Category: Our Columns
The importance of water
It contains neither proteins, nor carbohydrates nor lipids, so it is not a food. And yet, it is an indispensable nutrient for all our vital processes. It makes up 60 to 70% of our body weight, and we lose more than 2 liters (or 2 kilos) per day, only in order to ensure our basic […]
The taste of spring
Spring arrived yesterday! According to astronomy, this season starts with the spring equinox, (from the Latin aequinoctium or aequus meaning ‘equal’ and nox meaning ‘night’). It signifies the first of two specific moments in the year when day and night are equal in length.
Cooking with beer
The history of beer is closely related to that of barley and spelt (a type of wheat), which are its basic ingredients. The cultivation of these grains dates back to 8000 BC in Mesopotamia (now known as Iraq). As for the beer itself, there is formal proof of its existence in 4000 BC.
Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day
You don’t need to have Celtic blood in your veins to celebrate the festival of the Irish patron saint (although it’s said that 40% of people in Quebec can trace at least one Irish ancestor).
Mom’s recipes
Originally published in the Journal de Montréal on March 3, 2007. Some of our best childhood memories are very often related to food. This week I’d like to share with you, 2 traditional Quebecois recipes that I learnt from my mother-in-law, who in turn, copied them from her grandmother.
Mango, the king of fruits
Appreciated for its juicy orange flesh, sweet taste and fragrance, the mango is the most widely consumed tropical fruit in the world, after the banana.
Mmmm….maple!
Sugar shack season is almost here. Between the months of March and April, the snow is still on the ground, but it’s warm during the day. It is during this time that maple sap is harvested and concentrated to give us that delicious product called maple syrup. So let’s make the most of spring and […]
A day to celebrate
Originally published in the Journal de Montréal on March 8, 2008. International Women’s Day is celebrated all over the world. It’s a tradition that represents 100 years of struggle for equality, justice, peace and development.
The Truth About Balsamic Vinegar
Over the past few years, balsamic vinegar has increased in popularity and can now be found in local supermarkets. But what exactly is it made of?
Discovering Tagine
The “tagine” cooking dish, which originated in the Maghreb region, is a hollow, round dish with a cone shaped cover.
March is nutrition month
Originally published in the Journal de Montréal on March 7, 2009. March is the official month of nutrition. This campaign has been steadily growing since the early 1980s, and has now become one of Canada’s most successful social marketing campaigns. Events and publicity drives are organized everywhere to highlight the importance of good nutrition for […]
Versatile Vinegar
Used for over thousands of years as a food preservative, as a condiment and for its therapeutic properties, vinegar is basically a wine that turns sour on coming into contact with air (the word derives from the French vin-aigre, meaning sour wine). In the olden days, every family that had access to leftover alcohol (wine […]