My partner Dave mentioned it in passing.
“The chives have already started sprouting,” he said.
Like it wasn’t a big deal.
This is bigger than the days getting longer, or the temperature outside getting warmer.
This is a promise, albeit a very quiet one, of things to come.
This humble, green, oniony little plant poking out of the ground
Welcome spring.
It’s been a couple weeks since the last Read Up On It, but it’s back with stories about berry treasure, butch peppers and bastardly words.
Chiles in Port Of Spain, Trinidad
It’s no secret that we here at Passable like to write about food. But we also like to talk about it.
Tonight, I will be doing just that – in french no less – on Radio-Canada’s radio food show, “Bien dans son assiette“.
The show has decided to produce a series of episodes from Halifax this week. Yesterday’s episode is already available on iTunes, which discusses Fox Hill Cheese House’s lovely wares and much more. I will be tonight talking about Halifax’s culinary scene and providing commentary on various other topics. You can listen to it in Halifax at 92.3 FM and check Radio-Canada’s website to stream it it live.
I hold a great deal of love in my heart for cookbooks.
An open copy of Out Of Old Nova Scotia Kitchens
If they’re good, they not only give us great dishes or great meals to remember, but they can give us insight into not only the food of a place and time, but of the people themselves.
In the case Marie Nightingale’s “Out Of Old Nova Scotia Kitchens”, what we get are not only recipes, but an entire overview of how the people of Nova Scotia ate, and continue to eat in the present day.
I recently had the opportunity to interview and write about Nightingale’s book for Zester Daily. The first part of the story tells of how the book came to be (a lot of recipe testing, years of research) as well as the influence that the book has had on both home and professional chefs, over forty years on.
It’s time for a new month, and time for a new edition of Read Up On It.
This week’s you’ll find stories about eating horse meat because you want to, the issues around languages that aren’t french in Quebec’s restaurants, Nova Scotian cheeses in competitions, and to finish it off, some deadly foodstuffs.
Fernet image via Wikipedia
It was announced yesterday that Fid Resto will be closing this May.
The Dresden Row eatery has been around 13 years and has been at the forefront of serving local and seasonal food, an idea that was only just gaining traction when they opened their doors.
“We want to thank all of our loyal customers for dining with us over the years,” said chef and co-owner Dennis Johnston in a press release. “We also want to thank our incredible food suppliers; the farmers, the fishers, foragers, wine makers and others who have been intergal in putting FID Resto on the map. We’ve put a great deal of thought and consideration into our decision. While not easy, it feels right and we are looking forward to whatever the future holds for us both.”
Johnston spoke with CBC about the closure, stating that it was not “a decision based on the business climate in Halifax”, rather, that the lease for the space was up in May. He and Monica Bauché, the restaurant’s hostess and co-owner, had reviewed their options and decided to close.
For a long time, Fid was the place I would suggest or send people to when they wanted to know where to eat in Halifax. But food was only part of the reason I would send people there. The other part of the equation were Dennis and Monica, the restaurant’s owners.
Monica was warm and inviting as a hostess, and would remember more than just your name or your taste preferences. She would remember the stories or facts she would garner from conversations she would have with you as she seated and served you. In an industry where individual touches are king, Monica was a queen.
That would make Dennis the crown prince, or court jester, depending on who you asked. I can’t count how many times Dennis would make a joke- either with me or at me – when I would see him. And I would always see him at the farmers markets here in the city. His kitchen may have been a sacred space, but that doesn’t mean it was closed to the public. Dennis would often invite diners or friends into the kitchen to learn about something, a technique, an ingredient. He was even kind enough to help me source a few hard-to-find ingredients. My sister’s lemon birthday cake would a yuzu curd not have happened if it wasn’t for Dennis.
But outside of the personal connections, Fid and its team stood as one of the strongest stalwarts of the local food movement in Halifax. Fid, along with many of the other restaurants and chefs in this city that have touted the benefits of local and seasonal food, helped change the culinary dining scene in this city. For that, we as Haligonians are eternally grateful.
When asked what was next for the team behind Fid, Johnston was vague, telling the CBC that he had no comment. In any case, I won’t say goodbye to Dennis and Monica. Only, “à la prochaine“.
Read Up On It didn’t happen last week, so we have a lot to catch up on. Valentine’s Day is over, and in honour of that, there will be no VD links in this collection of links. Or any VD of any kind.
Weekends are the times I feel the most ambitious. It’s where I make a list of all the dishes I want to make during the week, where I plan on out my meals. It’s where I feel I can justify being in a kitchen all day, making five things at once.
Weekends are also the times where I feel like being the most lazy. I often find myself lazing on the couch watching food shows on PBS in the afternoon. Maybe my better half is more motivated to cook something tonight…
There is next to no balance with me on this day. My moods are either inspired or insipid. But I think I may have found the perfect balm to this: making stocks and broths.
The best stocks are made by people who know how to take things slowly. Stocks benefit from being left alone to do their own thing, being gently prodded at not-so-specific times that are decided somewhat arbitrarily by people who would rather relax than obsess.
To take stock of things is to take the time to count, to organise, and to know what is available and accessible.
The act of making stock keeps the kitchen warm with the heat of the oven, perfumes it with roasting bones and simmering things on stoves. The weekend started ambitiously, with an armload of beef and pork bones, a pantry full of dried foodstuffs and a kitchen table covered in cookbooks.
Stocks and broths are very subtle yet forgiving teachers. It does not need your full attention all day long, barraging you with questions. It simply asks that you stay mindful and keep an eye on it, acknowledging it from time to time. In the case of this one, you started with a large piece of kombu, placed in a pot of cold water, and brought to a gentle boil. To the impatient student, waiting for a pot to boil, especially a large one filled with cold water is – pardon the pun – water torture. But to the student who understands that you don’t have to wait, you can sit in the kitchen and read more cookbooks or work on something else, it’s a lot easier. You’re not waiting for the kombu to soften and the water to boil. You’re just letting it happen.
Where else but on Passable’s Read Up On It would you find stories about girly drinks, etiquette on restaurant photo taking, toxic gas from burning cheese and ridiculously cute japanese girls eating? Let’s get to it.
Ever hear of Brunost, a lovely Norweigian cheese? Well, apparently in the right circumstances, it can burn for a very long time, and release toxic gases. Tasty, tasty asphyxiation. (Via Gawker)
In November, I was asked – along with a slew of other food writers and bloggers – to give my two cents on what I thought were the best food trends happening in Halifax. I wrote:
The best trend in this city right now is how we, the dining public, look at food. We, as diners, have become much more adventurous in what and where we eat. We just want to eat good food, and that comes in all sorts of places, from fine dining establishments playing with modernist techniques to hole-in-the-wall joints that serve cheap burgers. We are treating food as a much more democratic place, and everyone and anyone can eat anything and anywhere.
I was thinking of doing a year-end “best of” or “fave things” list of some sort, but ever since I wrote that, I feel like I’m not done with that comment. If I want to leave the year on some sort of note of reflection, I’d rather do it on how we as Haligonians eat, rather than post a list of enjoyable things.
It’s hard to talk or write about food today without the word “foodie” come up. We already know that the term has been experiencing a backlash for some time now – B.R. Meyers wrote about it in March of 2011 – and it could almost be argued that the term is garnering derision amongst food-loving circles. It’s like being called a hipster, no one wants to be called it or admit to being one. But those of us who love food, read about it, think about it and plan our lives around it, are often called it. Many of us – myself included – have been guilty of taking photos of our food and posting them to Instagram or Facebook or various other social media platforms.
This post amounts to more than a hill of beans, I promise you
But beyond the social and cultural critiques of how we look with food, the point is that we are looking at it, thinking about it and are cognizant of what food means, perhaps now more than ever. Brillat-Savarin’s famously misquoted quote of, “Tell me what you eat and I will tell you who you are” has even more resonance now in a world of ethically sourced foodstuffs and “epic” meal. (I use the term epic in quotes because I’m one of those people who think the word should be used for grand stories in grand books and not for gluttonous though delicious experiences).
Great article, and reflective of how cities should be approaching food. Places like French Laundry etc. a nice treat, but it’s much more comforting to have Halifax’s own array of invested chefs and food-interested people creating a Haligonian food culture. Although I am curious — where can one find good pho in Halifax?
There are a few places in the city that serve it, and I wouldn’t want to take away any credit to any particular place. So I would say make your own. You’ll be glad you did. Check out Naomi Duguid and Jeffrey Alford’s “Hot Sour Salty Sweet” for a great recipe. Naomi was recently interviewed for Passable, and I rhapsodised about making pho. http://passable.ca/2012/10/17/passable-interview-naomi-duguid/
espressosnob is discussing. 
simonathibault and 
Samie are discussing. 
Not to discount That Dutchman, but some of the best regional cheese is coming from NB. New Brunswick’s Fromagerie Au Fond des Bois and La Bergerie Aux 4 vents produce amazing chèvre and blue cheese, some of which is available at the Historic Farmer’s Market (Gold Island Bakery — second level) and Ratinaud French Cuisine on Gottingen.
Sadly, Fernet Branca and good amaros (e.g. amaro nonino) are not available in this province. Perhaps, Bishop’s can fix that. Similarly, not much in the way of bitters are available in this province, making trips to TO or online shopping necessary to pick up something beyond Angostura or a few varieties of Fee Brothers @ Petes.