Category: Our Columns
Chorizo, a spicy little sausage
Chorizo is a typical sausage of Iberian cuisine (i.e., Spain and Portugal). Made from pork or a mixture of pork and beef, there exist several kinds, more or less spicy. The rust color and slightly fruity taste of chorizo are due to ‘pimenton’, a variety of Spanish paprika, which is present up to 3% on […]
“Chipotle”, a Small Smoked Pepper
The Chipotle is a jalapeño pepper that has been smoked and dried. This is one of the small secrets of Mexican cuisine, which uses it very often in its soups, sauces and stews.
Forgotten fruits and vegetables
Are you traditional in your choice of fruits and vegetables? There is nothing wrong with that, but did you know that there are a variety of choices other than well-buttered, salted corn on the cob and fried or baked potatoes? It would be a shame especially in this harvest season, not to take advantage of […]
Open house on Quebec farms
Originally published in the Journal de Montréal on September 8, 2012. Tomorrow is the 10th edition of the ‘Open House’ day on Quebec farms. This activity will enable thousands of locals to visit agricultural facilities in all the regions of Quebec, free of charge.
From one marathon to another
The recent memory of the London Marathon at the end of the Olympic games is still fresh in our minds. And now another one – the Montreal marathon on 23 September – is already looming on the horizon. Did you know that around 15,000 people will take part either in the 42K full marathon, the […]
Imperfect fruits and vegetables
Harvest season is in full swing. This is the ideal time to make the most of local fruits and vegetables, not only for immediate consumption, but also for stocking up on them. It is also the best time to go pay a visit to producers, or do the rounds of market places. You’ll see that […]
CHARming fish for the Inuit
Arctic char is the fish with the northernmost geographical distribution in the world. In fact, it lives in circumpolar lakes, rivers and coastal marine waters. This fish belongs to the Salmonidae family and is characterized by pale spots (red, pink or cream) on a dark back. It gets its name from the fact that it […]
Halibut: only from the Pacific or… the fish farm!
Originally published in the Journal de Québec on August 11, 2012. The term “halibut” refers to certain large flatfish that have an elongated body with both eyes on the same side. They are also known as “turbot” in Canada. This fish whose size and weight vary greatly from one specimen to another (usually around 1 […]
En Garde… here comes the swordfish
Swordfish is a migratory fish found all over the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. It is large (usually two to three meters, weighing between 90 to 150 pounds), with a long upper bill that resembles the shape of a sword. The adult swordfish feeds mainly on squid and other fish and it can reach speeds […]
Stars for the striped bass
In Canada, Chilean sea bass is the icon of non-ecological fish, since it is overfished, but there do exist other types of bass that can be eaten without worrying about the survival of the species and the environment. In fact, the term “bass” refers to several species of Atlantic fish, mainly from the Moronidae family, […]
Monkfish, “the poor man’s lobster”
Monkfish belongs to the anglerfish family. Supposedly it earned its name because people refused to purchase them and local monks would go down to the docks and collect them.
The very controversial catfish, called “basa”
Basa or Pangasius, also known as the “Mekong catfish“, is a boneless fine textured freshwater fish with white flesh and medium fat. Its mild-flavour compares favourably with that of sole. Developed by the Vietnamese in the 1990s, this fish is now easily found in the global markets. It is often sold fileted at a very […]