Wedding Season

I'm not a seasoned wedding guest (I may be by the fall), but I've worked at enough receptions to recognize appropriate wedding fare. After a pretty, laid-back service that I went to in May, servers butlered ham biscuits and pink lemonade masquerading as cosmos. Dinner was a sizeable buffet, the highlight of which was an impressive beef tenderloin carving station. The overall effect of the meal complimented the wedding itself - elegant yet modest - and the cake was so tasty that I had two pieces.

The second wedding I attended was anything but simple. My cousin and his wife had a conventional Hindu ceremony with select Jewish prayers and traditions. Immediately following the wedding, the families provided cheese and crackers, challah, and a sweet nut paste with an unfamiliar name (I didn't hear the details but I imagine it's customary for Indian weddings). If that wasn't enough to keep everyone on their toes, the bride had a mullti-cultural upbringing, and the food was a blend of international cuisines.

I heard a couple different rumors about who made the food, one being that the drumming group that played at the reception also cooked dinner. In addition, it was supposed to be a combination of Indian, Trinidadian and Caribbean recipes, all of which were vegetarian as per Hindu custom. Unfortunately I didn't find out the names of the dishes, and I don't know exactly what went into them, but I know that I tried some new spices and flavor combinations.

Aesthetically speaking, the food wasn't the most appealing I'd ever seen, but I enjoyed eating most of it. There were huge chafers of rice, which could accompany all of the food, and two large platters of flat bread that could serve as a utensil. One of my favorite dishes had chickpeas and potatoes in it, and a taste that my ethnically deprived tongue identified as curry (there's a good chance my assessment is incorrect). I also liked the pumpkin, which was mashed and sweet, and a dish with slices of mango in a sauce that was spicy and reminded me of coffee still stands out in my mind.

I wasn't as excited about experimenting with the wedding cake. While the red icing with gold design was gorgeous, the cake itself was almond-flavored and filled with passion fruit. To be fair, the part that I disliked the most was the icing, which reminded me of bad whipped cream. But the cake certainly didn't come close to ruining the meal or the festive atmosphere at the wedding reception.

While I thoroughly enjoy the familiar and sophisticated highlights of weddings, I'll also never tire of experiencing adventurous ceremonies and trying new and mysterious foods.

Eating like the Parisians! (by Evan Goldberg)

Bonjour! Maddy has asked me to write a guest entry in her blog and I have decided to pass along the knowledge I have gained while living and studying in France. Part of my study abroad program includes living with a French family. Not only am I lucky because my family is extremely nice, intelligent, and welcoming, but they are also very interesting people. I live with Comte et Comtess de Marotte de Montigny. In English, this means that they are descendents of French nobility. They have a three story house in a beautiful residential area of Paris and they eat extremely well, therefore I feel it is necessary to pass along the knowledge of French cuisine and wine that they have given me. A lot of what I will say is the personal opinion of various French people, and not fact, but they are justified in their thoughts.

I will start with wine because it is the most important part of any French meal. In France there are various varieties of red, white, and rosé wines. According to a few French people I have talked to, rosé is not a “real” wine. It is made by reusing the grapes that had already been used for making other wines. Therefore there are many who say not to drink it! The next important thing to know is that France is famous for a wine called Beaujolais Nouveau. This is a red wine that is produced every year and drunk without any aging. My “host dad” does not allow this wine in his house because he says it is terrible quality and it is for tourists. He said that France exports millions of dollars worth of it, but here, it is not well liked. Red and white wines come in various varieties from Bordeaux to Champagne. Some are aged (normally red wines) and some are drunk at a young age. There are many different wines that are unique to regions in France and some are produced differently than others. These are the wines that you really want to try. I highly recommend red wine from Bordeaux and white wine from Bourgogne (Burgundy). In Bordeaux the best chateaus that produce wine were given a title in the mid 1800’s which distinguishes them from others. These wines named “Grand Crus” of Bordeaux tell you that a wine is made very well and will usually be a higher quality bottle than other wines from Bordeaux. Although many people believe that certain wines are drunk with certain food, that rule is not always followed in France, many say enjoy a wine that you like with food that you like. Rules were meant to be broken!

After my short introduction to wines, it is time to dive into the food of France. Although French food is very good, some regions have better cuisine than others. Regions by the water are known for their seafood, regions in the northeast for heavy dishes with lots of meat, and other regions are known for various delicacies. I will guide you through a traditional French meal in Paris (from my experience with my host family).

The meal starts with an entrée. However, an entrée in France is an appetizer, not a main dish. French appetizers vary, but normally they involve pate, vegetables, or meats. With my family I have had pate of duck, pate of goose and various other pates; normally one eats this with a fresh baguette and pickles. Also, we often eat dried meats similar to our hard salami our bologna with bread and pickles or olives. One of my favorite entrees was an uncooked filet of salmon that was cut into small pieces and eaten with what I call French wasabi (a mixture of Dijon mustard, soy sauce, Tabasco, and freshly squeezed lemon juice). Finally a very traditional entrée is radishes Parisian style which means that one takes a whole raw radish and puts a little butter on it, then dips it in salt and eats it. They are delicious. Another common French entrée is quiche, which comes from the northeastern region (Lorraine). Quiches can be just egg and cheese or they can contain a mixture of meats, cheeses, and vegetables.

Sometimes an entrée can be a soup or salad, but in a normal French meal, those are in a separate course following the entrée. Soups and salads are not much different than in the U.S., but the salads are always really fresh because people do not normally buy in mass quantity in France, so they buy fresh vegetables from markets the day that they eat them.

The next course is the main course. This varies a lot depending on the region. In Paris, with my family, the main course is normally a really fresh meat or chicken dish served with rice, vegetables, and/or noodles. Some of my favorites that I have eaten with my family are: steak tartar, steak au poivre (steak with pepper), chicken with mushroom sauce, tomatoes or peppers stuffed with a mixture of meat and spices, lamb, and a few other chicken dishes. Steak tartar is amazing when done correctly. With my family it is a high quality piece of beef that they request their butcher to grind into ground beef. They said never to do it with meat that is already ground. The meat is served on a plate raw with an egg yolk on top. You then mix the meat and the egg with homemade mayonnaise, mustard, onions, salt, pepper, Tabasco, and Worcestershire sauce. It is delicious like that! It may sound gross to some people, but it is one of the best things I have eaten on this continent! Anytime we eat beef, it is always served with homemade mayonnaise which I will provide the recipe for later.* My family told me if there is one thing I learn in France, it is of utmost importance to learn how to make mayonnaise. One afternoon they showed me how and that is the recipe that I have provided for you. I normally do not prefer mayonnaise over mustard, or to mix mayonnaise with high quality food like filet, but this recipe is very good. Mayonnaise in France is different than in the U.S., and is used differently here, but the best stuff is made at home, because the bottled stuff is not even close to being as good. It is a great combination of flavors. Chicken with mushrooms or mushroom sauce is a great dish. Sometimes the chicken is cooked with chopped mushrooms and spices on it and other times, the sauce is cooked separately and then added at the table.

The next part of the meal depends on the family, sometimes it can be a soup or salad after the main course, but, if not, this is the cheese course. Cheeses in France are hands down the best in the world. What we eat in the U.S. even if it is French, like Brie, do not compare. All of the USDA regulations cause American cheese to be completely different (these regulations can affect some wines also). My favorite cheese of France comes from the North and is only made during the winter and early spring. It is called Vacherin or Mont d’Or (I believe Mont d’Or is the most famous producer of the cheese). It is an extremely soft cheese that is normally served with a spoon because it is so rich it is almost a liquid. Other good cheeses include: Blue Cheese, Brie, Reblochon, Camembert, Chevre (goat cheese), and many others. When I eat chevre with my family, we mash it up with a fork and mix in olive oil and pepper. It is delicious that way. In France the best cheese always comes from a cheese shop and the attendants can always guide you to choose. I tried Muenster one time, and French Muenster is much different than in the U.S. It was the strongest cheese I have ever eaten, and it was good, but a lot to handle. A normal cheese course consists of 3-5 types of cheeses and it always accompanied by fresh baguette.

As the meal begins to wind down it is time for dessert. Desserts in France are traditionally a fruit tart or pie, ice cream with a fruit sauce, sorbets, and some other cakes. The French do not eat much chocolate for dessert - it is reserved for breakfast and with coffee. My family typically has ice cream with a raspberry sauce, and sometimes a tart or a type of cobbler.

The meal always finishes with a coffee. With my family it is usually a really strong coffee like an espresso or a cappuccino. The coffee in France is delicious and I actually drink it here (I never drank coffee before coming here). The coffee course is usually accompanied by a dark chocolate. My favorite chocolate here is called Cote d’Or and it is a Belgian chocolate that is amazing.

That is a run down of the important things I have learned in France. The meal I explained can be lunch or dinner. Don’t forget: if you make a trip here, eat pastry from the bakeries, because that is one of France’s signature foods and the éclairs here are the best I have ever eaten.

*Mayo de Marotte:

2 Egg yolks

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Mustard (Dijon or strong/spicy)

Half a lemon

Chives

Sunflower Oil or Vegetable Oil

Put egg yolks, salt, pepper, and mustard in a bowl and beat on medium using a mixer. As you beat the ingredients add oil in small portions. Once it becomes thick, stop beating, and add pepper and chives and squeeze the lemon over the mixture for juice. Then mix with a spoon. Refrigerate for a few hours allowing flavors to mix.

To Market to Market

"We're eating like we're poor!"

Members of my family (my parents and I) like to quote this cranky outburst, which came from my brother's mouth on a trip to Canada. My parents, aware of the culinary possibilities, stopped the car at a local grocery store to buy bread and cheese for our lunch. Evidently Evan wasn't supporting their decision, and both of us stayed in the parking lot while my mom and dad selected our next meal.

There is something to Evan's statement, considering that my friends and I survived six weeks in Europe off of market food. However, the cheese from that Canadian store was sharp and savory, and I certainly learned my lesson. Going to a city's food market or grocery store for lunch is one of my favorite vacation activities. The fruit, bread, and cheese are fresh and unique, and the attitudes of the other shoppers and the stall owners are too entertaining to pass up.

Buying goods in a town where you don't speak the native language is challenging, yet fulfilling. People look at you like you have no idea what you're doing, because you're buying lunch while they're getting produce for the week. I always find it amusing when I perceive those reactions; I'm having fun while most of the shoppers are going through the motions of a regular chore.

The guidebook I brought to Montreal claimed that the city has two prominent food markets, one of which is more "upscale" than the other: Jean-Talon, in Little Italy, and Atwater, downtown on the Lachine Canal. I did notice a distinction between the two, although it was caused more by the clientele than the quality or prices of the commodities that were available.
The consumers at the Jean-Talon market were pushier and louder, and the market itself is scattered between a couple buildings and slightly confusing to navigate. The Atwater market is two floors of even rows, and there were tables on the second floor. Both locations house the same local bakery chain, which carries delicious baguettes.

Our meal at the markets, as I mentioned before, didn't vary much from the basic staples. In Little Italy we got tasty clementines and two types of cheese to eat with our baguette. One was locally made and creamy, similar to brie, while the other was from the Basque region, and it was hard and peppery. I also tried some type of sausage from a cart outside, which hit the spot, and got three chocolate truffles at a specialty shop (hazelnut, mocha and mint).

At the "sophisticated" Atwater market, I spoke briefly with one of the guys at a cheese shop who grew up in Montreal but has Italian heritage. He talked me into getting a luscious French cheese that melted in my mouth. It was mild but still interesting. The other cheese we tried was a more familiar variety, similar to a havarti, and it went well with the prosciutto we purchased.

The highlight of the Atwater venture was tasting maple syrup taffy. From the end of February to the end of March, the weather in Quebec Province is warm enough that the sap starts to flow from the maple trees, and Canadians celebrate with all sorts of syrupy products. For the popsicle-like delicacy I had the privilege of tasting, thickened maple syrup was poured on a table of crushed ice and rolled onto a popsicle stick. I'm not sure if it's the texture or the chill that makes it special, but I saw Montrealers of all ages enjoying the candy. Apparently, enjoying a seasonal treat isn't exclusive to any market.

Bilingual Cuisine

One of the biggest mistakes I made ordering food in a restaurant involved a Canadian all-you-can-eat mussels joint. I don't remember the exact town we were in, or what I chose instead of the fragrant buckets of mussels, or why, but I can still feel the disappointment that marked my meal. My family members were generous and sympathetic enough to share with me, so I wasn't completely deprived of mussels. I learned my lesson and made sure that we found a similar venue on our next Canadian trip, which occurred a couple years later in Montreal. I'm not sure how those mussels compared, but they did leave me with a favorable impression of the city.

I returned last month, after about five years, armed with positive memories and a decent guidebook. I had to order room service on the first night (after fourteen hours of traveling), and I was a little upset about having to eliminate one of my restaurant choices. Luckily I found hazelnut mousse on the dessert menu, and nothing else seemed to matter after I started eating it.

Within a block of the hotel was a cafe called Chez Simon, and their muffins were just about perfect. I tried carrot and lemon poppyseed muffins during the trip, and they both melted in my mouth. The muffin tops had the slightest bit of crunch and were larger than average.

The first dinner I had out of the hotel room was at Red Thai, which turned out to be a dimly lit, chic room with Buddhist statues and crisp white tablecloths. The waitress brought warm towels before our food came, which was consistent with the exotic atmosphere of the room. I ordered a beef dish, which is somewhat uncharacteristic, but it turned out to be both subtle and spicy at the same time - a common enigma in Thai food. I didn't pay close attention to the name of my meal; it was made with tender pieces of filet along with mushrooms, tomatoes, bell peppers, dried chile peppers and onion.

Patati Patata was listed in my guidebook as a good place for burgers and authentic Montreal dining. The restaurant consisted of two small bars, with about 8 chairs between them, and four two-top tables. There was a menu high up on one of the walls, written all in French, and two employees cooking, taking orders, working the cash register, and assuring customers that they'd have seats within a few minutes. They were right too - for such a small place, the tables turned every ten minutes or so, I guess because the menu was limited and the food was quick. Small burgers, tofu burgers, and fish burgers (for $2.25 Canadian at the most) were grilled shortly after they were ordered. A fresh salad or a hearty serving of hot, browned fries accompanied the sandwiches for $3 each. Pitchers and half pitchers of local beer and poutine (gravy, french fries, and cheese) rounded out the menu. Patati Patata wasn't a tourist stop at all, although I felt like a tourist eating among French-speaking students. Even though the waiter had to help me with some of the menu, eating there was one of my favorite traveling experiences.

In contrast, La Moulerie was in one of Montreal's nicer neighborhoods, and the average diner was probably fifty years old. I had to try it because of my fondness for mussels, and I certainly would recommend dining there. My mussels - mussels sicilienne - came in a sauce of pesto, roasted tomatoes, goat cheese, and pine nuts, and they were fantastic. It's easy to distinguish good seafood from bad seafood, and I had no complaints. Nor did I have any reason to complain about the homemade ice cream that I got down the street, which was rich and smooth. Montreal may only have a few months of warm weather, but it's a city where even frozen treats are made well.

Stay tuned for another installment from my Canadian vacation...