soupnancy

Bits and Bites March 2016

Both sides of the truth wrt Modern food: Tragic due to industrialization, loss of biodiversity and nutrients in our food system, and meanwhile, more efficiency, more accessibility.. http://grist.org/food/modern-food-is-a-triumph-modern-food-is-a-disaster/

Dessert is more complicated than you think in the restaurant biz A pain for most chefs unless you can afford a pastry chef, and either way, not necessarily profitable.. But, although I’m not a sweet tooth, I enjoy making desserts – ultimately because with experience, I know how important the sweet course is when you are in the business of making people happy and treating them extra special! https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/02/10/why-restaurants-dont-always-want-you-to-order-dessert/

Reassessing tipping culture – the debate continues http://www.goodfoodrevolution.com/just-the-tip/ One day, hopefully we can overhaul the current nonsensical system. The only thing holding me back personally is the legal complexity and the economic climate including sticker shock for the customer.

The secret to Indian food is contrasting flavours as opposed to overlap of similar molecules as in Western cuisine https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/03/03/a-scientific-explanation-of-what-makes-indian-food-so-delicious/

About that Persay NYTimes review – chefs weigh in on the changing times http://www.esquire.com/food-drink/restaurants/news/a41981/per-se-new-york-times-chef-reactions/

Nestle admits to slave labour on coffee plantations, no way!? After decades of ‘unfair trade’ and an empire more than partially built on the backs of ‘slaves’.. http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2016/mar/02/nestle-admits-slave-labour-risk-on-brazil-coffee-plantations

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