Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Vienna Calling!, rev. ed.

hallo? 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

Monday, November 28, 2011

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

inside Cosmo's 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?

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Turkey Time

A Turkey Story 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!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

On the Road 1: Newsom's Country Store

country ham 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.

Newsom's 4 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.

Newsom's 3 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.

newsom's 1 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