carswell

Here's betting the challenge of getting the vin jaune will pale beside the challenge of getting your guests to appreciate it! Someone once said you don't start enjoying vin jaune until your third encounter with it, although in my case it was love at first sip. Along with your Comté, you should serve some walnuts; the cheese, nuts and wine truly are a marriage made in heaven. The classic main course pairing is poulet au vin jaune. This would also be a great way to use up any leftovers. PM me if you'd like a recipe. Some people also like to pair the wine with duck à l'orange. Though it's often drunk at the end of the meal, vin jaune usually isn't sweet enough to be considered a dessert wine. That said, it can work as an accompaniment to walnut tarts and tarte Tatin. And Arbois-based chocolatier Hirsinger has developed a chocolate specifically to accompany vin jaune: It's a cube of barely sweetened almond paste mildly flavoured with walnuts and curry powder and covered with the finest bittersweet chocolate, and it goes surprisingly well with the wine.

Thanks for the info and reccos, all. A chowhounder has noted that Le Bambou Vert is no more, having been upscaled into Taï nature. According to Voir's November 17, 2005, review, they claim to serve SE Asian cuisne santé, including sushi, at more or less double the former price. While reviewer Gagné seemed happy with his meal, his descriptions make it sound like a place that does many things, none of them particularly well. It's not my decision to make but I imagine we'll be going elsewhere; if not, I'll report back here.

Mustard — either Dijon or whole-grain or both — works as a flavouring, especially when the spaetzle are to be served with beef or lamb. Just add some along with the other liquids when you make the dough. Ditto chèvre frais, the fluffy fresh goat cheese, which adds a subtle tang. You can also flavour the dough with finely chopped herbs; try a chive and chèvre frais combination. Mmmmm.

Why? We're only supposed to talk about high-end restaurants, cult wines, rare coffees and olive oils that most of us can't afford? This is a forum about Quebec (and Eastern Canadian) topics. Discussion of all local produce, including Quebec wines, is appropriate here. Whatever you think of it, Les Pervenches' chardonnay is of interest, is worth discussing, because it is a trailblazer, one of the only, if not the only, Quebec-made vinifera wines available to consumers. What's more, it and several other Quebec wines are poured in some of the province's finest restaurants. You don't like our talking about them? Tough. No one's forcing you to read this discussion, let alone take part in it.

The mention of Pennsylvania saffron rang a bell; I seemed to recall reading positive comments about it several years ago. A little googling and voilà: the dogged pursuit of a single man, R. Martin Keen, who has been growing the flower in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, since 1985 and markets the stigmas under the M. & J. Greider Farm label. Annual harvest: about 2½ pounds. The article I read was probably "The Midas Spice: from Flower to Saffron" by Amanda Hesser in the October 27, 1999, edition of the New York Times. Ms. Hesser characterizes the Pennsylvania spice as "terrific, as intense as the Persian, but much different. The filaments stained the water a deep orange, and the aroma was full and minerally, more austere than the Persian." She prefers both it and the Persian to the Spanish La Mancha. She also quotes Paula Wolfert enthusing over Greek and Persian saffron. Someone has thoughtfully archived the article on Geocities: click here or goggle the article's title.

More on Les Pervenches. They're located in Farnham and they have a website. They make three wines with grapes from their two-hectare vineyard: an 85-15 seyval-seyval blend; an 85-15 Maréchal Foch-vidal noir blend; and the "chardonnay." The quotes are because it, too, is a blend: 60% chard and 40% seyval. What's more, part of the chard comes from Ontario (by law, all Quebec wines can contain up to 15% Ontario fruit). The wine is barrel-fermented. Quoting Schreiner, at "$20 a bottle, it is one of Quebec's most expensive wines, and one of the best." The wines can be purchased at the cellar door and in several Quebec restaurants including Montreal's Toqué!, APDC, Bû, La Chronique, Le Club Chasse & Pêche, L'Express, Le Jolifou and even La Paryse (see the winery's website for a complete listing). Winemaker Michael Marler says the restaurateurs are pushing him to make a 100% chardonnay.

This thread is for discussion of Quebec wines, winemakers and wineries. Last week I picked up a copy of John Schreiner's The Wines of Canada, a 2005 addition to the Mitchell Beazley Classic Wine Library. The hardback retails for $39.95, though I got my copy at the Giant Booksales outlet in the Faubourg Ste-Catherine, now in the premises formerly occupied by Plantation. As of yesterday, they still had a couple available at $16.99 (plus if you buy four books, you get the cheapest one free). The Quebec section of the book begins with an interesting seven pages on the history of viticulture in the province. It'd be great if I could reproduce it here but copyright's copyright, so a few quotes and some summarizing will have to do. Let's start with this quote: "It would be hard to find vignerons more challenged and courageous than those of Quebec." The main reason is the temperature. Lacking large climate-moderating bodies of water like Niagara's Great Lakes and BC's Okanagan Lake, winter lows often drop to -30ºC, whereas Vitis vinifera vines (chardonnay, chenin blanc, cabernet sauvignon, sangiovese, syrah, etc.) are hardy only to about -20ºC. Not surprisingly, very little vinifera is grown here; most vintners opt for European or North American hybrids. Also, despite the market's preference for red, most of the wine is white. "'Why don't we concentrate on making crisp, clean whites?' asks Michel Marler, who makes one of Quebec's rare Chardonnays at Les Pervenches. 'The whites we make are of a more international standard. The reds are tourist wines.'" Another challenge facing the winemakers is yield. Schreiner quotes Jacqueline Dubé of Vignobles Les Blancs Coteaux as saying that, for the grapes to ripen sufficiently, yields must be kept as low as one bottle per vine, compared with four bottles per vine typical for equivalent wines in France. Add to that the extra work involved in burying and unburying the vines for winter survival, the high winter die-back rate and the low prices the wines command, and it soon becomes clear that wine-making in Quebec is above all a labour of love. While most of Quebec's wineries are found in the Eastern Townships and the Montérégie, five are located north of Quebec City and "are among the most northerly wineries in Canada." Oddly, the area is Quebec's only traditional wine-growing region: after finding wild vines on Île d'Orléans in 1535, Jacques Cartier proposed calling the island Ïle de Bacchus "until the need arose to curry the favour of his royal sponsors." Grapes from such vines were used by Jesuits to make sacramental wine when their European supplies ran low. More on the history at some later point. For now, how about we hash over this: Are Quebec reds forever condemned to tourist-wine status? And has anyone tried that chard from Les Pervenches? Chardonnay in Quebec – who knew!

Some friends on a post-holidays budget are proposing this Chinese resto for dinner next week. A Google search turns up zero feedback on the place, which I find odd and a little worrisome, so I thought I'd ask here before volunteering my services as a guinea pig or trying to get them to change for Beijing or Niu Kee. Le Bambou Vert 475 St Laurent, corner Notre-Dame Montreal, QC H2Y 2Y7 514 868-0666

Truffles, especially with mature wines, as in risotto or pasta with Parmesan and white truffle shavings. Wild mushrooms, especially porcini, either by themselves, in risotto or pasta or as a flavouring agent in stews. Game (pappardelle with hare sauce is classic). Pan-roasted quail, partridge and guinea hen. Kid stewed in red wine. Beef, venison or horse al Barolo. Veal or lamb kidneys, grilled or sautéed with mustard sauce. Parmesan and fontina cheese. Even beef or venison, roasted, pot-roasted or stewed, especially if you use northern Italian herbs, spices and aromatics. You might want to keep an eye on the A Year of Italian Cooking thread, as Kevin72 has announced he's extending it by a month in order to focus on Piedmont.

A bit drop-jawed at most of the responses here, frankly. I equate alcohol in any form with punching out, with wrapping up the day. I'll pop a cork, pour a martini or flip the lid on an extra pale ale only when I have nothing serious, nothing intellectually demanding, left to do. (Trade tastings are an exception but then my rule is spit, don't swallow.) Even Sunday brunches are non-alcoholic. No mimosas or bloody marys, TYVM; one drink and I need a nap or I'm a basket case. And even if I get a nap, the rest of the day is tinged with a sense of unreality. Nope, the only drug I want before sunset is caffeine, preferably in the form of a double espresso.

Not to mention Roero, Carema and Valtellina (including the four Valtellina superiore subdenominations of Grumello, Inferno, Vagella and Sassella).

Any of several factors might be at play. You might have overdosed the saffron. Like lavender, a little goes a long way. And when the threshold is exceeded the results can be exceedingly unpleasant and, yes, bitter: "The bitter taste is attributed to picrocrocin, the glucoside of an alcohol structurally related to safranal (4-hydroxy-2,4,4-trimethyl 1-cyclohexene-1-carboxaldehyde )" (source: Gernot Katzer's Spice Page, linked to below). Also, "saffron is characterised by a bitter taste and a hay-like fragrance; these are caused by the chemicals picrocrocin and safranal" (source: Wikipedia's saffron article). By the way, another name for picrocrocin is bitter crocin. Your saffron could be old, in which case the perfumy components will have disappeared, leaving only a tinny, bitter taste. Your friend may have brought back safflower aka bastard saffron, which is said to be used in that part of the world (compare with true saffron). Before you declare yourself a saffron hater, you might want to buy a small vial of Spanish saffron with a best before date and give it a go. Just be sure to use it with restraint.

Leftover from yesterday's holiday dinner: three ribs from the centre of a rack of venison. Total weight, including bones: about 250 g (1/2 lb.). Roasted briefly in a 500ºF oven, the meat has a crusty exterior and very rare interior. The meat is extremely lean. Any bright ideas on how to recycle this into a one-person meal? Thanks!

Most of the red Beaujolais that holds my attention has a distinct mineral component. But, then, Beaujolais, especially the non-Parkerized sort, is a lighter, sharper red. I suspect the intense fruit flavours in bigger red wines tends to cover the mineral flavours, along with things like the aforementioned oak treatment. That's even true for some whites. Compare a good unoaked Chabils (all gun-flint and chalk with laser-like acidity) with a fat Mâcon that's seen some oak (butter, vanilla, not very minerally). Citrus and mineral flavours are typical of many sharp whites, rieslings – especially Alsatian – being a prime example.

The pesto rosso I mentioned in your Shiraz pairings thread, either spread on lightly toasted country bread or mixed with pasta and lots of chopped parsley and freshly grated Parmesan. Crostini di fegatini: toasts spread with the Tuscan chopped liver. Duck livers are best, though chicken will do. My version combines the livers with reconstituted dried porcini mushrooms, anchovies, capers, garlic, onion, fresh sage and a splash of brandy. Shoot me a PM if you'd like the recipes.

Fendant or Neuchâtel from Switzerland is tradtional. Other sharp dry whites from Alsace (e.g. riesling from Trimbach, Hugel, Beyer), Germany (riesling labelled troken or kabinett) or the Loire (chenin blanc from Anjou, romorantin from Cour-Cheverny) will do in a pinch. A New Zealand sauvignon blanc that was all fruit and acid once proved a better match than I expected it would be. Acidic chardonnays will also hold their own. Some people prefer a red with their cheese fondue. If you're one of them, avoid low-acid, heavily oaked, highly extracted wines. A Côtes-du-Rhône would be a safe bet. For bubblies, dry and acidic are again the key. Fondue isn't a dish for fine wines, so if you choose a Champagne, go for something lowish end, Pol Roger's nonvintage for example.

For small collections in cellars with lots of free space, organizing by region is fine. For larger collections in cellars with little free space, it's not very practical, since the number of bottles from each region in your collection is in constant flux depending on what you drink and buy. Twelve spaces may seem ample for Beaujolais when you map out your cellar, but then you discover the pleasures of aged Moulin-à-Vent and begin holding on to them longer than you'd planned or you run across an incredible bargain Bojo and decide to buy a case. And what if you're busy the day you buy that case? You take it to your cellar and find your Bojo section has only two spaces left. You don't really have time to move the Burgundies in the adjacent rows, especially since that would also require reorganizing the Burgundy and the Northern Rhône sections, but then again you don't want to leave the Bojo standing upright on the floor, so you just stick the Bojo in whatever spaces you have free. Repeat that scenario a few times and your regional organization is pretty much kaput. Many collectors just give each space a coordinate, usually the column and the row of the rack (e.g. J7). Then, when they stick a bottle in that space, they note it in their cellar book or cellar management software for future reference. In fact, most cellar management programs have some sort of coordinate system built in. How many bottles? Budget permitting, I recommend buying at least three; that way, if you open a bottle too soon or with the wrong food, you have another shot or two at getting it right. Also, the joy of drinking a glorious wine is only augmented by knowing you have another bottle or two (or eleven!) in the cellar. If your friend plans to open his bottles at large gatherings, he'd should buy in multiples large enough to provide everyone with a decent serving. Generally, though, the beginning collector is probably wise to avoid investing heavily in a specific wine or type of wine; our tastes change over time and the Shiraz that knocks your socks off today may strike you as an undrinkable fruitbomb — or may not go with the kind of food you tend to cook — five or ten years hence. That said, buying a few wines that age well (Burgundy, Barolo, Bordeaux, Rioja, Vouvray, Alsatian/German riesling, some Calcabs, etc.) in case quantities affords you the opportunity to get to know the wines well and see how they develop over many years, an opportunity available only to those lucky enough to have a cellar.

Huh?! What about www.ochalet.net?

Definitely avoid expensive Champagne (which term, by the way, should be reserved only for the sparkling wine made in France's Champagne region). Look instead for an affordable Champagne-method sparkling wine from France (Crémant de Bourgogne, Crémant d'Alsace, Blanquette de Limoux, for example), Spain (aka cava; Freixenet is a major producer whose products are widely available), California (Mumm Napa, Chandon, Roederer Estate, Anderson, Argyle, Iron Horse, etc.), New Mexico (Gruet), etc. Since crème de cassis is already sweet, the sparkler should be dry unless you're looking to approximate soda pop. In my experience, most Asti Spumante (a muscat-based sparkling wine from NE Italy) isn't.

Lax means salmon in Swedish. The verb grava means to pickle. However, some etymologists trace the grav- to the noun grav, which means grave, tomb, pit, hole. All the gravlax I ate in Sweden was made from Atlantic salmon. It works fine. In his Quebec City resto, Laurie-Raphael, chef Daniel Vézina prepares ahi tuna gravlax style and serves it sliced with a deconstructed salade niçoise.

Hey, it was fun last time, so let's play another round of The Top Ten Translation Gems from Au Pied de Cochon's Website! Here's my pick (though I can't whittle it down further than 14, and even then I'm leaving many, many gems behind): 14. "Since its opening in November 2001, the Pied de Cochon never stopped evolving..." Note to translator: Time to bone up on the present perfect. 13. "Anti-conformist and a tad rebel, Martin Picard..." Note to translator: rebel = noun, rebellious = adjective. 12. "We thus go to the Pied de Cochon for the comforting pleasures of a meaty and generous cuisine, with roots deep down in our land." With roots deep down in your land how thus do you go? 11. "Martin Picard is a being of lavishness..." 10. "For him, to eat is not a matter of decorum. The pleasure is the key." Where's my red pencil? 9. "...a prejudice in favour of quality in the plate..." 8. "classical Italian cuisine" Oh, kewl! When was the classical era in Italian cooking? The late 18th and early 19th centuries, like in music? Like what Mozart ate when he visited Milan? Hey, do you know Marcella Hazan's book Classical Italian Cooking? 7. "...in the summer, when the 35 degrees in the shade dictate something lighter..." Each and every one of them dictates? Wow! 6. "Following the weather, the Pied de cochon menu goes from one extreme to the other." Note to translator: In English, similes are usually introduced with like or as. Unless you're following the French text, that is. 5. "It is then not unlikely to find in one's plate a fish who, the day before, was still swimming in the high sea." Note to translator: It's usually high seas except when used as an adjective ("high sea navigation"). And the phrase is on the high seas. Back to the drawing board! 4. "Many vivariums are set up in the dining room, thus transforming the restaurant's settings." "Waiter! I want a knife, fork and plate instead of this crab tank!" "Sorry, sir. They've been transformed." 3. "You'll be as happy as the fish in the proverbial sea!" It's a fish in water, bubuleh. And it's the fish that's proverbial, not the water. 2. "...the feel of a young sprout of lettuce between your teeth, even the best sprout, would yield as much pleasure as the taste of a piece of meat perfectly cooked in your mouth, liberating its fats and sugars, filling the body with instant warmth..." Mmmm. Lettuce sprouts! And who would have guessed you could cook meat perfectly in your mouth? And the Number One Translation Gem from the New APDC Website is... 1. "Toqué!, the first Montreal establishment of international statute" As legislated and enforced by the U.N. Well, at least they've stopped talking about china pie...

Yet the site isn't very informative. Only a few dishes are mentioned in the text and several of the pictures (the magret with mushrooms, for example) are decipherable only if you already know what they are. I also wonder how many visitors to the site are going to put up with the long download (for non-broadbanders), the jerky scrolling (one of the side effects of all those videos and animations), the unadjustable "text" (it's really graphics, so you have to resize your browser window to fit it, not the othe way around), the unprintability, the impossibility of viewing the phone number, address and opening hours on a single screen, the lack of a map and bus/metro and parking info, and the pompous, fawning, poorly translated prose in order to read vague descriptions of a very few dishes that may not even be on the menu when they visit. I will concede that the site's visual chaos conveys something of the resto's atmosphere. Upthread you argued that the site's quirkiness was appropriate for such a quirky chef and restaurant. Yet one of the things that has made APDC so popular is its user-friendliness, and that's exactly what's lacking with the site.

And their site designer and translator should be taken out in the alley and shot.

The site's up and running with a new URL: www.restaurantaupieddecochon.ca edit: Sorry about the duplication. When I clicked the "goto last unread post" button, I was taken to Campofiorin's post and so missed the new ones above it.

The first thing to bear in mind is that a good grinder is at least as important as a good machine. There was an off-topic subthread about espresso machines in the Best Coffee in Town thread. Start here and scroll down. At least a couple of posts talk about low-end machines.