When you make sake, what's left over are the lees – bits of steamed sticky rice mixed with koji, the bacteria used to ferment the rice into alcohol. Like juicing, you end up with tons of this stuff. And like juicing, it'd be a shame to throw it out. It's full of all sorts of … [Read more...] about Sakezuke Miso-Maple Chicken Thighs with Roasted Carrots
Bivalves, Booze and (De)bauchery: Oysterfest Takes Over the Peel Basin Aug. 29 and 30, 2015
It's back! The 7th edition of Montreal's annual Oysterfest is happening this Saturday and Sunday at the Peel Basin (1057 rue de la Commune and Peel). It's not cheap, but it's bringing together over 80 restaurants and vendors, three oyster shucking competitions (amateur, pro … [Read more...] about Bivalves, Booze and (De)bauchery: Oysterfest Takes Over the Peel Basin Aug. 29 and 30, 2015
Nothing to Trifle With: Strawberries, Blueberries, Custard and Cream Make the Perfect Summer Dessert
When it's so hot your pores are like a swimming pool, you can barely sleep and stepping outside feels like you've been hit in the face with a sauna, it's time for trifle. The light-as-air dessert is served cold and combines sponge cake, custard, fruit, whipped cream and a hit of … [Read more...] about Nothing to Trifle With: Strawberries, Blueberries, Custard and Cream Make the Perfect Summer Dessert
Farm-to-Restaurant Love Story: Quebec Restaurants on Healthy Relationships and Heartbreak
When you think "farm-to-table" or "farm-to-restaurant," do pictures of happy animals and vegetables and delicious meals come to mind? But what happens behind the scenes when the romance takes a backseat to bottom lines and misunderstandings? Even with the best of intentions, … [Read more...] about Farm-to-Restaurant Love Story: Quebec Restaurants on Healthy Relationships and Heartbreak
My Interview on CBC’s Homerun About Canning: We Talk Jams, Pickles and Boozy Creations
I was asked to be on CBC Montreal's Homerun to talk about seasonal canning. Guest host Morgan Dunlop and I talk about pickles and jams for beginners, community gardens and what's in season now. Here's the audio from last week: … [Read more...] about My Interview on CBC’s Homerun About Canning: We Talk Jams, Pickles and Boozy Creations
Yana Gilbuena is Popping Up at Junior Restaurant This Thursday, Aug. 13, 2015
How do you spread the Filipino food gospel? Embark on a cross-continent tour that drops pulutan-format Filipino fare (eat with your hands) in restaurants along the way. That's what Filipino chef Yana Gilbuena is doing. After a 50-week, 50-state tour, she's going … [Read more...] about Yana Gilbuena is Popping Up at Junior Restaurant This Thursday, Aug. 13, 2015
Sweet-and-Sour Meatballs (The Easy Way and the Complicated Way)
Me: "Do you have ground lamb?" Friendly Guy at Boucherie de Tours: "Sure." Me: Turkey? FGBT: "Breast or thigh?" Me, realizing they grind everything to order and appreciating that the butcher even cares to ask when most ground meat is a mix of whatever fatty bits are left … [Read more...] about Sweet-and-Sour Meatballs (The Easy Way and the Complicated Way)
Lavanderia: Antonio Park’s South American Meat Emporium in Westmount
Every review of Antonio Park's Lavanderia seems to mention the parillada completa – the mixed grill of homemade chorizo, crisp-skinned fish, marinated cornish hen, beef short ribs, lamb shank, beef and charred broccoli, cauliflower and celery root that comes to the table on a … [Read more...] about Lavanderia: Antonio Park’s South American Meat Emporium in Westmount
The Queen of Chocolate Explores Gluten-Free Flours
My last article on FineDiningLovers.com is an interview with Alice Medrich, San Francisco baker extraordinaire. I grew up with one of her earlier cookbooks, Chocolate and the Art of Low Fat Desserts, that packs all the flavour possible into lighthearted recipes. Her latest … [Read more...] about The Queen of Chocolate Explores Gluten-Free Flours
Garlic-Roasted Zucchini
My zucchinis have exploded – yes that's a drastic overstatement. No bomb has gone off in my community garden plot. But the plants I thought were just too big to be zucchini and must be mysterious melons have sprouted limbs, yielding seven giant summer squash and counting. Now, … [Read more...] about Garlic-Roasted Zucchini