soupnancy

Bits and Bites August 2015

No more tipping I believe in this, and have been working towards this for years with a sharing scheme like in most labour intensive restaurants that I would like to ditch for something simpler. But it’s  a tough transition in Quebec since we are taxed heavily and in the economic climate, always scared to ‘raise prices’. Everyone should just be paid a secure living wage according to their skill and experience determined by the employer, the service included in the check, since anyway it always depends equally on a team of others behind the scenes, and management. Every restaurant is different, but the customer shouldn't have to guess, the employees either. http://civileats.com/2015/07/16/goodbye-tipping-hello-living-wage-the-changing-face-of-progressive-restaurants/

The most anticipated new Montreal restaurants http://montreal.eater.com/2015/8/26/9205959/montreal-restaurants-new-openings-fall

Oregano for antibiotic free chickens, c’mon already! http://www.takepart.com/article/2012/12/28/oregano-fed-chicken-healthy-antibiotic-free-birds?cmpid=tp-ptnr-eatlocalgrown

Hurray for hybrids! Noteworthy wine in Vermont by courageous winemakers, which means hope for here with our set of courageous artisans, more local quality wine inevitably on the horizon.. http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/09/02/dining/vermont-wine-la-garagista-hybrid-grapes.html

Eggplant – to salt or not? http://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-eggplant-salting-20150825-story.html

Foodie gripes Small plates, vegan vs vegetarian, single stall washrooms, mini water glasses etc., the things bothering NYC food writers at the moment..http://ny.eater.com/2015/8/17/9166993/the-airing-of-grievances

Lists! I can’t say enough about lists for practical day to day efficiency, for inspiration etc.. Love my lists. http://www.brainpickings.org/2013/10/18/ray-bradbury-on-lists/

Eat the right meat (in small quantities) http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/04/24/401965111/these-animals-might-go-extinct-because-no-one-wants-to-eat-them

Yes, quality staff is a problem in the restaurant business - and getting worse every year despite the interest with foodies, tv shows and full culinary school programs.. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2015/08/12/the-crippling-problem-people-who-eat-at-restaurants-havent-noticed-but-chefs-are-freaking-out-about/

Haute cuisine shit show A food journalist brutally recounts her visits to a few NYC top restaurants, with a huge dose of cynicism and vile for the ridiculous tones of our haute foodie culture.. Very compelling food writing, if harsh and true. I cringe at any restaurant bashing, but I get it. I am not into fancy, manipulated food at all anymore, never snobbism, but quality ingredients with a story, yes.. Acidulous , smart work in the kitchen and/or floor will impress me though, as long as the soul and hospitality come first.. I'm so annoyed with over the top marketing and bogus menu descriptions; it used to and should mean something to speak of the purveyor/source but now it’s all marketing bullshit and no one can know the difference. It’s sad really. That Keller could be so dissed after all his hard work, experience and meticulousness, while a new green bistro with a good vibe and PR team could win the day is not fair, all measured on the same scale.  Different beasts. Both should be MORE REAL. Anyway. From day one, I always knew that no matter how top-notch precious the food and professional the experience I liked, it had to be fun, convivial, warm and delicious, be it on the giving or receiving end. Hence the spots I chose to work at in my career. http://t.co/5F5QxbpStP

Eat the right meat (in small quantities) http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/04/24/401965111/these-animals-might-go-extinct-because-no-one-wants-to-eat-them

Amazing Documentary Le Nez (on our amazing primal sense of smell from different points of view), now on TV or on the web! http://tv5.ca/le-nez

Overdone food stories – True! Although I have to say, I wouldn’t mind reading some of these themes again with a new twist, good journalism/writing, more so than ‘New’ fluff.. http://www.eater.com/forums/general-food-and-cooking/2015/8/12/9138063/27-food-stories-nobody-needs-to-write-again

Quebec City creativity Always happy to cheer on my home town! http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/16/travel/quebec-city-st-roch-restaurants-museums.html?

A real Paleo diet should include ‘some’ carbs http://nymag.com/thecut/2015/08/paleo-truther-scandal-carbs-were-in-the-caves.html?mid=twitter-share-thecut

The truth about marinades As a cook twenty + years in, I have noticed.. Better to focus on the seasoning when cooking and sauce.. But twenty minutes or 1-2 hours of pre-seasoning does make a difference even if its just the crust.. http://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-marinade-20150810-story.html

Proud organic potato producer holding on to his passion and coveted land near Tremblant  http://ici.radio-canada.ca/emissions/bien_dans_son_assiette/2014-2015/chronique.asp?idChronique=379810

The life of a modern day cook to chef  http://firstwefeast.com/eat/the-life-cycle-of-a-modern-day-chef/

At the Noma Science Bunker, things are fermenting.. http://eater.com/archives/2014/08/28/noma-copenhagen-science-bunker-photo-tour.php

How meat gets to your plate (or doesn’t) in Quebec  Good article about meat processing and the slaughterhouse situation in Quebec today. Important stuff. Seeing the number of local slaughterhouses diminish due to the Govt cracking down and pressure from the big guys has made me sick over the years. Even harder for small producers of venison, lamb or say lama, with even fewer authorized and one day a week 4hrs away say; Deer, not used to being confined, more skittish and aggressive. Detrimental. I saw it again and again. And for some small farmers, the extra cost was the difference between surviving and closing. No one thinks about how AFU our system is and this article says it well. I’m actually encouraged if some of the ‘B’s can viably become medium sized and better service our local farmers and eaters..http://boucherielawrence.com/blog/les-producteurs/

Rethinking Eating - Great piece!  Not farm to table stuff; but here, scientists and vegans weighing in.on the best way to ingest protein and nutrients. I can’t help but think I could have ended up this way if my appetite hadn’t been greater than my science/analytical bone. Unlike Mr.Soylent, a major highlight of my day has always been feeding myself (and others) real food, no powders or shakes. All due respect, I don’t want the guy who makes blood vessels making my burger either. And I Love this exchange:

‘Instead of centrifuging out plant proteins, “Why not just eat the vegetables?” asked Marion Nestle, author of “Food Politics” and professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University.

High-tech food entrepreneurs, mostly white, well-educated young men who have spent much of their lives fueling up on fast food, say they want to provide more convenience and better taste.

“Being forced to take time from my day and having my train of thought interrupted by hunger was really bothersome to me,” said Rob Rhinehart of San Francisco, the inventor of Soylent, a liquid meal replacement now being delivered to some 60,000 customers who preordered it during a yearlong crowdfunding campaign that ended in May and raised $3 million. “Trying to eat a balanced diet looked like I was leaping into a sea of complexity, of biochemistry and cooking, sourcing and cleaning.”

To which Dr. Nestle said, “Sex is messy and a lot of trouble, too.”’ http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/08/24/sunday-review/rethinking-eating.html?

Gael Greene tells her story, rants and raves  I just love it. Old school food writing, so rare nowadays.. http://www.insatiable-critic.com/Article.aspx?ID=1385&keyword=Out

Why Bitter makes food taste better  http://online.wsj.com/articles/why-bitter-makes-food-better-1408732030?tesla=y I like bitter, but am sensitive to it too making me a tough lover in the wild food world, I have analyzed this quite abit myself. Like with everything, it’s a question of dosage (the difference between pleasant bitter, off-putting and poisonous), and what you’re used to or trained to like on the low end, like with chili heat or anything. The fact is we don’t want to do without it, for taste or health..

Breakfast might not be all that it’s cranked up to be – whatever works for you.. My thoughts exactly. Beyond fruit and cheese, I know that a big breakfast is not a good idea for me, making me sluggish and unproductive which might be ok on a holiday but even then.. I never bought into the idea, like with raw food or not eating late-night – common sense and life experience. http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/08/breakfast-isnt-important/378917/

Feeding the world – no easy answers But let’s just say that big ag is not at the top of the list http://grist.org/food/is-producing-more-food-to-feed-the-world-beside-the-point/

On Raw Food, Paleo, Microbes and our food: No one says it like Michael Pollan - science and common sense with a love for food! I love my salad but I have always thought the raw food diet a croc because cooking allows you to extract more nutrition. Fire and cooking allowed us to evolve beyond chewing for half the day, allowing our jaw to diminish and our brain to grow? And the Paleo diet might be good inspiration, it means nothing if your meat isn’t grass-fed, why rule out good grains/good bread etc. Good read. http://m.motherjones.com/environment/2014/01/michael-pollan-paleo-diet-inquiring-minds

MEP, a kitchen tool for EVERYBODY, A way of life Yup, tis true. I keep trying to explain this to my non-kitchen friends who claim to be too busy to cook.. It's all about MEP! And yes, the same approach makes you better in life in general.. http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/08/11/338850091/for-a-more-ordered-life-organize-like-a-chef

The disconnect between Foodies/Chefs and Farmers  What I've been saying for years as I see small producers struggle & disappear while everyone seems to think the local food movement is in full gear and hunky dory.‎ Whatever trend to quality local fresh and artisanal is paralleled increasingly by that of cheap food everywhere thanks to Big AG, free trade & cheap imports and a govt./ system and culture that favours such, and loves BS. There is more bullshit marketing smoke n' mirrors than ever be it at the supermarket, in restaurants - Teroir/Local/Organic/Naturel/Sauvage etc. making it even harder for the real thing to shine. Whatever they say, most chefs still buy the bulk of their food in the big ag industrial system. Consumers flock to Walmart and Costco. Leaving a sliver of a market, choking out the authentic cream of the crop who aren't lucky enough to be subsidized or independently rich hobbyists. No, Urban foodies and hipsters don’t seem to really care about farmers and producers at the bottom of the chain, as long as the menu evokes the idea of them, the décor is hip and their cocktail name sounds cool. http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/08/10/opinion/sunday/dont-let-your-children-grow-up-to-be-farmers.html?_r=2&referrer=

Maillard - Worthy of a celebration http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/10/10/162636059/100-years-ago-maillard-taught-us-why-our-food-tastes-better-cooked

MTL Blog scandal: Wow, I'm obviously not in the loop! Although I knew it existed, hardly on my radar.. Then again, I’m not in their demographic either, of the kind that prefers newspapers and in depth articles, you know the boring stuff.. http://canadalandshow.com/article/inside-mtlblo 

Fall issue of online magazine The Cook’s Cook http://www.thecookscook.com/emagazine/2014-08/issue4/

Fascinating story of our native Apple in NA http://www.bbg.org/gardening/article/the_apple_in_north_america

Crazy how the world works.. I remember being shocked by this when reading ‘Bitter Chocolate’ many years ago, still no change.  Cacao workers tasting chocolate for the first time: http://firstwefeast.com/video/cocoa-farmers-savor-their-first-taste-of-chocolate/

Hurray for quality over quantity! Good article. There is always less mark-up on the good stuff, for some of the reasons described here - so many people don't realize.. http://m.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/rethinking-dining-value-eating-at-restaurants-shouldnt-be-only-about-volume/2014/07/28/84dc6c34-11d4-11e4-8936-26932bcfd6ed_story.html?wprss=rss_lifestyle

15 Hottest Mtl restaurants now according to EATER http://montreal.eater.com/archives/2014/07/03/the-15-hottest-restaurants-in-montreal-right-now.php

The importance of eating together http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/07/the-importance-of-eating-together/374256/

Caribou - New Quebec Food Magazine (In French) https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/470712816/magazine-caribou

Beginner Pickling Tips  http://food52.com/blog/10826-5-links-to-read-before-pickling

Real changes in restaurants and clientele, a documented glimpse of the new reality  http://news.distractify.com/culture/craigslist-surveillance-restaurant/?v=1

The Main  Adam Gollner points out his favourite spots along/near Montreal’s iconic strip, St-Laurent  http://www.bonappetit.com/blogsandforums/blogs/badaily/2013/04/montreal-boulevard-saint-laurent.html

Lesley Chesterman, the Montreal Gazette's restaurant critic shows her face Makes total sense in this era, as opposed to pretending.. And good for her for embracing the other side and taking a French job! Hopefully her loyal readers will follow and take more of an interest too! http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/food-wine/Lesley+Chesterman+unmasked+Fine+Dining+critic+anonymous/8262095/story.html

How Processed foods are wrecking taste buds .. I’ve observed the phenomenon and thought about this a lot– how people are so used to processed foods, so much salt/sugar/fat and concentrated flavours and extracts that real food can seem boring. A real berry can be disappointing if you’re used to fake tasting juice and muffins; I often feel like I should make my desserts sweeter than I would like because people are used to commercial sweets and chocolate bars.. http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/food-nutrition/facts/are-processed-foods-killing-our-taste-buds.htm

Michael Pollan on cooking.. Shifting his focus from the food system and agriculture, his message now is to cook.  He says it so well, always so smart and straight up and positive, I love him. If only more people would listen! http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/17/pollan-cooks/?smid=tw-bittman&seid=auto

James McGuire on the baguette – always instructive, and a reminder about good bread, not to be taken for granted..  http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/fashion-beauty/Montreal+baker+James+MacGuire+anatomy+baguette/8229257/story.html

Wild turkey experiment in Ontario positive  http://www.theobserver.ca/2013/04/11/wild-turkeys-successfully-reintroduced-in-ontario

 Montreal Food Trucks a go

English http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2013/04/09/montreal-food-truck-pilot-project.html

French http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/regional/montreal/201304/09/01-4639133-montreal-la-bouffe-de-rue-aura-pignon-sur-rue.php

Terroir TO – the Cdn foodie event of the year, a synopsis http://www.torontolife.com/daily-dish/food-events/2013/04/09/terroir-2013-recap/

Mosanto an overview of badness - Even if you already hate them, you should hate them even more http://gmo-awareness.com/2011/05/12/monsanto-dirty-dozen/

About Russ Kremer, ‘The Pope of Pork’ and raising pigs the proper way  All Barry Estabrook’s articles are worth reading.  http://www.onearth.org/article/meet-the-farmer-selling-chipotle-antibiotic-free-pork

Where to Eat in NYC right now Things change fast, neat to check in once and a while for what it’s worth.. http://ny.eater.com/archives/2013/04/the_manhattan_heatmap_where_to_eat_right_now_1.php

Montreal Restaurants open on Sunday and/or Monday A newly discovered gem http://willtravelforfood.com/2012/04/09/restaurants-montreal-open-sunday-monday-nights/

Seaweeds, the benefits http://www.care2.com/greenliving/5-seaweeds-that-enrich-your-diet.html

Mtl Street food is coming, But..  It was looking good, but now it seems that beurocracy is taking over. Food trucks that can’t move? Why will it take until 2005 to figure it out? www.lapresse.ca/actualites/regional/montreal/201303/31/01-4636370-oui-a-la-bouffe-de-rue-a-montreal-mais.ph

A dietitian examines the Paleo diet blog.fooducate.com/2013/03/26/did-cavemen-have-it-right-my-take-on-the-paleo-diet/  This pretty much sums it up for me.