Originally published in the Journal de Montréal on February 4, 2012.

We’ll know tomorrow which team has become the American football champion of the 46th Super Bowl. This final is a major event as it is telecast in over 200 countries, making it the second most watched sporting event, after the soccer world cup.

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Originally published in the Journal de Montréal on January 28, 2012.

Shrimps and prawns refer to about 2,000 different species of small aquatic animals with a flexible body and long antennae, 10 legs and a fan-shaped tail. While in biological terms, shrimps and prawns belong to different types of crustaceans, they are both very similar in appearance. In commercial farming, fisheries, and at fishmongers, these two terms are often used interchangeably, with regional preferences for one or the other term. So the word “prawn” is more commonly heard in the United Kingdom, while in North America, people mostly use the word ‘”shrimp.”

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Originally published in the Journal de Montréal on January 21, 2012.

According to Chinese tradition, when the Dragon is master, all the demons go into hiding. That’s why the Year of the Dragon is generally happy and prosperous, and many couples want to have children during this year.

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Originally published in the Journal de Montréal on January 14, 2012.

Around three-dozen different varieties of cabbage are cultivated in China. The most famous among these in the West is the “Bok choy”, also known as “pak choy” and “Shanghai choy.” It was incidentally the Chinese who brought it to North America in the late 19th century, when they took part in the great gold rush.

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Originally published in the Journal de Montréal on January 7, 2012.

A spritz is an alcoholic aperitif that is widely consumed in northern Italy. Originating in Venice during the Austrian Empire in the early 18th century, the spritz was the drink of choice for soldiers who couldn’t stomach the high alcohol content of local wines. So they topped up these wines with sparkling water (seltzer). In fact the name comes from the German verb “spritzen” which means “inject” (carbon dioxide).

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Originally published in the Journal de Montréal on December 17, 2011.

We are concluding our trilogy of menus for people with specific dietary needs, with a festive menu specially designed for diabetics. There’s no reason why you cannot celebrate just because you are diabetic, if you pay attention to a few points:

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Originally published in the Journal de Montréal on December 10, 2011.

This week I’m recommending a “5-course gluten-free menu” for a festive meal. This means that foods containing rye, oats, wheat, barley, triticale and its derivatives have to be avoided.
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