace.com/blog-journalessays/2006/9/30/birth-of-a-blog-and-tomatoes.html

Vegan-sexuals : a new breed of vegans who will not have sex with carnivores because for one, they stink?!

http://www.stuff.co.nz/AAMB4/aamsz=300x44_MULTILINK/4147483a6009.html

Which fruit and veg to buy organic first : Survey a list of which fruit and vegetables have the highest pesticide load, and so should be made priority when buying organic.. http://www.foodnews.org/

A new kid on the block . Check out Nathalie Spielmann’s blog and sign up for her monthly newsletter, ‘A Palatable Report: Gastronomy from an amateur perspective’ for her food discovery notes, restaurant and wine tips out of Montreal . http://foodwithapoint.squarespace.com/

Way to go Joé , mon joueur d’hockey preferé, who is embarking on an adventure to Kujiuack with his family in the name of a school-hockey project for the kids. I expect feedback on the culinary front, and if we’re lucky, maybe some fish, berries and wild mushrooms sent back? Forget the seal. I’ll keep you posted.

http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2007/08/06/juneaus-goodwill-odyssey/

For Champagne lovers , a benefit evening event for La Fondation des Amis de l'Art culinaire will take place on Wednesday, September 5, 2007 , 19h00, at the Marriott Château Champlain Hotel. For information, call M. Jean-Claude Phisel, 450-476-1895.

Yes to Local labelling! We already do it somewhat in Quebec , but the feds getting involved could only be good..

http://gremolata.com/chongsegal.htm

Then again… Doing right is ever a complicated affair..

Organic farmers in Africa fear for their livelihoods as U.K. frets over food miles

‘Kenyan fury at threat to organic trade’: http://observer.guardian.co.uk/world/story/0,,2126614,00.html

‘African farmers fear impact of U.K. supermarkets buying local’ : http://www.grist.org/news/daily/2007/02/22/4/index.html?source=weekly

Valuable cork : I have come to like the screw caps myself, but don’t diss the cork altogether! It turns out that cork isn’t so bad after all, the industry playing a positive role in the ecosystem. Again, there’s always another side to a story..

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/08/corticeira_amor.php

Weird meat: a blog about one guy’s adventure eating all kinds of ‘weird’ meat, but what I like is that the slant is learning about different cultures with an open mind - its not only about pure shock and ooh-factor driven boy stuff. http://www.weirdmeat.com/2004/04/weird-meat-master-list.html

A closer look at some of our favourite ingredients .. A little knowledge on where your food comes from makes you less likely to take it for granted. A terrific example of this is the ubiquitous vanilla..

A vanilla primer: http://www.chow.com/stories/10439

Brown sugar: the difference between the different kinds: http://www.chow.com/stories/10674

Bison – the national meat we almost lost: http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/arts/story.html?id=c1426340-4315-46c8-9277-13681053f06d

Stealing staff in Vancouver, poor Lumière

Poaching restaurant employees has become the last resort amidst a shortage of skilled workers, specifically in Vancouver where there is a restaurant opening every minute. There’s always been a fine line between outright fishing and crossing paths with a disenchanted individual who is seeking to make a move, especially when the market is tough and given the fact that restaurant employees are by nature antsy and often underpaid, always looking for greener grass.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070820.wlrestowars20/BNStory/lifeWork/home

We can do it too! Ten easy steps towards a more sustainable kitchen :

http://starchefs.com/features/trends/sustainability/index.shtml

Unfair trade . Regulating our own farmers and artisans more than imports just does not make sense. Only more reason to buy local:

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/story.html?id=f46a8178-8b67-4af1-9816-e73b7961027b&k=59194&p=1

A great quote that could me my motto for life, as written by

Laura Shapiro in describing Julia Child in her new book.

‘Use all your senses, all the time. ... Take pains with the work; do it carefully. Relish the details. Enjoy your hunger. And remember why you’re there.” That could be a recipe for life.’

JULIA CHILD

A Penguin Life. By Laura Shapiro. 185 pp. Lipper/Viking. $19.95.

Another book out on Julia Child :

BACKSTAGE WITH JULIA, My Years With Julia Child. By Nancy Verde Barr. Illustrated. 285 pp. John Wiley & Sons. $22.95.

Behind the scenes on the set of this summer’s food movies, Ratatouille and No Reservations.. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/food/20070809_Film_food__No_faking_it.html

Bits and Bites

July 29, 2007

At the height of the summer season, it seems like there isn’t as much going on in the city or in print with everyone either on vacation or working too hard.. Still, I managed to dig up some interesting bits and bites..

TV show L’Épicerie spotlights four young innovative Montreal chefs who run some of Montreal ’s best restaurants. http://www.radio-canada.ca/actualite/v2/lepicerie/niveau2_16547.shtml

Another food film, No Reservations hits the big screen with Catherine Zeta Jones as a chef -a review: http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/food/chi-reservations_25jul25,1,7745124.story?ctrack=2&cset=true

-the official site: http://noreservationsmovie.warnerbros.com/

The Next Iron Chef America : a reality show with proper chefs that can actually cook! http://eater.com/archives/2007/07/food_nets_the_n.php

Get psyched for tomato season! http://www.landrethseeds.com/photos/Tomato/index.html

List of the 15 Greenest chefs by Grist to inspire us.. http://www.grist.org/news/maindish/2007/07/26/chefs/index.html

What’s inside Red bull , for all you cooks that quaff this beverage all shift long on the line.. I could never stomach the stuff, and am thankful after reading this deconstruction of the ingredient list. http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/magazine/15-07/st_redbull

Canned air : Maybe bottled O2 will be the next boost juice .. http://media.www.slccglobelink.com/media/storage/paper442/news/2007/07/11/Community/Air-Fare.Takes.On.New.Meaning-2922487.shtml

Garlic once again proves its benefits! Not only healthy for us, but also for cows and the environment! I wouldn’t want my milk tasting like garlic unless I was making brandade, but hey, I think they are onto something.. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/mid_/6288012.stm

Corporate takeovers in the organics world –where are we going? Back to where we don’t want to be – BIG. No matter how good the guy sounds, I’m against it. http://www.grist.org/comments/food/2007/07/19/monopsony/index.html?source=food

Grilling fish responsibly : the things to consider.. Thankfully, I got to gorge myself on fish this summer when fishing and eating in Northern Quebec , which proved to be less of a headache then this. But here are the issues you might want to delve into if you want to be a responsible fish eater this grill season. http://www.grist.org/advice/season/2007/07/12/fish/index.html?source=food

Gourmet grows up . The spotlight on farms and the whole last issue focusing on sustainability shows that Gourmet is leading in the commercial food print realm in taking its food seriously. Gotta love Ruth Reichl. Gourmet is only getting better all the time, despite all the ads, thanks to her. http://bittergreensgazette.blogspot.com/2005/04/citizen-ruth-measured-defense-of-ruth.html http://events.nytimes.com/2005/04/10/books/review/10KAMPL.html?ex=1185336000&en=e08eb11d268b3293&ei=5070

Chick chefwear : I don’t know about this Maverick Chick chefwear on TV – certainly nothing like what one would wear in a real kitchen.. Frump-Free Cooking: The Look That Sizzles. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/27/dining/27scoo.html?ex=1340596800&en=d39798f002e25bd7&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

I agree with no bulky sleeves in the pudding, but no hair net, no hat, no sleeves, a V-neck, it just doesn’t seem right. Then again, I don’t have cleavage and am not on TV. The one time I was, the crew was floored that I wanted to keep my hairnet and hat on. Even if I might have looked better without it, I didn’t feel like I could properly do my chef thing without it - it’s a matter of habit. And what if a hair fell into the food on air? In any case, when I put my chef whites on, I automatically transform into my professional persona, more efficient and focused. When I’m in uniform and on the job; its time to be serious, not pretty. I marvel at the TV chefs who can do both.

More bread wars in France : Poilane’s daughter fights for her father’s legacy and good old fashioned bread, dissing the fast-food baguette. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21965570-13762,00.html

This job stinks ! Talk about a crappy job, smelling noxious odours for a living.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070620/sc_afp/chinaindustryenvironmentpollutionoffbeat

Veggie tunes . Music with vegetables as instruments, unbelievable. I don’t quite know what to make of it. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/06/the_vienna_vege.php

Surprising new uses for mushrooms – check it out! Beyond food, mushrooms may prove to be an important eco-friendly tool of the future with the emerging field of mycotechnology. More reason to eat wild or cultivate your own..

http://www.fungi.com/index.html

Mushrooms to insulate your house. http://fe15.news.sp1.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070625/ap_on_sc/mushroom_insulation

Recent bites:

Toqué : I dined at Toqué and was as wowed as ever, with local, seasonal ingredients everywhere and the usual intense flavour and refined subtlety in balance, always surprising and impressive. Hit me – I was forced to order foie gras terrine because of the intriguing ‘salade seche’ of nettle, mushroom and strawberry chips with rose petals and basil, which was beautiful and amazing, an effective foil for the foiegras au naturel with honey-sherry reduction. We had a brilliant Gazpacho shooter layered with a lovage top that was smooth and richly textured but lively. I loved my mackerel, scallops and lamb too, but the stars were the vegetable sides which were varied, ultra seasonal (baby chanterelles, sea greens, rabioles, purselane, etc.) and the oyster amuse with radish, pickled day lily and wasabi foam. Oh and the strawberry dessert with a strawberry salad, sorbet and ultra light mousse/foam covered in dacquoise shards.

Thai son : I also discovered a new (well, to me) Vietnamese joint in Montreal to pick up a Vietnamese bun or Tonkinese soup on the run or to sit and sample a vast array of kick-ass/cheap Vietnamese/Chinese/Thai dishes in a very simple, but friendly setting: Thai Son on St-Denis just south of Jean Talon.

Great terasse at Limone : This joint has the best restaurant guacamole, and the margueritas are spot on too; as for the rest of the menu, you’re on your own. But this place has a number of things going for it besides the guac, there’s the terasse, the friendly service and the fact that its open on Sunday and Monday. On Notre Dame near Atwater market, in front of Joe Beef.

Bits and Bites

June 14, 2007

Black and Gold: Wake up and smell the coffee! A documentary about the coffee trade that is being screened at Cinema du Parc in Montreal tonight.  Everyone who drinks coffee should see this film.  Whether you do or not, just take my word and buy Café Rico coffee, a fairtrade roaster in Montreal with several delectable blends at a very fair price thanks to the efforts of Coop Coffees who have knocked out the middlemen.  http://blackgoldmovie.com/

Top fair trade roasters in NA  www.coopcoffees.com

Café Rico:  http://www.caferico.qc.ca/

Where to buy fair trade coffee:  http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/files/food/coffee/greencoffee.html

Ratatouille: a kid’s movie about a rat with a fine palate and chef’s aspirations. The producer did his homework integrating true kitchen detail with the help of Thomas Keller’s consulting, promising to be a kick for the food obsessed and kids of all ages. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/13/dining/13rata.html?ex=1182398400&en=37124457824fd42e&ei=5070

Restaurant industry people and Food bloggers face off

http://eater.com/archives/2007/06/why_i_hate_food.php

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=sci_tech&id=5388017

Taste Quebec artisanal foods at a Slowfood event this weekend in Marieville (25 min. outside Montreal http://www.salondugout.qc.ca/

Meatpaper, a new print magazine about meat.  Explore both sides our relationship with meat, with articles celebrating meat, others questioning it and debating the ethical issues.. http://www.meatpaper.com/index.html

Tasty! 100 songs about food on AOL Radio http://www.thefoodsection.com/foodsection/2007/05/edible_audio_so.html

Just say no to bottled water . Batali follows chez Panisse, helping to spread the trend back to the tap. I’m all for it. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/05/no_bottled_wate_1.php

Frankensteer , a documentary on beef cattle I saw on the Passionate Eye (CBC) that you should keep an eye out for.. The film focuses on uncovering the huge mistakes we have made with our food supply, in particular, the feedlot system, which has resulted in food that is not healthy and out of our control. All the problems (BSE, Ecoli contamination, hormones, irradiation, unethical treatment of animals, poor nutritive quality, environmental damage) are a direct result of industrial production, ie. needing to produce more beef faster for cheap, and the influence of big American companies like Cargyll (Beware Costco shoppers). It’s incredible how slack our government agencies have been in the name of trade with the U.S. . And the E-coli problem is completely a product of a corn diet combined with mass production and improper cleaning of fecal matter off carcasses, and so avoidable. We need to go back, pay more and eat less, use traditional, more sustainable methods, with grass-fed, smaller productions that use no antibiotics or hormones, coupled with increased control and testing. In the meantime, we must try as much as possible to say no to feedlot beef. Encourage a small local farm. Or when at the market, start asking where your meat is coming from and how it was processed; show that you care, which will only pressure your purveyor to make better choices available.

Salmon Q & A : For those of you not bored with the ubiquitous salmon, here are some salmon facts you may not know, and the primo species to look for. http://www.epicurious.com/gourmet/features/rowley_salmon_exclusive

June 6, 2007

Finders Eaters  A write up in the Globe and Mail about Francois, me and what we do at the table champêtre..

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070606.wxlforager06/BNStory/lifeFoodWine/home

All in all, I think it's a great piece, and I am grateful for the exposure, of course.  I especially like the title.  Although François has been in the media extensively himself, it has been mainly in Quebec, and very little in the English media.  I do, however, have a few minor corrections to make..  Even if these are details that probably only matter to me, just for the sake of accuracy, I feel the need to qualify a few points..  

-I was 'executive sous-chef' or 'chef de cuisine' at L'Eau à la bouche, not executif chef; that title is Anne Desjardin's, the renowned chef owner, and a pioneer in Quebec cuisine. 

-I was indeed short-listed for the GG job, but although I have not heard anything since the last round of tests which was monthes ago now, I think I can safely assume I did not get the job, which I never expected anyhow.  I did not really want Rideau Hall mentioned, but I understand that with a national audience, it is a catchy, meaningful tidbitit that would be tempting to slip in for a journalist.  However, who I am as a chef is more properly represented by what I do at the table champêtre, my blog and my time at L'Eau à la Bouche. 

-The wild grapes in the 'balsamic type' sauce I make come from the Lanaudière nearby, while the wild berries in the vinaigrette come from Ungava Bay up north.  

-The restaurant belongs to François', I am just hired help.  But like any good chef and girlfriend, I boss him around a lot, which he puts up with in exchange for taking care of the kitchen so that he can spend as much time as possible in the woods.

-One last thing: François and I met 7 years ago while I was at l'Eau; we started dating 4 years ago, and only started working together on a regular basis 2 years ago..

Bits and Bites

May 29, 2007

Latest on the Montreal restaurant scene : a quick overview of what I’ve seen, heard and tasted recently..

New Restaurant ‘Dual’ to open in old Area location with an original concept: Chefs Laurent Godbout (of l’Épicier) and Chef David Biron (formerly of Yuzu in Quebec ) will face off Iron Chef style with customers dining on the results.. http://www.hrimag.com/spip.php?article2058

'BazAar’ open, Anise reincarnated : By now, most of you have certainly heard that Racha Bassoul has reopened the Anise location on Laurier O. as BazAar, a bistro-grill concept offering more casual, but equally interesting contemporary food with Middle Eastern influences.. http://www.anise.ca/

Cuisine Dependence : Sophisticated but simple French fare with flare, the talented chef Jean Paul Giroux of Le Saint Augustin opened this place last fall with Danielle of Le Club des Pins in the front. The décor is minimilast French bistro, the cooking is spot on, with clean flavours and good ingredients, definitely good value here. My favourite dish the night I dined was a mini pot au feu that stood out, utterly delicious and refined.

Bistro du Sommelier : Tasty, inventive bistro fare by a young Quebec chef with lovable (and knowledgable) Sommelier Guy Lelièvre running the room. They have changed their initial tasting menu format to a simpler table d’hôte with two courses for 25$ or 3 for 30$, offering a short but inspired list of entrées and mains, and some good wines by the glass. I enjoyed an asparagus, quail egg and goat cheese salad (decomposed) and an open ravioli of beef cheek and mushroom; the Caesar salad was also good. Right across from the Rideau Vert theatre, this unassuming little place is worth a visit, primo terrasse space on St-Denis too. http://www.lebistrodusommelier.com/

Limone: A welcome addition to the Atwater market hood on Notre Dame (in front of Joe Beef). This unpretentious neighbourhood restaurant is Mexican bistro style, casual and abuzz with 30+ professionals that live in the condos nearby. Go for the guacamole (best I’ve tasted in a restaurant in a while) and the quality margaritas if anything. The cactus salad was good and bright. I haven’t sampled many of the mains; I’m kind of scared of being disappointed, like in other pseudo Mexican places where everything is heavy and tastes like that same burrito taste.  Nonetheless, I will be back to venture forward but even before, just for a 5 à 7 and some of that great guac.

Lucca : My first time dining at a Montreal favourite. This charming, modern Italian bistro in Little Italy (on Dante just off St-Laurent) serves up simple yet elegant Italian classics with great service; overall a breath of fresh air in the sea of tired, over-priced, standard menu Italian restaurants in Montreal. A short menu but everything sounds good and out of the 8 dishes sampled, 7 were winners, not bad at all. The risotto was perfect, the calamari super crisp, and the tomato sauce is dynamite.

Watch François on La Semaine Verte On Radio Canada Channel 4 Sundays at 12:30pm or Saturdays at 18:00pm or on the internet.. where every Sunday, he introduces a new wild edible plant or two.

27 Mai, Hémérocalles, monarde, chou gras: http://www1.radio-canada.ca/actualite/semaine_verte/reportage.aspx?idDocument=37966&idItemMenu=31

20 Mai, ortie: http://www1.radio-canada.ca/actualite/v2/semaineverte/archive63_200609.shtml

Flaveurs newsletter highlights new products of interest on the Quebec market, notably Green&Blacks fair trade organic chocolate, the new Quebec spring water Eska, and a new line of sauces from La Maison LeGrand, who make great pesto and tapenade, handy home staples. http://www.flaveurs.com/INFO%20lettre/InfoLettre_mai_2007/InfoLettre_mai2007#ActualiteGastronomique

Ecoholic, by Adria Vasil , my new favourite book, and a must-have reference book for any Canadian household. This is a guide to the most environmentally friendly information, products and services in Canada : useful tips to help you green your home, your body, your pet, or when it comes to renovations, clothes, electronics, food, even your sex life.. This book is chalk full of surprising information about the products around us, what about them is bad for us and for the environment, what companies offer what solutions, etc. I had no idea how many things I could potentially change or phase out with very little effort or sacrifice. I encourage you to take a look. With educational tools like this, we have the power as consumers to make more sensible choices and actually make a difference.

Corn ethanol, a growing debate. Read 'Family Feud': Why agribusiness giants are facing off over corn ethanol in the U.S. This is a no win situation: cheap food or cheap fuel with industrial corn at the center, ruling our lives, and this is just as much an issue here for us as Canadians, btw. http://www.grist.org/comments/food/2007/05/24/ethanol/index.html

Being egg-savvy: a little help when shopping for eggs http://www.culinate.com/cook/food_features/The+eggsentials

Harold McGee explores the 5 second rule.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/09/dining/09curi.html?ei=5090&en=241e6e22e405bc24&ex=1336363200&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=print

A terrific quote by Marian Burros on Over-salting "In the current culinary mode salt is making too much of a statement. A couple of weeks ago I had dinner at a new restaurant and I have no idea how the food tasted because each dish was sprinkled with coarse salt like so much white confetti. If under-salting is the sign of a timid chef, over-salting is the sign of an arrogant one."

Chefs are getting skinnier This struck me as funny since everyone else seems to be getting fatter..

http://www.waitrose.com/food_drink/wfi/foodpeople/chefs/0705064.asp

New culinary website and blogs that I’ve recently discovered:

www.grassrootsstore.com A Toronto store and leader in offering a wide range of eco-friendly products.

www.culinate.com A content rich site for foodies with columns, interviews, articles, and a good blog feed..

www.obsessionwithfood.com A very thoughtful blog by Derrick Schneider, a computer programmer, food writer and wine teacher. (He writes for the Art of Eating.)

www.gastroville.com A pair of passionate food and wine enthusiasts rate restaurants around the world.

www.forkandbottle.com About artisanal food, wine and cheese by Jack and Joanne in San Fran.

Bits and Bites

April 25, 2007

Top 50 Restaurants in the world: El Bulli reclaims the number one spot on S.Pelligrino’s annual list of the top 50 Restaurants in the world.. Spain has the most in the top ten, France the most overall, with the U.S. better represented every year. The French Laundry is fourth and top in the Americas , Jean Georges is in 18^th and Trotter in 30^th, with Alinea climbing fast. Whatever any of that means.. Not that I wouldn’t mind dining in any or all of them.. http://travel.guardian.co.uk/article/2007/apr/24/restaurants

Chinese Penis restaurant: Yes, dozens of varieties of penis of all sizes, simmered, sauced or sushi style, with the supposed effect of boosting vitality and sexual performance. I heard a reporter who visited the infamous restaurant telling his story on CBC; he didn’t seem sold on the eating of the penis part, but who knows what it might have done for him in the bedroom..

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/02/17/wfood17.xml

Corn the culprit: Corn, so innocent looking, but so evil (in the wrong hands). It is in so much of our food, it is the reason our food is so cheap, and so bad for farmers, bad for the environment, not to mention bad for our health, a leading cause of the obesity epidemic… quelle scam. If you haven’t read about this already (Michael Pollan..), look for the documentary, King Corn. View the trailer at:

http://www.kingcorn.net/trailer.html

Heirloom tomato windowsill kits – Cool! Also tomato growing tips and paraphernalia..

http://www.windowbox.com/store/category/Heirloom+Tomatoes.html

Farmed sturgeon caviar from New Brunswick : A promising Canadian replacement for real caviar.. http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/weekendlife/story.html?id=8ee0ae8a-6dc6-455c-af4b-0eb499cb8354

Fair Trade: I saw this heart-breaking documentary on PBS about the coffee trade. Parallel to my reading Carol Off’s book Bitter Chocolate, it is all almost too much to take; capitalism can be so cruel. Many of us are aware of the exploitation and outright injustices associated with our beloved java, but not enough of us are doing something about it. All it takes to force change is spending your money in the right places. Fair trade should not be a choice. Check this film out, and your coffee will never taste the same again. Or just do it - buy fair-trade already. It would make my Mom very happy (this has been her cause for over 15yrs). http://www.independentlens.org

La Quinzaine de l’Equitable: Events marking 15 years of Fair trade..

A fair trade wine tasting is being held at Dix Mille Villages in NDG.

Wednesday May 2nd, 2007 , 7:00 – 9:00 PM , 10$

The wine is from Paarl , South Africa , called Winds of Change. There will also be a screening of the film Aftertaste. To reserve or find out more about this or other events, please email dixmillevillages@journeymontreal.ca or phone 514-483-6569 or visit the store at 5674 Monkland Avenue .

Going Carbon Neutral. Everyday, another big gun jumps on the environmental bandwagon, weehoo! Now, it is Yahoo and Lancome going carbon neutral. Good for publicity, good for guilt and good for the environment, a win-win situation. Compensating for your own carbon emission footprint by reinvesting in global sustainability projects, planting trees and so on, is a great concept, as long as everyone reduces and reuses FIRST. Then, why not take the next step?

http://www.fashionweekdaily.com/news/fullstory.sps?iNewsid=399693&itype=8486

http://yodel.yahoo.com/2007/04/17/dont-even-leave-a-footprint/

To make your own contribution, go to http://www.carbonfund.org/site/ or listen to David Susuki. He tells you all you need to know about going carbon neutral with links to different carbon calculators and offset companies..

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/Climate_Change/What_You_Can_Do/carbon_neutral.asp

http://www.grist.org/news/maindish/2006/10/10/gies/

http://carboncounter.org

The Experimental Cuisine Collective kicks off, a NY association of cooks, scientists and artists with big goals. They will be meeting regularly to brainstorm and work on projects, all towards pushing the boundaries of cuisine. I bet it will end up being more about a bunch of crazy guys hanging out with some food, some beakers, protein powder, and lots of wine, with everyone just having a good time. Sound like fun.

http://starchefs.com/features/plating/vol9/index.shtml

Back to the tap: Good on Leslie Chesterman for bringing up the water issue in her Saturday column and challenging restaurateurs to put some thought and effort into the water they serve. Following Alice Water’s lead and serving filtered tap water sounds smart to me, as opposed to encouraging the wasteful snobbery of ‘specialty’ imported bottled water lists.. Not only because of the hazardous effects on the environment with all the plastic, glass, and carbon miles, but afterall, we are the water capitol of the world, so why aren’t we drinking our own? Especially, if all it takes is a wake-up call and a slice of lemon..

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/columnists/story.html?id=686ed37d-79f0-4118-ade9-433881220d34

Curing an egg yolk looks like an interesting activity, to do ONCE, maybe, when you have lots of time to waste in the kitchen..

http://www.starchefs.com/events/studio/techniques/PRudolph/index.shtml

Bittman’s ‘The Best Recipes in the World’: This website is a great source of reliable recipes from around the world, an electronic version of Bittman’s book, ‘The best recipes in the world’. http://www.randomhouse.com/broadway/bittman/main.php?p=recipes

“The Best Recipes in the World” is also a celebrity chef/travel/cooking show featuring Mark Bittman, whom you might know from his column in the New York Times. Although he regularly pairs up with celebrity chefs, he remains a very down to earth guy and cook. I’m a fan. His recipes are generally seductive and simple, and he always throws in some interesting tidbits of information. His recipes are known to be reliable, although I think they often need some jazzing up, a splash of wine or lemon or spice. Then again, I can’t follow a recipe for the life of me. ‘They’ say his recipes work. Any of his books are indeed a good buy even just for inspiration, and although I’m not a big food network connoisseur, I’m sure his show is better than most of the stuff on there.

The 100 mile diet, a movement that is really gathering steam.. I think it is just good in that it makes us stop and think about where every bit of what we eat comes from, which inevitably leads you to make some different choices, cutting out the unnecessary, and buying local when you can. Baby steps count.

http://www.100milediet.org/

Bits and Bites April 2007

April 5, 2007

Time to sugar off

You can go to your favourite sugar shack nearby for the regular deal, or you can go upscale..

Join Slowfood in Bromont on the 14 or 15^th of April ( 11:30am ) at le vignoble Domaine les Brome, a tradition cabane à sucre and also a winery who will present a fancied up sugar shack menu with their wines. Also on the bill will be La Ciderie Fleurs de Pommiers from Dunham who produce cider and ice cider.

For reservations: call 514-282-5162, Cost: 25$ for member, 30$ for non-members.

Before the season draws to an end (or when it resumes), you should really get out to the country and partake in that intoxicating old Québécois tradition. From the small ‘friends and family only’ type of operation to the bigger touristy one, there are tons of options out there, mere minutes from Mtl. (even if you don’t eat pork!). Although I have to admit that for me, the sugar shack is very much about the pig in all its forms, it is perhaps more about the fun, the country air, the folk music, and the maple syrup of course. Personally, I don’t like to eat so much before sun-down, but I do make the exception when at the cabane à sucre.

Mostly, I like sitting around watching (and smelling) the process, the sap before it’s boiled down completely, sampling it at multiple stages with a mini hit of cognac, chatting with all the weary people who worked all day lugging the buckets of sap to the tank, who are now enjoying the fruit of their labour. I listen to their stories of the day, the 4-wheel breakdowns, the back-breaking work on snowshoes, the unpredictability of the weather and the trees, their speculation about how long the season will last, how good the syrup will be, where the prices will fall, etc. It all sounds so exotic to me, the city girl with country sensibilities, who knows so little about this world. I love the way everyone in the vicinity stops everything for ‘le temps des sucres’; it’s a celebration of community and our love of the sweet stuff, forcing this communion between us and nature, a natural rite of spring in Québec not to be missed.

Les Halles wine cellar auction was held last week… If only I had the cash…sigh. Did anyone score?

Raclette de Joliette from Martin Guillebault (Fromagerie Champs à la Meule)

Look out for this new cheese, the first Québec Raclette style cheese, which arrives on the market this spring. I was lucky enough to be paired up with this producer at the Banc d’essaie de la Lanaudiere last month, an event that brought together chefs and producers from the regions, along with students, to come up with dishes and new ways to use their products, from duck to condiments and olive oil, to cheeses. Together we put together a 7 course meal for 50 highlighting the artisans of the region. My contribution was the second course: I made a salad using the Raclette, hot, in a buckwheat crepe crust, alongside a parsnip, celery and apple salad with arugula and a cider vinaigrette with François’ boletus oil. Yum.

I encourage you to seek out or rediscover Martin’s cheeses at a store near you: Victor & Berthold, LaRacam, le Fétard, and now La Raclette de Joliette. He is also working on a Comté style cheese, as well as Suckling pig (to make use all his milk by product).

Chef turned Dominatrix: The story of Susan Winemaker

Channel surfing at 3am, I came across the preview of an interview with this chef turned dominatrix from London who had just written a book on her life (5 years) as a dominatrix. It all sounded very interesting, but soon became incredibly so, when I saw that the girl in question was Susan Winemaker, my best bud in cooking school. I lost touch with her several years after cooking school (probably somewhere around the time she went off to London to work as a private chef), and had often wondered what had become of her, if she was still cooking. Now I have my answer. She certainly made the case for openness towards the Dominatrix thing. She was smart and human, describing it all in a very basic, engaging, but un-sensational manner. And it got me thinking.

It appears that the qualities of a good dominatrix are the same as for a chef. Control freak meets giver of pleasure. Being strong, taking charge, being creative while in tune with people and the senses in general, caring for people, having that innate desire to please, all while being somewhat ego-centric and living a marginal lifestyle… It all sounded strangely familiar. So, I guess the leap is not such a stretch. I’m happy for her. She probably made a lot more money as a dominatrix, and besides, she was always the literary type. So, she got her book, and found her path albeit in a round about way, and cooking was a part of that journey. Cooking seems to always open a lot of doors, and can introduce all kinds of twists to a life, just with the characters you meet in a kitchen alone. Myself, I’m happy behind the stoves, but I did find her story inspiring in a sense, and I hope to meet up with her again. Maybe for a themed dinner of sorts, but I would stick to the beating of the egg whites, she could take care of the rest.

Alice Waters , my hero, with another great initiative in food.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/03/edible_schoolyard.php

Hungry for the truth’, by Anne E. McBride, An interview with my other hero, Michael Pollan, whom you should meet, if you haven’t already..

http://www.leitesculinaria.com/writings/interviews/pollan.html

Excerpt: My hope is that if people have the knowledge, and if they actually see where their food comes from and have access to the information, they will make better ethical choices. Whatever those choices are, they'll be better than eating in ignorance, and shopping in ignorance, which is what most Americans today do — because it's very hard to understand anything about your food. The food chain has gotten so long, so intricate, and so opaque that most people have no idea what they're eating.

The first step towards solving the omnivore's dilemma is knowledge: eating with full consciousness. When that happens, I have a lot of confidence that people will make good choices.

Bistro du Sommelier They’re getting pretty creative at the Bistro du Sommelier, the latest Italian inspired menu is looking good, I must check it out.. www.lebistrodusommelier.com

Bits and Bites March 2007

March 16, 2007

Toronto ’s turn next year . On the heels of New York as the spotlight city for the Montreal Highlights Festival, Toronto is announced to be next year’s city vedette from February 21- March 2, 2008 , with Susur Lee as honorary president. Should be interesting. Will it be another channel for the TO-Montreal rivalry to play out? Or just warm and fuzzy fun. Hopefully, it will be a surprising and bridging experience, and good for our culinary Canadian identity. I think it’s about time both chefs and eaters foster more connections Canada wide.

Bacon popcorn . Everything is better with bacon, as I’ve been saying for years.

http://nosheteria.com/2007/02/snacking-thy-name-is-decadence.html

Popcorn with truffle à la Thomas Keller, now popcorn in bacon fat; why not popcorn with truffle AND bacon? Over the top.

'The truth about saturated fats’, speaking of fat. Most of us are screwed up about what is good and bad when it comes to fat. Now trans fat is the enemy and olive oil is holy, margarine is bad and butter coming back. Is it really Ok, and how can it be? What about all the different vegetable oils that surround us? Many don’t know that these can be as dangerous as heart clogging animal fat was supposed to be. Don’t you want to get to the bottom of this? Well.. This is long and detailed, but when you have the time to read, it will give you the lowdown. In the mean time, don’t judge bacon too fast. See misc. article, ‘The truth about saturated fat’..

http://soupnancy.squarespace.com/the-truth-about-saturated-fat/

Truffles in Tenessee , the real deal… Very interesting! See misc. article, Cultivating truffles.. http://soupnancy.squarespace.com/cultivating-truffles/

Epynord . Finally.. The ‘cordonnier mal chaussé’ gets a neat pair of shoes.

Check out some friends’ new company website, Graphic and web design for restaurants.

http://www.epynord.com

Forbes food trends . Forbes cites the 10 most influential chefs in America today, and the trends that follow, nothing new but a good overview..

http://www.forbes.com/wineandfood/2007/03/13/tastemaker-chef-food-forbeslife-cx_mm_0314chef.html

Kitchen Gadgets. I’m not very into gadgets, but I kind of like this work-table scoop, although I could never actually rationalize buying it. It’s just a fancy dust pan, but it’s nice. There are some other cool things on this site too.

http://www.chefsplanet.com/prep_taxi.shtml

Jeffrey Chodorow , a NYC restaurant magnate, took out a full page ad in the NYTimes in response to his zero star review by Frank Bruni.. Good on him for speaking out, not because he is ‘right’ but because he can, and we rarely hear the other side of the story. I don’t know how many stars his restaurant deserves; who can say what he’s really like or what the critic’s experience was. There are always many sides to any one story, and a review is a very subjective thing based on a particular performance. The critic is doing his job by picking things apart based on his knowledge and experience, and the restaurateur is doing his job by trying to make a living by making his clients happy. You’d think this would all come together, but it doesn’t always. What matters to the critic might not make a difference to the devoted diner. What creates fireworks for ‘M.- Mme. Tout le monde’ that don’t get out much, is boring, passé for the critic. Friendly for one is unprofessional to another, and on and on. A restaurant is always many stories, like a movie with parallel plots, their lives converging, diverging, many happy, others annoyed or oblivious. It’s hard to make generalizations, to find the truth. But critics are more schooled in this than most of us. However, critics do seem to take on a disproportionate importance, mainly because we hear their stories more than any others..

I’m all for dialogue. http://gawker.com/assets/resources/2007/02/pete_wells_ad1.php

Chefs work hard for their money in case you didn’t know..

For salary averages in the U.S. , see the A Star chef’s salary survey lists averages in the U.S. , much higher than here: http://www.starchefs.com/features/editors_dish/salary_survey/2006/index.shtml

But before you follow the doctors, don’t forget that cooking school and the cost of living are significantly higher in the States..

Calling on Chefs to do their part to support sustainable fish and seafood , (60% of fish is consumed in restaurants).. http://www.starchefs.com/features/sustainable_food/html/2007_02.shtml

And by the way, here in Montreal, ‘on fait dure’; there is swordfish and tuna, Chilean Seabass and every other endangered species on menus about town, and no one seems alarmed!

Ruth Reichl’s Garlic and Sapphires –the movie . This book should make a great movie.. and I think Julia Roberts would be right. http://www.adweek.com/aw/magazine/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003553495

I’m a fan of everything she’s a part of, can’t wait.

B&B February 23, 2007

In Montreal :

The Montreal Highlights festival is underway! All kinds of cool things cooking through until next Sunday.. www.montrealenlumiere.com . 

The Gazette's notes from the festival:  www.canada.com/montrealgazette/story.html?id=24f53c61-77b3-4d96-8ac4-806a322e4cee

Bofinger Smokehouse & BBQ is a new casual eatery in NDG ( Sherbrooke W. and Oxford ) that specializes in hot-smoked meats, run by Kyle Kerr and Stephane Nanny. More than just chicken and ribs, you can get pulled pork, wings, smoked turkey and brisket, all with a selection of house sauces and sides, not to mention terrific fries. It is counter service only, but you’re welcome to linger, with beers on tap, wine by the glass and plasma TV screens. The food is finger licking good, cheap, and the décor clean and comfortable. My bet is that this place will do rocking business, especially on game days.

From all over:

Almost Foie gras : Gourmet reports back on a new product, a goose fattened liver that is not force fed. A compromise for the ethical foie gras lover? Not quite the silken decadence that is foie gras, but still apparently quite delicious. There’s hope yet that efforts in ethical eating won’t stamp out all our pleasure. http://www.roastgoose.com/ordering.html#Goose%20Livers

Anne Sophie Pic wins top award, which is a big f-ing deal in the old school macho world of French gastronomy and Michelin stars.. I love her style.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/food/Story/0,,2018534,00.html

Check out the Cheese freak: A queer story of a bloke that lives on Cheddar alone. http://tinyurl.com/yqz7mu

Another reason to love cocoa – the flavenols . (Sorry, no link - I heard this on CBC.)

Scientists are finding more and more to like about chocolate. We already know that it has anti-cancer effects in being high in anti-oxidants, the cocoa bean being a fruit like the super-food blueberry. They’ve already proved that certain chemical components are good for the heart and blood pressure, but now it appears that the flavenols enhance brain function too. At least, a diet rich in flavenols make mice navigate a maze better, and allows them to remember how to for a week as apposed to a day. Another scientist has found that a certain South American tribe who consume crazy amounts of pure cocoa because they flavour their drinking water with it are ultra healthy, free of any of the age related diseases we know, dying only of injury or infection, no strokes, no dementia.

Unfortunately, we can not go out and gorge ourselves on chocolate as we know it to see these benefits. The problem is that our chocolate contains a whole lot of sugar and fat, ie. too many calories, of which we already consume too much. What you want is the unprocessed cocoa powder which is hard to find and quite bitter to our palate.

But still, it’s good to know that quality chocolate is loaded with health boosing chemicals, and potentially good for you beyond the positive physiological effects derived from the pure pleasure of eating it. In theory, you can feel better about indulging in the occasional bitter chocolate, and more importantly, expect to see flavenol boosted foods on the market soon.

Synesthesia and Heston Blumenthal

http://www.starchefs.com/features/heston/html/index.shtml

Beyond classic ‘molecular gastronomy’, Heston is now focusing on psychological factors and contextual triggers to forge the ultimate dining experience..

He cites the sound of bacon sizzling as making bacon taste better, and a bottle of a certain wine tasting better on holiday than on some mundane day at home as examples in how sensory input can overlap and synergize. Inevitably, this opens doors and gives an experimental artist like him an extended canvas. Targeting all senses, and paying more attention to the setting is only natural in trying to please your customers. And Restaurateurs have been doing this for centuries with nice décor, attractive smiling waiters. However, taking it to the extreme seems overly manipulative, beyond just being a good host and cook. Like superstores shooting aromatics in the air to influence the shopper. By blatantly taking advantage of your lower brain influence, you can more easily be led down whatever path they’ve set out for you, that is, to be enchanted by whatever they’ve decided they will make you want, all so that you happily spend a lot of money.

We all know that more is at play than your taste buds when appreciating a meal. Now scientists are trying to measure this. In fact, the Journal of Neuroscience did an article in December that showed anxiety can lower your sense of sweet by 30 percent and increase your sense of bitterness and acidity by 50-something percent. As stress diminishes taste and a good time, good company and a gorgeous setting enhances both.

But when you try to fiddle too much with all these elements, bring an iPod to my table, order me to sniff things, and explain how to eat a certain dish off a new-fangled utensil and so on, somehow, I can’t help but think of sensory overload, and how I might be distracted from the actual morsel of food.

If you’re going for theatre, then fine, it’s all a part of the composition. If I was going to the Fat Duck, I would probably be in that frame of mind and welcome it. But don’t ask me to say a prayer, do a somersault, and eat the wrapper before I put the candy in my mouth on any other day. Food is just food. The restaurant experience is more than that and magical, but overworking it seems counterproductive. Especially for most of us North Americans who are not fussy people, too much of this would not fly. Then again, m aybe I’m wrong, maybe I’m just getting old.

Heston Blumenthal is an original thinker and groundbreaking chef no doubt, but he seems to have his feet still planted on the ground at least some of the time. I like what he has to say about food and kids here; I found this quote in Bill Buford’s book, Heat:

‘It is important that children make their own decisions about what they will and won’t eat, whether this is on moral or taste grounds. It should be our as responsibility as parents to make sure they have all the information they need. We must not pass on any of our own eating hang-ups. I have always made our children aware that when they are eating beef, for example, they are actually eating a cow. There is nothing wrong with this as long as the animal has led a good, healthy life and has been killed humanely. The quality of the meat is directly influenced by the quality of life of the animal itself. After all, evolution has designed us to be carnivorous both in the way we eat and the way we process our food.

Unfortunately, supermarket price wars have resulted in all food prices coming down, including those of meat. If we would only stop to think: how is this possible? Land and property values and wages have been increasing. Inflation still exists. How then can meat and poultry prices fall?’ Heston Blumenthal, Family Food

More fiddling with food. Cool innovation or tiresome gimmick?

A new thing in Texas , David Gilbert plays with food. http://www.starchefs.com/features/luqa/html/index.shtml

B&B January 24, 2007

 Who said January was drab?

Not this year. Maybe it’s just me who is particularly busy, without enough time for all the interesting bits and bites crossing my path. However, it does seem like there is an awful lot going on for January. Maybe we never went into hibernation because it wasn’t cold. Funny how everyone bitches about winter until it doesn’t show up, at which point, we realize how much it means to us. Thankfully, it is finally here, and it feels good. Maybe too, some people got some rest over the holidays and so are now all revved up with sober new years resolutions and new ideas. For whatever reason, there is much activity, both in print and on the street. Some restaurants did close for a bit in January, but all are busier than usual for this time of year, chefs are moving around, restaurants are opening and closing. Not all the news is good; for example, Leslie’s scoop about Les Chèvres made me very sad.. http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/weekendlife/story.html?id=fceb8042-e7aa-4c29-be7b-26a3dde9a6e2

Bill is back. Forget about the Porto and cheese combo.

http://thecaveman.blogspot.com/

Ten surprising restaurants in the world.. Thanks to Rob for this link to restaurants across the globe who are doing something different. Besides the technical acrobatics of guys like Achatz and Adria with their liquid nitrogen, melting mango, and edible menus, there are others that are doing the extraordinary with weird props (ninja magic), weird ingredients (roadkill) and in weird places (dinner in the dark, dinner in the sky or dinner in an igloo).

http://www.forbes.com/wineandfood/2006/12/18/most-unusual-restaurants-forbeslife-cx_ls_1219mostunsusualrestaurants_slide.html

Fuel from Chicken fat!? Controversial but at least people are getting creative with respect to the environment. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/01/schmaltzmobiles.php

Spice it up! Not only because it is cold outside, and that a bit of chile makes just about any dish sing, but pump up the heat for the anti-cancer effects.. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6244715.stm

Watch out for cloned food coming to a store near you. The FDA claims that it’s safe enough.. Perhaps our thickening border is not such a bad thing after all.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/29/business/29fda.html?emc=eta1

Le Marché de Solidarité Régionale en Estrie, a great example of a community project whose time has come: Last week, L’Épicerie reported on a coalition of producers and customers in the Townships that have set up a year round market idea to promote local, sustainable food buying, and they make it easy for consumers. The participants pre-order by internet, then go pick up their goods at the market on Thursdays (bringing their own bags) where they also get to meet the producers and artisans. The farmer is able to charge a lower price due to saving on shipping crates, packaging and transport, and the customer profits from quality local food at a good price. Not only is this set-up better taste-wise, it is also better for the environment (food miles, packaging), as well as for fostering community, bringing you in contact with the country and the people who grow or make your food. This project offers a new and more feasible approach to making a difference in the way we food source. They set a good example; hopefully we will see them expand, as well as copycats in other regions.

http://www.radio-canada.ca/actualite/v2/lepicerie/index.shtml

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, maybe you want to know the truth about aphrodisiacs.. It turns out that there actually IS a scientific basis for the arousing effects of oysters, and not much more than anecdotal evidence for many of the other supposedly sexy foods. Sometimes it is only because the food resembles something we associate with sex be it in appearance, taste or texture. I think we all know a big part of lighting fires is all in the head, relying as much on imagery and suggestion, as direct stimulation of the senses. A carrot might turn you on because of its phallic shape, or an avocado might get you in the mood because of its name (meaning testicle). Perhaps you find the perfume of ginger or the heat of chilli titillating, and are aroused by all of the above because you are told they are aphrodisiacs.. Whatever works for you, I say.. http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/food/story/0,,1986808,00.html

Our Valentine’s menu at la Table des Jardins Sauvages:   http://soupnancy.squarespace.com/recipes-and-menus/

Daniel Boulud, a top New York chef (who is also this year’s guest star chef at Montreal’s food festival this February) is in hot water over charges of discrimination in the running of his restaurant. Anyone who works in the restaurant business in a big city can relate to this delicate situation, as there are many talented, efficient, dedicated immigrants at work behind the scenes in many urban restaurants. Often they are overlooked when it comes to promotions or pay equity, due to poor language skills or a lack of education (in the food arts), or possibly discrimination. I’ve seen both, it depends on the individual and the context; who knows what the facts are at Boulud. It all comes down to fairness and respect being tantamount, then clarity and consistency in operational systems, while fostering an inclusive team spirit and good communication. Not always an easy matter in the chaotic restaurant business, but it is about time the debate of what is acceptable and what is not enters the kitchen, making it an issue as it is in the rest of civilized society. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/17/dining/17prom.html?ex=1326690000&en=36d91502886aefdf&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

Chocolat: A Longueil cooking school tries to recreate the magic of the Johnny Depp and Juliette Binoche film with an all chocolate gastronomic dinner, it is a fund-raiser for students going off on stages. The six course 'souper-chocolat' takes place Feb. 20 at CFP Jacques-Rousseau, 444, de Gentilly Est, à Longueuil.  For reservations, call (450) 651-6800, poste 2775.

Chefs speak out for sustainable food sourcing. Chef Barton Seaver (Café Saint-Ex and Bar Pilar in Washington DC) calls on chefs to be leaders on this front. http://www.starchefs.com/features/sustainable_food/html/2007_01.shtml

And Dan Barber (Blue Hill, NY) writes an effective, moving piece in the NYTimes in hopes of stirring up some change in agricultural policy as congress sets out to rework its food and farm bill. See below, Amber fields of Bland..  http://soupnancy.squarespace.com/miscellaneaous-food-articles/

Chow’s Molecular Gastronomy Cheat sheet in case you’re still not sure what this trend in cooking is all about, and not sick of hearing about it either..

http://www.chow.com/stories/10411

The best food reading of the month came via the 20^th Anniversary double issue of Edward Behr’s the Art of Eating. For those of you who don’t know this publication, there are no ads or 10 minute recipes here, just in depth, well researched, fascinating articles on a variety of food topics. www.artofeating.com For the serious foodie.

There was an interesting, thought provoking article on the future of wine that discussed how new technology is changing wine, for the better or for the worse. The question of what constitutes the essence of wine comes up in the battle between the traditional ‘let the terroir speak’ approach and the new manipulative approach. Which is more important, natural or good tasting? Paralell to the backlash to molecular gastronomy in food circles, winos are grappling with the mingling of tradition and new science. Of course technology brings useful new tools, but maybe we should beware of the dangers. This article introduces you to some of these modern techniques and the issues at hand.

James McGuire contributed a captivating article about the baguette, its colourful history, and the details behind the making of a proper baguette. I learnt so much! Not only do I better understand dough, but now the ‘no knead, let the fermentation do the work’ thinking behind that puzzling Bittman recipe last year makes more sense. And who would have known there was always so much squabbling among bakers over the course of the evolution of the baguette?!

Probiotics – the next health craze? See NYTimes article below, In Live Bacteria, Food makers see a Bonanza.  http://soupnancy.squarespace.com/miscellaneaous-food-articles/

The National Restaurant Association (US) is upset with Kevin Federline and an insurance company over a SuperBowl ad they find denigrates restaurant workers.. http://adage.com/article?article_id=114465 Since when are restaurant workers so sensitive?