Ail, Ail, Ma'am!

 fig. a:  petit aïoli monstre

Tomorrow, Thursday, August 14, 2014, le grand aïoli is back, and this time it's even grander than before.  In fact, it's going to be so huge, so extraordinary, that this time around they're billing it as un aïoli monstre (!).

Once again, this grand aïoli pools together the prodigious talents of the Foodlab, Oenopole, and the Birri Bros.

And once again, this aïoli monstre is inspired by and dedicated to our patron saints of Provençal cuisine:  Lulu Peyraud and Richard Olney.

If you're not exactly clear on the concept, the good folks at Oenopole have summarized it this way:  mange tes légumes et bois du rosé ("eat your vegetables and drink some rosé!").  In other words, all of Birri's most beautiful August vegetables, lovingly prepared by Michelle and Seth and served with generous amounts of Lulu's legendary aïoli, plus all of Oenopole's most delicious rosés.  But I have it on good authority that there will also be Provençal-style shrimp and Atlantic lobster on offer to sweeten the deal even further.

Aïoli Monstre
SAT Foodlab / Labo Culinaire
1201 boulevard St-Laurent
Montreal, QC
Thursday, August 14, 2014
5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
rain or shine! (but it's always sunny when a grand aïoli is being served)

Michelle's so excited about this grand aïoli that I heard her say, "You'd be a fool to miss it."  I'm not sure if she meant me personally, or whether she meant "you" more generally.  Either way, I'm not taking any chances.  I know where I'm going to be tomorrow night.

aj

Triple Threat

 fig. a:  meat + wine + grill:  any questions?

Oenopole

      +

Foodlab

     +

Boucherie Lawrence

     =

one helluva wine-soaked barbecue

In fact, they're billing this Thursday's event as:

 fig. b:  gros bbq

In addition to a white from Sébastien Brunet and a red from Le Coste, you can expect grilled pork chops, grilled sausages, and some baller steaks (grilled, of course), along with a whole slew of beautiful vegetable sides, like Michelle's famous minty sweet peas.

Having a hard time picturing it?  It will look kind of like this,

 fig. c:  très gros bbq

except that there will be greater variation in the meat offerings, a wider selection of vegetables, tastier wines, and a better view.

It all goes down:

Thursday, July 17
Foodlab/Labo Culinaire
1201 boulevard St-Laurent
Montréal, QC
5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
rain or shine (but, as of this moment, it looks like SHINE!)

aj

Get Thee to the Greek

 fig. a:  Greek spring!

Team Foodlab & Team Oenopole are teaming up again to bring you another Greek extravaganza, featuring not one, not two, not three, but FOUR honest-to-goodness Greek wine producers

Thymiopoulos
Argyros
Tselepos
&
Papagiannakos

Opa!

 fig. b:  Opa!

and a wide range of Greek delicacies, including

grilled lambchops
stuffed eggplant
octopus salad
grilled Izmir-style kebab
fresh grilled flatbreads
&
honey-walnut cake

 fig. c:  Foodlab + Oenopole

And, get this:  you don't have to wait, because the festivities take place TONIGHT!

Wednesday, May 15
5pm till close
Foodlab
1201 boul. St-Laurent
3rd floor
Montreal, QC

It's official--Greek Spring has arrived!

aj

Mark your calendars..., rev. ed.

Hot on the heels of a glowing review of Foodlab in this weekend's New York Times (!), it's another eventful week in the wonderful world of Foodlab/Michelle/AEB.  Check it!

 fig. a:  Zorba the sommelier

Wednesday, July 25:  Theo Diamantis and Team Oenopole will be descending upon Foodlab for a special Greek Grill Extravaganza, featuring grilled Greek sausages (loukaniko), Izmir-style kebabs, grilled sardines, and a whole mess of Greek wines, in addition to all the Greek delicacies already on offer.  The fun starts at 5pm and lasts till 10pm.  Bring an appetite, and a thirst!

 fig. b:  red menace

Sunday, July 29:  Michelle and "...an endless banquet" will be running yet another fruit social (the first one of 2012) at Parc Jeanne-Mance from 1pm until supplies last.  This one's a Strawberry Social, and, once again, it will feature beautiful Quebec strawberries, Michelle's famous shortcake, and lightly whipped cream.  Portions will be generous.  Payment is by donation only, with a suggested donation of $7.  And all the proceeds will be going to support Head and Hands.  Location is by the beach volleyball courts, as Michelle's stand will be there to augment Serve, Head and Hands' annual bars & restaurants beach volleyball tournament.  Come one, come all!

And don't forget about Omnivore, which gets underway on August 16...

aj

p.s.  kebabapalooza follow-up:

 fig. c:  foodlab + oenopole

What a night!  Such great wines, such awesome food, such a good vibe...

Grand succès

 fig. a: ail, ail, ail...

Last week's Grand Aïoli event at Alexandraplatz was a labour of love that brought together the energies, talents, and vision of Michelle, Theo Diamantis and the Oenopole crew, and Natasha Pickowicz and Popcorn Youth, along with a number of other local and regional producers and creators, like Caroline Boyce of Floralia and her extraordinarily beautiful flower arrangements, the Birri Brothers and their expert produce, bread from Kamouraska's famed Niemand Bakery, cheeses from Chèvrerie Buckland and Fromagerie Mouton Blanc, and Bernadette Houde and Team Alexandraplatz.

The evening consisted of three courses:

 fig. b: "A Provençal Summer Feast"

"Le Grand Aïoli":  roughly 15 different vegetables (including turnips, carrots, wild asparagus, new potatoes, cauliflower, beets, green beans, artichokes, and squash blossoms) prepared in a variety of ways (blanched, boiled, roasted, braised, sautéed, and au naturel), all of them served with a heaping quantity of freshly made aïoli


the cheese course:  Tomme de Marechal and Tomme de Faisal from Chèvrerie Buckland; Tomme de Kamouraska from Fromagerie Mouton Blanc; fresh figs, dried apricots, honey, and blossoms; and a selection of breads from Kamouraska's Boulangerie Niemand

the dessert course:  a fresh Quebec strawberry tart made with a crème fraîche- and chamomile-infused crème légère


the wines:  Domaine du Gros Noré rosé 2011; Domaine d'Alzipratu Cuvée Fiumeseccu Corse Calvi rouge 2010; Domaine d'Alzipratu Cuvée Fiumeseccu Corse Calvi blanc 2011

 fig. c: flower child

The floral arrangements of Caroline Boyce adorned the tables.  They also adorned our hosts.

 fig. d: dynamic duo

Garlic and artichokes figured prominently--both on and off the menu.

 fig. e: first service gets underway

As the first seating got underway (just moments before the first platters began to be served), things looked like this.

 fig. f: insta-grand

And as the aïoli platters began to materialize, they looked something like this (as captured by Instagram).

Between the food, the wine, the ambiance, and the assembly of enthusiasts, something magical happened that evening.  Somehow Montreal's natural joie de vivre merged with a sense of Provence's.  One terroir (the one that produced our vegetables, flowers, cheeses, and breads) was united with another (the one that produced the wine).  And the vehicle for this experiment in teleportation was as honest and elemental as they come.

Bravo!

aj

Grand Aïoli Redux, rev. ed.

 fig. a:  Ode to Provence


When Michelle isn't busy holding down the fort at FoodLab, appearing on television shows, and preparing a summertime feast for the newspaper, she's collaborating on Provençal feasts.  The girl's unstoppable!

Years and years ago, we posted about a grand aïoli feast we threw at AEB headquarters, and we received a lot of positive feedback when we did.  Now's your chance to get in on another very special Provençal occasion: this one the product of a partnership between Michelle, our good friends at Popcorn Youth and Kinfolk Magazine, our good friends at Oenopole, and our good friends at Alexandraplatz.  Talk about a supergroup!

The festivities will be taking place on June 25th at the brand-spanking-new Alexandraplatz in Little Italy, the festivities get underway at 7:00 pm, the wine will be flowing (Gros Noré rosé!),* the aïoli will be abundant, and the event promises to be memorable.

Sold?  Act fast!  Spots are limited!

Want to get in on the action?  Does a "mad, joyous circus" sound like a good time to you?

The word from Popcorn Youth is:

Reservations required. Ticket cost for the dinner is $25. We ask that you save your seat through Paypal, at natasha.pickowicz@gmail.com.

Hope to see you there!

aj

p.s. How's Gros Noré with food?  Glad you asked.  Check out this account of dining with Alain "Gros Noré" Pascal himself.

p.s. 2:  The word from Michelle, as of the morning of June 20th:  "...[This] thing is almost sold-out. Act fast."

Real wines, fun times, rev. ed.

 fig. a:  the view from on high

Close out le joli mai in style on May 29th with a FoodLab/Oenopole co-production.  The festivities take place on the SAT's rooftop terrasse (one of Montreal's loveliest),

 fig. b:  Daumen + Oenopole + FoodLab

and the idea here is to pair Jean-Paul Daumen's brand new line of organic Côtes-du-Rhône and Vin de Pays wines, courtesy of Oenopole, with some grilled delicacies from your friends at the FoodLab (the menu according to Michelle:  "Grilled Toulouse sausage with apple and kohlrabi remoulade. In a bun." Yes!).  Now, doesn't that sound civilized?  Well, don't be so sure, because this is Montreal and the wine is going to be FREE.  (The grilled items will run you $5 a pop, just to maintain some sense of decorum.)

 fig. b:  Das Daumen*

If you're not familiar with Jean-Paul Daumen, he's the talent behind the highly regarded Vieille Julienne label (Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Côtes-du-Rhône), and this is a brand-new project from him, an ode to the new generation of vignerons who've revitalized the Rhône region and its methods.  As he explains things (in English, courtesy of his website):

This project is about winemaking, it is about buying grapes from parcels whose [soils] are rich, vibrant, and alive--an integral part of my philosophy.  [This] project is also about working sustainably... 

This is a new portfolio of wines for me, wines that are meant to be accessible and authentic.  I want them to be real wines, meant to be enjoyed without pretence.  They are modest, and straight from the heart. 

Finally, this project is about being true to my approach to making wine, which is working the the best and healthiest fruit in my cellar.  This allows me to simply guide the winemaking process, with the least intervention possible.  My work will remain nuanced, avoiding extraction and artifice.  My desire is to leave my imprint as an artisan, with the challenge of making wine that expresses purity of fruit, uniqueness of vintage, and a terroir's personality.

Bring your wine-loving friends--there will be lots of fantastic wine.  Bring your food-loving friends--the eats are going to be hot & tasty.  And bring your fun-loving friends, too--this is going to be a blast!

aj

* photo credit:  frenchwineimporters.com / route des vins imports

p.s.  Well, when I predicted things might get wild at the Daumen 5 à 7, I didn't think Mother Nature was going to get in on the action.  Thanks to all those who braved the elements (apocalyptic amounts of rain, hail, thunderstorms, widespread flooding, etc.) to come on down and make the event a smash hit.  We knew this was a wine town, but this show of devotion was impressive, to say the least.  You people are amazing!--aj

 fig. c:  mission accomplished!

Bon Hiver

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