Lesley C

Hey Cassady, Welcome to eGullet Thanks for supplying your e-mail address, but here at eGullet we prefer to keep the discussions open. If you don't mind, could you answer questions for all of us, right here on the board? Those one on one e-mail exchanges are so isolating. So, first question, when are you planning on opening the St-Laurent restaurant? And we Tri be working there?

Those French boys sure love their mothers. I went to visit a friend in LA when I was a young (and rather poor) pastry chef in the early nineties. I insisted we blow all our money and dine out every night. Citrus was my favourite restaurant. I have never tasted puff pastry like that since, and I remember he made these wonderful pommes allumettes in a loaf shape. It was all so simple and perfect. I went to LA enamored with Nancy Silverton, but I left raving about Michel Richard. Great, great chef. Wish we saw more of him.

I have met Bruce Aidells (he was in Montreal a couple times this year) and his pretty wife Nancy, so yes that is very funny. He's about as straight as they come (he would make a great candidate for an episode of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy! ) Funny about the male chef observation. Every French chef I know seems to go on and on about his mother's cooking, especially baking. Doesn't Michel Richard? Yet perhaps they don't seem obliged to carry on the traditions the same way the daughters do. Anyway, I think male food writers are the wave of the future. I know more men my age (36) interested in cooking than women. The young women I know are either intense foodies, or embarrassed to be seen near a kitchen. Those chicks on Sex and the City make it very clear cooking is the last thing on their mind.

Hi Russ, Thanks for taking the time to answer all these great questions. In the wonderful world of food writers the men are greatly outnumbered by the ladies. Was it ever awkward when you started out? Do you find food writers get pigeon-holed into writing stories by gender: barbecue and wine for men, shopping and 30-minute meals for woman? Do you feel you approach stories differently as a male food writer? For instance, could you have written the kind of tough review of Sandra Lee's book as did Amanda Hesser, or would you have to tone it down because you're a man? Also, are you familiar with the work of the French food chemist Hervé This? Thanks

My next book Flavourville 2004 (updated to 150 reviews) should be coming out in late November. It's worth waiting for because all the new restaurants are in there, up to the review of Biche au Bois two weeks ago.

Those are no longer rumours. The Treehouse signs are already up at the St-Laurent location.

I'd say as a patissier de boutique, he's in a class all by himself. Dessert sur assiette isn't his thing.

Ha ha! Great story. Three atempts... yet no dice. Thanks for that. I'm immediately off to Greece to meet this woman! There's something to be said for proud, secretive cooks.

Jacques Noeninger is a teacher at the ITHQ. He was my chocolate teacher and is a pastry God in my books. But put him in a restaurant today, and I'm not too sure he could compete with the best -- unless he stuck to his perfect French pastries. You should see the man make a pomme givré. Major wow. Culatello, how do you know about Mr. Noeninger? Did you ever have him as a teacher?

Hi Paula, I was wondering if there was ever a recipe that you couldn't get, no matter how charmingly you asked, because the chef or home cook just didn't want to divulge the family secret?

Yes, Les Halles is very much open. They just celebrated their 32nd anniversary. The desserts are good and very classic: St-Honore, Paris Brest, Tarte Tatin etc., presented to diners one by one. Who can resist? They are the perfect example of how good classic desserts can be when perfectly executed.

Hi Rabbit Angstrom, welcome to eGullet. I think I know someone, who knows someone, who has a cousin, whose hairdresser's brother could pass the word over to Bertand. By the way, I heard about that party and I'm green with envy. I like your choice of words for good desserts. "Overjoyed!" very nice.

Well, I had the best results having students repeat what they did in class over and over. I liked the method of aiming for perfection, over constantly coming up with new ideas.

Chefette, I don't agree. I was a pastry teacher for three years and after tasting hundreds of weird, poorly executed, imaginative desserts, I would have killed for someone to hand me a plate of properly prepared crepes Suzettes. I always think beginners, especially cooking students, should stick to the basics, then gradually work in some new ideas. As for the cheese blintzes, no way! That's would fall in the viennoiserie section, not really a dessert. You have to understand the different categories of pastry products. For instance, you wouldn't really find a chocolate eclair on a dessert menu any more. How about a sabayon poured over fresh fruit, either cold or gratineed?

Thanks Randall, You must also be selling a lot of Cardinal Zin in these parts. It's usually sold out at my local SAQ. About the screwcap: last year on a trip through the Cotes de Provence, some wine maker (sorry the name escapes me right now) told me you weren't happy with synthetic corks. Is that true? Are you now investigating screwtops as an alternative.

I only gave one restaurant no stars, and that was the St-Amable in Old Montreal, a horrible restaurant that appears to draw tourists based on very very old press clippings from the old owners. I like to keep the no star ratings for such a place, pull it out when you really want to slam a place for being awful and in this case, dishonest.

Hmm, I didn't enjoy the one-star restos and that is why they are rated Fair. I think it's a mistake to compare rating systems. I'm rating within the Montreal arena. When it comes down to it, readers should follow the rating grid: * Fair ** Good *** Very good **** Excellent

Hi Randall, I'm a restaurant critic here in Montreal and I see your wines featured on many, many wine lists around town (you have a great agent!). Is Canada, or more specifically Quebec, an important market for you? Do you think Canadians (or Quebeckers) have different tastes than Americans? What do you sell most? And what hasn't moved off the shelves? I don't think your Reisling is available here. Is the SAQ giving you a hard time? Thanks

Culatello, I first tasted the coffee at Guildone back in 1996 when I was teaching near by at Pius X. We went there from time to time for lunch, usually chanterelle pasta. And I agree about the Latini coffee, though I don't think Moreno uses Illy anymore. Ask Moreno about coffee and you'll get a 25 lecture.

You are absolutely wrong to place BYOW restaurants in the same category of a snack bar. Go to Les Infideles or Le P'tit Plateau and then we'll talk. Also, the macaron system is the macaron system, developed for a style of restaurant, primarily the French restaurant. The Michelin guide has problems as well, I would think especially at the one macaron category. Do you really think any one macaron restaurant in France is not aiming for two -- or three.

I'd love to hear what people consider the best restaurant coffee in town? I've had some majorly shitty coffee in restaurants here, save for one I had at Les Caves St-Joseph. The food wasn't great but the coffee was.

Identifiler, I am happy to hear that I wasn't imagining the cold shoulder. I wasn't thrilled to drop the restaurant to two stars, but the service really rubbed me the wrong way. I was dying to get out of there and I entered in a great mood. It's as if they were doing me a favour. Regarding the foie gras, what did you think of the marmalade served alongside? I could hardly swallow the stuff.

I don't watch DiStasio. The pace is painfully slow. It makes me sleepy.

I’m a big fan of Gourmet but this issue left me scratching my head. I ran into a chef the other day who told me that cover and those Vegas chef cards inside made him embarrassed to be a chef. I used to love the restaurant issue. I think they should have just gone with a classy black and white picture of Suzanne Goin holding a chicken or something. In that cover picture, they all look uncomfortable, not to mention, cheesy.

I would only worry about the Dante sisters the moment ravioli is listed on the menu. Picard has been teaching in their shop for a few years now and they are all good friends. Otherwise, I never thought APdC was about sophistication. I think his goal is quite the opposite.