North America | Food Nouveau

The Best Lobster Rolls Ever (Yes, Really!)

Yes, I know, my post title may sound a little exuberant and subjective. But seriously, I’m still recovering from the deliciousness of the lobster rolls we had for dinner last night. They were so good I have to restrain myself from planning to make more tonight, and tomorrow, and for the rest of the week!

For our vacation this summer, E and I are planning a road trip through New England and along the coast. When I was growing up, the beaches of Maine and Massachusetts were classic summer destinations and (although I probably bugged my parents all through the drive over: “are we there yet?”) I truly loved the trips, playing with my brother, discovering new scenery, crossing over the border and hearing people speak English, all of a sudden. Although I’ve driven several times to Boston, it’s been years since I’ve taken such a road trip to the Atlantic coast.

Posted on July 5, 2011 • Category: Fish/Seafood, Mains, North America, Recipes, Sandwiches/Tartines, US East Coast • 13 Comments

4-Star Dishes… Served in New York’s Gourmet Grocery Stores

When visiting one of the great capitals of gastronomy, who would ever think to sit down to eat in a grocery store? Yet there is fierce rivalry in New York’s gourmet markets in terms of diversity, refinement and quality, with some places even calling on the services of famous chefs to conceive their dishes. I took a tour of New York’s best East Side gourmet grocery stores, Eli’s Food Market, Agata & Valentina, Citarella, Grace’s Marketplace, The Food Emporium, Dean & Deluca and newcomer Eataly, and I soon discovered that they cater for all tastes…and all budgets too.

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Eli’s Food Market

Founded by Eli Zabar, a member New York’s influencial Zabar family, this store shows a modest decor but an impressive diversity. In the basement is the grocery store with its impressive vertical produce displays and then, on the first floor, there’s the bakery, pastry and chocolate shops as well as a buffet of ready-to-eat dishes and even books and kitchen accessories.

Posted on March 22, 2011 • Category: New York City, North America, Restaurants, Shopping • 5 Comments

Review: Wylie Dufresne’s WD-50

Last on our list of New York City restaurant visits was Wylie Dufresne’s WD-50. Located in Lower East Side, I wouldn’t say the neighborhood was the most enjoyable to walk through on a Friday night, but the unpretentious location hints at the chef’s character. Dufresne is a leader in the molecular gastronomy movement, and he has won numerous prizes and much recognition over the years. He’s frequently been on Top Chef, either as a contestant or a judge, and he is highly regarded by his peers. Even so, he still has only one restaurant, he’s never published a book and he seems resolutely to want to keep a low profile. His public persona is borderline mysterious, and that intrigued me a lot.

After visiting three of New York’s top restaurants without any of the celebrity chefs in sight, I was close to concluding that once a chef becomes a celebrity, he’s no longer in the kitchen.

Posted on February 1, 2011 • Category: New York City, North America, Restaurants • 5 Comments

Review: Susur Lee’s Shang / Recipe: Singapore Slaw

I wanted to love Shang, I really did. Susur Lee is one of the most well-known Canadian chefs, and I’ve been following his career for a long time. When I lived in Toronto, I dreamed of going to his restaurant as I read his fascinating memoir/cookbook, Susur: A Culinary Life. Recently, millions of people were able to witness his incredible abilities in the kitchen on “Top Chef Masters” and the show boosted his popularity in America, something well deserved after a life dedicated to modernizing the classics of Chinese cuisine.

Our visit to New York City’s Shang was the meal I anticipated the most. I was so happy that Lee had had the chance to open his own place in the Big Apple and I couldn’t wait to finally taste his cuisine. I could just imagine him running around in his kitchen, and chopping faster that what most thought humanly possible.

Posted on January 27, 2011 • Category: New York City, North America, Recipes, Restaurants, Salads • 6 Comments

Review: David Chang’s Mà Pêche

Going to New York, I was determined to try one of David Chang’s restaurants. I had read extensively about this somewhat elusive “culinary bad boy” – certainly one of the most talked about chefs in New York for the last five years – and was torn between dismissing this Momofuku-frenzied foodie hype and hopping on the fan train.

My quest to go and judge for myself began with a subscription to Momofuku’s online reservation system. I discovered that some of two of Chang’s restaurants don’t take reservations, except for special menus served to groups (the Noodle Bar and Ssäm Bar), while Ko, his two-Michelin-starred restaurant, took reservations only a week in advance. Ko’s reservation system is notoriously difficult: opening at 10am daily, the few available seats fly off in a matter of minutes. I chose to go to Chang’s newest restaurant, Mà Pêche, which is bigger, so it’s much easier to get a table.

Posted on January 26, 2011 • Category: New York City, North America, Restaurants • 0 Comments

Review: Harold Dieterle’s Kin Shop / Recipe: Spicy Thai Laab Salad

Our visit New York in the first week of January was organized like clockwork. I had a “celebrity chef” week in mind and I knew we couldn’t improvise as most of the places I wanted us to go to are fully booked weeks in advance. Turns out right after New Year’s was a good time to dine in New York: healthy 2011 resolutions made tables easy to find at the city’s big name restaurants.

Here’s what our schedule looked like: Try one of David Chang’s restaurants to see what the hype is all about, go to Wylie Dufresne’s WD-50 to refresh my molecular memory, visit Susur Lee’s first restaurant in the US to make sure he does Canada proud and try Harold Dieterle’s new Kin Shop because… Well, just because I like the guy and I was curious to see how he manages to pull authentic Thai off.

I loved our four celebrity-meals for widely different reasons and I will tell you more about it in the next few days.

Posted on January 25, 2011 • Category: Appetizers, Meat, New York City, North America, Recipes, Restaurants • 4 Comments

An Apple Lunch Menu Featuring a Tartare of Marinated Trout and Smoked Salmon – And a Book Giveaway

In Quebec City right now, the leaves have fallen and temperatures have already dropped to zero degrees Celsius (that’s in the low 30s for those speaking Farenheight!). Over the weekend, E and I were joining my parents to their cottage in a little village called St-Férréol-les-Neiges, which is located about 45 minutes out of the city. My parents have owned this charming little haven of peace for 10 years now but we have just recently become co-owners, after a couple of their friends, which were the previous co-owners, decided to sell their half. Because my parents have been taking such meticulous care of the place, and because it is ideally located (for us snowboard lovers!) less than 15 minutes away from Quebec’s most important ski resort (the Mont-Ste-Anne), we jumped at the opportunity to make this place our own. We didn’t celebrate this happy event with my parents yet and this weekend was the moment we had set in our agendas to do so.

Posted on October 26, 2010 • Category: Appetizers, Giveaways, North America, Quebec (Province), Quebec City, Recipes • 17 Comments

The Modernist Cuisine: Future or Science Fiction?

I am somewhat ambivalent when it comes to molecular gastronomy. As much as I drool over blog posts published by the chosen few who had the chance to enjoy one of Ferran Adrià’s spectacular meals, when I really challenge myself to figure out if I would genuinely enjoy that kind of experience, well, I’m not so sure. Don’t get me wrong; I would book a flight and go to El Bulli if I could make it before Adrià closes the kitchen for good, but mostly it would be because of the exclusive character of the experience, for the unique chance to experience it myself, and because, deep down, I am a bit of a chef groupie. There, I said it.

But do I feel true attraction for molecular gastronomy? Not really. In truth, I don’t know that much about molecular gastronomy (which I will abbreviate to MG from now on), but I know that I like true, simple flavors.

Posted on September 3, 2010 • Category: Conferences, North America, US West Coast • 11 Comments

IFBC 2010 – The Food: A Pictorial

In the end, it’s all about the food, isn’t it?

I feel for the IFBC organizers who had to take up the challenge to make 250 food enthusiasts belly-happy for 3 days. For me, they really did it. At every meal, we were lucky enough to benefit from the talent of creative chefs and we never served the same thing twice. Here’s how it went down:

Friday night: Opening of the conference at Hotel Monaco. Cocktail party hosted by the main sponsors with wine tastings, cocktails, and small bites.

Saturday:

Breakfast: Fresh breads and French pâtisseries; one-bite muffins and cakes; variety of berries.
Lunch: Small plates menu prepared by 5 different chefs with wine pairings.
Cocktail-hour: Tapas with Sherry pairings.
Dinner: Tasting menu crafted by 6 different chefs; desserts; wines.

Sunday:

Breakfast: An incredible array of (enormous) doughnuts, muffins, berries.
Lunch: Food truck gathering; beer.

Are you hungry yet? If not, wait ’till you see the pictures.

Posted on August 31, 2010 • Category: Blogging, Conferences, North America, US West Coast • 13 Comments

On Food and Friendships: The International Food Blogging Conference 2010

So, months ago, I planned a visit to my brother’s in Seattle. I’ve been coming here almost every year since he moved to the Pacific Northwest ten years ago. Days after I booked my tickets, I learned the International Food Blogging Conference (IFBC) would be held right in Seattle, right when I planned to be there! A newcomer to the food blog community, this was perfect to get inspired, boost my confidence, and allow me to meet new people.

Fast-forward to August: as the start of the conference grew closer, I began feeling a bit stressed. I’m naturally reserved and timid when it comes to meeting new people, especially when I’m by myself. Would I be stuck on my own all weekend? Would I be able to get to know new people and form friendships? My only comfort resided in my deep belief that food always brings people together, no matter what.

Posted on August 29, 2010 • Category: Conferences, North America, US West Coast • 3 Comments

Category Archives: North America

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