Chewie

This is by far the book I refer to most often. Although the old one also gets used quite a bit For desserts I most often use Gorgon Ramsay's dessert book. Everything I've tried works really well, and he includes a lot of the basics. Recently I cooked a few things out of Falling Cloudberries by Tessa Kiros, that came out nicely. I also occasionally use The Chinese Kitchen by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo and Authentic Mexican by Rick Bayless and Deann Groen Bayless, when in the mood for the appropriate cuisine. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of Quebecois cookbook that I reference frequently. I really should remedy that.

I think that is the first thing that actually qualifies. I might even watch if i had cable...

I had the white pizza at Prato on St Laurent recently and very much enjoyed it. (creme fraiche, bacon, onions, rosemary) mmm

I couldn't help but notice that all these coffee shops are chains (with the exception of #4). How does a coffee shop chain maintain its independance? Is this similar to the Hollywood trend of calling any movie not produced by Jerry Bruckheimer indepedant? Aren't there actual independant coffee shops that need support? Perhaps the category needs to be expanded to "Best Coffee Shop (chain)" and "Best Coffee Shop (Independant)" (It should be noted that as my brother owns an independant coffee shop in Vancouver, I have a personal axe to grind.) Regardless, I think the point stands.

just another two cents... I'll second Laika, I have had a couple of nice breakfasts there. Some of the offerings are a bit strange, but I have liked what I've tasted. I haven't tried the new incarnation of Reservoir, although I would imagine it is as good as always. Far too smoky for me though, maybe I'll go back in June. I would definetly also second Senzala. I tried to go to the Bernard location once, but the power was out that day. The De La Roche location however, is great. The space is really nice, with lots of sunshine, weather permitting, and good spacing between tables (a rarity in breakfast joints). the food is copious, especially the fruit, and they include orange juice and coffee. I quite like the fact that instead of constantly searching for a waitress to refill your coffee, the provide each table with a full thermos to refill cups at your leisure. I remember also enjoying breakfast at Pistou Déjeuner, but it has been a while. Finally AVOID L'AVENUE! I had one outstanding breafast there many years ago, but since then, many repeat visits have done nothing but disappoint. Mediocre food, and high prices, even in the context of the other restos I mentioned, none of which are a cheap breakfast. The bathrooms are nice though.

Unfortunately, they have none left now. Rats.

It's not that I have something particularly brilliant to say on the subject, but it is undoubtably true that Quebec cheese are in a league of their own in North America. As mentioned on other forums, they need a forum of their own. I love the cheese here in Quebec, and want to learn more. Perhaps someone could lead me in the direction of a interesting blue cheese, as I'm having a craving.

Is that the Tanariva Lactée 33%? I haven't tasted that one...

It comes in both pistoles and bars. Just specify when you order.

I had surprisingly (i say surprisingly because it was much better than at a previous visit a few months back) delicious brunch at Laika on St. Laurent just north of Duluth on the west side of the street. The only disadvantage was that the prices are almost as expensive as Reservoir. I have always liked Reservoir's brunch (although I haven't been recently due to thew aforementioned high prices), but I wonder if the departure (soon?) Chef Mehdi Brunet-Benkritli will affect the quality of the brunch. Does anyone know where he's going, or who's replacing him? (Or if this information is actully correct and not just a rumor?) Also, has anyone eaten brunch at Senzala on Bernard? The menu looked good from the outside, but there was a power outage on Bernard st the day i was there (so I went to Laika!).

I believe both Les Caprices de Nicolas and Milos are open on Mondays, whereas Le Club Chasse et Peche is not. Just remeber that Milos is in NY as well... Brunoise is also a good choice for Monday dining and has had writes-ups in the NY times. Lemeac is also very good , but maybe not impressive Monday dining is tricky- too bad it's not tuesday...

Usually I cut it to 2 1/4-2 1/2cm thick. Thinner and it overcooks too easily, thicker and the outside crust suffers from the long cooking time to get the centre right. I like to start it over high heat (not smoking!), then reduce the heat to medium high to finish. (I believe Thomas Keller cuts it to a similar thickness, and he is somewhat an authority on the subject. See above...) The first time I cooked foie gras was at home and it was discouraging to say the least. Thankfully I've had lots of opportunity to practise since then. Hope this helps.

In my experience the best foie gras for searing is the A(+) foie gras I get from Palmex. The product is consistent, barely any fat escapes during the initial sear. (I find that the first contact with the pan gives the best indication of the quality of the liver. A smaller amount of rendered fat initally usually indicates what will be a better result. Old or poor quality livers immediately start rendering significant amounts of fat into the pan.) I have not found "B" foie gras to be consistent in quality, nor do I enjoy it seared as a rule. I find "B" foie gras generally more bitter, and searing only intensifies that flavour. In fact we have used B foie gras, but it was soaked in milk to remove the blood, then marinated, and used in a terrine. For that use it worked admirably.

I know you can get yuzu juice at La Mer (Papineau corner Viger? (514) 522-3003). It's a little expensive though.

I know the pastry chef at Bronte-MR Mark Tam used to make a pannetone bread pudding, although I am not sure of the pannetone's provenance...