Feeling like I’ve just swallowed a starch bomb that will just tick away at my waking consciousness for the rest of the afternoon before I succumb to an afternoon droolfest or fighting off the cobwebs struggling to stay awake after lunch is something I’ve come way too accustomed too. Praying for someone to roll me to my car or asking myself why I’m out of breath is a common occurrence for me after my midday feeding and is something I’m trying to learn to avoid. Being said, when was the last time you had lunch that was filling, satisfying, healthy, but also left you energized and feeling pretty as fuck?
Recently I read this article by Buzzfeed about why Americans can’t get poutine right. The author has genius and insightful remarks about how chefs feel the need to class up, “improve” something that doesn’t need improving, and basically try to foodify something that is in most cases, impossible to fetishize. One entry caught my eye and twisted a thorn that has been in my side for a while now; The Gorbals in Los Angeles’ “Bánh mì” poutine. It’s not the fact that they were completely missing the point on a classic poutine, but in the same breath, absolutely making an abomination of something that I hold dear to my heart, a sandwich.
This dish is VEGETARIAN. Having said that, please kindly walk in an orderly fashion to your nearest depanneur and buy your lotto ticket accordingly.
If you don’t know by now, when it comes to Sugar Shack season, the hottest seat in town (or 45 mins north of town) is none other than the Cabane à Sucre Au Pied de Cochon; established by none other than the culinary genius behind the Pied De Cochon brand, Chef Martin Picard. Word has gone around the block a couple of times that these exclusive reservations are taken explicitly through email through what seems to a lot of people as a lottery system, where the chosen ones humble-brag on Facebook and make a conscious effort to make sure you know they went. As you would imagine, the menu was completely over the top featuring foie gras on top of foie gras layered over confit duck and lobster glazed by blind nuns served to you by strippers carrying balloons on roller-skates… well, not that last part.
March marks the month-long celebration of my birthday bringing together friends and family, heartfelt presents and gift receipts. But more importantly, March is the unofficial-official beginning of Zeppole month. This Italian dessert is usually made once a year to celebrate St. Joseph’s day, but for local bakeries, they take the entire month and the opportunity to produce these light and fluffy doughnut-like treats to satiate cravings that have been building up over the past year.
I know people like to stick with what they know, and deviating from the norm is something difficult for most. So if you have a hard time trying dumplings other than the standard ones that fill up your table, take a baby stop and try the scallop dumpling.
Now that the Montreal en Lumiere festival is in full swing, I had the opportunity to check out one of the week’s finest tables featured in the gastronomy program. Restaurant Christophe – headed by owner and Executive Chef Christophe Geffray is located in Outremont in the midst of local boutiques, cafés and charming quadruplex brownstones. In keeping with the theme of this year’s events, Chef Geffray and team was orchestrating a gastronomic tour of Argentinean cuisine without leaving your seat or snowy and blistery Montreal.
This dish is one of more unique dishes you can find at a Dim Sum house – beef offal 牛雜 – Comprised of all the best parts of the cow…!
Today marks the 14th edition of Montreal en Lumiere – one of the biggest winter festivals in the world. Drawing close to 900,000 people, this festival celebrates Montreal’s winter by bringing visitors and locals alike together through a nocturnal program combining performing arts, free outdoor family activities, and most importantly gastronomy… not to mention and runny noses and frost bite.
I’m a realist. I like to keep things open, honest and true. I’m also a sandwich snob – sandwiches are so barebones and simple, that when you fuck it up, you can taste it right away. Many will say that all you have to do is slap some stuff in between some bread and it’s a sandwich – WRONG. Ingredients are integral to a sandwich. The haphazard use of random meats, spreads and vegetables do not equate “sandwich”, nor does the aimless flop of cheese dangling off the sides that was spared the spear of a frilly toothpick. That being said, I have one of the definitive go to spots for sandwiches that is capable to satisfy the biggest sandwich slut, snob such as myself.