soupnancy

Harold McGee debunks MSG myth  MSG is NOT bad for you!http://luckypeach.com/on-msg-and-chinese-restaurant-syndrome/

Our gigantic problem with portions http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/apr/25/problem-portions-eating-too-much-food-control-cutting-down?

I love Dorie Greenspan! Her books just make you want to bake.http://luckypeach.com/what-would-dorie-greenspan-do/

A Naked restaurant, C’mon! http://www.theguardian.com/global/commentisfree/2016/apr/22/naked-restaurant-london-the-bunyadi-horror

Ken Oringer on Kitchen Culture Then and Now - Less brunoise, More XO sauce http://luckypeach.com/culture-of-the-kitchen-ken-oringer/

Anthony Bourdain on his documentary about Jeremiah Tower, a US food icon – It’s important to remember/get to know the pioneers! http://www.grubstreet.com/2016/04/bourdain-jeremiah-tower-interview.html?

Des ouvertures de resto à Montreal attendues ce printemps http://journalmetro.com/opinions/bouffe-et-compagnie/951268/5-restos-qui-feront-le-printemps/

Great article by Mario Batali on the evolution of food, cooking and dining and the impact of food TV http://luckypeach.com/how-food-became-pop-culture-mario-batali/

Funny this trend of more food savvy people who don’t know how to cook http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/apr/17/too-many-cookbooks-not-enough-broth-gwyneth-paltrow?

Carbonaragate http://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/carbonara-purists-cant-stop-the-pasta-revolution? I think we should respect and celebrate traditional recipes and know what the original recipe is, without being afraid of riffing on it and making it our own. But then it should be referred to as ‘our take on Carbonara’ or ‘Carbonara inspired..’  And when it no longer resembles the original(s) at all, then it should be called something else.

Kale is not ‘healthy’. Our food is not healthy; we will be healthy if we eat nutritious food, which means more cheese than cheese product, more pig’s ears than mechanically separated meat, more grains than white flour.. alongside that kale salad. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/no-food-is-healthy-not-even-kale/2016/01/15/4a5c2d24-ba52-11e5-829c-26ffb874a18d_story.html

My favourite kind of wine is white and fresh – with some novel recommendations via Bill http://montrealgazette.com/life/more-lessons-in-white-the-refreshing-quality-of-acidic-grapes

Perspective on Molecular Gastronomy: Tricks vs Taste and Nutrition Exactly! I went to NY to do a class on Hydrocolloids ten years ago because it was new and fascinating.  But back in my kitchen, I realized how stupid it was for me here at Les Jardins Sauvages, working with the freshest terroir product to be over-manipulating with all these industrial powders. Yes, I gleaned a few techniques and a deeper understanding of gels but most of it went into the trash. It just didn't make sense if I listened to my taste buds and a conscience. Around the same time I rediscovered béchamel, traditional mayonnaise and creme anglaise for ice cream. No going back. https://munchies.vice.com/en/articles/molecular-gastronomy-still-needs-to-taste-good

The Earthquake that’s about to Hit Restaurants  No doubt prices have to go up no matter how crafty and smart we get in managing, even if people find it crazy to pay 18$ for a dish.. With super slim/non-existent profit margins, while trying to pay better wages, alongside exorbitant taxes etc, not to mention food and all other ‘fixed costs’ that have also increased. We’ve all been holding our breath for too long. One step would be axing the tip as an essential revenue/salary, but that’s only a part of the solution. No matter how the cookie crumbles, we have to charge more period.  People will hate it, they won’t understand, but c’est comme ça.  Inevitable, especially with the new generation of labour with benefits. http://www.gq.com/story/david-chang-resturant-business-challenges

Sourdough starter, a wonderful pet   I lovingly kept one (Leonard) for almost a year, going from taking precious care of it with regular feeding to negligent spontaneous feeding when I wasn’t making enough bread.. Eventually he turned and I ditched the idea which I love in theory, but realistically, I only make bread once a week and I’m not into pets.  Now, I just start my bread a day or two in advance for a complex flavour without the daily doting. http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/03/23/dining/sourdough-starter-bread-baking.html?

Butcher, Baker or Scientist - Find your suitable career via a survey  Great in theory, Bullshit in practice.  The food industry is more nuanced than that. Apparently here, my strength is in marketing/business administration which is the opposite of the truth. Reminds me of a survey in high school that told me I should be in marketing, business administration or pure science, very different from cooking.  Good thing I never paid too much attention! http://tasteyourfuture.ca/butcher-baker-or-scientist-where-do-you-fit/

Best Montreal Pho I love ‘Tonkinese soup’ and living in the country, I miss it even if I can cook something similar that pretty much hits the spot. Because I’m no longer a city girl, I’ll take his word on these recommendations..  http://www.shutupandeat.ca/2016/03/29/montreals-best-pho-2016/

Bits and Bites November 2014

Montreal restaurant scene booming for bust? Good article. It’s true that however exciting the scene seems, it’s a pretty sad state of affairs, fragile and not sustainable with too many restaurants for the clientele, the fickle crowd moving from one ‘hot’ thing to the next, quality and longevity not counting for much in the end.. Diners are spoiled with choice, but maybe not so longterm if it is so difficult for good ones to hang on without cutting corners or charging more while customers are checking out the others.. Construction aside, it’s a tough business for restaurant owners, yet they keep on coming. Not for the faint of heart, deep pockets help only so far. http://montrealgazette.com/life/food/the-restaurant-scene-in-montreal-is-the-boom-too-much?

Administration charge to replace tip at NY restaurant. Positive initiative. Next best thing to an all inclusive charge; until more restaurants are doing it, so the sticker shock isn’t so hard. This is just logical. So that the restaurant can pay everyone fairly according to their job, waiters guaranteed a living wage, but not exaggerated, redistributed amongst employees and to cover behind the scenes service/administration costs. http://ny.eater.com/2014/11/21/7256693/you-wont-have-to-tip-at-dirt-candy-2-0

So much for wild game on Quebec chef’s menus for now  http://plus.lapresse.ca/screens/d9c2bd87-42dd-45a9-987c-d82f12576d7f%7C_0.html

From David Kamp (The United States of Arugula; how we became a gourmet nation) A great excerpt, very interesting if Alice Waters and Jerimiah Towers mean anything to you, and if not, still a fragment of NA food history.. To think of ‘mesclun’ and local sourcing peppering French dishes as revolutionary! And I remember.. http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2006/10/kamp_excerpt200610

Musician brains  I have often seen a parallel with chefs and musicians, but I will accept that they are more talented, maybe even smarter, but not however necessarily better at organising things/getting things done! http://trendinghot.net/what-playing-a-musical-instrument-does-to-your-brain/

Made in Quebec, Julian Armstrong’s new cookbook out, a review by Mayssam: http://willtravelforfood.com/2014/11/05/cookbook-review-made-in-quebec-julian-armstrong-recipe-lamb-shanks/ Lots of good stuff here, I’m featured too, but however much I love Julian, I am sad to see hack foragers featured instead of our François des Bois who is head and shoulders above, the Quebec pioneer..

Le Nez (The Empire of Scents), a film by Kim Nguyen that looks fascinating especially to an olfactory obsessed like me. Inspired by François Chartier’s ‘Papilles et Molecules, but not just food/wine focused from what I understand. Playing in Montreal as of Nov.12^th. http://www.ridm.qc.ca/fr/actualites/nouvelles/1273/le-nez-de-kim-nguyen-en-ouverture-des-ridm

Jeremiah Tower meets Tavern on the Green http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/11/05/dining/tavern-on-the-green-hires-jeremiah-tower-as-head-chef.html Who is Jeremiah Tower? (for the youngsters) http://m.sfgate.com/restaurants/article/THE-RISE-FALL-OF-A-STAR-How-the-king-of-2906407.php

Truite au bleu – Good story about a classic dish and a badass Que chef bent on doing it in NY. http://munchies.vice.com/articles/why-trout-is-turning-blue-in-a-old-garage-in-queens

Bad restaurant reviews get more reads and likes  I don't doubt this is true, but as a chef, I don't enjoy reading a bad review. Unless I personally know it's a shitshow, it's a big co., disconnected from their customers and the day to day, or maybe with young ones too fake, hip and arrogant. But Never a 'Mom &Pop', chef owned  life&soul invested resto. Not amusing. http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/oct/30/negative-restaurant-review-bad-food-fun-read