...an endless banquet

On the Road 2: Bon-Ton Mini Mart

2012-01-31T18:14:00.004-05:00

fig. a: my kind of UFC

I haven't had a chance to test out Bon Appétit's "ultimate fried chicken" yet, but that damn cover image has had the appropriate Pavlovian effect on me. I need ultimate fried chicken now.

Thing is, good fried chicken takes a while. There's definitely a bit of commitment involved. So, I'm pretty sure I won't be frying up a batch of UFC tonight. And true fried chicken--the real deal--can be exceedingly difficult to find.

But that cover does have me thinking about fried chicken (obviously). And, these days, when I think about fried chicken, my thoughts tend to take me to Henderson, KY, sometime last August.

Nearby Owensboro, KY, is one of a number of American towns and cities that proudly proclaims itself the "BBQ Capital of the World." And they've certainly got a claim to that title. That town runs on hickory smoke (and bluegrass).

Henderson, too, is home to a number of reputable BBQ establishments, most of them specializing in the same mix of pork, beef, and mutton that has made Owensboro famous. But as soon as you get to Henderson, what really stands out is the unusual number of fried chicken joints they've got there. None of them major chains (at least, not that I saw). I mean, this town is swimming in Kentucky fried chicken.

Is Henderson the Fried Chicken Capital of the World? I can't rightly say. For one thing, I didn't get a chance to conduct a survey of Henderson's fried chicken scene. For another, I haven't had the pleasure of visiting any of the Fried Chicken Capitals of the World (Barberton, OH? Gordonsville, VA?) yet. But Henderson certainly looks like it could be a Fried Chicken Capital of the World.

And I can tell you that there's at least one championship fried chicken joint there: Bon-Ton Mini Mart.

Great name. Bold, even. But it's a little hard to find, and it's the most nondescript place imaginable. Just look at it:

fig. b: Bon-Ton Mini Mart

Is there any indication whatsoever that this is a premium fried chicken joint?

I was going on good authority (Jane & Michael Stern), it certainly seemed legit, and it was pretty busy for 2:45 in the afternoon. But you never know.

I had a pretty good feeling when I entered the Mini Mart, though. It smelled good in there, and the set-up was home-style.

I had an even better feeling when I placed my order, however. I was told, "Go ahead and grab a seat. It's going to take about 25 minutes." In other words, real fried chicken, skillet-fried and made to order.

And I had the best feeling of all when those 25 minutes were up. I mean, just look at that crust.

fig. c: Bon-Ton's UFC

Those ladies know their fried chicken.

Oops. I did it again. I'm driving myself crazy. Kentucky Fried Crazy.

Bon-Ton Mini Mart, 2036 Madison Street, Henderson, KY, (270) 826-1207

aj

Take a Vow

2012-01-29T15:01:00.000-05:00

fig. a: taking a vow

While others were still trying to get over their New Year's Eve hangovers, I spent New Year's Day trying to get over my New Year's Eve hangover and taking a solemn vow.

It went something like this:

My Beautiful Dry-Aged Steak

I make this vow to you.

I will do almost nothing to you. I will not get fancy. You are not the canvas for my ideas about how Cambodian and Croatian cuisines relate to one another. You, like very few ingredients in the world--gray pearls of beluga caviar, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Oreos--do not need my help to be delicious. I will do everything in my power to avoid fucking you up. I will not get in the way of your magnificence. I shall season you well. I will brown you deeply. I will cook you rare, and let you rest as long as you need. When I slice you, I will slice against your grain, and season you again. I will adorn you only in pan drippings, and perhaps a simple compound butter. I will consume all that you are, and leave nothing uneaten.

"My Beautiful Dry-Aged Steak" appeared in Issue #2 of Lucky Peach, of course, and it followed up "another transmission from Harold McGee's Orbital Desk in Outré Space" about enzymes and their role in the dry-aging process. As McGee explains, by harnessing the powers of enzymes, "we can get our food to make itself more delicious," which is why he refers to them as "nanocooks--the true molecular cooks." Examples of this enzymatic process in action? Ripening, fermentation, and, yes, dry-aging.

For those who haven't had the pleasure of experiencing the joy of dry-aging, it involves keeping parts of the carcass in a carefully controlled environment (one with cool temperatures, and fairly high humidity) for a period of several weeks. Doing so allows enzymes to work their magic--"[breaking] down the meat's proteins, fats, and glycogen... into amino acids [including glutamate], fatty acids, and sugars," as well as causing the meat to lose some of its moisture (hence the name) and thereby concentrating its flavours--and the result is beef that has an extraordinary complexity and depth to it.

Sounds great, right? It is. Astounding, actually. The problem is, dry-aging is a costly, time-consuming process, one that doesn't jibe with the economic logic of our supermarket culture. Consequently, it's hard to find dry-aged beef. It's also a process that's hard to duplicate at home because of the smells and flavours that occupy your basic household refrigerator, but also because your basic household refrigerator isn't particularly well temperature-controlled (think of how many times per day your refrigerator door gets opened and closed). As McGee puts it: "Dry-aging is very difficult to do well at home."

What's the answer? Get more butchers to take their beef more seriously.

Start by frequenting a local butcher shop. Ask if their beef is dry-aged. If it is, great--consider yourself lucky. If it isn't, ask them to consider doing so. Then, while you're at it, ask them where their beef comes from. Are they able to give you a straight answer? If not, move on to another butcher, one who's more willing to make an effort, or just keep asking. The more people ask, the greater the likelihood that things might improve.*

As it turns out, we'd just paid another pilgrimage to our friends at Fleisher's. Not only do they dry-age their steaks at Fleisher's, but their beef is local, grass-fed, organic, and sustainably raised. The combination is pretty much impossible to beat.

fig. b: our beautiful dry-aged steak

Our beautiful dry-aged steak was pricey (understandably), but it was one-and-a-half inches thick, and it wasn't just beautiful, it was gorgeous. It was also a hell of a lot cheaper than a comparable steak from a reputable steak house.

We took the vow seriously. We kept things very simple and we didn't fuck it up. Just the steak, the jus, some sautéed mushrooms, a Caesar salad, and a killer bottle of wine. We browned the steak deeply, finished it in the oven, and gave it plenty of time to rest.** We did those enzymes proud. It was a glorious affair.

Taking a vow, committing to dry-aged beef may sound silly, but it's actually a pretty great idea. It'll probably mean that you eat a lot less beef, but it'll definitely mean that you enjoy it a lot more when you do.***

aj

* In Montreal, things are a little difficult when it comes to sourcing high-quality beef, a fact made all too clear in the pages of The Art of Living According to Joe Beef. There are a few establishments that dry-age their meat (Boucherie de Tours and Queue de Cheval come to mind), but locating beef that's dry-aged, locally and sustainably raised, grass-fed, and organic is another matter. Customers need to be more demanding. Restaurants need to be more demanding.

** Not sure how to prepare your beautiful dry-aged steak? We've been following the Fleisher's Method for the last couple of years. You can find directions here. Given the size and thickness of the steak, our oven time was about 14 minutes.

*** Those familiar with the work of Michael Pollan will recognize this basic argument. Pollan has argued time and time again that we, as a culture (North American culture), should be eating a lot less meat, but he's not vegetarian.

This is the way he responded to the vegetarian question in an interview with Democracy Now!:

SHARIF ABDEL KOUDDOUS: Are you vegetarian?

MICHAEL POLLAN: No, I’m not. I eat meat. I eat much less meat than I used to. And I don’t think the answer is necessarily, you know, giving up meat. There are kinds of meat that have much less of a carbon footprint. I mean, we’ve been describing grain-fed beef. But what if you feed cattle on grass? When you feed cattle on grass, they’re not competing with humans for food, because we can’t digest grass. They’re geniuses; they can digest grass, because they have a rumen. And that — and well run, rotationally grazed cattle, on grass, actually build carbon in the soil. They can be used to sequester carbon. So there is a way to organize meat production that would reduce its carbon footprint dramatically. Now, it must be said, that meat is much more expensive and harder to find, with the result that I eat very little of it. But that’s the kind of meat I eat.

What he leaves out here, but discusses elsewhere, is the all-important taste factor.

Bon Hiver

2012-01-24T21:27:00.003-05:00

fig. a: winter in Alsace

Talk about a supergroup! The good people at FoodLab have teamed up with the good people at Oenopole and the result is an inspired combination of wine & warmth that they're calling French Winter.

On the food tip:

French onion soup - 6$
Roasted Cornish game hen with embeurré de choux and apple stuffing - 12$
Salad with apples and walnuts - 6$
Potatoes boulangère - 7$
Marinated housemade goat's cheese - 8$
and for dessert
Far breton - 7$

On the wine tip:

Crémant du Jura 2008, Julien Labet 2009 - 6$
Bourgogne rouge, Hautes-Côtes de Beaune, Naudin-Ferrand 2009 - 10,50$
Gewürztraminer sec, Schueller 2007 - 7,50$
Sauternes, Roumieu-Lacoste 2009 - 11,50$

And on the tasting menu tip:

Cornish game hen, salad, cheese, and Far breton
+
all four wines (yes, all four, including the Sauternes)
=
$65

(Mon dieu! Just writing about this menu has made me so hungry and so incredibly thirsty...)

French Winter begins tomorrow, Wednesday, January 25th, and it lasts through Saturday, February 4.

FoodLab
Société des arts technologiques
1201, Boulevard St-Laurent
Montreal, QC

For more information, write to foodlab@sat.qc.ca

aj

Strudelwerk

2012-01-19T21:33:00.003-05:00

fig. a: apfelstrudel

Remember this beauty?

Ever wanted to learn how to make your own authentic Viennese-style strudel?

Well, Michelle is initiating the FoodLab's instructional division (!) with a special strudel-making class on Sunday, February 5. The action takes place from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM, during which time the group will produce two strudels: one apple strudel, like the one you see above, and one savoury strudel, with homemade cheese and greens. The class costs $60 and it includes instruction, recipes, plenty of hands-on experience, and coffee, and then you get to devour your delicious strudels. Michelle says, "It should be super fun and delicious," and, personally, I don't doubt it.

To sign up (spaces are limited!), write to Michelle at this address: foodlab@sat.qc.ca

aj

p.s. If you've never experienced a real, honest-to-goodness Ghent-style seafood Waterzooi, one of our very favourite AEB New Year's dishes, be sure to drop by the FoodLab this week for Week 2 of their "Clean Slate" menu.

Goodbye, 2011!

2011-12-31T23:59:00.013-05:00

Song

Destroyer, Kaputt + Destroyer and War on Drugs @ Cabaret Mile End

Kurt Vile, Smoke Ring for a Halo + "The Creature"

Wilco, The Whole Love

Forest, s/t & Full Circle

figs. a & b: ooh la la!

Faces, Ooh La La

P.G. Six, Starry Mind

Thurston Moore, Demolished Thoughts + Bardo Pond, Thurston Moore w/ Whiteout, and Metal Mountains @ Poisson Rouge, NYC, June 2011

Metal Mountains, Golden Trees + P.G. Six & Helen Rush, "Take It As It Comes"

Karen Dalton, In My Own Time

V/A, Never The Same: Leave-taking From the British Folk Revival, 1970-1977

fig. c & d: G.J.!

Glenn Jones, The Wanting, Barbecue Bob in Fishtown, and Against Which the Sea Continually Beats + Glenn Jones @ Casa del Popolo, Mtl x 2 (June & December 2011)

The Pentangle, Solomon's Seal

Fleetwood Sack @ Casa del Popolo, Mtl

Flying Burrito Brothers, Burrito Deluxe & The Gilded Palace of Sin

J. Mascis, Several Shades of Why

P.J. Harvey, Let England Shake

Led Zeppelin, III

Davy Graham, Folk, Blues & Beyond

Wye Oak, Civilian

Orchestre Poly-rythmo, Cotonou Club

Print

fig. e: Melville's NYC by Leyda

Herman Melville, Moby Dick + Jay Leyda, The Melville Log: A Documentary Life of Melville

Ben Katchor, The Cardboard Valise + Ben Katchor @ Drawn & Quarterly, April 2011

Gabrielle Hamilton, Blood, Bones, & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef

David Tanis, Heart of the Artichoke and Other Kitchen Journeys

Misha Glouberman with Sheila Heti, The Chairs Are Where the People Go + Trampoline Hall Mtl, hosted by Misha Glouberman, curated by Mark Slutsky and Sheila Heti

fig. f: J.B.!

Frédéric Morin, David McMillan & Meredith Erickson, The Art of Living According to Joe Beef: A Cookbook of Sorts + "The Radical French-Canadian Comfort Food of Joe Beef" (as told to Kate Heddings), Food & Wine, October 2011

Adam Leith Gollner, "The Glabrous Fruit of Samarkand," Lucky Peach #2

Kermit Lynch & Co., Inspiring Thirst: Vintage Selections from the Kermit Lynch Wine Brochure

John McPhee, The Crofter and the Laird

Garden & Gun, "50 Best Southern Foods" issue, October/November 2011

Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

Noel Perrin, Amateur Sugar Maker

Sherwood Anderson, Winesburg, Ohio

Mark Kurlansky, The Big Oyster: A Molluscular History of New York

fig. g: G.B.!

Petite Planète books

Moving Images

fig. h: W.A.Y.!

We Are Young, dir. Thompson and Hammid

Patience (After Sebald), dir. Gee

The Trip, dir. Winterbottom

Contagion, dir. Soderbergh

fig. i: fun w/ Mr. & Mrs. Smith

Mr. and Mrs. Smith, dir. Hitchcock

Les Plages d'Agnès & Daguerreotypes, dir. Varda

Beat the Devil, dir. Huston

The Ides of March, dir. Clooney

Mister Deeds Goes to Town, dir. Capra

Blue Valentine, dir. Cianfrance

Of Gods and Men, dir. Beauvois

fig. j: fun with Mr. & Mrs. Bonner

Adam’s Rib, dir. Cukor

My Dinner With André, dir. Malle + “My Dinner with My Dinner With André” theme party hosted by Mark Slutsky

Melancholia, dir. Von Trier

Food & Drink

Sally's Apizza, New Haven, CT

fig. k: A.B.!

Arthur Bryant's, Kansas City, MO

Newsom's Old Mill Store, Princeton, KY

Fatty 'Cue, NYC

Hot Bird, NYC

FoodLab, Mtl

La QV Été, Mtl

White Manna, Hackensack, NJ

Pies & Thighs, NYC

fig. l: Michelle @ Prune

Prune, NYC

Kajitsu, NYC

Bon-Ton Mini Mart, Henderson, KY

Shopsin’s General Store, NYC

Green Mountain Pizza @ American Flatbread (Waitsfield, VT), Parker Pie Co. (West Glover, VT), and Pizza on Earth (Charlotte, VT)

Nora Gray, Mtl

Fleisher's @ Joe Beef, Mtl

Montreal Oyster Festival

fig. m: kaffeeklatsch!

Kaffeeklatsch Mtl

Fruit socials (straw berry, raspberry, blueberry)!

Okanagan Wine Tour + The Waterfront, Kelowna, BC

Liquor Barn + Lynn's Paradise, Louisville, KY

tasting menu @ Lawrence + Domaine de la Roche Buissière Côtes du Rhône 2007 "Flonflons"

Kootenay Alpine Cheese Co. "Alpindon"

Jasper Hill Farm "Harbison"

Maplebrook Farm burrata

Miscellaneous

This American Life (among our favorites of the year: #218, "Act V;" #440, "Game Changer;" #443, "Amusement Park;" and #452, "Poultry Slam")

The Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, VT

Melville tour, NYC

Helen & Ian's wedding

fig. n: shrooms

vintage Finnish bowls

Heritage Leather Co. bags

Naked & Famous jeans

Les Étoffes, Mtl

Summerland Thrift Store, Summerland, BC

Rooney, Mtl

Kingsland Bay State Park, VT

R.I.P.

Bert Jansch

Peter Falk

Jack Layton

Menace & Strindberg

Hello, 2012!

All the best to all of you!

aj

The Gifts of the Vine

2011-12-29T21:18:00.007-05:00

fig. a: "...drink wine, feel fine!"

This year we were pretty single-minded when it came to our annual AEB holiday bash: it was all about the wine. Sure, we still made plenty of food to serve to our guests, but everything was meant to encourage hours of focused oenophilia.

fig. b: wine by Olney

We imagined a party that would inspire our guests to bring an interesting bottle or two, uncork them, share generously, and drink deeply. We imagined a party that would be 100% free of Château Dep.* We imagined a party we might have invited both Richard Olney and Kermit Lynch to.

fig. c: big burgundy

It worked! We had people who called us in advance of the party and said, "Yes, but what kind of wine?" To which we responded, "Think beef Burgundy, think French cheese, think pâté." Some of these people really went all out. Some people really got into the Burgundian vibe. Some people even brought magnums.

We also imagined a wine-soaked Christmas affair, and wine-soaked it turned out to be. I'm not sure if it was just the effects of all that wine piled on top of the effects of all those delicious French '75s (Champagne, gin, lemon, sugar) that we started out the evening with, but this year's edition was easily the most bacchanalian AEB xmas party in the eight years (!) we've been throwing this party. Mission accomplished!

This was the menu that did it all:

French '75 punch

fig. d: Beef Burgundy by Olney

boeuf à la Bourguignonne (follow the link for our recipe)
cheese platter (featuring the most extraordinary Vacherin Mont D'Or)
baker's foie (recipe follows)
baked, stuffed onions à la Olney (follow the link for Michelle's recipe)
baked mushrooms à la Joe Beef (recipe follows)
marinated beet salad
bitter greens salad
oysters on the half shell (TY, F.!)

Far Breton
panforte
Christmas cookies

Mandarin oranges (lots and lots of 'em!)

And here are a couple of the featured recipes:

The first is an adaptation of an incredibly simple and drop-dead lovely pâté de foies de volailles recipe from Chad Robertson's Tartine Bread. This pâté is a stunner. We had some guests who told us it was the single best thing they'd ever tasted. Ever. Like I said, it's really good, and as easy as a pâté recipe gets. You can also use chicken livers, but duck livers really make it.

fig. e: baker's foie

Baker’s Foie

1 small shallot, finely chopped
6 black peppercorns
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
6 duck livers
olive oil
1 tbsp fresh thyme, leaves only
6 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup cognac
1/2 tsp salt

for the cognac butter:
3 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tbsp cognac
pinch of salt

Make a simple syrup by mixing the sugar and water in a saucepan and bringing to a simmer. Add the chopped shallot and black peppercorns and bring back to a simmer. Poach the shallots and pepper in the simple syrup for ten minutes. Strain the shallots and peppercorns and set aside. Discard the simple syrup.

Rinse the livers in cold water and remove any visible fat or connective tissue. Heat a heavy skillet over high heat and add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When the oil begins to smoke, carefully add the livers and sear for about 30 seconds. Quickly turn the livers and sear for another 30 seconds. Add the thyme and cook for a few seconds until it is aromatic. Remove the pan from the heat and pour off the excess oil and fat. While the pan is still hot, add 2 tablespoons of the butter and 1/4 cup of the cognac, and deglaze the pan, stirring to loosen any brown bits sticking to the bottom. Transfer the contents of the pan to a food processor, add the candied shallots, and let cool for 8 to 10 minutes.

Once the livers have cooled, add the remaining 4 tablespoons butter to the food processor and process to a thick puree. Add the salt and the remaining 1/4 cup cognac and process again. Taste and add more salt if needed. Pour the liver puree into ramekins or into a suitably sized loaf or pâté pan.

To make the cognac butter, place the butter in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the cognac until it is hot to the touch. Add it to the butter along with the salt. Stir the butter until it has a liquid consistency and then pour it evenly over the pâté. Cover and refrigerate until the cognac butter has set. Serve cool or at room temperature with toast or bread or crackers.

[based closely on a recipe that appeared in Chad Robertson's Tartine Bread]

The second is another crazy-easy, crazy-tasty recipe, this time from our good friends at Joe Beef. The Art of Living According to Joe Beef states that, "This dish is best prepared in a cast-iron frying pan, served family style at the table," and they're right--the sight and the smell makes people go wild. Another wickedly good hors d'oeuvre!

fig. f: baked shrooms

Baked Mushrooms with New (or Old!) Garlic

16 large white mushrooms, stem ends trimmed
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
2 garlic flowers or garlic cloves (in season)
6 sprigs thyme

Preheat the oven to 450º F. Score each mushroom cap with shallow cuts about 1/8 inch deep. Spread the butter and oil in the bottom of a heavy ovenproof pan. Season the bottom of the pan with salt, pepper, and the paprika. Place the mushrooms, cap down and side by side, in the pan. Tuck the garlic flowers (if using) and thyme among them.

Bake the mushrooms for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the pan juices are bubbling and the mushrooms have shrunk and roasted. Serve bubbly.

[recipe from The Art of Living According to Joe Beef: A Cookbook of Sorts by Frédéric Morin, David McMillan, and Meredith Erickson]

That spread got demolished! We had just enough beef burgundy for leftovers the next day, but otherwise those vineheads cleaned us out. But they paid us back in laughs, memories, outrageous behaviour, and all-around good times.

Hope you've enjoyed the holiday season this year. All the best in 2012!

aj

* If you're not from Québec, this is local parlance for the abysmal, insanely overpriced vins ordinaires that are available from our supermarkets and dépanneurs (corner stores), hence the name. Why the government, which otherwise holds a monopoly over the sale of alcohol (with the exception of beer, which, again, is largely available from the deps and supermarkets) in this province, should feel that the sale of sub-grade wine at every corner store and supermarket in Quebec is acceptable is another matter.

Souk@SAT 2011, rev. ed.

2011-12-09T12:12:00.002-05:00

figs. a & b: Souk@SAT flyer

The 8th annual Souk@SAT holiday design extravaganza got its kick-off last night, and already version 2011 is off to an outstanding start.

Of course, things are a little different this year. In addition to the dozens upon dozens of talented local designers and creators of all sorts, this year Souk@SAT has a whole new dimension to it: the third floor sensorium, featuring the SATosphere, an assortment of Montreal's top purveyors of gourmandises (including our friend Camilla's amazing Preservation Society), and the FoodLab (!).

fig. c: Preservation Society

With all that momentum (8 years' worth) + all this new energy, things were positively hopping last night.

fig. d: SAT sensorium

Don't worry if you missed last night's festivities, though--you still have plenty of time to get in on the fun. Souk@SAT gets into full swing today, beginning at noon, and the excitement lasts through Sunday.

On the menu today (December 10): Choucroute & sausages + Sachertorte!

And don't forget to pick up one of Michelle's famous panfortes for the holidays (only $20!).

Souk@SAT
Friday, December 9, 12pm - 9pm
Saturday, December 10, 12pm - 9pm
Sunday, December 11, 12pm - 5 pm
1201, boulevard St-Laurent

Admission is FREE

aj

Vienna Calling!, rev. ed.

2011-11-29T16:43:00.001-05:00

fig. a: hallo?

By popular demand, we bring you more FoodLab-related news, and, this time, it's news that's sure to excite all those who attended and appreciated our various Kaffeeklatsch events of the last year. Get this:

Vienna Calling!
November 30 - December 3
FoodLab presents a multi-course menu inspired by the Jewel of the Danube, including mushroom strudel, spaetzle with cheese and lardons, Hungarian goulash, & the return of sachertorte!

Wintermarkt 2011
December 8 - December 11
FoodLab presents a Central & Eastern European Christmas Market at this year's Souk @ SAT. Yes, glühwein will be served, as will a wide assortment Czech and Viennese seasonal treats.

Need more convincing? Check out what the Gazette's Susan Schwartz had to say about the FoodLab in today's paper! You'll also find photographs, not to mention three honest-to-goodness FoodLab recipes.

FoodLab
1201 St. Laurent Blvd
Montréal, QC
(514) 844-2033

aj

Grease is the word! (or is it Greece?)

2011-11-28T15:18:00.006-05:00

fig. a: Tony & Co.

You know how much we love Cosmo. I mean, it's right there in black & white in the A-M part of The List: "In our estimation, the classic Montreal greasy spoon..."

And our love for Cosmo isn't just some nostalgia trip. It's about the past, sure, the memories--all that jazz. But it's also very much about the present. Breakfast at Cosmo continues to be one of our absolute favorites, from the legendary potatoes, to the Creation, to the repartee.

To paraphrase: It's the best. It's number one. Number one.

Anyway, for those who share our passion for Cosmo-logy, as well as our profound admiration for Tony Koulakis, its patriarch, you should know that Ezra Soiferman's documentary portrait of Koulakis, Man of Grease (2000),* is finally getting released on DVD, and to celebrate, Soiferman & Co. are giving the film a gala release at the Segal Centre's CinemaSpace this coming Monday, December 5.

The details:
Man of Grease (2000), dir. Soiferman
Monday, December 5th, 2011, 7:00 pm
CinemaSpace at the Segal Centre for Performing Arts
5170 Cote St. Catherine Rd., corner Westbury
(Metro: Cote-Ste-Catherine)

Tickets: $8 regular / $6 seniors/students. Seating is limited.
Buy tickets by phone: 514-739-7944 (box office opens weekdays at 10am; closed Saturday)
Buy tickets online: http://tinyurl.com/7mluef3 ($1 plus tax service charge)

But you gotta act fast! Tickets are selling briskly.

For more information of the Facebook variety, click on this.

aj

* Get it?

Turkey Time

2011-11-23T07:45:00.004-05:00

fig. a: Wild! Excellent!

"Whoa! Take 'er easy, there, Pilgrim."--John Wayne

The FoodLab is conducting an experiment in culinary Americanité this week, welcoming the flavors of American Thanksgiving across the border, but giving them a Montreal twist or two in the process.

On the menu:

Carrot-cumin soup with cilantro and lemon

Brussels sprouts salad with pine nuts, currants, and shallots

Turkey roulade with herb stuffing and cranberry sauce

Quebec aged cheddar with roasted pear, cheese straws and watercress

&

Michelle's famous pumpkin pie with candied walnuts and buttermilk cream

The festivities get underway tonight (!) and last through Saturday (!!).

Give thanks, y'all!

FoodLab
1201 St. Laurent Blvd
Montréal, QC
(514) 844-2033

Thanksgiving
Wednesday, November 23-Saturday, November 26
5 p.m. - 8 p.m.

aj

p.s. Want to make your own "Michelle's famous pumpkin pie" (minus the candied walnuts and the buttermilk cream)? You can find Michelle's recipe here, and it's a stunner!

On the Road 1: Newsom's Country Store

2011-11-20T15:13:00.001-05:00

fig. a: real ole time flavor

They ain't kidding. You've heard us wax rhapsodic on this topic before, but Newsom's hams are something special, and a great place to start if you've yet to experience the depth, the character, and the "real ole time flavor" of a true smokehouse-aged country ham.

fig. b: aged ham country

But there's more to Newsom's than just superior hams and a highly personable mail-order business. Much more. There's an actual general store (Newsom's Old Mill Store) right in the heart of historic Princeton, Kentucky, and it's been in the family for almost 100 years now.

fig. c: outside the Old Mill Store

The store's as cute as the dickens, but not in a contrived way--it's a fully functional store, with a wide range of Newsom's own and Newsom's-approved comestibles, in addition to the deli counter where they keep their bacon, pre-sliced packages of their smoky "preacher hams," and other hickory-smoked delicacies.

fig. d: inside the Old Mill Store

If you visit in the late summer, like I did, you won't find any country hams kicking around, unfortunately--the ham "season" begins in the fall and reaches a peak around now, when country hams are being purchased for the holidays. However, you will find the store chock full of local produce, not to mention an impressive selection of dry goods, including a vast array of Southern legumes (like beautiful dried crowder peas!). You're also likely to find the ever-so-charming Nancy "the Ham Lady" Newsom Mahaffey working the floor.

Newsom's Old Mill Store is well worth a Kentucky pilgrimage, but if you're not planning on passing through Kentucky anytime soon, you can still get a vivid sense of the Newsom's tradition by just picking up the phone and placing an order with them, or dropping them a line.

Newsom's Old Mill Store
208 E. Main Street
Princeton, KY 42445
(270) 365-2482 [during store hours: 9:00 am-4:30 pm CST, Monday through Friday, and 9:00 am-3:00 pm CST Saturday]
www.newsomscountryham.com
newsomsham@yahoo.com

aj

Grand Opening!

2011-10-31T20:13:00.005-04:00

FOODLAB
Grand Opening!
5 à Huitres

The Société des arts technologiques,
the FOODLAB's coordinator (Frédéric Gauthier),
and its chefs (Seth Gabrielse and Michelle Marek),
cordially invite you to

the FOODLAB's Grand Opening

Thursday, November 3, 2011
17:00 - 22:00
1201 St-Laurent Boulevard
Sensorium Level
$20 prix fixe
(half a dozen oysters + one glass of wine)

Friday, November 4 and Saturday, November 5, 2011
multi-course oyster menu
($6 per plate)

Get Yourself High

2011-10-28T13:46:00.001-04:00

fig. a: the dynamic duo strikes again

The first full-length preview of Michelle and Seth's new FoodLab venture is out (in this week's Montreal Mirror, courtesy of Bartek Komorowski). It's titled "High Art, High Food," it details the DIY spirit that's driving the FoodLab vision, and it looks like this.

Check it out!

aj

photo credit: Micheal Beaulieu

MM @ QV

2011-10-23T08:03:00.004-04:00

fig. a: ready for her close-up

Yep. That's right. I was lucky enough to get an opportunity to participate in one of La QV's "La QV été" wine tasting events back in July, and now it's Michelle's turn. Not only that, but she'll be teaming up with La QV on their final event of their Winesdays season! And she'll be serving a delectable chestnut terrine (!). And if all that wasn't enough to shake you out of your stupor and get you to attend Montreal's most convivial weekly wine tasting event, well, how about this? The wines on offer will be Domaine Bourdy's totally biodynamic (and totally awesome) crémant and Côtes-du-Jura white, and they'll be served by François Bourdy himself. How's that for a monster of a wine event? A veritable Jurassic Lark!

fig. b: close-up

The fun takes place:

Wednesday, October 26th
5:00 PM - 10:00 PM
La QV
29 Beaubien est
514-504-5082
(for more information: info@laqv.ca)

aj

Plum Dandy

2011-10-21T09:53:00.006-04:00

fig. a: Italian prune plums

Let's just say that you happen to be living in a place where you can still get some of those beautiful Italian prune plums grown locally. Nice ones. Juicy ones. In October. Yeah, I know--it seems hard to believe, but there are such places.

fig. b: hazelnut sourdough

Let's also say you have a half a loaf of day-old bread kicking around. And let's just say it's half a loaf of a day-old sourdough. Who knows? It might even be half a loaf of a sourdough you baked yourself. It might even be half a loaf of a hazelnut sourdough you baked yourself. It's certainly possible.*

And, finally, let's say that the temperatures at night have been getting a little nippy (as they're supposed to at this time of year, in this part of the hemisphere). And you're in the mood for a lovely fall dessert--a simple one, a heart-warming one.

Well, you've come to the right place.

fig. c: Hugh F-W**

Michelle got me a copy Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's The River Cottage Cookbook late this summer (better late than never, right?). And although I've found the book full of inspiration, and I've since made good use of it, for some reason, it was one of the book's simplest, homeliest recipes that caught my attention the first time I leafed through it: Fearnley-Whittingstall's bread pudding with plums.

fig. d: bread pudding recipe

From the moment I laid eyes on it, I just knew I was going to love it. And I couldn't wait for the Italian prune plums to arrive on the scene. Fearnley-Whittingstall doesn't specify a type of plum, although he always insists sourcing the best local ingredients whenever possible, but those Italian prune plums are among my favorites, and I had a feeling they'd pair well with one of my sourdoughs.

I was right.

fig. e: fall plum pudding

Plum Bread & Butter Pudding

6-8 large plus, or about 12 Italian prune plums, halved and pitted
1 cup sugar, plus extra for the plums
about 1/2 loaf of day-old bread, preferably sourdough and homemade, possibly even a hazelnut or walnut sourdough
2 tbsp softened unsalted butter
1 vanilla bean
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup whole milk
3 eggs
2 egg yolks
clotted cream or crème fraîche (optional, but highly recommended)

Preheat the oven to 400º F.

Place the plums in a baking dish and place about 1/2 teaspoon sugar in the center of each one. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until they are tender and their juices have run. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Cut the bread into slices that roughly correspond to the depth of the baking dish you'll be using for your pudding. I recommend a square one that's fairly deep. Fearnley-Whittingstall recommends cutting the crusts off the bread, but I love the crusts on my sourdough and I'm fond of them in my bread pudding too. Whichever way you choose, spread the slices of bread with the butter, and use any extra (or, more likely, a bit more butter) to grease the baking dish.

Arrange the buttered bread slices in your greased dish. Place the roasted plum halves between the bread slices, trying to distribute them fairly evenly throughout the pudding-to-be. Plug any glaring gaps by cutting leftover bread slices to fit; your dish should end up full but not overcrammed. Any syrupy juices from the dish in which the plums were baked should be poured over the bread and plum concoction at this stage.

Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and place it in a pan with the cream and milk. Bring them almost to a boil (scald them gently), then remove them from the heat and set aside for a few minutes to allow them to infuse.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, egg yolks, and 1 cup of sugar together until they are thoroughly blended. Remove the vanilla bean from the hot cream mixture ("you can rinse it, wrap it in plastic wrap, and use it again," the always resourceful Fearnley-Whittingstall notes), then pour the cram over the eggs and sugar, whisking all the time, until you have a thin but smooth and well-blended custard.

Strain the custard over the bread slowly and carefully, a little at a time, so it can seep and ooze between the cracks. If it looks like it may flood over the sides of the dish, wait a few minutes for it to soak into the bread before adding any more. Don't feel the need to add all the custard, but use enough so that only about 1/4" of the unsoaked bread protrudes out of the custard. The ratio isn't exactly the same, but think of an iceberg, about which it's often been said that 9/10ths sit below the surface of the ocean. In any case, allow the pudding to infuse for at least half an hour before baking.

Preheat your oven to 350º F. Bake the pudding for 30-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the custard is just set, but still slightly wobbly in the center.

This pudding is great hot, warm, or cold, and doesn't really need any accompaniment, but it's extra-fine with a dollop of clotted cream or crème fraîche, not to mention a tumbler of bourbon.

Serves 6

This recipe is a perfect example of the kind of simple pleasures we're so fond of here at AEB. We made it once with a straight-up country-style sourdough and it was positively amazing. On that occasion, the loaf was more than just day-old. It was about three days' old. No problem. We just made sure to let the bread soak in the custard a little longer (about an hour and a half), while we had dinner. And we baked the pudding as we did our post-dinner clean-up. By the time we were done, it was time to dig in to our dessert.

We made it a second time with a hazelnut sourdough and it was absolutely transcendent. The presence of the nuts (fresh ones, local ones) made it "next-level."

Fresh walnuts are due to be arriving at my local farmstand this week, and there are still some organic plums kicking around--maybe there'll be the opportunity for one more batch? Here's hoping.

aj

* For heaven's sake, don't get hung-up on homemade sourdough, though. It would be a shame to miss out on this pudding because you don't bake your own sourdough bread. Any day-old white or country loaf will do, although if you use a better bread, the overall flavors will likely be more interesting.

** Hugh F-W is definitely something of a poster boy for a certain kind of food-oriented sensibility that's become prevalent over the last decade--kind of a more thoughtful, more modest, and "foodier" early-21st-century answer to this '80s icon.

Top Ten #43

2011-10-15T15:22:00.002-04:00

1. Patience (After Sebald), dir. Gee

2. Canadian Thanksgiving 2011 (with fresh hazelnuts!)

3. The Book Shop, Penticton, BC

4. The Ides of March, dir. Clooney

5. P.G. Six, Starry Mind (Drag City)

6. hiking, swimming, and picnicking in the Okanagan Valley

7. Wilco, The Whole Love (dBpm Records)

8. Tasting wine in Naramata and Naramata Bench, BC

9. The Waterfront, Kelowna, BC

10. Herman Melville, Moby Dick

aj

Moving On

2011-09-29T07:04:00.001-04:00

fig. a: she's moving on

Well, now that the cat's out of the bag, I guess we can go ahead and tell you definitively: Yes, the stories are true. As of right now, Michelle is no longer at Laloux. She's moving on.

And her next stop? Well, it's not 207th Street Station in Upper Manhattan, it's the Société des Arts Technologiques' brand-spanking-new FoodLab right here in Downtown Montreal. Are we excited about this turn of events, here at AEB? Again, the photograph above might be a little misleading, but, YES, very!

What can you expect from this bold new venture? Well, for the moment, that's a secret, but we'll be sure to keep you informed of any and all late-breaking FoodLab-related news, as it becomes available.

In the meantime, be sure to check out the Grumman '78-curated "Food Court @ FoodLab," tomorrow, September 30, in the Place de la Paix (adjacent to the S.A.T.), from noon till 7:00 pm. Michelle won't be participating, unfortunately (she'll be on her way to New York to attend StarChefs 2011!), but in addition to the Grumman '78 crew, you'll find representatives from a number of Montreal's most talented purveyors of food & wine, including Fou du Cochon, Nora Gray, and La QV, along with DJs Matt Cerf and Julian Prince.

Finally! The food court that Montreal has been waiting for!

aj

dispatches from planet pizza: Sally's Apizza

2011-09-27T10:47:00.001-04:00

fig. a: Italian-American

We'd been plotting a pizza pilgrimage (another one) of some sort to New Haven, CT, for some time. Would we visit Frank Pepe's, Sally's Apizza, or Modern Apizza? Would we visit all three? All of them have histories dating back 70 years or more. All of them have their devotees. And all of them have such colorful names. As you can probably tell, we find ourselves going to New York with regularity, and New Haven is only about 80 miles away. New York and New Jersey have no shortage of outstanding pizza, but a side trip to New Haven certainly seemed like a worthwhile (and tasty) way to improve our pizza literacy further.

So, like I said, the New Haven pizza tour was something we'd been thinking about for a good while. But then a couple of things fell into place, and, the next thing we knew it was actually happening. First off, we had a wedding to go to in New York. Secondly, on this particular occasion, we needed to head to New York by way of Eastern Vermont, which meant that if we just continued along Interstate 91 all the way down south, we'd end up in New Haven (yes!). And, thirdly, when I did a little exploratory "what if..." research on New Haven's pizza scene I came across Adam Kuban's "8 Pizzas That Haunt My Dreams" slideshow from 2009, and #8 on the list was the plain tomato pie at Sally's. Not only did that photograph + caption seal the deal ("That's it! There is no question about it! We are going to New Haven!!"), but it placed Sally's at the top of our list.

fig. b: interior decor, Sally's

What do you need to know about Sally's? Well, first off, Sally is a man. Or, at least, he was, god rest his soul. Salvatore "Sally" Consiglio founded his pizzeria way back in 1938, and Sally's Apizza is still a family-owned joint--in fact, Flo Consiglio, Sally's wife, can still be found doing the accounting in her booth on most nights, and Ruth, Bob, and Rick, their children, are still integral to the whole Sally's experience.

Sally's Apizza specializes in New Haven-style Neapolitan pies* baked in a blisteringly hot coal oven. We were close enough to the kitchen to actually see the production line and the pizzaiolo in action, and, let me tell you, it was quite a show. Sally's recalls a time when pizza was still an Italian working-class staple--it's a no-frills operation, that somehow, miraculously, produces these true works of art. Not surprisingly, the backstage banter was absolutely classic.

fig. c: plain tomato pie

Anyway, Kuban's write-up had warned us that if you order a large plain tomato pie for yourself, "you can eat for days," and that sounded pretty good to us. Especially when we looked at the menu and saw that it was retailing for $11.80. We weren't going to leave without trying at least one other pie, though, so we scoped out the specials and settled on the white potato pie with rosemary.

Kuban was right. That large plain tomato pie was humongous. It's a simple pizza, one that really shows off the genius of Sally's crust. It comes topped with just a bright and lively tomato sauce and a dusting of grated Parmesan, but you have the option of having thinly sliced garlic added to the mix. We took them up on that offer, partially because Sally's looks like the kind of place where they might actually slice their garlic with a razor blade, the way they did in Goodfellas. We weren't close enough to find out for sure, but I can tell you that that plain tomato pie with extra garlic was awesome, and we were glad we had plenty of leftovers.

The potato pie was yet another classic: basically, just some thinly sliced potatoes, some cheese, and some rosemary topping another perfectly executed crust. It took some will power to resist eating the whole thing on the spot, but we thought it might be nice to have some leftovers of that pie, too. And we were right. It tasted pretty damn good when we finally got to Brooklyn, later that same night. And it tasted even better the following afternoon, when we had a little backyard pizza brunch.

fig. d: potato pie

Sally's Apizza, 237 Wooster St., New Haven, CT, (203) 624-5271

* The name, with its Neapolitan dialect, gives away Sally's roots.

Extra! Extra!!

2011-09-17T10:10:00.007-04:00

fig. a: pie by Parker Pie

We've waxed poetic about the joys of pizza in Vermont on more than one occasion, but if you pick up today's Montreal Gazette, you'll find a new, more comprehensive article on Green Mountain pizza, featuring three of our very favorite establishments:

fig. b: al fresco, American Flatbread

fig. c: decor, American Flatbread

American Flatbread (of course), Parker Pie Co., and Pizza on Earth.

fig. d: pizza by Pizza on Earth

If you prefer the ease and convenience of the online edition, you can find that version of the article (alas, with fewer photographs) here.

aj

Dispatches from planet BBQ: Arthur Bryant's

2011-09-15T22:47:00.010-04:00

fig. a: beans, ribs, fries, sauces

I would imagine we've all had the experience of going to a restaurant with high expectations, but going to a place like Arthur Bryant's in Kansas City, MO, is an altogether different experience. This is a barbecue joint--a "grease house," as Mr. Bryant used to put it--of the highest order, easily ranking among the 10 most famous in America.

fig. b: world famous

This is an establishment that Calvin Trillin once referred to as, "possibly the single best restaurant in the world," in the pages of Playboy (in an article that later appeared in American Fried). Of course, Trillin hails from K.C. originally, but there was a lot more than just hometown pride behind his claim. There were ribs, there was Arthur Bryant's legendary barbecue sauce, and, most importantly, there were burnt ends.

So when you got to a place like Arthur Bryant's and it actually manages to meet or exceed your expectations, you know you've experienced something special, and that's exactly what happened. I was blown away (which is pretty amazing for a place whose patriarch passed away almost 30 years ago).

I mean, just look at those ribs in the image up top. And you can't tell from the photo, but those beans are the real deal. Tender, smoky, savory, and laced with a major dose of Arthur Bryant's phenomenal burnt ends. Even their fries are excellent. And their brisket? Ridiculously succulent. I haven't had the pleasure of a barbecue tour of Texas (yet), so I'm hardly an expert, but this brisket was a work of beauty.

Arthur Bryant's being a serious barbecue joint, your ribs, your brisket, your bbq pork, etc., all come to you unsauced (unless you're taking them to go, in which case you'll be asked if you want them slathered or not). Arthur Bryant's is world famous, in part, for their sauce, but, generally, the saucing of the barbecue is left up to you, the customer. You take your tray to your table, and there you'll find a battery of Arthur Bryant's special brews: their original sauce, a sweet sauce, and a spicy sauce. Both the sweet sauce and the spicy sauce have their adherents (and with good reason: they're excellent), but Arthur Bryant's true believers all swear by the original recipe, and nothing but. Who can blame them? It's an utterly beguiling barbecue sauce, unlike any other I've ever tasted. Jane and Michael Stern have described the sauce as, "a gritty, red-orange blend of spice and sorcery that is not at all sweet,... packs a hot paprika wallop and tastes like a strange soul-food curry," and, as strange as that last part may sound, there's something to it.

fig. c: decor

The interior of Arthur Bryant's flagship restaurant is pure mid-20th-century soul,* from its no-nonsense decor, to its cafeteria-style service, to its low-key, down-tempo blues & soul soundtrack. It's also a true barbecue shrine. Arthur Bryant's website features photographs of Tom Watson, Calvin Trillin, and Jimmy Carter under the caption "Our Fans," but its walls feature images of fans like Steven Spielberg and Sally Field alongside African-American heroes like Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Charlie Parker.

That hickory-smoke flavor and the tang of that Arthur Bryant's original sauce lingered deliciously on my fingertips for hours after my visit, even after I'd washed up, but eventually, sadly, they faded away, like everything else in this mean, old world. And ever since, all I can think is: "how the heck will I ever be able to get back to K.C.?" Thank God I left Arthur Bryant's with a bottle of their magical elixir.

fig. d: Mister Bryant goes to heaven

Arthur Bryant's
1727 Brooklyn Ave.
Kansas City, MO
(816) 231-1123

fig. e: Arthur Bryant's is it!

aj

* While the Arthur Bryant's tradition has roots that date back to the early 20th century, the 1727 Brooklyn location was established in 1958.

Oysters! Oyster Festivals!, Rev. ed.

2011-09-09T15:33:00.013-04:00

fig. a: Oh, Oysterman!

For those of you oyster lovers who've been asleep at the wheel, the third annual Montreal Oyster Festival takes place this Sunday, September 11, from 2:00 PM to 9:00 PM, in Old Montreal.

There'll be thousands upon thousands of oysters, plenty of beer and wine, and all kinds of other edible delicacies on offer, including peach and sour cherry tartlets with bourbon whipped cream by Michelle--served by Michelle herself, along with her two lovely assistants, Natasha and Thea. Stop by and say "hi."

fig. b: raw

Added bonus: Remember those phenomenal Tomales Bay oysters we told you all about last year (the ones you see in the photograph above)? Well, one of Daniel "Montreal Oysterguy" Notkin's fellow brothers-in-oysters will be hauling some up to Montreal all the way from California for this very occasion. Get psyched. The coast-to-coast selection will be mind-blowing.

The last time I had the pleasure of tasting Montreal Oysterguy's oysters, freshly shucked by his very hands, was at a killer La Q.V. Été event earlier this summer. Not only did we have a selection of fantastically tasty oysters from New Brunswick, Massachusetts, and Washington matched with a lovely Sancerre, but we had the option of buying oysters by the dozen to take home with us, at rock-bottom prices. Yes!

I brought three dozen home with me, and the next night we held our very own oyster festival in the privacy of AEB HQ. And because we had a relatively plentiful amount, and because we'd gotten them at such a good price, we went ahead and prepared them California style: on the grill.

They looked something like this,

fig. c: grilled

and they tasted like paradise.

Never grilled an oyster before? This is what you want to do:

Prepare a medium-hot grill, preferably one that's burning wood or natural charcoal.

Scrub your oysters clean.

Place your oysters on the grill, either directly, or on a piece of aluminum foil. Cover the grill with a lid to get more of that beautiful smoky flavor.

Grill the oysters until they begin to open, about 5-8 minutes. Do not wait until they've all opened. Whatever you do, you don't want to overcook them, and you definitely don't want to dry them out. So, as soon as the first couple open, take 'em all off the grill.

Once you've removed the oysters from the grill, shuck them, leaving each of your oysters with its precious juices in the half-shell. Remember, these oysters will be HOT. They've been grilling. The ones that have begun to open should be easy to shuck. Those that haven't opened up yet will be a little more difficult. Either way, remember to use a towel to handle them, because, again, they will be HOT.

When you've shucked your oysters, add the toppings of your choice. In Tomales Bay we saw all kinds of adventurous combinations being created around us. At Big Sur Bakery, they dressed their wood-fired oysters with a simple California-style mignonette. In the photo above, we went with bacon, parsley, green onions, butter, and grated Parmesan. Kind of a modified Rockefeller vibe.

Place the oysters back on the grill, covered, for another 2-4 minutes. Just long enough for the oysters to come back to temperature and for certain toppings (butter, cheese) to melt.

Remove the oysters from the grill and serve immediately.

Once again, the Montreal Oyster Festival takes place this Sunday.

Montreal Oyster Festival
The Pigeon Hole Parking Lot
Rue St Jean x Notre Dame Ouest
Sunday, September 11, 2011
2:00 PM - 9:00 PM

And you can find tickets online here.

aj

P.S. Wondering what it looked like behind the scenes at this year's Montreal Oysterfest? You can find a full report with lots of lovely photographs right here. Nice work, PP!

In a Golden State 4: Big Sur, pt. 2

2011-08-31T23:03:00.006-04:00

Missed Part One? You can find it here.

Kamping with Kermit

Unless you're doing serious back country camping--the kind where it pays to travel light--it's awful nice to bring a bottle of wine (or two, or more--perhaps a lot more) along on your camping trips. We happened to be staying in the East Bay for most of the time we were in Northern California, so not only did we have an impressive selection of top-notch wine stores to choose from, we were able to make a special trip to one of the very, very best: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant.

fig. a: putting on airs

Michelle immediately went about putting on her wine-buying airs, but, the thing is, she didn't have to. Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant wasn't intimidating in the least. In fact, they were downright friendly. Aided by our incredibly helpful wine agent (not Kermit, unfortunately, but we hit it off with this guy like we were long-lost friends) we picked out a really nice selection of wines (including some Rieslings and some Bandols), but when it came to choosing a camping wine, we were directed to a 2009 Pascal Janvier "Cuvée du Silex" Jasnières. We love the Jasnières style, and we can get some nice ones in Quebec, but Pascal Janvier was new to us, and we were strongly encouraged to make his acquaintance.

Anyway, the nice thing about camping with wine, is that you're not in your own kitchen, you're not in a position to necessarily make everything perfect, and, generally, you have to improvise. Most importantly, we had to try to find a way to chill our bottle of Jasnières. Luckily, the stream than ran near our campsite came with a handy, dandy natural wine cooling contraption

fig. b: wine cooler 1

that looped around the bottle's neck and simultaneously kept the bottle wedged against the bank so that it didn't go tumbling downstream.

fig. c: wine cooler 2

Within 30 minutes, our bottle was sufficiently chilled and ready to quaff.

I don't think that Pascal or Kermit, or anyone else, for that matter, would have come up with the campsite meal that we had with that beautiful bottle of Jasnières,

fig. d: camping spread

but, like I said, that's kind of the beauty of camping with wine. And you end up developing an entirely different appreciation for the wine. Oftentimes you discover the wine's range. You also discover the importance of setting. And, let me tell you, Big Sur is a pretty ideal setting for wine-drinking.

Molera Time

fig. e: frigid

Our days began with an invigorating dip in the frigid waters of the Pacific. Real "Ice Bears"-style.

Most of the rest of our days were spent on a series of hikes. We saw all kinds of nice things--again, it's hard to go wrong in Big Sur--but our favorite hike of the excursion was Andrew Molera State Park, where we basically followed four trails (the creamery meadow trail, the ridge trail, the panorama trail, and the bluff trail) in order to form a nice loop that took the better part of an afternoon and that was also wonderfully varied.

It started off hot and dry.

fig. f: hot & dry 1

But as we moved from the Ridge Trail to the Panorama Trail we found a stand of redwoods.

fig. g: redwoods

When we got to the heart of the Panorama Trail things were pretty windy.

fig. h: windy

The vegetation on that part of the hike looked pretty other-worldly, too.

fig. i: other-worldly

We paused to take a breather,

fig. j: breather

and, off in the distance, we began to see evidence of a little Shangri-La.

fig. k: Shangri-La 1

The lure of the beach got us to pick up our pace a little, but the route was not only windy, it was also winding.

fig. l: long and winding

When we got close to the beach, we found a logjam blocking the way.

fig. m: logjam

No silly logjam was going to stop us, though. Not for a beach this nice. Plus, at the time we were there, this beach was totally private. We had it entirely to ourselves.

fig. n: Shangri-La 2

Michelle started feeling a little territorial. She had the idea that this stretch of sand should be named Marek Beach.

fig. o: Marek Beach

When we'd had our fill of Marek Beach, we moved on and found an incredibly lush little valley.

fig. p: lush

Up on the bluff, things got hot and dry again.

fig. q: hot & dry 2

We split up at a fork in the trail, but, luckily, eventually the two trails merged again, and we were reunited.

fig. r: reunited

When we finished our hike at Molera State Park, it was definitely Molera Time. Actually, it was more like Pfeiffer Time, because we left Molera S.P., stopped in a convenience store to pick up some beers, and headed down the Sycamore Canyon Road to Pfeiffer Beach.

fig. s: Pfeiffer 1

There we sat on the beach and watched the waves crash through the natural bridge (and the tourists pose for photographs in front of it).

fig. t: Pfeiffer 2

Then we pulled out our travel Scrabble set and got to work.

Return to Big Sur Bakery

That very same night, we went for our only non-breakfast meal at Big Sur Bakery, the meal that we'd planned as the climax of our Big Sur trip. Things got started right with a lola rosa & mâche salad, with peaches, pistachios, and feta, as well as a plate of "seven lucky oysters" fresh out of Big Sur Bakery's wood-fired oven, and they never let up.

fig. u: oysters & co.

Our favorite dish was the butter-braised halibut in white wine with herbs and caviar, but everything tasted absolutely perfect that evening on Big Sur Bakery's deck,

fig. v: Big Sur Bakery view

and the views didn't hurt either. We really enjoyed our Big Sur breakfasts at the bakery, but dinner was where they pulled out all the stops. Easily one of our top meals of 2010.

Return to the Bay Area

The next day it was time to return to our base of operations in Oakland, but we took a bit of a roundabout way--we had to make a few stops along the way.

First of all, a stop at San Carlos Borroméo de Carmelo Mission (a.k.a. Carmel Mission) to smell the roses,

fig. w: rose

gaze at the stars, and soothe our souls.

fig. x: constellations

Secondly, a stop in Castroville,

fig. y: open

to pick up artichokes.

fig. z: 12 for $1

12 for $1. No joke. Lovely ones, too. (We had them later that night, braised, with pasta. And a steak.)

Thirdly, a stop in Morgan Hill,

fig. aa: Andy's

to pick up the best peaches and plums money can buy, at Andy's Orchard. (We ate plenty of them fresh, but the next day Michelle turned the rest into the best preserves.)

fig. bb: Andy's by Michelle

And, lastly, a stop in Pescadero,

fig. cc: Phipps' beans

to buy beans at Phipps Country Store and Farm, where they sell over 75 varieties of exotic and heirloom beans, many of which they grow themselves (check it out!). We were astounded by the selection. We bought a whole bunch of different varieties, but those Zuni Golds (pictured) were among our favorites. They made for some pretty tasty frijoles. (Many thanks to RP for the superb tip!)

Let me tell you, the fun never stops when you're in Northern California.

Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, 1605 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley, CA, (510) 524-1524

Big Sur Bakery, 47540 California 1 (Pacific Coast Highway), Big Sur, CA, (831) 667-0520

Andy's Orchard, 1615 Half Road, Morgan Hill, CA, (408) 782-7600

Phipps Country Store and Farm, 2700 Pescadero Road, Pescadero, CA, (650) 879-1032

aj

Back in Blue

2011-08-25T08:54:00.006-04:00

You asked for it, you got it.

fig. a: back in blue

This Saturday, August 27, Michelle will be hosting the last social of the summer social season: her Blueberry Social.

It all goes down at this week's Marché de FoodLab in Place de la Paix, off St-Laurent Boulevard, between René-Lévesque and Ste-Catherine, and adjacent to the S.A.T. (La Société des arts technologiques), from 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM.

Like our earlier socials, Blueberry Social will be a by-donation-only berry extravaganza ($10 suggested donation, but any amount of money will be accepted), this time featuring blueberry cobbler with lightly whipped cream, iced tea, and rhubarb lemonade, with all proceeds going to our friends at Dans La Rue.

Blueberry Social will be just one of the attractions at the S.A.T.'s Marché de FoodLab. There will also be plenty of organic farmers on hand selling fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as other products.

Come down and say 'hello.' Eat blueberry cobbler till you're ready to burst.

fig. b: "I feel funny!"

Think about it: this is our chance to take back the Quartier des Spectacles! In the most delicious way.

aj

Top Ten #42

2011-08-23T03:19:00.003-04:00

1. Arthur Bryant's, Kansas City, MO

2. Sally's Apizza, New Haven, CT

3. swimming, hiking, antiquing, pizzaing, and picnicking in Vermont

4. The Trip, dir. Winterbottom

5. summer socials

6. Thurston Moore, Demolished Thoughts (Matador) + Bardo Pond, Whiteout w/ Thurston Moore, and Metal Mountains @ Le Poisson Rouge, June 18, NYC

7. Liquor Barn + Lynn's Paradise, Louisville, KY

8. hauling wedding cakes from Montreal to NYC + Fatty 'Cue, NYC + Hot Bird, NYC

9. Newsom's Old Mill Store, Princeton, KY

10. Fleetwood Sack @ Casa del Popolo, August 12, Montreal

aj

p.s. & Jack Layton. R.I.P.

In a Golden State 5: Street Food!

2011-08-15T15:15:00.015-04:00

If you're as starved for street food as we are, and you happen to be in the San Francisco Bay Area on or around August 20, by all means, make you way to the extraordinary San Francisco Street Food Festival. The second annual edition was really one of our favorite food occasions of 2010. The third annual edition looks to be just as exciting, if not more. And it's all for a great cause.

Need further convincing? This is what it looked like last year:

The SF Street Food Festival had a full range of street food temptations, both high and low.

fig. a: on the grill

The grilled corn looked great to begin with, but it was even better all-dressed.

fig. b: all-dressed

Ritual Roasters had their mobile unit out for the occasion, in case you happened to be under-caffeinated. Philz was also just around the corner for those in search of a seat and a Philharmonic experience.

fig. c: Ritual in da house

There were so many options, so many different avenues of street food delight, that Michelle found herself at a crossroads.

fig. d: standing at the crossroads

We tasted a whole lot of tasty treates, but our favorite street food delicacy of the day was this totally outrageous Japanese fried chicken.

fig. e: oishii!

When we'd had our fill, we started to head back into the heart of the Mission when we saw an Aztec ride by on a Razor Scooter. We couldn't let that pass us by. So we turned back around and headed back into the heart of the Street Food Festival and came across this:

fig. f: sacred smoke

And the next thing we knew, the scene erupted into a full-on pre-Columbian frenzy.

fig. g: Montezuma's revenge

The performance was riveting, creating something akin to a time portal in the urban landscape.

fig. h: our lady

So if you happen to be in the San Francisco Bay Area this coming Saturday, if you're even remotely within striking distance, please do check out the SF Street Food Festival. We were warned that it would be "swarmed," "overrun" with "foodies," that the lines would be "a mile long," but we showed up early and found the whole experience positively convivial. And we had absolutely no problems scoring each and every delicacy we desired.

The moral of this story: don't believe the hype. Or, rather: the early birds get the street food.

aj

Postscript: The San Francisco Street Food Festival is much more than just a one-day street food extravaganza. The 2010 edition also featured a stimulating and highly inspiring two-day street food conference featuring practitioners, activists, public officials, urban planners, and academics. And there were brother and sister events all over town all weekend long, like Humphry Slocombe hosting NYC's Big Gay Ice Cream Truck for a special edition of Tranny Smackdown.

fig. i: un zoo la nuit

Jane Wiedlin (of the Go-Go's) performed, John T. Edge was fêted, a special sundae was concocted, and Humphry Slocombe was even more of a zoo (a wonderful one) than usual. We thought about trying the Tranny Smackdown Sundae, but ended up sticking with our very favorite Humphry Slocombe jam.

fig. j: shhh...

mission improbable

2011-08-13T10:37:00.004-04:00

One of my very dearest friends got married earlier this week. She asked if Michelle would be willing to make one of two wedding cakes for the reception. (There were going to be lots of people and she happened to be friends with two trained pâtissières.) Michelle was all too happy to put her talents to work. After all, she's made quite a number of wedding cakes over the years. No big deal, right?

Well, there was one catch, maybe two. The wedding was in New York City.

fig. a: no problem, right? fig. a: destination New York

And there'd be no Laloux-style professional kitchen on the New York end.

This was definitely a new challenge for the AEB Mobile Unit, but one that we were happy to take up. There'd be an international border to cross, countless potholes to dodge, extreme heat and humidity, and the very real possibility of severe thunderstorms. The cake would have to be cut, filled, and iced in a Bed-Stuy kitchen. It would then have to be assembled, piped, and finalized in a crowded Atlantic Avenue bar. Prayers would be prayed, curses would be cursed. There would be moments of inspiration, and a fair share of perspiration.

This is roughly how things elapsed:

1. We pulled up outside of Restaurant Laloux to pick up Michelle's meticulous prep: cakes, blackberry compote, vanilla icing, butter cream, and a set of tools. The gear was loaded into the trunk of the car and Team AEB devised some makeshift harnesses to keep things from sliding around.

fig. b: packing

Like I said, prayers were prayed.

fig. c: praying

2. Team AEB managed to avoid a wait of roughly two hours at the border by deftly taking an exit and slipping to a smaller neighboring crossing. Total wait time: 15 minutes.

Apparently, wedding cakes don't appear in the training manuals of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. When we were asked if we had anything to declare and we responded, "No, just a wedding cake," the border guard was incredulous. "You have a wedding cake, in your car," he said as he turned his penetrating gaze on our miniscule VW Golf. It took a bit of explaining, but he eventually allowed us to cross without incident.

3. When we arrived in New York, all the ingredients were promptly dispatched to the refrigerator.

The next day, Michelle continued with her prep.

Cakes were cut.

figs. d & e: first assembly

Cakes were slathered with layers of blackberry compote and butter cream. And cakes were iced.

Then they were put right back in the refrigerator for safe keeping.

4. The next day was slated to be hot (92º) and humid, with the risk of a thunderstorm, but, in the end, Day 2 turned out to be the scorcher with the thunderstorm, and the day of the wedding was actually really pleasant: hot, but with lower humidity than expected.

We still had to transport the cakes their final destination: Hot Bird. Just getting into the car while balancing those cakes was tricky enough. Narrowly avoiding getting swallowed up by the Mother of All Potholes sent a shiver down our spines. But we made it. And within minutes we were inside Hot Bird, where curiosity over the cake created a mad crush, but at least the A.C. was in full effect.

I set up a pick, and Michelle got to work, building the cake into its final form, then piping it.

fig. f: final assembly

Michelle had claimed that the final assembly would take "seven minutes." In the end, she wasn't far off. Before I knew what was happening, she was already putting the finishing touches on the cake: blackberries, sugar plums, flowers, flower petals.

fig. g: finishing touches

And, with the cake now fully decorated, it was time to usher it outside to its final resting place, on the ceremonial picnic table/cake cutting stage.

fig. h: show time

It was still hot out, but the cake held up like a champ. About an hour later, the cake still looking divine, and, purely coincidentally, matching the bride's dress, it was time for the cake-cutting ceremony.

fig. i: cake-cutting ceremony

We felt pretty good from the time we got the cake into the air-conditioned environment of Hot Bird. We felt a little bit better when we had our first micro-brewed draft beer from Hot Bird's amazing selection. But, let me tell you, we felt best of all when the first round of cake slices had been served, and we sat down with our very own slices of Michelle's Blackberry Bramble and a couple of cold pints.

fig. j: cake & beer

That's when we really relaxed, for the first time in three days.

Congratulations to H. & I.! And special thanks to L. for the hospitality and the use of her incredibly accommodating Bed-Stuy kitchen.

aj

In a Golden State 4: Big Sur, pt. 1

2011-08-07T12:59:00.002-04:00

fig. a: fading fast

Quick! Before these memories fade any further...

fig. b: fogbound

We had pretty astounding luck on our trip to California last summer. Yes, we all remember that tired old Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain line about the summer he spent in San Francisco, but much of Northern California had been languishing under an unusually cold, grey, and miserable summer when we arrived in August. Our friend C. was in Frisco just before us, and the whole time she was there she kept sending us the most dire emails. "It's freaking cold here!!" "Dress warm when you come here--apparently it's the coldest summer in 100 years." That kind of thing.

Well, she wasn't exaggerating. When we showed up it was definitely "freaking cold." And everyone we talked to confirmed what C. had told us--it had been an unusually cold summer. Bitterly cold. But then the very next day, the miraculous happened: the weather broke. The sun came out, and it started to warm up. Everywhere we went, people were reveling in the sun and the warmth. And that trend just continued the entire time we were in California--it just got nicer and nicer. By our last week, the weather had done a complete about turn: it was freaking hot! San Francisco was suffering from a full-blown heatwave.

Anyway, when we went down to Big Sur, mid-way during our California vacation, for a three-day camping, hiking, and noshing jaunt, we had the same kind of good luck. It was overcast when we got up and hit the road, and the combination cloud cover & cool conditions lasted all the way to the Monterey Peninsula. We knew the weather could be highly unpredictable in Big Sur and we were prepared to have to bundle up for a few days, but then another minor miracle happened. When we got about five miles from our Big Sur campsite, the sky broke.

fig. c: first glimpse

And by the time we'd driven those five miles, that cloud bank had pushed out to sea, never to return for the duration of our stay. We were pretty happy about this rather fortunate development, but what we didn't realize at the time was that this was the first time there'd been any sun in Big Sur for over two months (!). Again, everywhere we went, it was like the dawning of the Age of Aquarius. Big Sur's natives were going around in a serious sun daze.

Our time in Big Sur was spent camping, hiking, visiting, walking, and relaxing on various beaches (as well as taking the occasional plunge in those frigid Pacific waters), and while we did a fair bit of roaming, the two focal points of our stay were our campsite and the Big Sur Bakery.

fig. d: Big Sur by BSB

Michelle and Philip Wojtowicz's The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook: A Year in the Life of a Restaurant was easily one of our favorite cookbooks of 2010 (and it's continued to be a fave well into 2011). It's beautifully photographed and it's chock-full of amazing recipes of all kinds, but we love the detailed account of Big Sur Bakery's seasonality and the focus they place on the community of producers, harvesters, and foragers who make the restaurant's cuisine possible.

I'd always wanted to show Big Sur to Michelle anyway, but after we got hooked on The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook we had even more reason to pay a pilgrimage to the area. We ended up going to The Big Sur Bakery a lot. There were numerous reasons for this, but it certainly didn't hurt that the very first time we visited The Big Sur Bakery we had a major (and majorly Californian) star sighting.

Actually, the story bears repeating:

Okay, so we'd brought along a copy of The New Yorker on our trip. The issue in question contained a story on the mysterious life and times, and recent disappearance, of painter, ex-Lounge Lizards saxman, Jim Jarmusch muse, and Fishing With John host John Lurie. The author actually managed to locate Lurie fleetingly towards the end of the article, and apparently one of his safe havens was the home of Red Hot Chili Pepper funk-punk bassist extraordinaire Flea--in Big Sur. This detail struck us as hilarious, for some reason. "Can you imagine? What if we run into Flea?" Michelle had visions that Flea would instantly recognize her as a celestial twin and welcome us into his home. We'd instantly form a deep and lasting bond and he'd ask us to stay on as his personal chefs, as well as the witnesses and chroniclers to the spiritual quest that is his Big Sur existence.** I thought it would be pretty cool to run into Lurie, too. I was sure the two of us would have plenty in common.

Anyway, who should be the very first person that we run into as we made our way from the parking to the Big Sur Bakery on our very first visit, but...

Flea? Nope.

John Lurie? Sorry, not him, either.

Are you ready for this?

Anthony Kiedis! I have to admit, I didn't get the fullest look. I noticed some buff, tanned, long-haired, mustachioed, surfer-looking dude in a flannel shirt and a tuque, but was too fixated on the bakery to make the connection. Michelle, on the other hand, locked eyes with AK (the other AK!) and apparently received a very knowing glance. Not quite an invitation to his buddy Flea's place, but almost!

Let me tell you, from that point on, we were even more enthusiastic about visiting and re-visiting The Big Sur Bakery. After all, this wasn't just some cheap celebrity sighting. It felt like we had a date with destiny.

fig. e: breakfast by BSB 1

We didn't have every meal at The Big Sur Bakery. That would have felt a little decadent, even if we hadn't been camping. We did, however, begin every morning there.

fig. f: breakfast by BSB 2

They had a great selection of doughnuts, morning buns, and assorted viennoiseries, and some decent fresh-brewed coffee, so Michelle insisted on a small taste of civilization each morning before we set out on our hikes. It was worth it just to see the locals roll in for their morning fix.

To be continued...

aj

* a.k.a. The Chi Peps!

** Michelle follows Flea on Twitter. She knows.

Summer Picnic/Barbecue 101

2011-08-04T16:00:00.003-04:00

fig. a: not bad

1. Find yourself a perfect spot to spend the day. Preferably one with easy access to a big, clean, and natural body of water. Preferably one that allows for barbecuing.

figs. b & c: afternoon snack

2. Bring yourself an afternoon snack to give you plenty of energy for an afternoon of swimming, and to tide you over until your late afternoon/evening barbecue.

Sample snack:
Maplebrook Farm burrata
Red Hen Baking Company ciabatta
extra-virgin olive oil
fresh basil
farm-fresh tomatoes

Drizzle your ultra-ripe burrata with extra-virgin olive oil. Serve with a fresh tomato salad and a crusty loaf of bread. Devour.

fig. d: don't hold back

3. Go swimming. A lot. (Note swimming pier + floating swimming platform to the right of the frame.)

fig. e: read a book

4. Do some summertime reading. Bring a good read. Relax. Take in the breeze. Listen to the birds.

figs. f, g, and h: steaks, corn, beets, cipollini

5. Plan a simple meal: one that doesn't take a great deal of preparation, one that makes full use of the barbecue, and one that's not overly elaborate. Part of the goal, here, is to make sure you'll have as many opportunities to swim as possible. Your meal should be a complement to this goal, not an impediment.

When it is time to prep your meal, crack open a crisp beer or a nice bottle of wine. You're picnicking, after all. You're outside and the weather's beautiful. Enjoy yourself.

Sample meal:
Santa Barbara steaks
grilled corn
grilled cipollini
grilled summer squash
roasted beets
fresh tomato salad

fresh peaches

for the steaks:
sirloin or rib steaks, preferably grass-fed

Using your hands, apply Santa Barbara rub generously to your steaks. Allow the steaks to reach "room temperature." Grill over a medium-hot fire for 2 minutes per side. Move steaks away from the coals and continue cooking over indirect heat (without flipping them) for roughly another 4-8 minutes, depending on your preferred doneness (and on the thickness of your steaks). We like ours rare to medium-rare.

Santa Barbara rub works wonders with tri-tip, but it's also pretty great with sirloin steaks, rib steaks, and t-bones.

We mixed a batch of Santa Barbara rub before we left home, based on the following recipe:

Santa Barbara Spice Rub

1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup ground cumin (preferably toasted)
1/4 cup chili powder
1/4 cup ground black pepper
1/8 cup cayenne pepper
1/2 cup sweet paprika (preferably Hungarian)

Mix everything together and keep in an air-tight container until use.

[recipe from Jane & Michael Stern's Popular Plates BBQ 2010]

for the corn:
Keeping the husks intact, remove the silk from your ears of corn. Pull the husks back over your corn cobs and soak your ears of corn in water. Tightly wrap the corn in aluminum foil. Place the foil-wrapped ears of corn directly onto your medium-hot coals, and cook, rotating a quarter turn every 10-15 minutes, for about 45 minutes. Some of your kernels should have caramelized. The others should be moist and perfectly tender. Peel back the husks, add salt and butter or chipotle-lime butter, and serve.

for the beets:
Peel the beets and chop them. Place them on a sizable piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and add salt and pepper. Wrap the piece of aluminum foil into a tight package. Place the package directly on the coals and cook, flipping once, for about 40-45 minutes. The beets should be perfectly tender, with some signs of caramelization showing.

fig. i: sun set

6. Get back in the water at least one more time before the sun sets.

When you've gotten your fill, climb back out of the water, find a seat with a view on the beach, on a rock, or on the grass, and pause to watch the sun set. Fully.

7. Pack up your things. Put out your fire. Leave nary a trace.

aj

Raspberry Social Wrap-up

2011-08-02T13:14:00.011-04:00

Such a good crowd, such amazing weather, such a great time! And such beautiful raspberries!

fig. a: framboises

From the outside, you might have just thought it was a particularly busy day at good ole Parc Laval.

fig. b: Parc Laval

On the inside, however, you found the sweet, sweet sounds of the Better Late Than Never String Band (version 2.0: banjo + fiddle) and a couple of trained professionals

fig. c: Team Laloux

serving up the most heavenly sponge cake, raspberries, and whipped cream combo,

fig. d: heaven

along with a veritable battery of drink options.

Big thanks to all of you who were able to make it down for our Raspberry Social (including a whole whack of Ottawans!), as well as all those who wished us well from afar. Once again, it was a smashing success (over 100 people!).

Will there be another social before the end of the summer? (The blueberry fanatics* have been clamoring for a Blueberry Social, among other things.) We're still not sure, but stay tuned to AEB for all the latest Summer Social information and updates.

Thanks again to Restaurant Laloux, Café Myriade, and Better Late Than Never (who tore things up!) for their invaluable assistance and their camaraderie. You guys are the best!

aj

* You know who you are!

Raspberry Social!

2011-07-28T23:07:00.007-04:00

fig. a: best event ever

Raspberries are here! We're on! And you're invited!

That's right, AEB's Summer of the Social continues:

fig. b: QC in the house

Raspberry Social
Sunday, July 31st
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Parc Laval (avenue Laval, 1/2 block south of Laloux, between avenue des Pins and carré St-Louis)

gorgeous, height-of-season Quebec raspberries served with Michelle's sponge cake and whipped cream

rhubarb lemonade, iced tea, and iced coffee by our friends at Myriade

live music by the Better Late Than Never String Band

fig. c: BLTN

$10 suggested donation

all proceeds go to Santropol Roulant

See you on Sunday!

aj

p.s. If you missed our Strawberry Social, this is what it looked like!

Winesdays

2011-07-16T19:51:00.007-04:00

One Wednesday evening, a few weeks ago now, a friend of mine launched into a theory of hers:

"Wednesdays are the new Thursdays!"

I was a little skeptical at first, but then I looked around me. We were standing in the middle of a gorgeously appointed gallery in Montreal's west end. There was a vernissage going on in full effect and the place was buzzing. A DJ was spinning tunes and the bass was rumbling through the cavernous space. And representatives from Rézin, the local wine importation house, were serving up generous pours to lubricate the proceedings. And, like I said, it was a Wednesday. Maybe she was on to something.

fig. a: winesdays @ La QV

Fast forward a week, and I found myself at La QV--"votre caviste"--on Beaubien, where Team QV was hosting another installment of their 20-week extravaganza, La QV Été. You've heard of a "cinq à sept"? How about a "cinq à dix"? That's right, 5 hours of wine & beer tasting (mostly wine), nibbles, socializing, and shopping (wine, beer, charcuterie, etc.), all in the cozy confines of La QV. Sound like fun? It is.

A couple of weeks ago, Daniel (a.k.a. Montreal Oyster Guy) brought a selection of popping-fresh oysters from New Brunswick, Massachusetts, and Washington, and Team QV matched it with a crisp Sancerre. Ten days ago there were pickled pigs' tongues paired with an Austrian urkorn beer. This past week there was a beautiful terrine aux poireaux served with a lovely sylvaner.

And this coming Wednesday, July 20th, there'll be another collaboration going on: Team QV will be providing chopped liver plus samples of a Côtes du Rhône (Domaine de la Roche Buissière's Petite Jeanne, in magnums!) and AEB's very own Team Švestka will be providing a selection of summer pickles, along with our famous oignons confits, all of them for sale at near-wholesale prices.

I should add, Team QV knows their Côtes du Rhônes, and Domaine de la Roche Buissière is an outstanding producer. Their 2007 "Flonflons," which we had the pleasure of having at Lawrence one night last year, was one of our top three bottles of 2010--utterly enticing, and a remarkable value (Thank you, Ethaliya! Thank you, La QV!). It would be an understatement to say that I'm excited about their latest vintage.

fig. b: Švestka Summer 2011

So come by, have a glass of wine and a nibble, and say "hello." Here's what you'll find on tap:

--Domaine de la Roche Buissière's Petite Jeanne
--Julie's chopped liver
--Švestka Preserves Inc.'s oignons confits, spicy carrot pickles, gingery pickled beets (red and gold), zucchini pickles, and pickled radishes
--and a selection of Quebec cheeses

plus

--Domaine de Pervenches lamb
--organic sausages by Fou du Cochon
--beautiful petits chèvres from the Eastern Townships
--and a juice-of-the-week selection*

Anyway, I'm still not 100% sure about this "Wednesdays are the new Thursdays" business, but with La QV Été going on well into October, I'm positive that for the time being, at least, Wednesdays are my new Winesdays, and I like it.

Santé!

Salon de dégustation de La QV, 29 Beaubien Est, 504-5082 (Little Italy)

aj

p.s. To keep abreast of the whole La QV Été schedule, contact "info at laqv dot ca"

* To pre-order the lamb, the sausages, the chèvres, and the juice, please contact Julie ("julierondeau at laqv dot ca") by Sunday.

Strawberry Reveries

2011-07-13T08:59:00.005-04:00

fig. a: who's that girl?

For those of you who just can't get enough, we've got still more summer strawberries for you--this time in the form of a "strawberry smackdown" hosted by Lesley Chesterman of the Montreal Gazette. The idea was to pit two local chefs in a friendly strawberry-centric competition. Michelle jumped at the opportunity. So did our good friend Stéphanie, of Pâtisserie Rhubarbe fame.

Michelle's entry was her latest strawberry dessert from Laloux, a deceptively simple-looking strawberry fantasy that's come to be known as her "Bohemian Rhapsody" around these parts.

fig. b: Michelle's Bohemian Rhapsody

If you haven't had the pleasure of hearing Michelle describe the dessert herself, it all started with stories her mother used to tell her about summertime in Czechoslovakia. It seems that instead of summer camp, Czech kids used to be carted off to these summer work camps where they'd spend a couple of weeks picking hops as part of the national beer-making effort.

Summer work camps? Nationalized industries? Doesn't sound like a lot of fun, does it? Except that apparently it was.

The kids were out of the city and in the countryside, they were camping, and they were relatively unsupervised. There was music every night, there were songs and dancing, and there was no shortage of summer intrigue, and a fair bit of summer romance, too. There were also strawberries--lots and lots of wild strawberries--and flowers.

Michelle loved hearing these stories (she still does!), especially because her mother would get so animated when she told them (she still does!). They were/are clearly among her mother's fondest memories.

Anyway, earlier this year, before strawberry season even began, Michelle came up with the idea of creating a dessert that would capture elements of these remembrances of Czech summers past. There would definitely be hops, of course--the most floral she could find. There would also be strawberries and flowers--an homage to the wild strawberries and the wildflowers that grew alongside the hops in the Czech countryside. There would be malt--another nod to the art of making beer. And there would by rye--Michelle imagined rye crumbs mingling with the hops and the strawberries and the wildflowers after the Czech youngsters had had their lunches in the fields.

Beyond just a nice story with a lot of vivid visuals, Michelle saw the potential for a great strawberry dessert--and thus the Bohemian Rhapsody was composed.

You really have to stop by Laloux to experience Michelle's strawberry fantasy exactly the way she envisioned it, but if you don't live in the Montreal area, or if you'd prefer to try making it yourself, you can find Michelle's recipe here, along with Stéphanie's utterly gorgeous fraisier

fig. c: Stéphanie's fraisier

and the rest of the "strawberry smackdown" story.

aj

Strawberry Social Wrap-Up

2011-07-10T23:40:00.002-04:00

fig. a: exterior decorating*

We're a little exhausted, and our hands are still deeply stained with strawberry juice, but--oh, man!--was it ever worth it. We honestly couldn't have been happier with the results.

Perfect size, perfect weather, perfect setting, perfect ambience, perfect company. And the strawberry shortcake tasted pretty good, too.

For those of you who couldn't make it:

Silk-screened strawberries helped soften the look of The Wall.

fig. b: The Wall

Seth & Michelle were in charge of serving the strawberry shortcake.

fig. c: S & M

Michelle shows off a portion of her lovely strawberry shortcake.

fig. d: strawberry shortcake!

The view from the street.

fig. e: AEB street view

Michelle was pretty pleased with the results. She was simply beaming.

fig. f: triple strawberry

Matt and Max, a.k.a. The Better Late Than Never Band, had some attendees dancing up a storm.

fig. g: get down!

Thanks to our friends at Laloux and Myriade for all their assistance (especially Melanie and Seth!). Thanks to Matt & Max for providing the sweet sound of music. And thanks especially to all of you who joined us and helped bring the time-honoured tradition of the strawberry social to the streets of Montreal.

aj

p.s. Interested in getting your very own AEB limited-edition silkscreened strawberry social print or t-shirt? Drop us a line at ajkinik at gmail dot com.

* Photo courtesy of Mark Slutsky.

Strawberry Social!

2011-07-07T18:31:00.006-04:00

fig. a: how strawberries are picked

You've heard us wax poetic about Quebec's strawberry socials be fore, now, in collaboration with our Kaffeklatsch partners, Restaurant Laloux and Café Myriade, we're holding our own! This Sunday, July the 10th!

Get this:

Fresh Quebec strawberries will be served with freshly baked shortcake and freshly whipped cream.

Iced coffee, tea and rhubarb lemonade will be on hand to refresh.

Live music will be played.

And it's all taking place outdoors, in lovely Parc Laval (on avenue Laval,* 1/2 block south of Laloux, between avenue des Pins and carré St-Louis), in the heart of the Plateau.

The strawberry social will last from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm (or until the strawberries and shortcake last!), and it will be by donation only (suggested donation: $10), with all proceeds going to help our friends at Santropol Roulant.

And, finally, more information (of the "social media" kind) can be found here.

Come One, Come All & God Bless Strawberry Shortcake!

aj

* That's right: on Laval, not in Laval, silly.

Thrill of the grill 2

2011-06-30T19:33:00.008-04:00

Like I said, sometimes you just want the more immediate pleasures of barbecue, the thrill of the grill. And, frankly, sometimes only Asian skewers will do.

fig. a: Thai Street Food

It's safe to say that this latest spate of activity was inspired by David Thompson's rather impressive Thai Street Food. Like the major works of Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid, Thai Street Food is richly photographed and over-sized, and much more than just a coffee table book: it's passionately written and comprehensive, it strives for the very heights of authenticity,* and its topic is much bigger than just "food." This is a book that's about the entire culture that surrounds the preparation and consumption of "single-plate food" on Thai streets and in Thai markets. It's also incredibly artful. Sure, there are dozens upon dozens of carefully composed studio shots of mouth-watering dishes like Crab Noodles From Chanthaburi and Stir-Fried Squid with Flowering Garlic Chives, but at least half of the photographs fall under the category of street photography and they can be remarkably gritty and purposely un-pretty.

fig. b: Thai market culture

Anyway, it might have had to do with that cover photo, with those tantalizing satay skewers, but when it came time to give Thai Street Food a whirl, I found myself fixating on the grilled recipes, and especially the skewers. Photographs like this one,

fig. c: grilled pork skewers

for Grilled Pork Skewers, and the fact that Thompson begins his write-up for this recipe with the words "I am addicted to these," didn't hurt either.

He then continues as follows:

Along the street there are small grills, often just a large metal bowl with a rack perched on top. I'll stop and look and long for the fruits of their labour--smoky grilled skewers of pork. I'll smuggle some home as if carrying a guilty secret to relish in private. Sometimes, most of the time, I'll break into the cache on the way home.

It all sounded so illicit, so louche. By the time he got to describing the importance of charcoal to the process ("Using a charcoal grill imparts a depth of flavour that makes meat such as this grilled pork irresistible" [my emphasis]) I was 150% sold on those skewers.

Now the actual grilling time on Thai skewers like these is fairly short. After all, the pork is cut into small cubes and it's marinated. But you definitely don't want to grill them over a blazing-hot fire. The idea here is to use a fairly cool fire--Thompson recommends lighting the fire 30-60 minutes ahead of time, and waiting until the coals "glow gently." This isn't a smoked pork dish in the American tradition (ribs, pork shoulders, whole pigs), but smoke is integral to the process, so you want a fire in the neighborhood of 200º-250º F.

The marinade is positively heady. The meat is then basted with coconut cream on the grill. And the whole combination--the pork, the smoke, the marinade, the coconut cream--is pure thrills.

Grilled Pork Skewers

9 oz pork loin, neck, or shoulder
2 oz pork back fat (optional)

for the marinade:
1 tsp cleaned and chopped coriander roots
pinch of salt
1 tsp chopped garlic
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
2 tbsp shaved palm sugar
dash of dark soy sauce
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp vegetable oil

12-15 bamboo skewers
1/4 cup coconut cream**

Slice the pork into thinnish pieces about 1" square. Cut the pork fat, if using, into small rectangles (1" x 1/4").

Next make the marinade. Using a mortar and pestle, pound the coriander root, salt, garlic and pepper into a fine paste. Combine with the sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce and oil. Marinate the pork and fat in this mixture for about 3 hours. The more cautious can refrigerate this but, if doing so, then it is best marinated overnight.

Soak the bamboo skewers for at least 30 minutes before use.

Prepare the grill. Meanwhile, thread a piece of pork fat, if using, onto the skewer first followed by two or three pieces of the marinated pork. Repeat with each skewer. When the embers are glowing, gently grill the skewers, turning quite often to prevent charring and promote even caramelisation and cooking. Dab them with the coconut cream as they grill. This should make the coals smoulder and impart a smoky taste. Grill all the skewers.

On the streets, they are simply reheated over the grill to warm them through before serving, although this is not entirely necessary as they are delicious warm or cool.

[recipe based very, very closely on a recipe from David Thompson's Thai Street Food]

Not sure if Thompson would have approved--this being "single-plate food," after all--but we served ours with rice, cilantro, limes, and a selection of simple Asian pickles, and the spread looked something like this:

fig. d: grilled pork skewers à la AEB

That smoky, caramelized pork was just layered with flavor. Thompson claims that the recipe "makes enough for 4-5," but we had a hard time putting a few skewers aside for the next day's lunch. He was right. They are irresistible.

aj

* For instance, in the introduction to Deep-Fried Salted Beef with Chilli and Tamarind Sauce, one finds this moment of authenticity: "The chilli and tamarind sauce is delectable. It can be served with any deep-fried meat or fish. I like to use maengdtaa fish sauce (made from rice roaches, bugs that scurry through the paddy fields), for its haunting aroma, but any good-quality fish sauce will do."

** More authenticity: Thompson highly recommends making your own coconut cream from scratch, a process that requires one to place the grated (or blended) coconut in cheesecloth and then "squeeze murderously, therapeutically, to obtain as much of the creamy goodness as possible." He does recognize that using canned coconut milk is "a more realistic option," however, and that's exactly what we've been doing up till now (although we're dying to make the real deal). The coconut cream is the clotted substance one finds in the top half of a can of coconut milk.

Even the canned variety imparts a wonderful flavor. One can only imagine what the artisanal stuff that one finds in Thai markets, some of which is perfumed with jasmine flowers or pandanus leaves (!), is like.

Just in time for Canada Day...

2011-06-29T17:10:00.001-04:00

...the good people at SweetHome.ca have seen fit to name "...an endless banquet" one of their Top Ten Canadian Food Blogs.

We're honoured to have been selected and pleased to hear that we've been able to provide "desk-bound dreamers" with food for thought.

SweetHome's list includes food blogs "from coast to coast (and from Google to Bing)," so be sure to check out the fine company we keep--you'll be treated to a culinary tour of Canada in the process. Write-ups on all ten featured blogs (plus links) can be found in this attractive gallery.

aj

AEB @ CBC, Summer Strawberries Edition

2011-06-27T22:22:00.002-04:00

fig. a: Quebec strawberries

Michelle was back on the CBC with Jeanette Kelly again today, this time on Homerun, and this time the topic was strawberries. She had all kinds of things in mind to talk about (like where to go strawberry picking, helpful hints for preparing your strawberries simply, strawberry socials, strawberry gazpacho, and strawberry smackdowns), but these radio interviews go rather quickly sometimes, so, really, mostly what she talked about was pairing strawberries with herbs (plus a really sweet childhood memory of strawberry picking with her Mom and her sister).

fig. b: Michelle @ CBC

That was because she'd shown up with a sour cream panna cotta that she'd topped with strawberries and a herb granité, and Jeanette and the rest of the Homerun crew were understandably transfixed. It's a pretty delicious combo, and it's pretty too. But, best of all, it's pretty easy--especially the strawberries and the herb & lime granité.

Want to try it for yourself? Here's Michelle's recipe:

Sour Cream Panna Cotta with Strawberries and a Herb and Lime Granité

For the sour cream panna cotta:

150 ml cream
40 g sugar (2 ½ Tbsp)
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped and added to sugar
1 1/2 sheets gelatin, soaked in cold water
250 g sour cream

Heat cream, sugar, and vanilla in a small saucepan. Turn off heat, wring out extra water from gelatin and add it to the cream. Stir to dissolve and pour over the sour cream. Whisk together to combine. Pour into glasses or small bowl and place in fridge to set at least 3 hours.

For the herb and lime granité:

2 sprigs basil
1 sprig mint
1 sprig lemon balm
1 sprig parsley
lime juice to taste
light simple syrup (one part sugar, two parts water) to taste

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until quite green. Adjust sweetness by adding more syrup or water. Add more lime juice if needed. Strain into a container and freeze until hard. Scrape with a fork until fluffy and soft.

For the vinaigrette:

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp lime juice
black pepper

Mix all ingredients together.

To serve:

1 pint strawberries, hulled and quartered

Toss strawberries in the vinaigrette and divide between the panna cottas, arranging the berries on top. Add granité and serve immediately.

The resultant panna cotta has a pleasant tang and a silky texture; the herb and lime granité brings out all the depth and natural sweetness of your farm-fresh strawberries; and the vinaigrette makes the whole ensemble sing.

Want to see a "Hallway Interview" with Michelle on the topic of strawberries? Check out Homerun's post on Michelle's visit here.

Want to see photo documentation of Michelle's visit? Check out Homerun's Facebook page here.

Want to make the most of Quebec strawberry season? Head on down to your nearest outdoor market, or, better yet, pick a nice day after we've had 2-3 straight days of sun, and make your way to a local u-pick.

Never had the pleasure of attending a strawberry social? Most of the Quebec strawberry socials have already passed, but you can catch a combination strawberry social/horse & buggy parade (!) in Vankleek Hill, ON, this Sunday, July 3, beginning at 1 p.m. You can find more information here.

aj

K.I.S.S. #1

2011-06-25T13:18:00.003-04:00

In the spirit of Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers' "Easy" series and John Thorne's "Simple Cooking," sometimes it pays to just keep it simple...

There are countless ways to prepare spinach, and quite a number of them involve garlic. But there aren't many ways of preparing that dynamic duo that are easier than this one, and I'm not sure that there's any other way of preparing them that honors the freshest, crispest spinach and the the juiciest garlic quite like this one.

fig. a: dynamic duo

The recipe comes from our good friend Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, it involves just four ingredients, and her introduction, which captures the entire K.I.S.S. philosophy in a nutshell, reads like this:

If a single Italian vegetable dish deserves to be called classic, it is this version of spinach, which epitomizes the simplicity, directness, and heartiness that know no regional barrier and characterize good home cooking throughout the nation.

In other words, this is a classic among classics and the ne plus ultra of Italian vegetable dishes.

Hazan provides directions for preparing this recipe with frozen spinach, but she does stress the following: "You should not easily settle for anything but fresh spinach, because that is what your really ought to have to achieve the flavor of which this dish is capable." Read between the lines and you can hear Marcella insisting on the very freshest local spinach. Farm- or garden-fresh spinach. Organic, even, if at all possible. After all, what self-respecting Italian cook would use spinach that had been trucked in from 3,000 miles away? The idea here is to start with the tenderest, most delicious spinach and to prepare it in the simplest, but most effective manner possible, so as to release its full potential. We might have just been imagining things, but we also felt as though we heard Marcella calling for the freshest, juiciest garlic, so that was exactly what we used. All I know is that the results were sublime.

Spinach Sautéed with Olive Oil and Garlic

2 pounds, fresh crisp spinach (preferably local farm- or garden-fresh)
1 tbsp kosher salt
2 garlic cloves, peeled (again, preferably local farm- or garden-fresh)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

If it is very young, snap off and discard just the hard end of the stems. If it is mature, or if you are in doubt, pull away and discard the entire stem. Soak and rinse the spinach leaves in several changes of cold water, so as to thoroughly clean the spinach of any remaining bits of dirt and further crisp the leaves.

Cook the leaves in a covered pan with salt to keep their color bright and no more water than what clings to them from their soak. Cook over medium-low to medium heat until tender, about 5-10 minutes, depending on the spinach. Drain well, but do not squeeze the leaves. Set aside.

Put the garlic and olive oil in a skillet, and turn on the heat to medium high. Cook and stir the garlic until it becomes colored a nut brown, then take it out. Add the spinach, tasting and correcting it for salt. Cook for 2 minutes, turning it over completely several times to coat it well. Transfer the spinach with all its flavored oil to a warm platter, and serve at once.

Enjoy the simplest, yet fullest-flavored spinach you've ever tasted.

[based very, very closely on a recipe from Marcella Hazan's utterly essential Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking (1992)]

As Michelle has been known to put it: "What?!!"

aj

Thrill of the grill 1

2011-06-12T21:04:00.055-04:00

Sure, there's something undeniably magical about barbecue that's been cooked slow and low with patience and care, the kind of barbecue that's the focus of Saveur's June/July 2011 "BBQ Nation" double issue. We love the entire culture that surrounds this heritage form of barbecue. We love all the fussing, the beer-drinking, and the jawing that goes into an all-day barbecue session. And we never cease to be amazed by the transformative power of that holy smoke coupled with the mild heat from those ashy coals.

fig. a: thrill of the grill

But sometimes you just want the pure thrill of the grill. You want the slight blackening, the light smokiness, the caramelized flavors, and the primal pleasures of cooking directly over flames. You want the payoff to come sooner rather than later. You want to take full advantage of the fact that cooking over a hot grill can be quick and easy.

Among our favorite sources for this kind of grilling are Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers, the chefs behind London's legendary River Cafe and the authors of the utterly brilliant "Easy" series: River Cafe Cookbook Easy (2003) and Italian Two Easy: Simple Recipes From the London River Cafe (2006). Both cookbooks fall under the "simple recipes for busy people" genre, but their concision, their clarity, and their clever minimalist design put them in the top of their class.

Years ago, we featured a recipe of theirs from River Cafe Cookbook Easy that we'd adapted for the grill. The recipe was for pork chops with lemon, and Gray and Rogers called for it to be executed it in an ovenproof griddle pan, but it was a lovely late-spring afternoon and we were very much in a grilling state of mind, and our simple adaptation of their simple recipe (two ingredients!) turned out beautifully. We could have just as easily chosen from the dozens of grilling recipes contained in Gray and Rogers' two books, but, in that particular case, we started with a very specific ingredient: the pork chops.

One recipe that we haven't had to adapt, and that's been a favorite around here recently, is a recipe that appears in the "grilled fish & meat" chapter of Italian Two Easy: Simple Recipes From the London River Cafe and that bears a typically matter-of-fact title: Flattened Sardine, Chile, Lemon.

fig. b: sardines by River Cafe

Four ingredients--that's it, that's all. And once you've figured out how to butterfly your sardines, you're almost to the finish line, because flattened sardines cook even faster than whole ones.

The lemon and the olive oil are no-brainers. They're both staples of Mediterranean grilling. It's the butterfly technique, the use of the lemon zest, and the added kick of the chiles that are the stroke of genius here.

Flattened Sardine, Chile, Lemon

16 sardines
4 dried hot chiles
5 lemons
extra-virgin olive oil

To flatten the sardines, cut off the head and then prize open the fish. Press down to loosen the bone, then remove it from the flesh, pulling gently with your fingers.

Crumble the chiles. Finely grate the zest from the three lemons; halve the remaining lemons.

Prepare the grill.

Rub the flesh of the sardines with chile, salt, pepper, and lemon zest.

fig. c: sardines by AEB

Place skin-side down on the grill and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Turn over and grill flesh-side down for 1 to 2 minutes longer.

Drizzle with olive oil, and serve with lemons.

[recipe from Italian Two Easy: Simple Recipes From the London River Cafe, by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers]

A couple of additional notes:

1) Because the sardines we've been using have been rather delicate, we've found that they cook best on the outer edges of a medium-hot grill (the cooking times remain the same--about two minutes per side). We've been saving the center of our grill for the assortment of vegetables we've been grilling simultaneously: mushrooms, scallions, fennel, ramps, asparagus, etc.

2) Gray and Rogers don't specify, but you're going to need a spatula to handle those delicate sardines once you've placed them on the grill. Other implements tend to tear the poor dears.

This recipe is, well... easy. It's also incredibly delicious--addictive, even. The only trick is finding a good source for your fresh sardines. This is reasonably easy in some parts of North America (like Northern California), but not so easy in others.

Montreal has such a large number of citizens of Portuguese and Italian descent that the demand for sardines is high, but our experience has been that some days of the week are much better than others. We've been having very good luck on Mondays recently, so our sardine fiestas have tended to be on Mondays.

This recipe makes for a great starter for a group, but it also makes for a great light meal for two, with a salad, some bread, and a crisp white. We can attest to that. These sardines--delicate, crispy, piquant, and easy--have been the taste of late spring around here. And, like I said, they're addictive. They might very well become the taste of the summer of 2011 too.

aj

p.s. Rose Gray passed away in early 2010. May she rest in peace.

fringe festival 3: Momesso

2011-06-10T08:55:00.005-04:00

Fringe festival: a continuing series covering deliciousness on the edge of town.

Momesso hardly qualifies as being "on the edge of town"--it's in NDG, for crying out loud*--but our last visit was the culmination of an excursion on the city's outskirts, so there you go...

fig. a: deceptively calm

You see, we'd gone out to Lasalle to take a walk along the Lachine Rapids.

From a distance, they look pretty calm, and there's little sense that the Lachine Rapids were a major natural impediment that severely restricted the amount of shipping that could flow along the mighty Saint Lawrence, a major natural impediment that forced the city fathers to construct the Lachine Canal as a bypass.

fig. b: Lachine Rapids 1

Up close, however, they look, sound, and feel quite a bit more treacherous, and it's clear just how much of a challenge they posed to river traffic. It's also clear just how exhilarating it must have been when the first steamships began taking thrillseekers through the rapids,

fig. c: S.S. Corsican, 1891

piloted by gentlemen like Jean Baptiste Rice, a local Mohawk captain.

fig. d: J.B. Rice

These days, there are still boats that take daredevils through the Lachine Rapids, but, unfortunately, they're jet boats and not wooden steamboats, so you miss out on that wonderful Fitzcarraldo vibe that you got back in the 19th century. And, frankly, most of the thrillseekers we spotted on our walk were bird watchers armed with powerful binoculars and photographic contraptions of all types.

fig. e: bird watchers, unite!

We saw lots and lots of beautiful birds, but, sadly, we never did spot a Hooded Merganser.

fig. f: Lachine Rapids 2

Afterwards, we made some pretty interesting discoveries in parts of Lasalle that were new to us, like the poetic Avenue du Trésor Caché and the Whiskey Tower,

fig. g: Whiskey Tower, Outer Lasalle

but when it came time to eat (and after our long walk along the river, we were hungry), we found ourselves craving one thing, and one thing only: a hot sub from Momesso.

Partially, it was because of Momesso's classic "neighborhood joint" atmosphere.

fig. h: diner

Partially, it was because the Canucks had just been humiliated for the second time in three days, and we figured that making a pilgrimage to Momesso--where numerous relics pay homage to that combination of soft hands and tough-guy attitude that made Sergio such a mercurial force and an important part of Vancouver's 1994 playoff run--might actually give the Canucks the spiritual boost they so desperately need.

fig. i: Sergio!

And, partially, it was just because we were craving their hot sausage sub--hands-down one of the city's most satisfying sandwiches.

fig. j: sausage sub

Michelle is partial to their Suprême, which comes with steak, sautéed peppers, sautéed mushrooms, melty cheese, and shredded lettuce, in addition to their killer sausage, but I'm still something of a purist: spicy Italian sausage with extra hot peppers.

Did our act of sacrifice work? I'm not sure (I guess we'll find out tonight), but it was oh-so tasty and it made us pretty happy (even if we had to suffer through the Game 4 "highlights" reel over and over again on the big-screen TV).

Momesso, 5562 Upper Lachine, 484-0005 (NDG)

aj

* Although, it is in a portion of NDG that's cut off from the rest of the city by the Décarie Expressway, Autoroute Ville-Marie, and the train tracks, so it feels more remote than it actually is.

Après-Klatsch

2011-06-08T22:04:00.005-04:00

fig. a: petit fours platter

fig. b: vanilla-hazelnut-almond crescents

fig. c: rhubarb thumbprints

fig. d: chocolate-drizzled sablés

fig. e: rhubarb tart

Thanks to everyone who came out to Kaffeeklatsch #3, a.k.a. Rhubarb Social, ate to their hearts' content, got wired on coffee, gabbed, and generally helped make the atmosphere so vibrant.

Thanks to Team Myriade for once again working magic on the coffee front.

Thanks especially to Stéphanie Labelle of Pâtisserie Rhubarbe for collaborating with Team Laloux and Team Myriade on an event one wordsmith labeled the "Klatsch of the Titans."

Thanks also to Mother Nature for defying the experts at Environment Canada and providing us with such a phenomenally beautiful afternoon. It just got nicer and nicer and nicer...

And stay tuned for another Team AEB social in the very near future...

aj

p.s. 1 For more coverage of Kaffeeklatsch #3, including photographs of the menu, the sachertorte, the strudel, the tart, and a rhubarb religieuse that had some patrons seeing visions and experiencing fits of ecstasy, check out this write-up at Lake Jane, as well as this one at I'll Have What She's Having.

p.s. 2 If you missed Stéphanie's rhubarb tart on Sunday, you'll just have to visit her at Pâtisserie Rhubarbe, where it's part of her early summer 2011 collection. Check it out!

p.s. 3 For even more coverage of Kaffeeklatsch #3, including photographic evidence of the salon-like atmosphere that results from the combination of top-notch coffee, exquisite desserts, a lovely dining room, and a highly sophisticated clientele, check out this link, and scroll down to the bottom of the page, and you'll find three photographs of last Sunday's festivities.

Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)

2011-06-02T22:52:00.004-04:00

fig. a: sweet dreams

Michelle had a dream the other night. This wasn't particularly unusual--she has dreams almost every night, some of them rather vivid. But this one was a little different.

It was essentially a work dream, but Michelle loves what she does, so any and all stress and anxiety was balanced by feelings of pride and satisfaction. It was also quite a bit sweeter than your average work dream.

Michelle had been asked to make the desserts for a large fundraising gala. She wasn't 100% sure what the cause was, but the guest of honour was none other than René Redzepi, the acclaimed chef of Copenhagen's Noma. The dessert she'd chosen to serve in her dream was a raspberry dessert that she'd been working on in real life earlier in the week, but that she hadn't quite finalized. In her dream, though, the dessert was fully visualized and complete, and she took it to be some kind of sign. So when she went back to work, she made the necessary adjustments--the ones she'd seen in her dream--and promptly placed her new, improved raspberry dessert on the dégustation menu.

fig. b: are made of this

Then she did the only logical thing: she tweeted about it.

Michelle_Marek: Dreamt I was doing a fundraising dinner and @ReneRedzepiNoma* was the guest of honour. What I made in my dream is now on the Laloux menu.

A tad matter-of-fact, perhaps, but that's what you get for 140 characters or less.

Apparently not too matter-of-fact, though, because hours later, she received this response:

ReneRedzepiNoma@Michelle_Marek: what is the dish?

To which she replied:

Michelle_Marek@ReneRedzepiNoma: It's a dessert: raspberries stuffed with creme fraiche, honey glazed puff pastry with orange flower water...

Michelle_Marek@ReneRedzepiNoma: ...raspberry-rose gelee, burnt honey ice cream and a pimenton-rose-mint-pistachio powder sprinkled lightly over it.

If all that wasn't enough, about an hour after this exchange, Michelle got a phone call--not from Mr. Redzepi (darn!), but from someone who asked if she'd be interested in producing the desserts for a fundraiser. For the very first time. You might think Michelle had gotten such invitations before, but you'd be wrong--this was actually a first.

No word on who the guest of honour will be.

Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. What about the raspberry dessert itself? Well, I loved the whole thing, from the ripe raspberries, to the crispy puff pastry, to the unexpected zing of that pistachio powder, but if I had to single out my favorite element, it was those those raspberry-rose jewels, which had the most delicate flavour, and the most extraordinary texture.

Overall: pretty dreamy.

aj

* If you're not a Twitterer, you should know that Michelle actually typed "René Redzepi"--again, very matter-of-factly. When she did, because she "follows" Redzepi on Twitter, it appeared as "@ReneRedzepiNoma" and linked to his Twitter account.

On Rhubarb, Rhubarbe, and Rhubarb Socials, or l'Eighties Night meets Kaffeeklatsch

2011-06-01T10:24:00.005-04:00

fig. a: this is now

Wow, the notion of a culinary Eighties Night seems to have really struck a nerve (including our first mention in The New York Times!).

Sadly, I was too busy having a good time with my tablemates and getting regaled by the multi-course spectacle that unfolded that night to concern myself with being a shutterbug. So the photographic documentation is lacking, but the memories are vivid. And one of the clear highlights of the night was Michelle's Rhubarb and White Chocolate Éclair. I'm not enough of a historian of pâtisserie to weigh in on how '80s that combination of rhubarb and white chocolate was, but I can tell you that the very sight of the éclairs made perfect thematic sense, and that their "pretty in pink" color scheme didn't hurt either.

If you're curious as to how Michelle made her éclairs, well, I managed to coax the recipe out of her. (Membership has its privileges.) This way, if you didn't have the opportunity to actually attend l'Eighties Night, you might at least be able to recreate some of the magic at home (with your very own soundtrack!).

Rhubarb éclairs with white chocolate

for the pâte à choux:

160 g water
200 g milk
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
150 g butter
200 g flour
6 eggs

Mix water, milk, salt, sugar and butter together in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, add flour, take off the heat and stir like mad until there are no lumps. Put back on the heat to dry out the mixture a bit, stirring all the while.

Place mixture in a standing mixture with the paddle attachment, mix 1 min on low. Add eggs one at a time, making sure the mixture is homogenous before adding another.

Place the mixture in a piping bag fitted with a round or star tip. Pipe strips of dough about ½ inch wide and 3 inches long on a baking sheet lined with paper. Brush dough with a bit of egg wash (1 egg, dash of milk, pinch of salt). Bake at 400º F for 8 minutes, then 375º F for 12 min. Make a small hole with a knife in each and let cool.

for the rhubarb compote:

500 g rhubarb, cut into small dice
150 g sugar
125 ml syrup

3 g NH pectin
3 g sugar

Mix rhubarb with sugar and let macerate for 1 hour. Cook briefly until the rhubarb is tender, strain, reserving the syrup. For every 125ml of syrup add 3 NH pectin and 3 sugar, boil a few minutes. Pour over the rhubarb and let cool in the fridge.

for the white chocolate ganache:

300 g cream
480 g white chocolate
430 g yogurt
2 gelatin sheets

Soften gelatin sheets in cold water. Bring the cream to a boil, add gelatin, pour over the chocolate, let stand 1 min. Whisk the chocolate mixture gently until emulsified. Add the yogurt and mix until homogenous. Let cool in fridge.

to finish:

Cut the éclairs in half lengthwise. Dip the tops in a white chocolate ganache. Pipe one layer of white chocolate cream inside the bottom half. Add a layer of rhubarb compote. Finish with the dipped top half and serve.

All of which brings me to Part 2...

You see, the other reason I chose to focus on this particular recipe is because it's the perfect lead-in to the next Kaffeeklatsch event: Kaffeeklatsch presents Rhubarb Social.

You got it, Kaffeeklatsch is back (version 3.0), and this time the theme is "Rhubarb." This means two things:

First of all, this time around, Michelle will be collaborating with her good friend Stéphanie Labelle, chef-pâtissière of the justly lauded Pâtisserie Rhubarbe.

And secondly, while the menu will feature some of your favorites from Kaffeeklatsch #1 and #2 (apple strudel! sachertorte!), it will also feature a selection of rhubarb desserts by Stéphanie (rhubarb tart! rhubarb religieuse!), featuring the loveliest pink Quebec rhubarb available.

And, yes, once again, coffees will be provided by our good, good friends at Myriade (yes!), who were all too happy to take up the challenge of a coffee that pairs well with rhubarb.

fig. b: that was then

Kaffeeklatsch presents Rhubarb Social

Sunday, June 5, 2011
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Restaurant Laloux
250 ave des pins est
$12 = pastry, petit four, & coffee

for more information: 287-9127

See you on Sunday!

aj

Oh, yes, it's l'Eighties Night...

2011-05-19T21:47:00.013-04:00

...what a night!

fig. a: Frankie says...

Some of you Eighties Revivalists out there are probably too young to actually remember the 1980s, but it wasn't all oversized slogan t-shirts and Wayfarers, fluorescents and Body Glove, underwear-as-outerwear and Sperry Top-Siders.

Sure, the '80s had some of this,

fig. b: slippery people

this,

fig. c: into the groovey

and this.

fig. d: power, corruption, & lies

But that's not all there was.

They entertained like this,

fig. e: luau!

they drank like this,*

fig. f: Campari!

and they partied like this.**

fig. g: Parrrr-tyyyy!

But what about the haute cuisine of the Eighties? What was that like? Can you even imagine an era before sous-vide, before the widespread use of liquid nitrogen?

Well, if you're having a hard time visualizing such a cuisine, now's your chance to experience it firsthand.

You see, this coming Monday, May the 23rd, Restaurant Laloux will be presenting a very special occasion in celebration of their 25th anniversary: Eighties Night! They will be welcoming special guest chef Stelio Perombelon (Les Cons Servent, Pullman) to Laloux for one night only to collaborate on an Eighties-themed menu inspired by the year 1986, the year that Laloux opened for business.***

What's in store?

to begin with, three types of canapés:

-tomates cerises antiboise, sablé et crème à l'oseille (cherry tomatoes stuffed with tuna, capers, and tarragon mayonnaise and served on a sablé)

-accras d'esturgeon fumé (smoked sturgeon accras)

-tartelettes de foie de lapin, brunoise à la crème d'ail (rabbit liver tartlets served with a garlic cream-laced brunoise)

first service: salade de crevettes nordiques, mousseline d'avocat, paris crus et huile de noix (nordic shrimp salad, avocado mousseline, raw Parisian mushrooms, and walnut oil)

second service: gougeonettes de doré, flan de courgettes, abricots secs et beurre de liquoreux (pickerel gougeonettes, zucchini flan, dried apricots with Condrieu butter)

third service: pigeonneau, crème fevettes, chanterelles, tartines d'abats au vert, pommes dauphines (squab, purée of fresh peas, chanterelles, giblets-topped brioche with herbed breadcrumbs, potatoes dauphine)

and, to close, a selection of three desserts by Michelle:

-citrons givrées, salade d'agrumes, sabayon (meringue-topped lemons stuffed with lemon sorbet, cirtus fruit salad, sabayon)

-éclairs au chocoat blanc et rhubarbe (white chocolate and rhubarb éclairs)

-crêpes Suzette (um, crêpes Suzette)

All this, plus service that wouldn't be out of place in an episode of Dynasty (please! no cat fights, though!).

1980s prices, too:**** the whole extravagant affair will only set you back $65.

Intrigued? Act fast, places are limited!

fig. h: ...Laloux

Restaurant Laloux, 250 ave. des Pins, 287-9127

aj

* Yes, that is Kelly "Weird Science/The Woman in Red" LeBrock, and, yes, she is wearing Valentino.

** In fact, they're the ones that first coined the usage of "party" as a verb.

*** Chef Perombelon has a baby face, but he claims to be old enough to have been trained in the mysteries of 1980s French cuisine. He's also one of the most talented chefs in Montreal, and a good friend of Team Laloux.

**** Adjusted for inflation, of course.

Top Ten #41

2011-05-18T20:20:00.001-04:00

1. Karen Dalton, In My Own Time (Just Sunshine/Light in the Attic)

2. Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941), dir. Hitchcock (a.k.a. Su Amado Enemigo and Matrimonio Original)

3. Shirley Collins and Davy Graham, Folk Roots, New Routes (4 Men With Beards) [on vinyl! finally!] + Davy Graham, Folk, Blues & Beyond + Never The Same: Leave-taking From the British Folk Revival, 1970-1977(Honest Jons)

4. Ben Katchor, The Cardboard Valise + Ben Katchor @ Drawn & Quarterly, April 30, 2011

5. My Dinner With André (1981), dir. Malle

6. Flying Burrito Brothers, Burrito Deluxe (4 Men With Beards) & The Gilded Palace of Sin (4 Men With Beards)

7. Adam's Rib (1949), dir. Cukor ("Feeling pinky, Cranky?")

8. J. Mascis, Several Shades of Why (Sub Pop)

9. North By Northwest (1959), dir. Hitchcock

10. Lamb chops scottadito & braised artichokes w/ friends

aj

Got bread?, pt. 1

2011-05-15T15:35:00.006-04:00

fig. a: bread, bread

Good. Me too.

Of course, with bread this good, you barely need to do anything to it. But, then again, there's no need to be a puritanical about it. If you don't have access to "elemental bread" from a real, artisanal bakery (like Tartine, Red Hen, or Bohemian) you can bake your own, any time you like, no matter where you live.* So, go ahead, dress it up a little.

There are obviously plenty of different ways you could put those beautiful loaves to work, but Chad Robertson's Tartine Bread really is a great cookbook on top of being an exceptional baking book. It's chock full of all kinds of tempting recipes involving fresh and staled bread, including soups (white gazpacho, sopa de ajo, North African breakfast soup, etc.), salads (panzanellas, kale caesar, escalivada, etc.), sandwiches (pan bagnat, meatball sandwiches, bruschetta of all sorts, etc.), and a number of other mains and sides (tomates provençales, porchetta, savory bread pudding, etc.).

One that's become an instant favorite here at AEB, and that happens to be particularly seasonal at the moment, is Robertson's fresh chickpea hummus, which he serves as an open-faced sandwich on fried bread with olive oil-packed sardines, hard-boiled egg, and cilantro (!). Sounds inviting, right? It is. And his fresh chickpea hummus is unlike any hummus we've ever had before--lighter and more herbal (vernal, even), with a real chlorophyll punch.

Where to begin? Well, first you're going to need two pounds of fresh chickpeas. Dried and canned chickpeas are pretty much ubiquitous at this point in time, but fresh chickpeas aren't. So you'll probably have to hit up one of your better Mediterranean/Middle Eastern greengrocers. We got ours at Chez Nino, at Jean-Talon Market, and they looked something like this.

fig. b: fresh chickpeas by the bag

Then you're going to have to shell them. This takes a while, because there's no way to cheat and do them en masse--you've got to do them one by one, with your fingers. They're not nearly as finicky as fava beans, though, so don't worry. Just put on a record, pour yourself a drink, relax, and start peeling. Get a friend to help you, and it'll go twice as fast.

Once you get into it, it's actually kind of fun. There's something of the pleasure of popping bubble wrap to them, but this is endlessly more rewarding. Trust me. Instead of being left with plastic and air, you're left with something that's pretty and edible. The best are those nice full ones. They tend to be easier to shell, but they're also ripe and obviously full of flavor (try a raw one, if you don't believe me), and they also do a better job of filling your bowl. The very best are the twins, which are as cute as... well... two peas in a pod.**

fig. c: little twin peas

When you're done, you'll have a pile of freshly shelled fresh chickpeas that looks something like this.

fig. d: fresh chickpeas, shelled

And once you have those, and you've assembled all the other ingredients, you can really get started.

Open-Faced Sandwiches with Fresh Chickpea Hummus and Sardines, a.k.a. The Hummus Sardwich

For the hummus:

2 pounds fresh chickpeas (a.k.a. garbanzo beans), shelled
3 cloves garlic
3 tbsp sesame tahini
12 fresh mint leaves
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

For the sandwiches:

olive oil
2 slices fresh or day-old bread (Robertson recommends his Whole-Wheat Bread, but we've found that his Country Bread is our favorite)
1 hard-boiled egg
one 3.75-oz can olive oil-packed sardines
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

To make the hummus, bring a pot of water to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice water and place it nearby. Add the chickpeas and garlic to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Drain and transfer to the ice water to cool them, then drain again.

Put the chickpeas, garlic, tahini, mint, lemon juice, and salt in a food processor. Process until smooth. With the motor on, add the olive oil in a steady stream until the hummus has the consistency you like. Adjust the seasoning.

Pour 1/4 inch of olive oil into a skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add the bread and fry until deep golden brown and very crisp, about 3 minutes. Turn and fry until deep golden brown and crisp on the second side too.

Press the hard-boiled egg through a sieve like this.

fig. e: boiled egg, sieve

Spread the hummus on the fried bread and top with sardines. Garnish with the sieved egg and chopped cilantro and serve.

fig. f: hummus sardwich

Enjoy. Heartily.

Serves two, with plenty of leftover hummus to be used as you see fit.

[based very closely on a recipe entitled "Sardines and Fresh Garbanzo Hummus" in Chad Robertson's Tartine Bread]

If you're not big on the idea of sardines, just leave them out and make the fresh chickpea hummus. It really is something else. Serve it on its own, as you would a traditional hummus. Or make a sandwich with grilled vegetables, like artichoke hearts, red peppers, or asparagus.

Just make sure to make it sometime soon. Spring is slipping away, and so is the season for fresh chickpeas.

aj

* Well, maybe not exactly "any time you like" and "no matter where you live," but nearly.

** Not unlike these guys:

fig. g: two peas in a pod

Have Moicy!

2011-05-06T15:03:00.023-04:00

Wow, yet another Public Service Announcement. This one for a book launch/gig.

fig. a: indeed!

Tonight only, Friday, May 6th, 2011, not only will you get the proto-freak folk stylings of Boone & Jocko, but you'll get a lineup that includes Thomas Hellman, Emilie Clepper, Gabriel Levine, Jessica Moss, Nadia Moss, Keiko Devaux, Marcus Lobb, Matt "Doc" Dunn, Jessica Moore, Marie Frankland, Myriam Gendron, Annie Goulet, Justin Karas, David Sheppard, Hannah Rahimi & Greg Burton (phew!), all interpreting the work of Michael "Mike" Hurley.

The occasion? A triple book launch by the good, good people at l'Oie de Cravan Publishing, Inc., in support of these three titles:

Byron Coley, C'est la guerre: Early writings 1978-1983 (with a foreword by Mike Watt)

Jeff Ladouceur, Holy Moly (a new collection of drawings)

and, yes, you guessed it!

Michael "Mike" Hurley, The Words to the songs of Michael Hurley (with a foreword by Byron "C'est la guerre" Coley)

fig. b: the artist formerly known as Mike

We're pretty big fans of Mr. Hurley in general, here at AEB. (Can't you te ll?) But among many, many other accomplishments and accolades (Nick Tosches: “…I don’t know what else to say about what he writes and sings, other than that it is gosh-darned great. What kind of music is it? Hell, what kind of weeds does God grow? Let’s just shut up and listen and go to where Michael Hurley is. After all, we can always turn around and come back. He can’t.”), Hurley & Co.* may well have recorded the single greatest song ever dedicated to the hamburger.** Top that.

fig. c: burger by Hurley & Co.

Will someone be interpreting "What Made My Hamburger Disappear" at tonight's function? Chances are slim (see ** below), but there's only one way to find out.

Michael Hurley/Byron Coley/Jeff Ladouceur Book Launch
Sala Rossa, 4848 Saint-Laurent, Montreal
Friday, May 6th
Doors @ 8:30 PM, music @ 9:00 PM
$10 at the door

For more information, take a look-see here.

aj

p.s. Unfortunately, Mr. Hurley will not be in attendance. "The world's longest friendly border," my eye!

* Have Moicy! combined the talents of Michael Hurley, The Unholy Modal Rounders, and Jeffrey Fredericks & the Clamtones.

** Hurley didn't write it, mind you--the song is a Jeffrey Frederick composition.

One Night Only!

2011-04-30T13:05:00.008-04:00

Yet another Public Service Announcement:

fig. a: Katchor in the wry 1

Tonight, one night only, the inimitable genius* of Ben Katchor, live and in-person, at Drawn & Quarterly!

Katchor, the man Michael Chabon once called "the creator of the last great American comic strip," will be presenting a slide lecture in support of his latest title, The Cardboard Valise. The last time I saw Katchor present a slide lecture here in Montreal, it was at the Cinémathèque, and his performance was a tour de force of deadpan surrealism of such magnitude that it easily made its way onto my list of top ten spoken-word engagements of all time. It's been about ten years since then, and there it has remained. So there.

No idea who or what I'm talking about? Here's an example of Katchor's work from Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer, the aforementioned "last great American comic strip."

fig. b: Katchor in the wry 2

What does this have to do with food? Apparently everything.

Ben Katchor @ Drawn & Quarterly (211 Bernard St. W., 279-2224), 7:00 PM, Saturday, April 30, 2011

You can find the event's Facebook page here.

aj

*I try not to use that term liberally, but, what can I say, the guy was a recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship.

Get shacked!

2011-04-28T12:19:00.002-04:00

The following is a Public Service Announcement:

fig. a: inside Cabane à Sucre PDC

If you haven't had the considerable pleasure of visiting Cabane à Sucre Au Pied de Cochon this year (or any other year, for that matter), apparently there's still hope. This is the message that came over the wire here at AEB earlier today:

Bonjour,

Les demandes de réservations pour la saison 2012 débuterons le 1er décembre 2011….
Mais il y a quelques annulations pour une dernière chance de venir cette année….

Vendredi le 29 Avril, 18hr pour jusqu'à 10 personnes
Samedi le 30 Avril, 11hr30 et 13hr30 jusqu'à 20 personnes
Dimanche le 1er Mai, 11hr30 13hr30 et 17hr30 pour jusqu'à 10 personnes
Jeudi 5 Mai, 20hr30 pour jusqu'à 15 personnes
Vendredi 6 Mai, 18hr et 20hr30 jusqu'à 12 personnes
Samedi 7 Mai, jusqu’à 15 personnes
Dimanche 8 Mai, Fête des mères, 11hr30 et 13hr30…jusqu’à 20 personnes….

La cabane ferme la saison le 8 Mai…alors voici votre dernière chance pour cette année…

Merci,

L’équipe de la Cabane à Sucre Au pied de Cochon

Still not sure if it's worth it? This is what Team AEB had to report about the PDC Sugar Shack, version 2011:

Our last visit (back in 2009) was so totally mental it was impossible for us to imagine the PDC Sugar Shack crew having any more tricks up their sleeves, but version 2011 was bigger and better. Things started with a barrage of killer appetizers (foie gras-laced pea soup, smoked sturgeon with blini-like mini-ployes, PDC maki rolls, green salad with oreilles de crisse, etc.), followed through with three truly impressive mains (a whole smoked pork shoulder with maple syrup glaze, a whole roasted guinea hen with beer-maple gravy, and a baked lobster omelet), and climaxed with a veritable sugaring-off ceremony (tabletop tire d'érable, a maple glazed tarte tatin, and a chocolate-covered maple-peanut ice cream bombe). This is an 11-course (!) sugar shack experience that's definitely a little more bourgeois than bûcheron, but, man, is it fantastic. Frankly, the only problem is managing to get a reservation. We'd given up hope for 2011 when someone tipped us off that there were actually some openings on Thursdays and Sunday. We sent another email (albumpdc@yahoo.ca), made a couple of phone calls, and the next thing we knew, we had a Sunday night reservation. Be persistent. It's worth it.

For reservations, contact: reservations@cabaneasucreaupieddecochon.com

Keep hope alive.

fig. b: this could be you

Cabane à sucre Au Pied de Cochon, 11382 rang de la Fresnière, St-Benoît de Mirabel, (450) 258-1732 (Mirabel area)

aj

Masked Marvels

2011-04-21T11:18:00.013-04:00

fig. a: masked marvel

It started about six weeks ago. Yes, almost exactly six weeks ago. I was in Belgium on business and it was Carnival season.

fig. b: carnivalesque

For the first few days it appeared to be mostly business as usual, although the train stations were like magnets for the costumed rowdies who descend upon Aalst every year, and, occasionally, you'd catch small glimpses of the carnivalesque elsewhere too.

fig. c: Antwerp cowgirl

On Tuesday, March 8--Mardi Gras--I took up an invitation to check out le Carnaval de Binche, a Carnival hotspot of such significance that it's officially been named a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. I was pretty excited. I'd been familiar with Binche's mysterious Gilles for some time, and had wanted to experience its Carnival ever since. And, as it turns out, there was much more to the Gilles, and much more to le Carnaval de Binche than I could have possibly imagined. For one thing, Binche's Carnival is not just about the Gilles. While the Gilles have the biggest presence at Binche, and they're clearly the most revered of the revelers, there are a number of other processionals that make their way through the streets of Binche, including the Pierrots, the Peasants, and the Princesses.

fig. d: masked marvels

My first sighting of the Gilles lived up to expectations. This is the most highly publicized vision of le Carnaval de Binche--the one you see most commonly in guidebooks and on websites. What I didn't know, was that the distinctive masks are still handcrafted out of wax by one single artisanal mask-maker, that they're handed down from generation to generation, and, though many of Binche's Carnival customs date back to ancient times, this particular design dates back to the 19th century, and was modeled after Napoleon III, whose bourgeois-imperial style it was meant to parody.

fig. e: men with clogs

I also didn't realize that one of the reasons le Carnaval de Binche is so "intangible," is that it's essentially mute. The Gilles utter nary a word the whole day long, but the elaborate ceremonies are far from silent--they're accompanied by the sound of drumming and the constant, repetitive rhythm of the Gilles' clogging--the better to roust the the forces of springtime.

figs. f & g: Gilles with oranges

And, finally, I had no idea that after lunch the Gilles return with their masks removed, bearing elaborate plumed headdresses (this time modeled after Meso-American costumes that apparently left quite an impression on Renaissance-era minds), and that when they do, they also come loaded down with oranges. Blood oranges.

The oranges serve a dual purpose. On the one hand, they're used to express a little healthy iconoclasm. The Gilles became notorious for using their oranges to smash windows in the bourgeois central districts of Binche. These days, the windows of Binche are largely boarded up or otherwise protected in anticipation of Mardi Gras, but that doesn't stop the younger Gilles from launching oranges with full force against buildings, spraying the crowds with blood orange juice, and making people shriek. On the other hand, they're offered as a gift. The overwhelming majority of the oranges are gently tossed into the crowds so that people can collect them intact.

figs. h & i: orange luggage

Either way--whether the Gilles intend to launch them violently, or toss them carefully--the blood oranges are hauled through the streets in attractive carriers. The Gilles use wicker hampers. The Peasants (les Paysans) use stylin' hand-tooled leather satchels. And hundreds and hundreds of extra oranges are carried by friends and family members in huge (and not particularly attractive) backpacks and duffel bags.

fig. j: on the street

While the festivities last all day, and long into the night, the orange ceremony lasts just a couple of hours in the late afternoon. Still, you have plenty of occasion to eat some of your prizes on premises. And if you've got good hands, and you're smart enough to bring a bag, you can easily go home with a few dozen. Which is exactly what we did.

figs. k & l: at home

We had them plain. We had them juiced. We had them in salad. We ate a lot of blood oranges over the next few days.

And when I got back to Montreal a week later, I was still hooked. So I started right up again with the blood oranges, this time with Michelle. Here in Montreal, I haven't been able to find the small Spanish ones that were featured at Binche (probably because the Carnaval cleaned them out), but, for a while there, there were plenty of blood oranges from California. The ones we like the most, though, are the ones from Sicily (the ones that come in the lovely wrappers with the masks on them, like the one you see up top). And those are still very much around, if you visit your better green grocers (we recommend Chez Nino, at Jean-Talon Market).

Again, we'll take blood oranges any way we can get them. We really can't get enough of their warm, rounded notes, and, besides, when they're gone, they're gone. But probably our favorite way of having them is in the form of suprêmes, in salad, with fennel.

fig. m: suprêmes by Michelle

Not sure how to cut a blood orange (or any other citrus fruit, for that matter) into suprêmes? Here's a helpful how-to video, featuring the lovely and talented Michelle:

Now that you've prepared your suprêmes, here's a slightly modified recipe for a blood orange & fennel salad from good ole Mario Batali. After all, if you can't trust a self-proclaimed "fennel-holic," who can you trust?

fig. n: blood oranges by batali

Blood Orange, Fennel, and Pecorino Salad

2 large round fennel bulbs, trimmed (make sure to save several fennel fronds)
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 large blood oranges, preferably Sicilian
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
hard pecorino cheese, such as sardo or toscano, for shaving

Using a mandoline (carefully), shave the fennel crosswise into slices 1/3 of an inch thick. Place in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice and olive oil. Add the blood orange segments and fennel fronds and toss gently to mix. Season with salt and pepper.

Arrange the fennel salad on four individual plates. Shave the pecorino in long shards over each plate. Serve.

Note: Batali's original recipe calls for 1 cup of pomegranate seeds, but we haven't been adding them because it's not the season and the recipe is just great without them. Also, we sometimes replace the lemon juice with an equal amount of blood orange juice, if we have extra on hand. And, lastly, if you want to forego the pecorino--go ahead. The salad's just dandy with just oranges, fennel, olive oil, juice, salt and pepper.

[recipe based closely on a recipe from Mario Batali's Molto Italiano]

While we're at it, and there's still plenty of good citrus around, here's another orange recipe, albeit one that calls for conventional oranges, not blood oranges. It comes from a story on Sicily in the most recent issue of Saveur.

fig. o: ...is for oranges & olives

Oliva con Rosemarino e Aranci

1 orange
1 lb dry-cured black olives
1 large sprig rosemary, stemmed and roughly chopped
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Wash the orange thoroughly, then dry it. Using a vegetable peeler or microplaner, remove the zest from the orange, taking care to peel as little of the pith as possible. Chop the zest and transfer to a medium bowl. Juice the orange and add the juice, the olives, the rosemary, and the pepper to the bowl. Toss to coat. Let sit at room temperature for at least an hour to marinate before serving.

[recipe from Saveur #136, March 2011]

And now that Lent is nearly over and Easter is just about here: both recipes would make an excellent addition to your Easter table. In fact, they'd go extraordinarily well with any kind of Mediterranean-style Pascal lamb.

aj

p.s. Many thanks to Obits for having dropped by and jammed a little while we cooked.

Blood, Bones, Butter, and You!

2011-04-15T11:30:00.001-04:00

fig. a: BBB redux

Intrigued by our recent post about Gabrielle Hamilton's vivid, unflinching Blood, Bones, and Butter? Still don't have a copy of your own? Interested in meeting Gabrielle Hamilton in person? Here's your chance, Montreal.

On May 2nd, Gabrielle Hamilton will be at Appetite for Books, here in Montreal, to promote Blood, Bones, and Butter. She'll be giving a talk about her book, her life, her cuisine, and her restaurant, Prune, and the price of admission ($45) includes hors d'oeuvres (by Hamilton herself? I'm not sure...), a glass of wine, and a copy of the book (!).

You can get all the details here, on Appetite for Books' website.

And if you need a sneak peek, remember to check out Hamilton's wonderful, poignant "The Lamb Roast" in The New Yorker.

who: Gabrielle Hamilton, chef/owner of Prune (NYC), author
what: Blood, Bones, and Butter book tour
where: Appetite for Books, 388 Victoria Ave., Montreal, 369-2002
when: Monday, May 2, 2011, 6:30 PM

aj

NY Fried Chicken Tripleheader

2011-04-13T14:58:00.002-04:00

We didn't really plan this one out. It just sorta happened. Three new-school New York fried chicken meals in under 24 hours.

1. Hill Country Chicken

We were on our way to meet a friend for bbq at Hill Country, when we happened to pass Hill Country's latest venture: Hill Country Chicken. We had a few minutes to spare, and, yeah, we were just about to chow down on some serious brisket, smoked sausage, ribs, green bean casserole, baked beans (with burnt ends), and a whole whack of other sides, but, hey, there's always room for an extra piece of fried chicken, right? And the good folks at Hill Country were all too happy to sell us just a couple drumsticks, one made according to each of their house recipes--Hill Country Classic or Mama El's--so we sat down for a minute and dug into our pre-bbq fried chicken mini-sampler.

fig. a: a tale of two chickens

On the right, you see the Hill Country Classic style, which comes skin-on and double-dredged in a traditional flour-based mixture. On the left, you see the Mama El's style, which comes skinless and dredged in a cracker crumb mixture.

fig. b: whole lotta gnawing 1

We went in thinking we were definitely going to be Hill Country Classic people, but we actually preferred the Mama El's style. Both were tasty and juicy, but somehow the lighter touch on the Mama El's let the spices shine through a little more brightly.

The vibe? Hill Country (the original) is already about as themed ("CENTRAL TEXAS!") as I can possibly handle. Hill Country Chicken is essentially a themed ("DOWNHOME!"), upscale fast food joint that specializes in tasty, high-quality fried chicken and some handsome-looking pies. I couldn't see myself going there a lot (for one thing, it's really, really BRIGHT!), but they know how to fry up a chicken.

2. Pies 'n' Thighs

There was a lot less serendipity involved when it came to Pies 'n' Thighs. We pretty much targeted the place. I'd been to the old Pies 'n' Thighs years ago, but Michelle had never had the pleasure. We were very curious about their new location, and, after the previous night's fried chicken snack, we had a hankering for some more fried chicken--this time, by the box. And Pies 'n' Thighs was all too happy to oblige.

fig. c: fried chicken box!

The fried chicken only comes in one style at Pies 'n' Thighs: delicious! No, seriously, their style is in the "classic" vein, but our friends at P 'n' T have a most unconventional way of achieving this style: dry rub, brine, rinse, plain flour dredge, fry.

fig. d: whole lotta gnawing 2

The overall effect is fantastic: the bird is juicy, it's packed with flavor, it has a satisfying amount of crust, but the crust is wispy enough to give the impression of being light. That's a good thing, because their box is super-generous, and you're going to want to eat it all. It also means that you shouldn't have any difficulties putting away their tasty biscuit. And it may just mean that you'll actually have just enough room for a slice of one of their killer pies. May we recommend the deep-dish apple pie with cheddar? You will not be disappointed.

fig. e: the sign says it all

Want to learn to make fried chicken the Pies 'n' Thighs way? Check out their appearance on The Martha Stewart Show's "comfort food show," where they appeared alongside Luke Perry (?).

3. Terroir

These are our kind of people. Their wine selection is wonderfully/maniacally curated, they're crazy (literally) about Rieslings, they know how to make the joint jump, and when it comes time to raise money for Japanese earthquake & tsunami relief, they serve up portions of yummy Yoshi Fried Chicken, a Japanese fried chicken recipe devised by Yoshi, one of their cooks.

That's what I call KFC: Karmic Fried Chicken.

Check 'em out!

Fried Chicken 411:

Hill Country Chicken, 1123 Broadway (Corner of 25th), New York, NY, (212) 257-6446

Pies 'n' Thighs, 166 S.4th Street (@Driggs), Brooklyn, NY, (347) 529-6090 for deliveries

Terroir, 413 E. 12th St., New York, NY (no phone)

aj

Zurück!, rev. ed.

2011-04-12T09:25:00.004-04:00

fig. a: Kaffeeklatsch 2

That's right. Kaffeeklatsch is back.

You'll find all your favorite Central and Eastern European pastries (Apple strudel! Linzer cookies!), a few new treats (Dobos torte! Chestnut truffles!), phenomenal filtered coffee by Anthony Benda and the rest of our friends at Café Myriade, and the Old World charm of Laloux in the afternoon.

fig. b: kaffeekultur

All you've got to do is bring your sweet selves and some peppery anecdotes and we're off! (No top hats or petticoats required).

Still not 100% clear on the concept? Check out this recent write-up in the Montreal Gazette.

Want to see what Kaffeeklatsch 1 looked like? You can find AEB's post-klatsch coverage here.

Got the picture?

Kaffeeklatsch 2
pastries: Team Laloux
coffees: Team Myriade
sounds: DJ Der Kommisar
time: Sunday, April 17, 2:00 - 5:00 PM
place: Laloux, 250 ave. des Pins E.

Kaffeeklatsch: putting the Vienne back in Viennoiseries...

See you there!

aj

p.s. I think it's safe to say that Kaffeeklatsch 1 generated a fair bit of enthusiasm. 150 people showed up to partake in the festivities. Articles were written. And Michelle received lots of positive feedback. You never know with these things, but, this time, it seemed like she'd really struck a nerve. In fact, just today, she even received some fan mail. The real deal--the kind that actually comes through the mail (!).

fig. c: kaffeeklatsch kard

The card (and accompanying letter) was written in the most elegant script (unmistakably Central European), and it spoke of childhood in Vienna and fond memories of time spent in pastry shops, of Kaisergugelhupf, Vienna Gugelhupf, Punschtorte, Haselnußtorte, Zimtsterne, Erdbeer-Topfenknödel, and numerous other Viennese specialties.

Michelle was already "majorly psyched" about this week's kaffeeklatsch. When she came home with that card, she was walking on air.

Come see what all the commotion is about.

Blood, Bones, and Butter, Metal Mountains, etc.

2011-04-07T07:06:00.005-04:00

fig. a: the lamb roast

We'd been itching to check out Gabrielle Hamilton's Prune for years. People we trusted kept urging us to go, and we'd heard nothing but the most enthusiastic reviews. Then we started to catch wind of a new book by Hamilton--not a cookbook, but a memoir. And then her story "The Lamb Roast" appeared in the January 17, 2011 issue of The New Yorker--a little foretaste of the book, now officially titled Blood, Bones, and Butter and slated for release in March--and that sealed the deal. The next thing you knew, Michelle was talking a lot about extravagant outdoor roasts--lamb and goat roasts, mostly. The next thing you knew, Prune had become a #1 priority.

The story was about a lamb roast, yes. More specifically, it was about an elaborate lamb roast her eccentric set-designer father threw for friends and family on their sprawling property in rural Pennsylvania, an undertaking inspired by "a photograph torn from a magazine of two Yugoslav men roasting a lamb over a pit." But, really, it was about so much more. And although there was a certain nostalgia to Hamilton's story--the "sexy black cat-eye eyeliner" fashioned after '60s icons like Audrey Hepburn and Sophia Loren that her mother wore; the pre-McMansion innocence of the Pennsylvania/New Jersey landscape; the insouciance of riding untethered in the back of a pickup truck; the traditional family-owned butcher shop in the days before "artisanal," "organic," and "free-range"--this was a tale of heartbreak, or, perhaps more accurately, a tale of innocence lost. Either way, there was a lot there that the two of us could relate to--the artistic milieu, the barbecue, and the "meadow filled with people and fireflies and laughter," the freedoms of childhood in the '60s and '70s and the Led Zep--and it got us pretty excited about the impending release of Blood, Bones, and Butter, not to mention a Prune pilgrimage.

Near the end of March, we decided to make a last-minute trip to New York for Michelle's birthday. It was Saturday morning, the day before we were scheduled to leave, and we were brainstorming about things we wanted to do while we were there. We knew we wanted to be in the East Village on Sunday night--there was a concert there that night that we wanted to catch. "The concert's at 8:00. Should we eat before? Where should we go?" "I know," Michelle exclaimed, "Prune!" Yeah, right. As if... But we did want to eat early. Hmmm... Nothing to lose from calling, right? So we did. And sure enough they were booked up. But then the woman on the other line revealed a little secret.

"How many are you?"

"Two."

"We always keep a table for two open for walk-ins, and you can't reserve the seats at the bar."

We liked where she was going with this.

"We open at 5:30. If you show up right at 5:30, I can pretty much guarantee you'll get seated--either at a table or at the bar."

"Pretty much guarantee..."? Perfect. We'd make sure to be there right a 5:30.

It worked like a charm. We showed up at 5:15, and by 5:30 we were seated at a very small, very cozy table in the very small, very cozy space that is Prune. The Velvet Underground's Loaded was roaring over the stereo. The room was filled with a golden, late-afternoon light. We couldn't have been happier. We took a quick look at the menu to get our bearings, ordered a bottle of Frappato on the recommendation of our waitress, and made our final deliberations.

fig. b: wine

Prune's menu is simple, elemental, and ever so tempting. We wanted to try everything, but settled on just a few choices.

Marrow bones to begin with.

fig. c: bones

(Hamilton describing her mother's kitchen: "Her burnt-orange Le Creuset pots and casseroles, scuffed and blackened, were always filled with tails, claws, and marrow-filled bones that she was stewing or braising on the back three burners.")

Then a grilled lamb chop with skordalia, a whole grilled striped bass stuffed with fennel and herbs,

fig. d: fish

and leeks vinaigrette with mimosaed eggs (again, just like Hamilton's mom used to make).

We felt so good after that meal, we strutted out of Prune and into a surprisingly warm early-spring evening in the East Village. And twenty minutes later we were immersed in the psych-folk sounds of Metal Mountains.

fig. e: 2/3 metal mountains

A couple of hours after that, we found ourselves at Rai Rai Ken again,

fig. f: inside Rai Rai Ken

not so much because we were hungry, but because we were in New York, and the night was young.

We ate a lot of great things while we were in New York, but the simple elegance of that meal at Prune was particularly memorable. I'd even go so far as to say that it left Michelle positively Prune-obsessed. Maybe a little too Prune-obsessed.

You see, I had it on good authority that she had a copy of Blood, Bones, and Butter in her future. But she was so Prune-obsessed that she wanted it now. My feigned indifference must have tipped her off, because she really started pressing buttons.

"I really want to read Blood, Bones, and Butter. Should I buy it right now? Should I order it? What do you think? Should I get it now? I should get it now."

I've gotten pretty good at withstanding these barrages, but this time I crumbled. "No, probably best to hold off on that one, honey."

Wouldn't you know it? The pressing of buttons subsided. And, sure enough, Michelle got her copy of Blood, Bones, and Butter a couple of days later.

She made quick work of it. Almost as quick as that meal at Prune. For a couple of days, there it was, sitting on her bedside table.

fig. g: blood, bones, butter, boris

And then it was gone. The verdict? Particularly memorable.

Now it's on my bedside table.

Prune, 54 East 1st St., # 1, New York, NY, (212) 677-6221

For more about Blood, Bones, and Butter, check out Hamilton's book-related website.

aj

* Apparently, there were many of these elaborate affairs, including an exotic Moroccan party, a "Valentine's Day Lovers' Dinner that featured a swan motif prominently because, as her father explained, "Swans mate for life," and a Russian Winter Ball styled after the ice palace scene from Doctor Zhivago (naturally).

Top Ten #40 (Special Bonus Edition)

2011-03-31T22:51:00.006-04:00

1. White Manna, Hackensack, NJ

2. Metal Mountains @ The Stone, March 20, 2011

fig. a: fried chicken!

3. Pies 'n' Thighs, NYC

fig. b: Kurt!

4. Kurt Vile, Smoke Ring For My Halo (Matador)

5. souvenirs from Russ & Daughters

fig. c: blood, bones, & butter!

6. Prune, NYC + Gabrielle Hamilton, Blood, Bones, & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef

7. Smörgåsbord!, Laloux, March 28, 2011

8. Kajitsu, NYC

fig. d: oysters!

9. Mark Kurlansky, The Big Oyster: A Molluscular History of New York

10. Shopsin's General Store, NYC

+

1. Destroyer @ Cabaret Mile End, Montreal, April 1, 2011 (no joke!)

aj

Manna from Jersey

2011-03-28T16:59:00.003-04:00

...Don't get me wrong. A big, overstuffed, freshly ground "gourmet burger" can be a wonderful thing. The meat might be of a higher quality. The meat/fat ratio and the coarseness of the grind might be carefully calibrated, resulting in a juicier more satisfying burger. The condiments might be more flavorful, possibly more exotic and/or challenging, and they might even be non-industrial. The bun might be homemade or "artisanally produced." The burger might even come with a clever wine/craft beer pairing. But, more often than not, what distinguishes a so-called gourmet burger is its price tag ($10, $20, $30, $40, $50) and its pretentiousness (Kobe beef? Foie gras? Truffles?). And, if you're like me, sometimes you want something humbler, something that's a whole lot less busy, something that's closer to the burgers that became a popular favorite and swept the continent in the early 20th century. Sometimes you just want your burger smashed, with lots of onions. Sometimes you just want sliders. Sometimes you just want White Manna.*

fig. a: White Manna's cheeseburger

Not only do the good people at White Manna produce truly definitive sliders, but the experience of stepping through that Streamline entrance is a time portal experience that ranks up there with some of our favorites (like Clare & Carl's in Plattsburgh, or Wilensky's here in Montreal).

fig. b: White Manna, diner

There were no vintage hot wheels to be seen when we visited, like there were when Saveur featured White Manna in this collage from their "Burger Bible" issue (#122, September 2009),

fig. c: White Manna, icon

but it didn't matter a whit. The vintage diner interior, the menu ($1.30/cheeseburger), the counter repartee, the sizzle of the ground beef patties, and the sweet smell of the onions were plenty enough to transport us through time. I'm not sure if it took us back to 1946, when it opened, but it definitely took us deep into the 20th century.

What's the secret behind White Manna's sliders? Well, there's the quality of the beef meatball that is its foundation. There's the smashing of the meatball against the griddle, creating the slider patty form. There's the copious amount of thinly slice onions that is then pressed into the patty. There's the pillowy-soft potato bun. And, last, but not least, there are the pickles, which aren't the droopy, day-glo specimens you get at most burger joints--they've actually got snap (!), and flavor (!!)--they actually taste like a pickle (!!!). But most importantly, there's the technique. Fast food, this ain't. It takes a good few minutes to make a White Manna slider.

fig. d: White Manna magic

The beef is given plenty of time to sizzle, the onions are given time to caramelize, and, over time, the two become one (or darned-near close to it), especially if you were wise enough to order a cheeseburger. And the buns have to be steamed--over the patties (!). So you've got to be a little patient--this is fast food at its slowest. But your patience will be rewarded. And White Manna's sliders are so dainty,** so inexpensive, and so totally addictive that you can easily eat a bunch. I'd say two would be a minimum order. Many patrons order 4, 5, even 6 burgers for themselves.

Let's say I was on vacation in New York City. I'm not sure that I'd rent a car just to scour Northern New Jersey for diners, but that certainly wouldn't be the worst idea--especially since these vestiges of early- to mid-century Americana have been disappearing fast.*** If you're already driving to New York, though, White Manna makes for an easy (and particularly tasty) pit stop. You can find a map here.

Want to watch a video of White Manna's magic in action, or, better yet, make your very own White Manna-style sliders in the comfort of your own home? You can find a video + a recipe here, at Beef Aficionado.

While we've yet to give Nick's sliders recipe a whirl (we're still reeling from our visit to White Manna), we have been making a very similar smashed onion burger for a while based on a recipe that appeared in Saveur. The method comes from Sid's Diner in El Reno, Oklahoma. We've never had the pleasure of visiting Sid's, but their signature burger is another classic example of an early-20th-century/Depression-era burger, one that uses a heap of onions to add flavor and make the beef go a little further. The recipe looks like this:

Sid's Onion Burger

4 tbsp canola oil
1 lb ground beef, gently formed into 6 balls
2 medium yellow onions, very thinly sliced, preferably with a mandoline, and divided into 6 equal portions
kosher salt to taste
6 slices American cheese
6 hamburger buns, toasted

Working in two batches, heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a 12" cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot and begins to smoke just slightly add 3 beef balls and, using the back of a spatula, press down on them until they're thin. Cook for 1 minute. Top each patty with a portion of the onions and season with salt. Press the onions into the meat and cook 1 minute more. Flip the burgers; flatten again with the spatula. Place a slice of cheese on each patty and let melt while onions and meat brown (you might want to cover the skillet briefly to speed up the melting of the cheese). Serve on buns. Devour.

As always, we recommend getting the beef (at least 80/20) freshly ground for you by your local butcher, or, better yet, grinding it yourself.

Makes 6 burgers.

[recipe based very, very closely on a recipe that appeared in Saveur #122, September 2009]

Then again, don't you owe yourself a visit to a true burger mecca?

White Manna, 358 River Street, Hackensack, NJ, (201) 342-0914

aj

* Of course, you might also want White Mana, White Manna's Jersey City rival. And you may very well want both.

** Note the size of the burger in relation to the size of the pickle slices. That said, they're only as dainty as a tiny onion burger slathered in melted cheese, ketchup, and hot sauce can be.

fig. e: Little Tavern, Silver Spring, MD

*** A case in point: the Little Tavern chain of hamburger joints, which originated in Louisville, KY, but became a mid-Atlantic institution in the 1930s and 1940s, principally in the Washington-Baltimore metro area (where these green and white cottages were an important part of the cultural landscape of my youth). At one point there were nearly 50 Little Taverns; now they're all gone (although many of the locations live on in other incarnations). They, too, made miniature hamburgers, burgers so small (and so tasty), patrons were encouraged to "buy 'em by the bag" (their tag line). For truly comprehensive coverage of the Little Tavern chain then and now, check out this post from the Diner Hunter blog.

I heart NY (+ Mtl)

2011-03-26T17:01:00.009-04:00

fig. a: nice fish!

As you may already know, we're big, big fans of New York's incomparable Russ & Daughters ("Appetizing since 1914"!). We love their egg creams, we love the Old New York atmosphere ("You call this a snowstorm?! I remember when a snowstorm was a snowstorm. Remember Burt Lancaster in Atlantic City? 'You should have seen the Atlantic Ocean back then.' Well, you should have seen the snowstorms back in 1950..."), and we especially like their assortment of smoked and cured fish. In fact, we've taken to making Russ & Daughters one of our last stops every time we visit the Big Onion,* so we can bring back "souvenirs," like their amazing sable.

fig. b: R & D sable

We come home, make ourselves a fish platter (comprised of sable, peppered smoked mackerel with orange and lemon zest, "pastrami-style" gravlax, and Baltic rye, perhaps), and it's like we never left.

fig. c: R & D fish platter

Almost.

The thing is, we always bring back some NY bagels and bialys too. We're not ones to make blanket statements about bagels based purely on geography (regional differences can be interesting, but, fundamentally, it's all about individual bakeries), even if we do get pulled into "the great bagel debate" from time to time. But this time there was no question about it: our Russ & Daughters sable, mackerel, and gravlax tasted better on a Fairmount bagel than it did on a Russ & Daughters bagel (a bagel they describe as "the Real Thing": "rolled by hand, boiled and the perfectly timed in an old-fashioned revolving oven"). I used to love a real New York bagel. I still love a real New York bagel on a philosophical level. But if this is "the Real Thing," is it possible the real New York bagel has gone the way of Old New York? Russ & Daughters' bialys sure ain't what they used to be.

fig. d: Mtl + NY

Of course, our Russ & Daughters sable, mackerel, and gravlax tasted better on a Fairmount bagel with Russ & Daughters cream cheese than it did with any cream cheese you can get at Fairmount Bagel (or anywhere else in Montreal), but that's another story.

Anyway, help us, New York bagel aficionados! This isn't a competition and we're certainly not in favor of New Yorkers (or anyone else) paying exorbitant prices for imported "Montreal bagels" (that's just ridiculous). No, seriously. Let's talk bakeries. Where can we find the definitive New York bagel these days?

aj

* It's frequently our very first stop, too.

Northern Rites

2011-03-25T12:28:00.002-04:00

fig. a: curling scene, Montreal

We, here at "...an endless banquet," have been spouting off about the affinities between Québécois culture and Nordic culture, and especially about the notion of Québécois cuisine as Nordic cuisine, since at least 20 06. In fact, that's one of the very reasons that René Redzepi and Claus Meyer's New Nordic Cuisine struck such a chord with us--it seemed to provide a model for how chefs here in Quebec might reinvent the local cuisine, pushing it in a direction that was more seasonal, more sustainable, less dependent on imports, and truer to the terroir. But Quebec remains a culture of Nordiques turned Snowbirds, a culture that in many ways has lost sight of its essential Nordic-ness. A people that had once proclaimed "mon pays c'est l'hiver," took to proclaiming "mon pays c'est la Floride/le Cuba/le Mexique/le Las Vegas" a long time ago. And, thus, in spite of our agitating, the New Nordic Cuisine has yet to take hold. Montreal is still a city of open-air hockey rinks and tobogganing, of Montréal en Lumière, Nuit blanche, and La Fête des neiges, but it's also the home of the Underground City, and it could definitely use some more Northern rites.

fig. b: old-school

With this in mind, Team Laloux--namely chef Seth Gabrielse and AEB's very own Michelle--has devised a night of Nordic cuisine at Pop!: a good, old-fashioned Scandinavian-style smörgåsbord, complete with all the trimmings. Think open-faced sandwiches and Scandinavian sweets.

fig. c: new-school

Think gravlax, Danish teak, and aquavit.

fig. d: Krogstad Aquavit

Starting to get the picture?

Michelle's been so excited about this event that her birthday turned into an extended Scandinavian food- and fact-finding mission (alas, not east to Copenhagen or Stockholm, but south [?] to New York City). And, let me tell you, she found plenty.

And when we returned she also found Scandinavian prezzies sent by a psychic friend (!).

fig. e: proof of E.S.P.

So Team Laloux is ready for you, and they'll be serving up Nordic delicacies both "new" and "classic" in the Danish Modern splendor of Pop! one night only (!), this Monday, March 28th.

Smörgåsbord!
Monday, March 28th
6:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Pop!
250, avenue des Pins E.
RSVP: (514) 287-1648
Facebook page

Skål!

aj

Hippy Homes & Gardens

2011-03-17T00:01:00.008-04:00

If you're as old and jaded as I am, when someone sends you an email bearing the title "best new blog," you tend to just raise an eyebrow and say, "next..." You might as well send me a link to some "hilarious" YouTube clip. LOL! But not all tipsters are created equal. Some tipsters know what time it is. So I actually did click on that link. And when I did I found this:

fig. a: hippy birthday to you

The blog in question was Hippy Kitchens, and M. was right, it was the best blog I'd seen in a while.

The content may be old-school, but Hippy Kitchens is one of these new-school blogs we've been hearing so much about recently. It's virtually devoid of text and consists almost entirely of photographs, but, oh!, what photographs.

fig. b: mountain high

Of course, we, here at AEB, have a bit of a soft spot for hippy kitchens. In fact, when we moved in together, for a while there, our bookshelves held not one, but two copies of The New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook, a book that's gotta rank as the ne plus ultra of hippy kitchen lit. Michelle claims that she actually cooked her entire way through The New Farm, and I believe it. She was known to make her own soy milk back in the day. I was a little more judicious in my vegan cookery, but I definitely made more than my fair share of Melty Nutritional Yeast "Cheese."

Anyway, without any further ado, here are just a few of our favorite hippy kitchen pix:

fig. c: soul to soul 1: Mary!

fig. d: soul to soul 2: fried "chicken"!

fig. e: Mary & co.

fig. f: cactus!*

fig. g: new farm 1

fig. h: new farm 2

fig. i: soybeans!

fig. j: soymilk!

fig. k: Janet's cabbage

And last, but not least:

fig. l: Uncle Bill!

And, while we're at it, one for the road...

I asked Michelle to pick a well-traveled recipe from her glory days, and this is what she came up with.

Gluten Roast

Have 4 cups raw gluten ready. [recipe follows]

Combine in a bowl:
1/2 cup oil
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup warm water
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp black pepper

Work the seasonings into the raw gluten, some sauce will remain. Shape gluten into an oiled loaf pan. Add 2 cups of water to remaining sauce. If no sauce is left, add 2 tbsp soy sauce and 2 tbsp oil to water. Pour over loaf. Place 2 onions in thick slices on top. Sauce should come almost to top of loaf; if not add a little more water. Cover tightly with foil. Bake at 350º for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Uncover for last 15 minutes of baking, baste. Liquid left in pan can be thickened for gravy.

Basic Raw Gluten

8 cups wheat flour (half unbleached white or whole wheat and half gluten flour)
2-3 cups water (or enough for a stiff dough)

Knead 10 to 15 minutes until you have a smooth, elastic ball of dough. It should spring back when poked. Put in a large bowl, cover with water. Let soak an hour. Knead it under water, kneading out the starch and holding the gluten together. Change water when it gets milky. Let it rest. Repeat the process of kneading, changing the water and letting it rest several times. When the water stays almost clear, you will have 4 to 5 cups of raw gluten ready to be spiced, oiled and cooked.

Chunks can be simmered in a savory broth (add soy sauce, onion, oil to vegetable stock, simmer about an hour and thicken liquid for gravy). It can be baked for a roast or pot roast, oven-fried or cooked in barbecue sauce.

Leftover cooked gluten is good sliced for sandwiches, chopped bite-size and added to chili or used on pizza.

[Louise Hagler and Dorothy R. Bates, The New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook, fifth edition, 1992 (1975)]

Michelle says she made this roast "countless" times. She also says that it was only last year, when she was making a traditional pot roast recipe that she got from an Edna Lewis cookbook--a stovetop boneless pork roast with a peanut sauce--that she realized what this gluten roast was attempting to simulate.**

In any case, Michelle has been so inspired by this post that she thinks we should do an entire hippy kitchen menu sometime soon. What's it going to be? Sloppy Joes? Soysage? Tempuna Salad? Who will be our lucky guests? Maybe it should be a potluck!

The soundtrack? Melanie! Definitely lots of Melanie.

fig. m: ...is for Melanie

Have your own hippy kitchen lit classics? Tell us about 'em!

aj

* "Even cactus can be a delicious, nourishing food!"

** Indeed, in the index at the back of the book, the recipe is listed as "Gluten Pot Roast."

Coke is it!

2011-03-15T20:58:00.002-04:00

fig. a: Coca-Cola girl

We're not the biggest consumers of soft drinks--in fact, we barely drink any at all--but we certainly can appreciate the tonic qualities of an ice-cold Coca-Cola on occasion, and Michelle has been known to contemplate the mysteries of its fabled secret formula. So I was pretty excited to tell her that our good friends at This American Life had cracked the code. That's right. While conducting research into Coke's original recipe and the carefully rehearsed myth of secrecy that the Coca-Cola Corporation has cultivated for well over a century, This American Life discovered a photograph that appeared to contain the legendary 7X formula. A published photograph! As in: it had been published in a newspaper! In Atlanta! In 1979!

fig. b: 7X?

They then took pains to validate the authenticity of their discovery. And if that wasn't enough, they enlisted some high-powered soda industry help to make a batch from scratch.

This is a tale of intrigue and shocking surprises. It's a tale of trial, error, persistence, and triumph. And it makes for great radio. It's also the best piece of food & drink-related sleuthing we've come across since Matt & Ted Lee's New York Times piece on Marilyn Monroe's stuffing recipe. But let's face it: this is big. It's like discovering the Holy Grail by comparison.

I wasn't the only one who was excited. Michelle was thrilled (just look at that smile). And I don't think I've ever heard Ira Glass this excited about anything ever before. He was positively beside himself. And with good reason. Talk about a Coke high.

Want to hear the episode for yourself? Want to try your hand at making your very own batch of John Pemberton's original recipe 1886 (or thereabouts) Coca-Cola from scratch? You'll find everything you need right here.

aj

Taste of the Nation

2011-03-04T17:41:00.005-05:00

It's funny how things happen.

One minute you're hosting a top chef from Chicago for a culinary event here in Montreal, and the next you're in Chicago at the invitation of the aforementioned top chef attending another culinary event and having the time of your life.

And about another minute and a half after that, you're back in Montreal. You're not even really sure if any of it actually happened, and the fact that you kind of forgot to take pictures doesn't really help, but you did manage to take a few...

Like this photo,

fig. a: my kind of town?

which may or may not be Chicago,* but it does seem to indicate that I've been airborne recently, and it certainly captures the dizzying pace of the last week.

And you did make it home with a few artifacts...

Like this menu.

fig. b: 6 years, 6 beers, 6 chefs

Sure, it got soaked by a beverage accidentally, making it all but impossible to read, but it does seem to suggest that a good time was had.

And this toque,

fig. c: Three Floyds and one Boris

worn back at home by the world's handsomest cat.

Sketchy evidence, you say? You're just going to have to take my word for it that I attended an astounding anniversary dinner at Hot Chocolate. A 6th anniversary dinner, mind you, featuring 6 women chefs from coast to coast (our very own Taste of the Nation!), and 6 craft beers paired by the very talented Lauren Salazar from New Belgium Brewing Co. Some of the pairings were jaw-droppingly good, and the food was amazingly well balanced considering 6 different chefs put the menu together. And I'd like to send a big shout out to the legion of sous chefs, assistants, and volunteers that filled the kitchen. I have to admit it was fun to just sit there, watch from the outside, and enjoy myself.

In case you can't read the beer-splattered menu, it went like this:

Koren Grieveson from Avec (Chicago) made an amazing shaved fennel and white asparagus salad with ubriaco prosecco cheese, walnuts, and black truffle toast. Not truffle oil, but buttered baguette covered in sliced, fresh black truffle. Paired with Jolly Pumpkin's Oro de Calabaza, a light and sour beer. Summer on the patio.

Missy Robbins from A Voce (New York) made rye flour ravioli, filled with potato, served with smoked ricotta, guanciale, trotters, and jus. I loved this course because it had echoes of perogies and because of its pairing with Three Floyds' Ham on Rye beer, whose flavours melded perfectly with the pasta. Not exactly a quaffer, but a deliciously savoury beer that's perfect for, well, savouring.

Celina Tio from JULIAN (Kansas City) did a crispy skin loup de mer, with garbanzo bean puree, pine nuts and lemon. Firestone Walkers' Pale 31 was served with this course. Another great pairing which was greater than the sum of its parts. This beer was easy drinking.

Naomi Pomeroy from Beast (Portland, OR) did lamb côtelettes with whipped potatoes, sauteed winter greens and sour cherry chutney. By this time I was getting full, but the meat was so perfectly cooked that I couldn't help but finish the plate. Oops. Served with Goose Island's Madame Rose. Delicious.

Stephanie Izard from Girl and the Goat (Chicago) took on the cheese course. The cheese, Willies Bandaged Cheddar, blew me away. It also made me laugh with its accompanying fries and sauce. Sound like poutine? Well, that's because that's basically what it was. But done very, very well. And with apples. Served with North Coast Brewing Company's Old Stock Ale.

Last but not least, our host Mindy Segal (Hot Chocolate) served dessert. First up, a wortsicle: think of a frozen chocolate bonbon on a stick flavoured with beer wort--in other words, the best chocolate malted taste ever. Then a delicious milk chocolate and halva frozen nougat, with ginger snaps, coffee tapioca and caramelized bananas. This course came with a beer brewed specifically for it: Smoked Chocolate Porter from Piece Brewery, which provided some more of the aforementioned wort.

We rolled out of there and hit The Map Room, a must-visit stop in Chicago, and had, yes, more beer. This is a great bar which also opens early and serves coffee. Very convenient. We ended the night there, and then started the next morning there, too. There's something almost poetic about book-ending an evening like that.

An enormous thank you to Mindy for inviting me and hosting me, and to Dan for showing me around, and to all the great people I met on my brief sojourn. I will be back!

m

Hot Chocolate, 1747 North Damen Ave, Chicago, IL

The Map Room, 1949 North Hoyne, Chicago, IL

Big Star, 1531 North Damen, Chicago, IL (tacos and a dizzying array of tequilas)

Quimby's, 1854 W. North Ave, Chicago, IL (best alternative bookstore ever)

Myopic Books, 1563 North Milkwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL (huge used bookstore I couldn't even begin to browse through)

Wormhole Coffee, 1462 North Milkwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL (great coffee)

* Come to think of it, it's not Chicago at all--it's New York!

p.s. Stephanie Izard's The Girl and the Goat just got named one of America's best new restaurants by Saveur! Check it out!

JB and the Upstate Gang

2011-02-25T19:14:00.004-05:00

fig. a: good god!

It's true! Joshua "the MooRu" Applestone and the gang from Fleisher's will be here in Montreal joining forces with the JBs--Dave McMillan, Fred Morin, and the rest of the Joe Beef crew--to turn up the meat and bring you a night of grass-fed mayhem. Never had the considerable pleasure of visiting Fleisher's or trying their phenomenal line of pastured meats? I can't think of a better time or place.

who: Joe Beef + Fleisher's
what: feeding frenzy
where: Joe Beef, 2491 Notre Dame W.
when: Friday, March 4, 9:30 pm
why: imagine the possibilities

For more information or reservations, email joe beef at gmail dot com.

aj

HotChocolate City

2011-02-18T14:33:00.013-05:00

fig. a: chicago + montreal

The 2011 edition of Festival Montréal en Lumière is officially underway, and we've decided to overlook the patronizing tone of this year's theme ("Celebrating Women"--"a food event with feminine flair!") because, quite frankly, we're excited. We've been griping about the shortage of women chefs at Montréal en Lumière for years, so it's kind of nice to see the tables turned for a change. But more importantly, the festival has managed to bring in some real superstars, like the festival's Honorary President, Anne-Sophie Pic, the 3-star chef of the legendary Maison Pic in the town Valence, in France's Northern Rhône region; Boston's Barbara Lynch (No. 9 Park, B & G Oysters, The Butcher Shop); New York's Anita Lo (Annisa); and San Francisco's Elizabeth Falkner (Orson, Citizen Cake).

Here at AEB, we're all fired-up because Restaurant Laloux is going to be hosting yet another hotshot: Chicago's Mindy Segal. Mindy has made her name first and foremost in the world of pastry. She worked in the pastry kitchens of some of America's top kitchens, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, Michael Kornick's MK, and Charlie Trotter's namesake restaurant, and she's won numerous awards and accolades for her pastry expertise and has been a James Beard Award Oustanding Pastry Chef nominee four years running (!). But she also owns and operates her very own restaurant/dessert bar, HotChocolate, and there she directs the entire menu and has won nearly as much praise for her savory delights as for her now-legendary desserts. This is what you call a win-win situation. Michelle's thrilled because she'll be working with one of the very top pastry chefs in America. Seth is thrilled because he'll be working with one of Chicago's outstanding chefs. Actually, come to think of it, it's more like a win-win-win situation, because a whole slew of us will get a chance to experience this combo live and in-person next Monday and Tuesday.

I can't tell you much about the menu Mindy has devised for this special occasion--I'm sworn to secrecy--but I can tell you that she's coming to Montreal with a full bag of tricks and she's planning on using them.

Montréal en lumière, February 17-27

Mindy Segal @ Laloux, Monday, February 21 & Tuesday, February 22

HotChocolate, 1747 North Damen Ave., Chicago, IL, (773) 489-1747

fig. b: Monago

Restaurant Laloux, 250 ave. des Pins E., 287-9127

aj

p.s. Want to know more about Mindy Segal? Check out Ève Dumas' recent profile in La Presse. Want to watch Mindy making monkey bread for Martha?* Check it out.

* Say that five times fast.

Winterlong

2011-02-14T19:32:00.003-05:00

fig. a: winter, long

We were already pretty ecstatic about our experiments with baking bread à la Chad Robertson's Tartine Bread. Actually, I should rephrase that: we were completely ecstatic and our experiments quickly developed into a full-fledged practice. We honestly didn't think we could be any happier with Robertson's no-knead sourdough bread, and then, all of a sudden, it happened: our loaves got even better.

This shift corresponded with a change in technology. Instead of baking our loaves exclusively in our trusty orange enameled Dutch oven, we took Robertson's advice and picked up a Lodge combo cooker, a 100% cast-iron combination Dutch oven & skillet. Not only does the combo cooker have a little more volume than our enameled Dutch oven (allowing your loaf to rise and expand fully without cooking against the wall), but it's designed so that either element--the shallow skillet or the deep pan--can act as the lid for the other. This means that you can gently place your shaped loaf into the shallow skillet without dropping it, or risk burning yourself in the process, and scoring your loaves immediately prior to baking them becomes a whole lot easier because the rim of the skillet is so much lower.

If you can't picture what I'm talking about, the Lodge combo cooker looks something like this:

fig. b: combo cooker 1

fig. c: combo cooker 2

And this is the way it appears in Tartine Bread:

fig. d: combo cooker 3

Now, it's true that our loaves got better around the time that we started using the combo cooker, but they didn't get better because of the combo cooker. Over and over again in the pages of Tartine Bread, Robertson insists that it's not technology that makes the bread. You don't need a fancy oven. You don't need a professional mixer. Et cetera. A Dutch oven helps one simulate the conditions one finds in a professional bread-baking oven--it creates what Robertson calls "the two main characteristics of a professional brick oven: a sealed moist chamber and strong radiant heat"--but, ultimately, the secret to making great sourdough lies in two things: the baker's hands and the baker's skill in managing the fermentation process.

So, yes, the combo cooker made it a little easier to bake our loaves, it gave them a bit more room to grow when we did, and it helped produce an awful nice crust, but the sudden improvement in the quality of our loaves had more to do with other matters. It had to do with the fact that we'd gotten a little better at handling our dough and forming our loaves, but, more than anything, it had to do with our increased level of patience. As mentioned earlier, Robertson is terribly insistent that one take one's time with his process, that one give one's sourdough all the time it needs to ferment, mature, and build structure--and rightfully so. And we were patient--we generally took our time and didn't rush things. We learned to work the Tartine method into our schedules in such a way that we didn't cut corners.

But what only dawned on us slowly--a full 2 to 2 1/2 months into our love affair with Tartine Bread--was that it still wasn't enough, for one simple reason: we were baking our loaves in Montreal, not San Francisco, and it was mid-winter. Robertson describes the ideal environment for his bulk fermentation as being 78º - 82º F. He describes the ideal environment for his final rise as being 75º - 80º F. Well, you know what? It was nowhere near those conditions in our chilly Montreal apartment. I know there are probably plenty of Montreal homes out there that are overheated to semi-tropical, perhaps even tropical, extremes--where the room temperature, even in the depths of winter, might actually approach (or even surpass) 75º - 82º F--but AEB HQ ain't one of them. We try to shovel as little of our money into Hydro Québec's coffers as possible--and, besides, we like wearing sweaters and slippers during the winter.

Anyway, what we suddenly realized was that we weren't being patient enough. The conditions in our apartment weren't anything like those described by Robertson--therefore, we needed to give our poor sourdough loaves even more time to reach maturity. What was already a slow process--the very definition of "slow food"--needed to be slowed down further. Ironically, we found that this new super-slo-mo version of the Tartine Bread process was easier to fit into our schedules. Taking it easy--stretching the process our over a couple of days--actually made bread-making easier to manage. More importantly, our loaves seemed lighter, happier, more alive--just look at them:

fig. e: new country 1

fig. f: new country 2

As mentioned before, one of the chief strengths of Tartine Bread is the way it teaches you to really study the sourdough process, to be attentive, and to learn to think on one's feet and make necessary adjustments. The moral of the story? Who knows what challenges the other seasons will hold, but when it comes to baking sourdough at home in a nordic climate like Montreal's, winter = long.

fig. g: wo, minou!

Take your time. Brew a pot of tea. Read a book. Listen to some music. Enjoy the process.

aj

p.s. Interested in getting your very own Lodge combo cooker? They're hard to find in Canada, but readily available in the United States. They're not very expensive, and they've got plenty of uses beyond baking bread. You can even find them on Amazon. For more information, check out the Lodge website.

p.s. 2: So far we've tackled: Basic Country Bread, Olive, Walnut, Polenta, Whole Wheat, Semolina, Country Rye, and Pizza. Next up: Baguettes and Enriched Breads.

p.s. 3: If you missed our original dissertation on Chad Robertson's Tartine Bread, you can find it here.

Top Ten #39

2011-02-10T09:00:00.009-05:00

1. Kaffeeklatsch #1

2. Destroyer, Kaputt (Merge) + "Kaputt"

3. tasting menu @ Lawrence + Domaine de la Roche Buissière Côtes du Rhône 2007 "Flonflons"

4. David Tanis, Heart of the Artichoke and Other Kitchen Journeys + DIY pho

5. Metal Mountains, Golden Trees (Amish)

6. Les Plages d'Agnès, dir. Agnès Varda

7. Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, dir. Frank Capra

8. Philip Roth, American Pastoral + Sherwood Anderson, Winesburg, Ohio

9. Lapierre Morgon 2009 w/ David Tanis' roast pork menu (Saveur #88, November 2005)

10. Beat the Devil, dir. John Huston

aj