A Table in Quebec airs on CBC-TV Montreal on Saturday, July 17 at 7 p.m.
Photo courtesy CBC
New Orleans chef Brian Landry and Québec chef Danny St. Pierre
Last February, during the Montreal High Lights Festival, chef Danny St-Pierre had a lot on his plate. The Sherbrooke-based chef was not only acting as guest chef for a dinner at La Fabrique, he was also busy starring in a CBC television documentary, A Table in Quebec, on the topic of Quebec cuisine.
The city of Mougins is about 15 minutes north of Cannes on France's famous Côte d'Azur. Known as one of Picasso's former Riviera residences and for its lush golf courses that rank among the most beautiful in Europe, Mougins pales in comparison to its neighbouring towns, like Grasse, famous for its perfume, and St. Paul de Vence, which is one of the most picturesque villages on the planet.
Mougins' claim to fame has long been its restaurants, which at one time made it one of France's most Michelin-starred cities.
At todays' foodie events, you can rub shoulders with your favourite chefs or wine makers
Salle a Manger chef Samuel Pinard at the Domaine du Gros'Noré dinner
The 1973 NFB documentary La Gastronomie is a 23-minute-long film featuring a Club Prosper Montagné banquet at Hôtel La Sapinière in the Laurentians. The 12-course dinner prepared by chef Marcel Kretz was the epitome of French haute cuisine at the time, with fine wines to match. There's not one woman in the tuxedo-sporting crowd, and the average age of the diners hovers around 60. The meal is surprisingly simple, culminating in a dessert of vanilla ice cream with blueberry sauce. But the film still makes for compelling viewing, because these people were the foodies of the '70s.
Can this luxurious sweet wine earn its place among the main courses?
Bar & Boeuf chef Alexandre Gosselin with Bérénice Lurton of Château Climens
When someone says the word "Sauternes," two images spring to mind: Château D'Yquem, the mythical wine that costs a fortune and hogs all the space in the Sauternes appellation, and foie gras, the luxury ingredient that's considered its ultimate match.
New video blog Bu sur le Web gives wine-tasting spunk
Photo photo courtesy bu sur le web
Aurélia Filion and a bottle of Macon-Chaintré
A hefty chunk of my savings has gone into my wine budget since Christmas, and for that I blame Aurélia Filion. Pretty, blonde, funny and sharp, Filion is the face of Bu sur le Web (www.busurleweb.com), a French-language video wine blog produced in Montreal that launched Dec. 1 and is drawing hundreds of hits a day.
The majority of the chefs I meet tell me their dream is to open their own restaurant. One could even argue that owning one's business really is the not just a dream, but the ultimate goal for a chef whose image ranges from the plate to the choice of scented candle in the washroom. But opening up your own place is easier said than done, especially during these tough economic times.
Time’s a wasting when it comes to holiday shopping, which means if you haven’t yet wrapped that last present, it’s time to focus. Allow me to be of some assistance when it comes to picking up a gift for the gourmet on your list. Here are some of my favourites from this year’s columns to offer that foodie friend or loved one:
L'Émouleur, 1081 Laurier Ave. W., near Querbes St., 514-813-3135.
Beautiful Japanese knives on display at L'Émouleur
There are countless differences between home and professional cooks, but the one factor that really separates the amateurs from the pros is the quality of their knives. Many an excellent home cook I know proudly displays a set of Henckel or Cutco knives on the kitchen counter.
The really ambitious ones, spring for brands like Furi and Global. But check out the knife stash of any of Montreal's top chefs and you'll find some serious Japanese knives, most of which have been purchased from Guillaume De L'Isle.
Organic farmer Michael Rossy and chef Lindsay Petit, team up to make one heck of a brunch
The terrasse at Hotel Quintessence in Mont-Tremblant
If you want to experience a fantastic example of earth-to-table cooking, do I ever have a brunch for you! Chef Lindsay Petit of Hotel Quintessence in Mont-Tremblant has paired up with farmer Michael Rossy of Runaway Creek Farm in Arundel to produce an organic brunch featuring produce from the farm raging from heirloom tomatoes to blue potatoes and rainbow Swiss chard to free-range chicken.
A Julia Child-themed dinner party puts 48-year-old recipes to the test.
Individual Charlotte Malakoffs for an updated version of Julia's classic
When I started to cook in my teens, in the early '80s, the book I turned to most often was the Silver Palate Cookbook.
We had an extensive collection of cookbooks, but that was the one I found most inspiring.
The '80s were all about squash soup, composed salads, carrot cake, and dishes that featured goat's cheese, and Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins's famous book did that best.
My mother, however, used a different book, Julia Child, Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle's Mastering the Art of French Cooking (Knopf, 1961). A two-tome book filled with the most intimidating French food ever, this 48-year-old bible of French cooking already seemed dated to me 35 years ago.
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