soupnancy

Bits and Bites Jan 2013

3 Sweet/Pastry shops to try in Montreal  http://fr.chatelaine.com/cuisine/gastronomie-cuisine/3-patissieres-dici/

5 Places to Eat in Little Italy via mayssamaha  http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/where-to-eat/5-places-to-eat-in-little-italy/

Sans gluten et le danger des faux allergies – bien dit! http://www.lapresse.ca/debats/chroniques/marie-claude-lortie/201301/25/01-4614933-le-vrai-et-surtout-le-faux-sur-le-gluten.php

Quinoa, the back story – important to think about where all your food comes from, not just meat say http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/16/vegans-stomach-unpalatable-truth-quinoa

Tendances Culinaires selon 8 chefs de Mtl  www.casatv.ca/a-table/tendances-culinaires-2013-selon-8-chefs/

Think about it! Food waste is astronomical and nonsensical.. There have been many articles about this recently, I chose this one.  So, Yes we all have to waste less in the home and restaurant; and yes more importantly, we need to change the industrial food system, which operates askew creating lots of mal-distributed cheap food that sits in the field or ends up in the supermarket bin.  I think that comes down to forgetting about abundant cheap (and pretty) food, more about valuing food, following the seasons, staying close to home.  If you grow your own or buy local from a small producer and get what you get given what is harvested - taking big/small/oblong, you will be less inclined to waste, you put up.  With a direct link between producer and consumer, things don’t get so screwed up..  Food shouldn’t be a commodity, controlled by corporations or the stock market.. Developing countries would be better off concentrating on feeding themselves as opposed to participating in a global economy that just nails them in the end so that Westerners can have cheap food to throw out. www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/jan/10/half-world-food-waste

Dommage que ‘le foodie culture’ n’inspire pas plus; c’est vrai que c’est plus important de cuisiner point! simplement mais pour vrai, sans nécessairement savoir c’est quoi une mandoline ou une truffe http://www.lapresse.ca/debats/chroniques/marie-claude-lortie/201301/09/01-4609545-cuisiner-sur-terre.php

A new chapter in Montreal and ‘Canadian cuisine’ – in any case, a well written article by Adam Gollner  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/food-trends/wheres-some-of-the-best-qubcois-food-in-montreal-you-might-be-surprised/article7044220/

To try: Gluten free gnocchi
blog.ideasinfood.com/ideas_in_food/2013/01/janauary-3-2012.html

The ten hottest restaurants ‘in the world’ now http://blog.zagat.com/2013/01/the-10-hottest-restaurants-in-world.html#.UOVXC-vcacg.twitter

Important Foodie reading – the big stuff people in the food world aren’t talking about  I love the spirit of this post, I think a lot of it rings true..  I don’t agree with some of the 20 things, but yes enough with the celebrity chefs when most of your meals are cooked by illegal immigrants; yes the food world has been hijacked by the media, clubs and charlatans; yes we need to rethink the tipping system; and yes nostalgia props up a lot of bad food.  Not sure about foie gras or if I’m willing to say all wine tastes the same, but it doesn’t need to be so complicated either, like sustainable/good food doesn’t have to be a white/upper class thing. http://firstwefeast.com/eat/20-things-everyone-thinks-about-the-food-world-but-nobody-will-say/s/29176/

Food trends for 2013  http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/02/dining/after-crispy-pig-ears-10-trends-for-2013.html?ref=dining&_r=2&

A call for renewed resolve (and patience) to fix our food problem  http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/01/fixing-our-food-problem

The history of peanut butter http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2012/11/a-chunky-history-of-peanut-butter.html

Les tables et quartiers Mtl  - Montreal restaurant scene alive more and more in a neighbourhood nearyou http://www.lapresse.ca/debats/chroniques/marie-claude-lortie/201301/02/01-4607906-les-tables-et-leurs-quartiers.php

Bits and Bites December 2012

Veronique Rivest – sommelière de Québec, meilleure des Amériques http://www.larvf.com/,veronique-rivest-meilleure-sommeliere-des-ameriques,10337,4267356.asp

‘Dietary Seatbelts’ perhaps necessary because policy as is only “helps big producers make as much money as they can regardless of the consequences.” to our health, environment, society.. http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/18/dietary-seat-belts/?ref=markbittman

Cookbook pics by both the French and English Mtl food book store owners http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/Cookbook+store+owners+choose+their+favourites/7584300/story.html

Maple syrup thiefs http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2012/12/18/quebec-theft-maple-syrup-court.html

My garden includes weeds.  Don’t understand why you wouldn’t want a somewhat natural landscape.. http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/state/lawn-or-meadow-it-takes-a-jersey-judge-to-reaffirm-that-one-mans-weed-is-another-mans-wildflower

Top Montreal Restaurants for 2012 selon Lesley Chesterman http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/food-wine/Fine+Dining+Lesley+Chesterman+restaurants+2012/7702501/story.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Escargot Caviar  Without having tasted it, don’t know if it’s more hype and trendy due to rarity and expense or just really good.. http://www.starchefs.com/cook/savory/product/escargot-caviar

Achats responsible http://www.recyc-quebec.gouv.qc.ca/client/fr/rubriques/liens.asp?idTypeLib=60 (move)

A Montreal ‘Best of’ list for 2012 by J.P. Tastet– restaurants and books.. http://mixeur.tv/actualite/best-of-2012

Now, Forager, a poor review of a what seems to be a potentially very interesting movie featuring wild mushrooms, promoting Slow Food http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/now-forager-2012-film-review-by-neil-mitchell

Montréal en Lumière 2013 : Feb.21st to March 3rd - Buenos Aires, Philly and Lac St-Jean http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/food-wine/Montr%C3%A9al+Lumi%C3%A8re+2013+Welcome+Buenos+Aires/7682735/story.html

Programmation: http://www.montrealenlumiere.com/gastronomie/activites-jour.aspx

France still la reference?  Or losing its bearings as the rest of the world catches up to the old France.. A case of the student surpassing the teacher or just normalization with globalization - they become more like us and us more like them.  Whether there is a steeper curve of creativity/evolution or not, not sure about better value here being something to covet, at what cost.. The truth is we should be charging more here for better (non-industrial) food grown and prepared by (better paid) farmers and cooks. http://www.france-amerique.com/articles/2012/12/05/le_declin_conteste_de_la_cuisine_francaise.html

Love this art! A tribute to cooks behind the scene - artist Quang-Ho http://recettesbonetblanc.com/lart-culinaire/

Saving oysters.. Yes please!  What I thought was one of our last yummy sustainable choices. Hope this doesn’t hit the Atlantic and my preferred east coast oysters, but that would be wishful thinking.. http://civileats.com/2012/12/03/troubled-waters-farmers-and-scientists-work-together-to-save-oysters/#more-15884

Chef plagiarism – tricky to pinpoint; everyone’s constantly influenced by everyone before them and around, the zeitgeist.. Directly copying is another story.  For sure, the new world with internet makes it even more complicated, as well as easier to copy.  I remember a time when ideas and references were less accessible - you had to work hard to tap into what others were doing, techniques weren’t spelled out, you were forced to source from within or be a product of your strict surroundings.  Regardless, I don’t understand a chef who needs to copy!  There is inspiration everywhere yes, but you have to have a lot inside - drive and ideas and everything else to make it in this métier, so by the  time you’re making menus, normally you have something real and personal going on, of course built partly on all those influences, the main ones you should be able to note, never shy to note a new one. http://eater.com/archives/2012/12/03/attributing-sources.php

Black Ivory coffee made from elephant dung – the priciest/hottest coffee now after the weasel dung one.. Whatever.  http://www.nbcnews.com/travel/itineraries/elephant-dung-coffee-exotic-brew-50-pop-1C7490082

Femmes engagées à nourrir le Québec : a new book out (more historical than cookbook) that honours all kinds of women and their work in the Que food realm, including me ?! http://www.katerinerollet.com/medias/femmes-engagees-a-nourrir-le-quebec/

Bits & Bites November 2012

Beloved Bubbles - A list to work through over the holiday season, ha..   www.montrealgazette.com/life/2012+bubbly+guidefor+those+special+moments/7621387/story.html

Munchies - Dave McMillan hits a few of his favourite Mtl spots, fun little video, love that Honey Martins is on the agenda http://www.vice.com/en_ca/munchies/munchies-joe-beef

About refrigeration and how it has changed our food http://www.cabinetmagazine.org/issues/47/twilley.php

Cookbook picks for 2012 (Rulman)  http://ruhlman.com/2012/11/cookbook-picks-for-2012/

Foodie activity in Ahuntsic to accompany the fab St-Urbain..
http://www.katerinerollet.com/restaurants/resume-des-tuyaux-bouffe-de-la-rue-fleury-ouest/

Pastaga Canadian Monday events starting Dec. 3^rd with Marc Lépine (Atelier, Ottawa) as guest chef http://willtravelforfood.com/category/montreal-restaurants-events/restaurant-reviews-montreal/

Industrial meat and feedlots bad, we know.. What it does to the workers, communities, the environment, but still people keep buying the shit because it’s cheap.  Which means we will keep reading more dumb articles like this in hopes that they will make the smallest difference.  Eat/Buy less meat all-round, yes!  But a smaller quantity of better meat is another thing entirely. I wish they would all stop equating industrial meat with real meat raised from small producers who take care, mixing the issues.. http://www.newint.org/blog/2012/11/20/factory-farms-are-new-sweatshops/

« La vie ne peut devenir la propriété d’entreprises » Vandana Shiva est physicienne et docteur en philosophie. Pour lutter contre la privatisation des semences agricoles, pour la liberté et la dignité des paysans elle a fondée l’association Navdanya. So crazy that it takes a fight to share seeds and grow vegetables, to control what we eat..  http://kaizen-magazine.com/vandana-shiva/ (in French)

Slow Food - what it’s really about, and how it is and can make a difference.  Inspiring, and empowering whether you’re starting to care about your food and the global system, or you’re a desperate, disillusioned diehard like me. This gives me hope and makes me want to do more, all over again.. Please read. http://www.thehindu.com/arts/magazine/eat-pray-love/article4076820.ece

Interview with Ruch Reichl about her food writing heros..  I always love what she has to say, striking chords without fail, usually learn something new too.. http://www.salon.com/2012/11/19/weve_become_a_food_culture/

Pork this way just does not make sense; major overhaul in order.  I want to support local producers but they are all industrial and care more about big buyers or export, which is why I rarely have pork on my menu.  When I do, it is Gaspor.  Or at least Porc Meilleur, for our cooked products or charcturie.. http://affaires.lapresse.ca/economie/quebec/201211/15/01-4594007-la-production-porcine-est-en-crise.php

Raymond Blanc forced to take liver off his menu..  Apparently, there are overzealous and misguided food inspectors across the pond too!  All to make people more afraid of food, and the wrong food to boot..  I'd rather take my chances with pink 'real' meat from a respectable restaurant than with the ubiquitous sterile, industrial pseudo food the inspectors don't mind that is slowly making everyone sick. http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/nov/13/raymond-blanc-lambs-liver-food-poisoning

Guy Fieri’s takedown review – what happens when you’re all over the place and opening restaurants - like all it takes is a name, tatoos and some lingo www.nytimes.com/2012/11/14/dining/reviews/restaurant-review-guys-american-kitchen-bar-in-times-square.html

Darren Bergeron takes the Gold Medal plates for Québec, Canada finals in February. http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/food-wine/Eight+Montreal+chefs+battle+Gold+Medal+Plates/7541584/story.html

The Fruit Hunters – in theatres November 23rd newyork.grubstreet.com/2012/11/the-fruit-hunters-trailer-bill-pullman.html

Wine for Mushrooms  It seems like this writer has truffle in mind, but most wild mushrooms have enough character to match these wines, especially if served with meat.  I cook a lot of wild mushrooms however and find that with my style of cooking, a softer red usually works best, ie. not too astringent, medium bodied, with fruit to complement the earthiness..  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/wine/10-red-wines-that-are-magic-with-mushrooms/article5039832/

Fondue and tabletop communal cooking trending??  Not against the return of fondue (not that it ever left the home in Que), and check out Heston’s recipe – to me it seems spot on, including the pickles as an accompaniment.. http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2012/nov/09/double-dip-return-of-the-fondue

Silk soymilk – another food monopoly; consolidation like in the dairy, beef and poultry industries not good for farmers, food quality or the environment..  Nor for anyone except these big companies! http://grist.org/food/smooth-as-silk-how-big-brands-milk-small-farmers-for-all-theyre-worth/

Taste Canada Food Writing Award Winners for 2012

http://tastecanada.org/awards/2012-winners/

Stuffing, Dressing whatever, we love it, a worthy side dish.  Personally, I’m into the classic thing with bread and celery and sage, can’t help it.  After so many years of doing everything else.. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/07/dining/stuffing-deserves-more-days-on-the-table.html

SAT Food Lab turns one, looking back and ahead..  No doubt, a definite Montreal destination, so fresh and innovative and real, ashamed I haven’t been yet..  I feel for this project in any case, in that I know what its like to put elaborate menus out of a rustic/low budget kitchen with big spirit following a theme in flux..  http://www.endlessbanquet.blogspot.ca/2012/11/babys-turning-one.html?m=1

Le meilleur bio et hommage à Normand Laprise parmi autant depuis son lancement de livre http://www.lapresse.ca/vivre/cuisine/201211/02/01-4589615-normand-laprise-le-grand-artisan.php

Sugar everywhere, beware.  Added sugar is big business, no wonder the ‘innocuous’ hidden villain took over while everyone was worried about fat..  But really, like with everything, if you eat and cook real food, you don’t need to worry about adding a little sugar, or even better, honey or maple syrup here and there.. http://www.foodpolitics.com/2012/11/mother-jones-how-the-industry-minimized-and-minimizes-the-health-effects-of-sugars/

Interview with Toqué team after book launch www.montrealgazette.com/life/food-wine/Toqué+cookbook+Chowing+down+with+Normand+Laprise/7452457/story.html

Normand Laprise, personnalité de la semaine, chef de l’année – on parle de son livre, sa vision, son parcours..  http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/regional/personnalites-la-presse/201210/29/01-4588080-normand-laprise.php

About wine and context: Bill, the non-snob of a somellier has another real life tidbit to share http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/food-wine/Bill+Zacharkiw+Context+counts+when+tasting/7456896/story.html

Good reasons to buy local AND fair-trade  They go hand in hand when you live in a Nordic country and care about quality, sustainability and community, and like an occasional imported treat.  Buy local what can be had locally and favour that.  But coffee, tea, bananas and etc. don’t grow here, and some countries can make a living off of it with fair trade. Why not nourish a global economy that makes sense alongside the local.  Fair-trade is necessary when it comes to dealing far from the source, especially in underdeveloped countries where the laws are sketchy and exploitation is common. http://www.visualnews.com/2011/10/12/going-local-vs-fair-trade-what-food-buy-is-better/

Grant Achatz’s note to self  ://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50133217n

Avoiding wheat is not necessarily the solution to better health, unless you have celiac disease  http://www.wellnessletter.com/ucberkeley/feature/wheatophobia-will-avoiding-wheat-really-improve-your-health/#

Marc Vetri shares advice to young cooks – bang on! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-vetri/advice-young-chefs_b_1939356.html

Cooks Illustrated, Christopher Kimball ‘Cooking isn’t creative and it isn’t easy..’ He should be revered for focusing on the basics - a great mag for beginners, or anyone wanting to get to the bottom of a recipe.  I bought it all the time as a young cook.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/14/magazine/cooks-illustrateds-christopher-kimball.html?ref=magazine&_r=0

Foods to think twice about..  Most of these are givens for anyone connected to their food supply; I’m only reluctant to discourage Que apples for some ‘organic’ import. Again, it’s about choosing your producer (or supplier that isn’t more than a degree of separation away), the one who takes care with his mix of varieties and extra work to minimize inputs..  http://www.rodale.com/7-foods-you-should-never-eat?

Toqué’s book comes out Oct. 24^th  http://vimeo.com/43546384

Bits and Bites

The future of food  Depressing.  Maybe I'm a romantic, but the further we stray from 'real food', the sadder our sort.  http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/04/20/tomorrows-food/

My François des Bois wins the Renaud Cyr, at the culinary chef/producer Oscars of Quebec; for being a pioneer - after a lifetime of picking and 25 years of eking out a living in the market of wild greens and mushrooms, introducing them to chefs and the general public, he certainly deserves the recognition.. http://www.hrimag.com/spip.php?article6631

A film with Charest Champlain of Bistro à Champlain, Quebec’s larger than life wine aficionado film Champlain

A food truck scene in Montreal this summer – a start!

http://www.lapresse.ca/vivre/cuisine/restaurants/201205/04/01-4522129-la-restauration-mobile-demenage.php

Top 100 world restaurant list shuns Montreal/Canada, who cares

http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/groan+another+restaurants+list/6570519/story.html

Six essays on the Ethics of Eating Meat – Very interesting, very important!  http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/04/20/magazine/ethics-eating-meat.html

Dandelion tea to fight cancer http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/story/2012/04/20/wdr-dandelion-tea-research-grant.html

Revolution culinaire à Terre Neuve http://fr.canoe.ca/artdevivre/cuisine/article1/2011/09/16/18695356-24h.html

Veganism is not/ should not be an easy choice http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/04/17/is-veganism-good-for-everyone/a-choice-with-definite-risks

Big Ag farming does not work – nature rules; when will we learn that we have to work with nature and not against it..  Smallish, diversified, organic farms (and wild) is the only way to go.. http://e360.yale.edu/feature/the_folly_of_big_agriculture_why_nature_always_wins/2514/

Pink Slime – not a bad idea when dealing in industrial meat & derived products, but really we shouldn’t need/want this.  http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/03/the-pink-menace/?ref=opinion

On Fake meat  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/11/opinion/sunday/finally-fake-chicken-worth-eating.html?_r=2&hp   Not against it, but me, not so in.  Why can’t we just eat less, better humanely raised meat?  And more real food in general; there has to be a way.

Worried about all the plastic wrap in the modern kitchen? www.chow.com/food-news/107898/cooking-sous-vide-in-plasticis-it-safe/  Certainly worse for the environment than for us.

The Wonderbag – an eco slow-cooker and lifesaver in the developing world, cool http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2012/mar/09/can-slow-cooking-change-lives

No more stars for LA Times restaurant reviews – makes sense http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dailydish/2012/03/stars-are-out-at-least-for-restaurant-reviews.html

 La Cabane Mtl is open in Old Montreal with Chef Martin Juneau – the reinvented sugar shack en ville! (in French) http://www.lacabane.ca/  Nice menu: http://www.lacabane.ca/menu.html

Interview with Anne Sophie Pic – top French chef  http://www.lepoint.fr/gastronomie/anne-sophie-pic-les-hommes-sont-meilleurs-avec-des-femmes-en-cuisine-08-03-2012-1439176_82.php 

Favourite quotes from the article:

Vous avez donc beaucoup douté au début ?  Bien sûr ! Ça m'a empêchée d'avancer. J'étais inquiète à l'idée de pouvoir commettre des erreurs. J'avais peur de ne pas être digne de l'héritage laissé par mon grand-père et mon père. Ça m'a inhibée pendant longtemps. C'est comme si j'avais l'impression de ne rien connaître. Ce qui a été une faiblesse est désormais devenu une force. La cuisine est une question de maturité. Elle évolue sans cesse. Il faut être en éveil en permanence, se remettre en permanence en question.

Vous essayez de féminiser votre brigade ?  Les hommes sont meilleurs avec des femmes en cuisine. Ils font plus attention à ce qu'ils disent. La complémentarité est vraiment très intéressante. 

Japanese hot spots in Montreal that aren’t about sushi – to try!  (in French)

http://fr.canoe.ca/artdevivre/cuisine/article1/2012/03/09/19480806-ca.html

15 Femmes Chefs – a new cookbook out on female Que chefs 

http://fr.chatelaine.com/blogue/billet/19897-coup-de-coeur-pour-15-femmes-chefs

Pied de Cochon maple cookbook launch at La Cabane PDC to much fanfare

Overview, photos and JG interview http://cabanepdc.tumblr.com/

First article out in English http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/trends/trends-features/shareTweet/article2352911/

Gazette slideshow http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/food-wine/Photos+Martin+Picard+launches+book+Pied+Cochon+Sugar+Shack/6254416/story.html

Review in French http://www.cyberpresse.ca/vivre/recettes/201203/02/01-4501822-nouveau-livre-du-chef-martin-picard-le-pied-du-sucre.php

Inferno – a new restaurant in Little Italy to check out

http://www.cyberpresse.ca/vivre/cuisine/restaurants/201202/23/01-4499067-inferno-le-3e-cercle-de-lenfer.php

Following recipes or not  http://www.eatyourbooks.com/community/cree-le-favour

This article resonated with me because I approach recipes in this way and have a similar dishwashing-recipe following boyfriend.  I have always had a love/hate sort of relationship with ‘recipes’; the spelled out version bothers me, but of course I’ve relied on them too.. And still, I wrestle with the importance of writing things down or following a new baking recipe to a tee (which I never do) as opposed to just going with the flow with uneven results.  (Until I write my own article, this girl says a lot of it probably better).

Why Tibetans like yak (meat) – Great article! http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/22/dining/momos-tibetans-forbidden-special-treat.html

Bits and Bites Feb 2012

March 5^th, Kate & Julio (Tuck Shop) cook up a storm at the Nouveau Palais – A brilliant concept headed by Gita Seaton, chef owner at Le Nouveau Palais, who opens her kitchen to line-cooks the first Monday of every month for a 30$ menu highlighting the guest chefs cuisine in a convivial setting http://mixeur.tv/actualite/cookies-unite

Le Sinclair, the makeover in the Sulpice hotel, is a new Montreal restaurant to visit!  To rediscover Stelio’s cuisine, or because M.C. Lortie (and Alan Richman ) say so..  I am listening. If he has his way despite a hotel setting, there is no doubt that he is in the tops when it comes to flavour & finesse without excessive portions, protein and fat, nor too much trampoline - my style of food.  http://www.cyberpresse.ca/vivre/cuisine/restaurants/201202/16/01-4496673-le-s-est-mort-vive-le-sinclair.php

Seaweed – a biofuel solution  Ok not the end-all, but promising among others if you can get past the GMO’s?  http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/44272

Gordon Ramsay and Laurier BBQ break up, so what http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Laurier+cuts+ties+with+star+chef/6159135/story.html

Background on Belgian Cuisine for Montreal Highlights festival starting Feb 15^th  http://www.cyberpresse.ca/vivre/cuisine/201202/10/01-4494738-le-charme-discret-de-la-cuisine-belge.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_B4_vivre_452499_section_POS2

Spots left  http://www.cyberpresse.ca/vivre/cuisine/201202/10/01-4494741-montreal-en-lumiere-les-choix-deve-dumas.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_vous_suggere_4494738_article_POS1

Barbara Lynch, a dynamic chef I admire (and not only because I did a stage in her kitchen), but there’s another reason to read the article – a mention of the ironic discrepancy between the worlds of cooks and those they serve..  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/11/us/11iht-currents11.html

China in your grocery basket more than you think – beware (in French)..  It just does not make sense!  So stop buying the cheap stuff – garlic, frozen strawberries, snow peas, mesclun, even apple juice!!  http://www.cyberpresse.ca/international/201202/10/01-4494958-gros-volume-a-bas-prix-la-chine-dans-votre-assiette.php

Grumman tacos at the Faubourg!  http://blogs.montrealgazette.com/2012/02/08/this-just-in-grumman-78-tacos-at-the-faubourg-food-court/

There’s something to be said for friendly service  Of course professional and knowledgeable is important on the high end, but nothing beats a warm smile, real hospitality.. http://www.7x7.com/eat-drink/customer-service-san-francisco-dead

If you’re interested in Beer and on Twitter  http://voir.ca/pierre-luc-gagnon/2012/02/09/top-10-des-comptes-twitter-quebecois-relies-a-la-biere/

Chocolate recipes – for Valentine’s  http://www.food52.com/the_piglet/judgement/51

Factory pig farming http://motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2012/01/piglets-factory-farm-video - People need to ‘in your face’ know what’s behind their packaged supermarket meat if anything is ever going to change.

Piglet award –Joe Beef book wins, Alice Waters reluctant There is no doubt that Dave & Fred’s book deserves awards, and I know those boys know how to cook and have a reverence for good ingredients even if they have their favourite trashy loves and they are true.  But I agree with Alice that its sad that the epitome of cuisine, what’s hot seems to revolve around big portions of meat and fat, that processed foods as ingredients are cool.  http://www.food52.com/the_piglet/judgement/51

Lufa farms, a year-round CSA and more – Urban agriculture in Montreal http://www.ediblecommunities.com/toronto/winter-2011/lufa-farms.htm

Quebec ice wine hurdles - we should be able to market our ice wine without such complications; obviously we need a new appellation.  If there’s something that China shouldn’t take over, it’s this. http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/food-wine/Quebec+icewine+Frozen+national+standard/6097295/story.html

The debate over the virtue of Natural Wines – Yes, making good ‘natural’ wine is trickier, but no doubt better.  So if we encourage producers whose wine we like, than all the better!  But personally, I have not snubbed conventional wines yet even if my food is clean.  http://www.decanter.com/news/wine-news/529697/chapoutier-pours-scorn-on-natural-winemakers