Bon Appetit Cookbooks

Let me rephrase... First off, I would never want restaurants like Anise and Les Chevre to disappear. Every time a place closes, weither it be a place like Anise or Mom n Pops place on the corner, a big part of me really feels for them. I've been there and seen it too many times. What I DO want to disappear are restaurants who want to be like them but can't pull it off. Far too often I have gone out to eat and paid way too much for crap. Those who open a restaurant and try to be the next Keller or Blumenthal but can't get there. Or open a place that is all about looks but have no substance. And these are the places that cause places like Anise and Les Chevre to close. It's like Wal-Mart moving into into a small town. Looks good, but sells crap. Then puts everyone else out of business. Maybe saying "White Tableclothes" was not the right word. Every city need's it's Toque or Anise. Unfortunatly, these places close down eventually. Peoples taste change. The Chef/Owners want something different. Will Racha return with a "More elegant setting"? I don't think so. Will her next restaurant be as good if not better than Anise? I have no doubt! You watch, a lot of these chefs in the business want to move away from the "High end" way of doing things. A more casual, relaxed atmosphere is what is appealing to them. And we want it too, most just don't know it yet. Why is APDC, Garde Manger, Joe Beef so popular? Cuz it's amazing food without the "White Tableclothe". There is more emphasis on the food and they don't worry about the image. And yes, it was me unfolding the white napkin at Bouchon. But what you may not have noticed was that the table was covered with a white paper sheet and the menu was made of parchment paper. And the guy sitting next to me was wearing a Hawiian shirt and shorts.

Can I be so bold as to say the day of the white table clothes in Montreal are coming to an end? Or am I just hoping? I have witnessed something similar in Vancouver many years ago. The "High-end white table cloth" places started to die off as people were wanting a more casual, more relaxed environment. Is Montreal moving that way with the likes of Joe Beef and others that offer amazing food but in a non stuffy setting?

One I can totally recomend is Vij's; Elegant & Inspired Indian Cuisine from one of North America's best indian restaurants, Vij's in Vancouver. It would highly recommend it. I will have to warn you though, there is no butter chicken, no tandoori, and NONE of the same old curries you see in every book. And this is why Vij's book is one of the most unique. Check out his web site http://www.vijs.ca/index_in.htm

A Touch off topic.... Going to Bouchon for lunch and French Laundry for dinner tomorrow night. I'll be sure to report as soon as a can. BTW, we were buying our pastry at the Bouchon Bakery yesterday afternoon (amazingly good) and who was hanging out infront of Bouchon? The Master himself Thomas Keller. It certainly was an honour to meet him and we mentioned we were eating at the FL on Thursday and he said he'll be there. How exciting is that?

Martin Picard was in the store and had to make a few things from his book, Au Pied Du Cochon. So I was able to make a couple things. The Oreilles de Crises and the Tomato Tart. I forgot to take pictures of the tomato tart, but take my word for it, it was good. Any one for some Pork Fat? Had to fry the fat on low heat until it was almost translucent. Then drain those bad boys on some paper. Deepfry till crispy and you're in heaven.

Last time I was there, we had the Potee It was awsome. The Boudin was amazing. Had the Foie Gras Hamburger which was very tasty. Next time it'll be the Pied stuffed with Foie...will have to really prep the body for that. One of my favorites was the Foie Gras and Salmon Maki from the summer. THAT was the best.

Making stuff out of the APDC book today. Will let you know how it turns out. Wish me luck!

Insert rim shot here. Ba Dum Ching! Jonathan shakes his head and slaps his forhead

Yup English and French

"Unfortunately, there are not a lot of Quebecois cookbook that I reference frequently. I really should remedy that." Try out the new Au Pied de Couchon book. Stuffed pigs stomach and Foie Gras Burger......mmmmm

The book is available in English too. English book: Intro by Anthony Bourdain French book: 48 page comic strip It's pretty amazing!

That's what the Chinese side of the family used to do. I did that last year for thanksgiving. In my opinion, it's better than the regular ol' stuffing. But I'm bias.

It was a mixed case of what was left over from the restaurant the night before. I think think there were 4 different kinds. What they were, I can't tell you.

Made Pheasant. It was an adaptation from the Casa Moro Cookbook "Quail with Grapes and Ginger" Also Oysters And again from the Casa Moro Cookbooks, the Pistachio & Almond Tart C'est Tres Bon

Cooked Thanksgiving dinner on sunday and was inspired by the Casa Moro Cookbook. I made 2 things from it. 1: An altered version of the Quail with Grapes and Ginger. I changed the quail to Pheasant, added radishes as suggested by Fred from Joe Beef, and used red, rather than green, grapes. I also gave it a few splashes of red wine every 10 minutes. Also did the Pistachio and Almond Tart. So rich and very tasty. It turned out just like the picture too.

Got a case of oysters over the weekend from Joe Beef. Mostly to practice my shucking skills, or the lack there of. I think I have figured out how to shuck it properly, with minimal breakage. Let me know if it looks good. It looks a million times better than a lot of restaurants I've been to in the city...IMHO.

No running under water, agreed. But i was taught to clean them out as you describe, then let them sit for 15 minutes so that the "deuxieme eau" that the previous poster referred to can well up. i shucked a dozen for lunch a few days ago, using this method and i enjoyed juicy, briny, grit-free oysters. ← In my past experience, if I shucked them ahead of time and let them sit for even 10 minutes, they dried up just not as juicy as a freshly shucked oyster. But id could have done that because of my awful shucking job.

Being that oyster season is coming into full swing soon, I though we can discuss the "Art of the Oyster". I know there a few out there that oyster rule their lives. I have only recently been exposed to a plethera of oysters and am slowly learning about their delicacies. I have even come to appreciate the art of shucking an oyster. I have shucked my share, but it wasn't until recently that a friend showed me the "proper" way. The careful way of precerving the full shape of the meat. In the past, I would be content in opening it, not concered of the apperence of the meat. But now, I know that it's so important. Last week I went to a popular late night restaurant and we ordered a couple dozen and they came to the table looking all mangled and broken. Even though they were fresh, the membrane was torn, the meat all twisted. Not the succulent, juicy, perfect oyster I have learned to love. Can anyone relate? Am I becoming a "snob"? Is it so hard to ask for a properly shucked oyster? Or is this a valid demand? I even worked in a place in Montreal that wanted all the oysters shucked ahead of time!!!!! And in retrospect, before I knew anything about oysters, this is amazingly appalling. They would sit for hours on ice, pre-shucked, before they were served. So for future reference, if you go to a certain restaurant that starts with the letter "V" in Old Montreal, don't order the oysters. This weekend I have a case of Oysters for Thanksgiving. Have to practice what little shucking skills I have. Pictures to come.

Ya, I've had Jamie's Italy for the last 2 or 3 months. It's a great book. I'm hooked on the Cauliflower Risotto with anchovy. "Cook with Jamie: My Guide to Making You a Better Cook" Released today or tomorrow. I have a bunch coming in from England. When they arrive? Not sure. I ordered them a few weeks ago. A bit about the book from another website: "With this ultimate kitchen companion you can be a student of Jamie's in your own home. Learn the skills that the trainees at Jamie's Fifteen restaurant learn during their first year, from basic techniques to advice on ingredients and how to put dishes together. The 100 new recipes range from the very simple to those that appear on the menu at Fifteen. It's a celebration of learning, seasonality and good food! With Jamie as your teacher, enjoy making the delicious recipes that feature regularly at the restaurant. With hints, tips, advice and clear photographs to show you all the practical stuff, this is Jamie's most accessible book yet!" Sounds pretty good for someone starting out. The great thing is he makes it so unpretentious.

I like Jamie Oliver too. His recipes work all the time for me. At home, I make the best roasted chicken legs from his Jamie's Dinners book. 5 mins to prep, 1 1/2 hours in the oven. Fall off the bone goodness. Pat, you should try out Vikram Vij's new book. I've made his world famous Lamb Popsicles and Pakoras. Awsome. Tonight I'm making Rob Feenies Sake Maple Marinated Grouper from the Lumiere book. It's marinating as we speak. I'll try to remember to take a picture.

I've attempted the Salmon Tartar with the Sesame Cones. The Tuilles didn't work for me and I tried it three times. It kept splitting on me. But I have made a bunch of other stuff and it turned out very tasty. The Quail Eggs and Smoked Bacon "Bacon and Eggs", the the Blini's with the Eggplant Caviar and Roasted Peppers, and the Gougeres....easy and tasty. ← i realize that i never buy cookbooks anymore! i go to the net: epicurious, marthastewart living or just google. and i cook out of magazines (gourmet and martha stewart; ← That's an interesting point. Before I had a lot of cookbooks, which is recently, I used the internet a lot. And it was great to have the convenience without the cost. It wasn't until I was surrounded by cookbooks that I realized how useful they were. And not to mention the romance about looking through a book. I have yet to cook out of any Nigella. Is there a standout for you Lesley?

I've attempted the Salmon Tartar with the Sesame Cones. The Tuilles didn't work for me and I tried it three times. It kept splitting on me. But I have made a bunch of other stuff and it turned out very tasty. The Quail Eggs and Smoked Bacon "Bacon and Eggs", the the Blini's with the Eggplant Caviar and Roasted Peppers, and the Gougeres....easy and tasty.

This topic was hijacked from the Vancouver Board. What cookbooks do you love to cook out of at home? Is there a specific recipe that is your favorite? Or is there a book you just can't live without? If you have pictures, even better! Lets see how it turns out! Some of my favorites to cook out of: The Balthazar Cookbook - The Beef Tartar is amazing! As is the Chicken Liver Mousse The Babbo Cookbook - The Strawberries & Peaches with Balsamic Zabaglione Barefoot in Paris - The Blue Cheese Souffle looks JUST LIKE THE PICTURE! The Bouchon Cookbook - The Roast Chicken will seriously change your life Gordon Ramsey Makes it Easy - The Chocolate Pots are the easiest dessert in the world and tastes so good....especially with the Amedei #7 There are lots more. Hopefully I can take pictures and show you. Hopefully this post can be an ongoing thing. I think we are all interested in what eachother cooks! Happy Cooking J

New to the board. Live in Montreal, but born and bred in Vancouver. I did a cooking class not to long ago on Rob Feenies Iron Chef Recipes from the Feenies book. Everything turn out pretty good. The one that stood out for me was the Tom Yum soup. Clarifying it is a pain in the ass, but well worth it. I do admit in not following it word for word, but I always say recipes are guidlines, not rules. I made all the recipes from the iron chef show, except the Crab Panna Cotta. Not to sure how the customers would react to it. But all in all, they tasted pretty good. A note on the Lamb Lollipops: I had Vikram in the shop last week doin a cooking class and he mentioned he really doesn't like the Lamb Lollipops. He wishes he could take them off the menu. But they are the most popular item, and you know what happens when you take the most popular item off... My theory is that he give it out to everyone and then no one will order them anymore and he can take it off the menu. Smart man that Vikram Vij. J

do you know if that 5 a7 will be open to all and if he'll do a small "demonstration"? ← Sorry, no demonstration. More of a meet and greet. I don't have enough test-tubes or beakers in my kitchen Hope to see you there.