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...

Top Ten #45

1.  The Cornwallville Summer Social, Cornwallville, NY



2.  Stop Making Sense, dir. Demme + the revival of the Mile End Rockumentary Club

3.  Santouka, Vancouver, BC

4.  Le Grand Aïoli + Domaine du Grand Noré rosé 2011

5.  Moonrise Kingdom, dir. Anderson



6.  summer swimming



7.  summer quilts @ The Little Shop

8.  Hudson's Hamburgers (since 1907!), Coeur d'Alene, ID

9.  Jessica Mitford, Hons and Rebels



10.  Zingerman's Roadhouse, Ann Arbor, MI

Omnivore's Dilemma

 fig. a:  Look! Up in the sky!

Omnivore is coming to Montreal, and the dilemma they're presenting us with is a schedule so jam-packed with tantalizing events, how can we possibly consume it all?

To celebrate the year 2012, these Paris-based culinary provocateurs and advocates of "100% young cuisine" have embarked upon a world tour encompassing 12 cities.  Brussels, Copenhagen, Geneva, Istanbul, Moscow, New York, Paris, Rio, San Francisco, Shanghai, Sydney, and, yes, Montreal.  The road show pulls into town on August 16, and the next four days will amount to an intercontinental culinary powwow of the highest magnitude featuring 18 cooking & wine demos, 5 Maudits Soupers, and 1 major bash.  The dinners will take place all over town, but the base of operations and the site of both the demos and Omnivorious, the chef- and DJ-driven extravaganza that will likely be the highlight of the series, will be the Société des Arts Technologiques/FoodLab.

Most of our favourite Montreal food and wine people will be participating, but the series is meant to put these New World practitioners of "100% young cuisine" in conversation with some of their Old World counterparts.  As a result, it will also include a number of notable European talents, such as Gregory Marchand of Frenchie (Paris), Peter Nilsson of La Gazzetta (Paris), and Jérôme Bigot of Les Grès (Lindry, Burgundy).

Michelle will be doing overtime that week, giving a demo on August 19, cooking a Maudit Souper with Seth Gabrielse and Jérôme Bigot, and playing a central liaison role throughout the entirety of Omnivore Montreal.

The thing is, the line-up is so good and the prices are so reasonable, that you might just want to take in the whole maudite thing.  You can catch demos by Patrice Demers (Les 400 Coups), Alex Cruz and Derek Dammann (Société Orignal), Stéphanie Labelle (Rhubarbe), Samuel Pinard (La Salle à Manger), Cyril Kérébel (La QV), Michelle (!), and many other stars of the Montreal culinary scene, in addition to all the distinguished European guests, and prices are just $40 per day, or $100 for the full-three day demo schedule.  Prices for the Maudits Soupers have yet to be announced, but I've been told that you can expect remarkable value, and, in the meantime, you can find the whole schedule and the numbers to call for reservations here.  And, finally, a ticket for Omnivorious will only set you back $40, and it includes a drink, special canapés prepared by a Dream Team of contemporary chefs (Patrice Demers and Marc-André Jetté, the Grumman 78 crew, Petter Nilsson, Samuel Pinard, Simon Mathys, Gita Seaton, Jérôme Bigot, Martin Juneau, and John Horne!), and a whole mess of other entertainment that's guaranteed to derange the senses.

For full details, check out Omnivore's complete rundown of its Montreal festivities here.

aj

Kebab Connection, rev. ed.

Do you like music & film?

 fig. a:  kebab connection 1

Do these look good to you?

Imagine these lovingly-marinated-then-grilled morsels of chicken sandwiched inside a lightly grilled pita, with grilled tomatoes, mixed herbs, and a tangy, garlicky yogurt sauce.  Imagine them being sold on the streets of Montreal.  Imagine them being sold for a song.  Imagine them being sold with a song.  Almost too good to be true, right?  Except that that's exactly what's going to be going down this Thursday through Sunday when Yours Truly takes over the grill at Place de la Paix.

 fig. b:  kebab connection 2*

What's the occasion?  Well, FoodLab is hosting a series of grill/barbecue cooks over the next month for a series called Cinéma, DJs & BBQ.  Basically, you get two hours of DJs & barbecue earlier in the evening, followed by two hours of open-air film spectatorship.  Last week, none other than Szef Bartek got the party started right with an ode to pork & fire in advance of a RIDM en plein air screening and a couple of Vues d'Afriques films.  This week I'll be firing up the grill while four top DJs (Maus, Jan Pienkowski, Tind, and B'ugo) get the crowd fired up for a bunch of outdoor Fantasia screenings (Fantasia à la Belle Étoile, a warm-up for the 2012 festival, which gets underway next week).

 fig. c:  sound + sight

The fun starts each evening at 7:00 pm and lasts a mere two hours.  That's right, the grilling will be over and done with by 9:00 pm, in order to make way for the films.  So get in while the grilling is good.

Also:  vegetarians will be happy to know that I'm also serving a delicious grilled halloum cheese number.

And THIS JUST IN:  Michelle will be joining me in the grill pit on Saturday and Sunday night (weather permitting), so the entire "...an endless banquet" team will be reunited for yet another Montreal street food event.

Place de la Paix is located directly adjacent to the Société des Arts Technologiques (SAT) on St-Laurent between René-Lévesque and Ste-Catherine.

aj

* photo courtesy of Uncornered Market

Return of Winesdays

 fig. a:  "votre caviste"

"La QV été" is back.  That's right, my favourite weekly wine tasting salon of 2011, featuring phenomenal wines (and occasionally ciders and beers), delectable nibbles, and a vast assortment of other temptations (charcuterie from Fou du Cochon, preserves from Preservation Society, the available La QV line, and so on), is back and better than ever for 2012.

 fig. b:  return of Winesdays

Every week there's a new theme.  Every week the tastings are as relaxed and friendly as they come.

 fig. c:  strawberries & bubbles

A couple of weeks ago, the main attraction was Quebec strawberries served with a delicate sirop and a Preservation Society marshmallow and paired with one of the sensations of the 2011 season:  a sparkling Bugey rosé.  Tomorrow the duo consists of a chèvre and cherry tomato gratin and another bubbly:  a 2001 (!) Saumur, faite methode traditionelle.  Taken all together, that's a lot of entertainment for a mere $11.

La QV, 29 Beaubien E. (Little Italy), (514) 504-4082

For more information, contact Julie "Miss Vivres" Rondeau (julierondeau@laqv.ca) and/or Cyril "Boss Soif" Kérébel (info@laqv.ca).

aj

Go Green, rev. ed.

fig. a: lettuce soup, Lawrence 

Mile End's Lawrence has a well-deserved reputation for its handling of meat--for a small restaurant with a concise menu, it's one of Montreal's most daring when it comes to both the variety of meats it serves, and the cuts it puts to use (offal "salad," anyone?).

What's less readily acknowledged is the finesse with which its kitchen handles vegetables, and, while I may be imagining this, it seems to me their lunch menu is when they really place an emphasis on the pleasures of the garden.

A few weeks ago Michelle started raving about a magical Lettuce Soup she'd had at Lawrence one day for lunch--first on Twitter (where else?) and then to anyone who'd listen. I wasn't with her at the time, but it sure sounded good, although the question that Michelle's encomium inevitably raised with everyone she mentioned it to was how, exactly, a lettuce-based soup could possibly be so transcendent.

The very next week, she went back--this time with me in tow. It didn't take much convincing--I couldn't wait to give that soup a spin.  And, you know, she's right.  That Lettuce Soup is a thing of beauty, simultaneously earthy and ethereal, with a deep green colour that rejuvenates by sight alone, and a surprisingly rich flavour that borders on the sublime.  It comes accompanied with a healthy hunk of toast slathered with brandade, and the pairing is simply brilliant.

You see?  Now I'm raving, too.

This is easily the best soup I've had in Montreal in quite some time, and, right now, it's the taste of the Summer of 2012 for us.  Do I have the recipe?  Unfortunately, no.  But I immediately bumped up the lettuces in our back garden so that I could start to do some experimenting.  Details to follow...

Lawrence, 5201 St-Laurent Blvd., Montreal (Mile End), (514) 503-1070

p.s.  Wouldn't you know it?  Their Lettuce Soup disappeared from Lawrence's menu this week (!).  I'm happy to say that they replaced it with a lovely sweetcorn + bacon soup, but I'm still hoping they bring that Lettuce Soup number back sometime soon.  Please?

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."

On the Road 4: Harpoon Brewery, Windsor, VT

 fig. a:  a world of beer

Let's just say you're in Vermont, driving along highway 91 between White River Junction and Brattleboro, or vice versa.  (I can think of at least one good reason you might be tooling around in that area.)

And let's just say you've worked up a thirst that could use some quenching.

Keep your eyes open for the signs to Windsor, VT.  Windsor's got a typically quaint New England town centre, and, if you're game, you can experience the thrill of crossing over to New Hampshire in a covered bridge.  It's also the home of Vermont's Constitution House, the place where Vermont's Constitution was signed in 1777, breaking it off from the British Empire (years before it joined the Union), and establishing a proud tradition of rugged independence.  But none of that is going to quench that thirst of yours.

Which is why you should also know that Windsor is home to the Harpoon Brewery's Vermont location.  Harpoon is based in Boston, and they're justly famous for their definitive IPA and their UFO series of unfiltered Hefeweizens, but about a decade ago they expanded into Vermont when the former Catamount Brewery, another New England craft beer legend, came up for sale.

 fig. b:  beer factory

Not only did Harpoon get a chance to expand their production capacity, but they acquired a fully-operational beer factory in an idyllic location just on the outskirts of Windsor in the lush Connecticut River Valley--a foothold in the foothills of Vermont.

 fig. c: beer menu

In addition to the beer factory (which you can tour), Harpoon's Windsor location features a pub/restaurant and an extensive beer garden that's quite active during the warm-weather months.  We didn't get a chance to try their food (we had a rendez-cue in Putney), but we did sample some of their fine beers, many of which are virtually impossible to get anywhere other than Harpoon's two main locations and attest to the talent of their brewmasters.  We recommend focusing on their limited edition 100 Barrel Series beers.  Their Catamount Maple Wheat beer was quite simply one of the best beers I've tried in years.  We were intrigued by the sound of it, but worried it might be too sweet, but it was wonderfully balanced, with some maple-caramel tones, but none of the syrupy sweetness.  They also have a store where you can purchase their entire line of Harpoon beers, as well as a wide range of Harpoon merch (if that's your bag).

Keep Vermont Beered!

Harpoon Brewery, 336 Ruth Carney Drive, Windsor, VT 05089

aj

Southern BBQ! Southern VT?

 fig. a: magical barbecue bus

It's true!  Read all about it:  an honest-to-goodness Southern barbecue social in Southeastern Vermont run by a veteran pitmaster with over 45+ years of experience managing his rig.

 fig. b: pitmaster in action

You can find my latest contribution to the Montreal Gazette's Life section in this weekend's edition.  On newsstands now.  Online, too.  Just click on this link.

And you can find Curtis' Barbecue in Putney, VT, at the following address:

Curtis' Barbecue, 7 Putney Landing Rd., Putney, VT

aj