Now that warmer temperatures are back, the month of May is turning out to be a busy one for food events in Montreal. If you are a foodie, the following 3 events are sure to be up your alley

Food Revolution Day – Boxed Lunch Sale: Chef Jamie Oliver is the instigator of Food Revolution Day, a day of awareness for better food education celebrated in over 60 countries around the world. Appetite for Books is participating in the May 17^th international event by preparing $10 “good food” boxed lunches made by chef Jonathan Cheung and featuring favourite Jamie Oliver recipes. All proceeds raised on that day will be donated to the NDG Food Bank’s Good Food Box Program. May 17, 2013 at 12 P.M, Appetite for Books, 388 Victoria Avenue

Salon j’ai faim: This event is in its very first edition this year. Its mission is to celebrate local food initiatives and innovation. The show will host about 50 exhibitors who will showcase their local products, from all natural sodas, to vegan cooking classes to urban organic vegetable gardens. Also on site will be artists exhibiting their work, conferences on how to start a food business as well as activities for the whole family, including kids workshops. May 18-19, 2013 from 11 A.M. to 6 P.M, Église Saint-Enfant Jesus, 5035 St-Dominique

Pointe-à-Callière’s Cultural Feast: This event takes place in Old Montreal, right in front of Pointe-à-Callière, Montreal’s Museum of Archeology and History and celebrates the city’s cultural diversity. Activities, food stands and presentations by food enthusiasts are on the menu as well as a very special spotlight on tea in the form of conferences and tasting. Several international delights and sweet treats will be served by some of Montreal’s restaurateurs. A kid’s corner with face painting and games will surely delight the younger crowd so don’t hesitate to make it a family outing! May 25from 11 A.M. to 7 P.M and May 26 from 11 A.M. to 6 P.M. Place D’Youville, outside the Pointe-à-Callière Museum, 350 Place Royale

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Molecular cuisine at Pullman: Chef Alejandro Digillo of La Vinería de Gualterio Bolívar in Buenos Aires has worked with the godfather of cutting-edge contemporary cuisine Ferran Adria. Chef Digillo has received several honours for his trendy yet unpretentious local and seasonal cuisine that focuses on applying new techniques in the kitchen. Expect some showmanship and a little bit of the theatrical when he takes over the Pullman kitchen during this year’s fest. February 26-27, 2013, Pullman, 3424 Parc, (514) 288-7779

Lunch around the world: What better way to spend your lunch hour then to travel around the world in search of exotic flavours? From February 25 to March 1, take your taste buds – and your coworkers – on a whirlwind culinary trip. All 6 of these restaurants will be offering 3-course lunch menus for $14.95. Any of these spots would be wonderful but my personal favourites are Byblos and Rumi. February 25 to March 1, 2013, Various locations

Festival of Quebec cheeses: This free activity is a must for all cheese lovers. It’s a great opportunity to discover more than 60 Quebec-made cheeses and meet some of the cheesemakers who will all be gathered at Complexe Desjardins for a 4-day cheese extravaganza. Quebec cheeses have come a long way in the past 20 years and they now rival some of the best imported cheeses. Go on the hunt for your new favourite cheese, learn how to distinguish regional qualities and discover everything you always wanted to know about the intricate process of cheese making from the masters themselves. February 20-23, 2013, Complexe Desjardins, 150 Sainte-Catherine West, (514) 281-1870

Sweet Sucre at Auberge Saint-Gabriel: Sucre is one of the hottest restaurants in Buenos Aires right now and we are lucky to have its chef Hugo Macchia at Montreal en lumière this year. Chef Macchia has worked in some of the world’s best kitchens, including 3-Michelin starred Mugaritz in Spain. He will be a guest chef at Auberge Saint Gabriel where he should be in his element thanks to the similarities between his native and adoptive restaurants, mainly the large cellar and roaster set in a welcoming, hip ambiance. February 21-22, 2013, Auberge Le Saint-Gabriel, 426 Saint-Gabriel, (514) 878-3561

Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean at the Jean-Talon Market: The Jean-Talon market mezzanine will play host to a makeshift bazaar that will welcome 12 producers and food processors from the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region. Discover these welcoming producers, exchange recipes and ideas and discuss their unique products, from dairy products and meats to spices, preserves, jams and regional specialties. February 23-24, 2013, Jean-Talon Market (Mezzanine level, 2^nd floor), 7070 Henri-Julien, (514) 277-1588

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The market’s Art Deco facade dates back to 1933, and forms an imposing backdrop for the Christmas-tree markets that take over the parking lot when the Yule tides are high. When you get close enough, it smells like a pine forest, and there are always some Canadian woodland critters poking their noses out of the foliage.

But we’re here for the food, right? Montreal’s home cooks and restauranteurs alike swear by the meat at the Boucherie de Tours – the wall behind their cash is adorned with all the business cards of local eateries whose skin they’ve saved, from Le Bremner to Joe Beef. Pierrot, the owner, is “the man”, and indeed one year when I was making crepinettes (French Christmas sausages), the Boucherie de Tours was the only place in the whole city that carried the caul fat I needed for the casings. You can see from the delivery pictured here that unlike the big box stores, they still practice whole-animal butchery.

For visitors to town who don’t have their own kitchens to work with, Boucherie de Tours is still a great place to pick up a tin of Foie Gras  – a staple French Christmastime delicacy – to accompany a bottle of Quebec ice wine up in your room. (A hint: the SAQ across the street from the Atwater market specializes in local liquor, so it’s a great place pick up presents du terroir to tipple here and/or take back home). Or, grab some ready-made garnished sauerkraut or Cassoulet (another seasonal dish) to snack on.

Speaking of hotel-room treats, why not pick up a gift basket from the Fromagerie Atwater. When you walk into this mecca of cheese, it smells like a real cheese cellar (complete with curds at the counter, bien sur). They also put together great holiday hampers, full of great imported and local products. If you keep your eyes peeled in the Fromagerie, you can spot the little hidden doorways to some great caves – there’s a room down a few stairs that’s stacked with artisanal beer, and another little cave for aging cheese  – call it Narnia for foodies.

On the second floor, Premiere Moisson makes baguettes to go with your portable treats, as well as special Christmas pastries, cookies and chocolate treats that are re-invented every year (this year’s Chocolate figurine is a toppled-over Santa who looks to have had too much Christmas cheer already!

Down the hall, in the florists’ area, you can pick up a festive little mantel bouquet, a poinsettia, or a decorative Santa head to add holiday cheer to any home-away-from-home. And with that you’re all set for a moveable Holiday feast thanks to Atwater treats!

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Us Montrealers are busy pickling the bejeezus out of the fall harvest—recipes for dills, pickled beets, picalilli, tomato sauce, and a local specialties, ketchup vert, are being traded around. Ketchup vert is especially close to our hearts—it’s the relish, made with green tomatoes and spices, that goes with our winter meat-pies that are called Tourtieres. Young chefs like Ségué Lepage of Le Comptoir Charcuteries et Vins was talking about making his own batch for service this fall.

But if you’re just visiting and you don’t have your own larder, don’t worry—it’s just as easy, and possibly more delightful, to get your harvest on at various restaurants around town. Below, I’ve made an ideal fall meal from my wanderings: Each one of these places is good for a whole meal, of course, but let’s pretend.

Renard is the newest kid on the block, taking over a prized spot on Rue Mont-Royal where Cinquieme Péché, a beloved bistro, used to be (it moved around the corner). Chef Jason Nelsons is obsessive about sourcing his food from the most quality driven small producers in the province, as you can tell from his idiosyncratic and totally passionate blog.

On my last visit, he served me an amazing combo of two of my favourite things: Crispy veal sweetbreads with a bisque of crawfish from Lac St-Pierre. He was also doing all sorts of nice things with mushrooms, including chanterelles with lardons as a main, and his classic homemade smoked tomato soup—the stuff dreams are made of.

Though the best corner bistros and neighbourhood joints will be cooking with seasonal ingredients this time of year, the award goes to Normand Laprise for sheer inventiveness, and tastiness as well. Laprise, Montreal’s marquee chef, has been cooking with exclusively local produce for almost two decades—well ahead of the locavore curve.

In September, the kitchen at Toqué leaps into tomato-processing mode, canning and preserving things for the winter. They serve fresh tomato dishes, like their classic BLT inside a tomato and my personal favourite, Halibut with Tomato Scraps- which may sound scrappy, but they make the “scraps” into tomato caramel, paste, oil, sauce, pate de fruit, and other treats. When I went to visit their kitchen this week for the article, Toqué’s firebrand chef de cuisine, Charles-Antoine Crète, made some art out of their tomatoes to whet my appetite.

Montreal’s newest ice-cream sensation is Les Givrés, which we covered in detail this summer…so why should you want ice-cream when the fall winds start blowing, you ask? Answer: Because they’re doing some serious things with apples. They have a special way to make soft-serve ice-cream, and the flavor of the week this week is a pure-apple soft-serve, which owner Julien recommends you eat on a cinnamon ice-cream cone (homemade of course).

The other feature, pictured here, is possibly the best idea ever: Apple-pie ice cream. You know how good a homebaked pie is à la mode, with vanilla ice-cream on top? Well, they’ve skipped a step, and rolled the pie, crust, and ice cream all into one magnificent scoop. It’s crazy that the pie crust stays crispy in all of this, too—it will possibly blow your mind.

Happy fall!

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Few countrysides are as lovely, interesting and full of activities as the Eastern Townships—from village Farmers’ Markets to colonial churches, haute gastronomy in five-star inns and outdoor activities such as skiing, hiking, boating, horseback riding and several well-established, verdant cycling routes.

Off the Beaten Track: Would you like to visit North America’s second biggest operational lavender farm? Bleu Lavande, a family-run farm that harvest fields of the pungent purple flower near the town of Fitch Bay, is one of the area’s most unusual attractions and a great place for a picnic and for the whole family to stretch their legs. Learn about the extraction process for lavender essential oil and its medicinal and culinary uses, and shop in their extensive boutique (lavender salad dressing or lip balm, anyone?) Tip: Just before the turnoff to the farm, there’s a disused covered bridge with a sole picnic table that would be a great place for a private picnic, too.

Would you rather walk the world’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge in Coaticook? Hike to the highest peak on Mont Orford? Do a tour of village cafés, churches or historical houses? See Ayer’s Cliff’s finest bard, David Francey, perform an intimate concert at The Piggery theatre? Do a cider-tasting at one of several local ciderhouses? Simply veg out with a Tom Collins on an Adirondack chair facing Lake Massawippi, Memphremagog or Lac-Mégantic? The Townships have something for everyone.

Alpine Spa: Less than an hour’s drive from Montreal’s South Shore, the five-year-old Balnea Spa is a unique retreat in Bromont, the gateway to the townships. Built to resemble a high-architectural ski cabin, with a stunning view on a glassy lake and the mountains beyond, this “thermal retreat” is an uber-Nordic spa experience. New this year, lakeside wooden personal soaking pools and plenty of couches, daybeds and even hillside beanbags make Balnéa an incredible place to flake out for an afternoon, year-round. Bonus: You can also now replicate an on-thego version of the Balnéa experience at the Montreal airport.

Travelers’ Rest: Want to sleep in a treehouse or a yurt with a mountain view ? What about a night in a spa retreat ? Would you rather camp lakeside? All options for lodging are available in the Eastern Townships, including Hovey Manor, a five-star Relais et Chateaux inn that has been a dearly beloved and sought-after retreat for decades (it’s also family-run: the Stafford family has owned the hotel since 1979). Modeled on George Washington’s Mount Vernon mansion, Hovey Manor belonged to Henry Atkinson, an American captain of industry, until it became an inn in 1950. Since then, its stunning views of Lake Massawippi and pastoral English gardens bursting with floral life make this 32-room inn an ideal and refined holiday destination.

Chef Roland Ménard has been creating ultra-contemporary and sophisticated seasonal menus for the dining room for 30 years, and his kitchen is fed by their kitchen garden just below the Montcalm suite, as well as the harvest from an A+ farm in the nearby village of Ste-Catherine-de Hatley. The Manor’s wine cave is also reputed, and they distinguish themselves by pairing local specialties such as cider and icewine, with dishes that showcase the local bounty of the season.

In the winter, different activities beckon: A sleigh ride, a snowy lake view, or an evening curled up with a book from Henry Atkinson’s book collection the library. Hovey Manor is possibly Quebec’s best-loved historical hotel, and a great way to immerse yourself in the past with all (and we mean all) modern amenities.

The concierge at Hovey Manor enthusiastically recommended the Compton agricultural market in September and the Harvest Festival. As well, there are plenty of other gourmet activities year-round, including two gourmet tours: One is on the “Orford Express” train, and the other a luxury cruiser that offers stunning sunset dinner cruises on Lake Memphremagog, as well as several other escapades. There’s also a wine route, for those who want to get their tasting on.

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Though Marché Jean-Talon is Montreal’s go-to Farmer’s Market all year round, I always look forward to summer as the season when the market, like the city itself, fully busts into bloom. Certainly, producers who have been labouring in greenhouses to get ready to sell plantables and hanging-baskets of multicoloured floral tangles of joy are happy to see the warm sun in order to bring out their wares. But it’s also time to start buying—and cooking—the local bounty of seasonal fruits and vegetables and other delicacies from agricultural producers around Montreal who all gather in the hub of the Market to bust out the green. Plantables: When it comes to my own garden, Jean-Talon is where I buy my plants. It’s worth coming here simply for the selection of herbs and leafy greens, some of which are rare and hard-to-find. This year, I bought lemon mint, ginger mint and peppermint as well as the regular kinds, to assure that my summer mojitos can be mixed in several minty varieties.

Also, tomatoes: Montrealers are expert balcony tomato-growers, as the dozens of varieties of tomato-plant starters suggests. I’m seeing a resurgence of interest in growing heritage varieties, many of which have been off the market for decades.

Edibles: If you’re visiting from out of town, it’s worth stopping by the market for a stroll—there are plenty of samples to munch on, including the first tomatoes, sprinkled with salt. The seasonal harvests, or “arrivages” as they’re called in French, are the market’s biggest draw. For example, Rhubarb is a big draw at this time of year: if you don’t have a kitchen of your own here in Montreal to cook up a compote, many local bakeries and pastry shops, such as the aptly named Patisserie Rhubarbe can offer up seasonal treats. I’d also check out the ice-cream shops and the crepe-maker to see what they have on special for spring.

And last but never least in Montreal, it’s new-milk season in Quebec’s multitude of cheese farms, so the cheesemongers will, by the end of June, be stacked with the season’s brand-new stocks of our amazing local cheeses, such as 14 Arpents, Casimir and Riopelle.

THE DETAILS

Jean-Talon Market, 7070 Henri-Julien, (514) 277-1588

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Brunch: The traditional Easter luncheon consists of a smoked Quebec ham after church, while the family gathers round the table. And while a delicious, naturally-raised smoked ham is available in many forms at Porcmeilleur in Jean-Talon Market, these days many families prefer to sit down for brunch in a restaurant, especially since the city has many Easter brunches in store.

The Mount Stephen Club, a historic club in downtown Montreal, has a traditional brunch buffet that includes a live band and Easter-egg activities for kids. Another option is Le Montrealais bistro (pictured above) in the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth hotel, whose weekly Sunday brunch gets gussied up for Easter Sunday.

For kids: Easter-egg hunts + farms: What says Easter more than fuzzy animals that are yours for the petting at local malls? The Easter Farm is a fond tradition in Montreal, and you can head on down to Place Versailles or several other local malls to coo at baby sheep, goats, ducks, geese and other poultry.  The eco option is the Outdoor Eco-Easter egg hunt at the Ecomuseum in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, at the Western end of the Island of Montreal.

Chocolate: Of course, sometimes it’s easier to just EAT chocolate than to hunt for it. Easter is an opportunity for local chocolatiers to go nuts decorating praline eggs such as the ones from Premiere Moisson, a local bakery chain that also carries an extensive seasonal candy collection, including the best housemade Easter eggs filled with hazelnut praline. They also have inventively painted chocolate animals such as bunnies, squirrels and even roosters. Another favourite is La Maison du Cakao, a tiny Plateau-Mont-Royal chocolatier run by a 23-year-old pastry chef who makes especially cute Easter baskets. Chocolats Privilege, in Jean-Talon Market, is a favourite for their unusual chocolate animals, including owls and squirrels. Adults as well as children anticipate each year’s batch of new dark and milk chocolate easter-animal figurines at Chocolatiere Genevieve Grandbois: this year’s include frogs, ducks and, of course, bunnies. She also offers a trio of eggs with grown-up flavours including a maple croquant and a caramel-fleur-de-sel mix.

Guest Blogger: Melora Koepke

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A little bit south and a little bit west of downtown Montreal sits Saint-Henri. Though it gets a lot of press for being one of the city’s most “up-and-coming” neighbourhoods, the real key to Saint-Henri is that it is still very much what it always was…

“Up-and-coming” goes hand-in-hand with that other urban buzzword, “gentrification”. Saint-Henri certainly has its share of converted lofts and expensive condos but it remains true to its original roots. It was, and still is in large part, French and working class- as Gabrielle Roy’s celebrated novel The Tin Flute so artfully explored. Heading west from Atwater until you get to about St-Remi and north of the Lachine Canal until around St-Jacques, those things that make Saint-Henri worth a visit often manage to bring something new to the neighbourhood while keeping its past in mind. Here are some of my favorite things about the little ‘hood that could…

Atwater Market: Atwater Market ( pictured above) is not only one of Saint-Henri’s prime attractions, but one of the city’s as a whole. First opened in 1933 and housed in a Ludger Lemieux-designed building, it’s a huge market with everything a person who likes food could ask for. Especially rich in specialty products you won’t find anywhere else. PS- a little less known is the Farmers Market on the corner of St. Remi and Notre-Dame that is open on Saturdays during the non-freezing cold months.

McAuslan Brewery: Just the fact that it produces St-Ambroise and Griffon beers would be enough for me to mention it and a beer tasting should probably be penciled into your plans. But what has truly cemented its importance to the community is the Centre St-Ambroise, which hosts everything from folk fests to DJ nights. It also boasts a pretty darn cute video about how-to-get-there.

Sir George Étienne Cartier Park: Easily one of Montreal’s most picturesque urban green spaces, this rectangular park has a fountain as a focal point and is bordered by some beautiful houses- a perfect little piece of Montreal. Though it is the area’s clear showstopper, there are several smaller parks within walking distance filled with soccer fields, tennis courts and more within.

Tuck Shop: The nearby neighbourhood Little Burgundy has become known for its restaurants, but the recent arrival of the hip, happening and entirely delicious Tuck Shop might mean the same for Saint-Henri. A laidback bistro with top-quality chefs who clearly make use of the nearby market when preparing their wares.

Caffè Mariani: The area’s other go-to spot for local foodies and coffee-cravers, Mariani excels at paninis and pizzas with a bit of pizzazz but its biggest draw may its unobstructed view of the park.

Greasy Spoons: Look, sometimes you just want to eat some greasy, delicious food and this neighbourhood does that very well. So much so that some intrepid citizen put together a slide show of some of the best. Miracle Pizzeria (4009 Rue Notre-Dame) gets my vote.

Shopping: I’d be lying if I said I’d ever been shopping for stuff in Saint-Henri, but if I did, La Gaillarde and Perfide certainly look cool.

Resto Bar St-Jacques: You’re probably not going to find this place in any tourist guides and it’s definitely a little rough around the edges, but local promoters Pirates of the Lachine Canal do a weekly punk night there every Wednesday which is pretty good time. If that’s up your back alley, you should also consider a visit to Black Jack. And frankly, this is exactly the point: go visit the neighbourhood before all of Saint-Henri’s rough edges get all smoothed out.

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Neighborhood arts and crafts markets are great places to find unique products made by people who choose to create outside the mainstream box.  A place to get that special piece that everybody wants but no one knows where to precisely find…

Montreal’s new outdoor market La Récré is no exception.  This new initiative, set in a funky Mile-End schoolyard (« Récré » literally means « Recess » in French), takes place every Saturday and showcases local creators – and vintage collectors – of all kinds (clothes, jewelry, homewear, furniture, food and bath products, etc). It’s a great opportunity for city travellers to actually speak with the local artisans that give the city it original flavour.  Take your time, have a bite, indulge in some slow shopping while meeting unique people.

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