Category: Montreal
What is up with the weather in Montreal?
| January 10, 2012 | Posted by Alex under Montreal |
Looking outside today, I just happened to notice that not only is it blue-skyed, bright and sunny, but the snow’s even melting!
Seriously, what is up with the weather this year? January is supposed to be the heart of winter, but outside it looks like Spring! (more…)
The Clean 15: Lowest Pesticides in Non-Organic Foods
| November 30, 2011 | Posted by Alex under Lifestyle, Montreal |
As promised, here is the Clean 15 list of the most pesticide-free non-organic fruits and vegetables out there.
This list was generously compiled at the Green Daily. (more…)
The end of the St-Laurent Summer Festivals
| August 29, 2011 | Posted by Alex under Montreal |
Every year St-Laurent boulevard treats us with a nice mix of summer festivals, street fairs and sidewalk sales.
Back in June we were treated to two great street fairs, and more recently, this past weekend actually, we were given the festival Mix’Arts which turned out to be a rather nice cap to a pretty decent summer and certainly an improvement of all the years of construction that the boulevard has had to endure.
In case you missed the fun, the Mix’Arts festival saw hundreds of merchants, who have businesses along the Main, to open their storefronts to the street and bring booths to the sidewalks. With the main stretch closed to all but pedestrian traffic from Sherbrooke to Mount-Royal, we were given around 10 blocks of awesome sales and great food.
One of the things that’s always nice about these festivals is the nice variety of cheat eats. With tons of restaurants hawking chow mein, sandwiches, desserts and barbecue delights there’s no shortage of food fit for any palate. It might not be the healthiest offering out there, but I’m sure that we’re all allowed a little bit of a treat from time to time.
In fact I was lucky enough to get my hands on some stir fried noodles and vegetables at around midnight on Saturday, and that sure hit the spot after a long evening of walking around.
Also, at the festival, there was a live DJ who set up camp at the crosswalks of St-Laurent and Prince Arthur street. It looked like they might have wanted to get a street party going, but few peoples seemed interested in dancing what with all the cool shops and boutiques to check out.
It’s too bad that there won’t be any more of these streets fairs going on this year, but at least we were given plenty this summer. Be sure to keep some weekends free next June and August when they make a comeback!
The New Laurier BBQ is now Co-owned by Chef Gordon Ramsay
| August 15, 2011 | Posted by Alex under Montreal |
Chef Gordon Ramsay of “Hell’s Kitchen” fame, known particularly for his somewhat “colourful” use of the English language when faced with high stress situations, is now co-owner of the famed Laurier BBQ, now renamed to The Gordon Ramsay Laurier.
The old Laurier BBQ was a local favourite, frequented by celebrities, politicians and regular food loving Montrealers of all sorts. It was particularly well known for its rotisserie chicken and mocha cakes. The Laurier was one of the comfort food hubs of Montreal for over 75 years until it was announced in 2010 that it would be closing.
Many of the faithful were worried that the restaurant would be either gone for good or, with the news that Gordon Ramsay was pitching in, that it would no longer be accessible to the average diner.
Luckily the Laurier has re-opened, and will be retaining many of its traditional menu items. There will of course be a host of new items on the menu, brought to us by chef Ramsay himself. As well, the inter has been renovated to give the place more of a “five star” look and appeal.
Though the big question remains is whether people in Montreal will be willing to return to the Laurier, bearing in mind the changes that have taken place. Gordon Ramsay has a very polarized following, some loving him, others despising the man. Should the infamous personality of the chef have any bearing on our appetites?
Not your average Personal Trainer – L’equipe Trainwithmike
| July 11, 2011 | Posted by Alex under Lifestyle, Montreal |
L’equipe Trainwithmike is a Montreal based team of personal trainers operating out of Club Lacité, though not limited to the gym space alone. They can also bring the workout to your home and, now that it’s summer, to the parks for some outdoor boot camp style training.
One of the things that sets this team apart from your average personal trainers is their focus on working your body as a whole, that each and every muscle should be made to act together as a team. Spot training and isolated conditioning can often lead to unwanted injuries due to overworking a muscle or accidentally exerting pressure on a different area. Each session with L’equipe Trainwithmike is designed to get your whole body working together.
The team would also like to emphasize that they offer more than just training and conditioning: because their goal is to properly assess everyone who comes to them, and offer them training to suit their needs, they also want to build strong relationships and bonds with their clients.
The team also offers two types of training that are exclusive in Montreal.
TRX training sessions involve the use of a suspended body tool, that was originally developed in the USA to help train Navy SEALS. These routines are designed to offer as much challenge as the trainee wants, as simply changing one’s posture can make the session more or less difficult.
As well, L’equipe Trainwithmike is the only team certified here in Montreal that offers Kettlebell training. What looks like a cannonball with handles, kettlebells might look a bit intimidating at first glance, but they aren’t meant to be reserved for the most intense body builders only.
Kettlebell training can be broken down into two different styles, each with their own focus: power and mobility. Also, just working out with these will be sure to increase your overall flexibility and balance.
So are you looking to get fit this summer? Don’t be intimidated and check them out. If you’re more comfortable amongst friends, be sure to bring them as they offer group sessions at affordable prices.
Enjoy Local Foods – Fresh Crops and Produce
| June 15, 2011 | Posted by Alex under Canada, Lifestyle, Montreal |
Quite often nowadays we hear people talking about “local food”, as opposed to foods that come from elsewhere. So what’s the big deal? Why go local? Isn’t food all the same?
Unfortunately, not all food is the same. Earlier this week we looked at the difference between real food and not so real food, along with one family’s challenge that they set for themselves. Local food generally falls under the “real food” category, for a number of reasons.
In the first place, it is grown right here in Quebec or nearby in Ontario (though there are quite a few farms and growers right here in Montreal). Food that is grown nearby is a great way to lesson one’s carbon footprint on the environment. Foods that are grown locally spend far less fuel getting to the market that foreign produce, like garlic from China for example.
Food that is grown nearby means that it gets to the markets a heck of a lot sooner. Wouldn’t you rather bite into an apple that was grown just over on the North Shore rather than one that flew in from California last week? The flavour and the freshness are two factors that outside food can never beat local food for.
As well, because the food doesn’t have very far to go, you know that the freshness is genuine. One has to wonder how a bowl of mushrooms can still be fresh if it came all the way from across the ocean, especially when they seem to go bad after sitting on the counter for more than an hour.
But where to begin? How does one start the crossover?
Discovering the joy of eating local foods and produce isn’t something that is reserved for the connoisseurs alone. Eating fresh Quebec grown crops and products is something that everyone can enjoy, all they need to know is where to look. Right here in Montreal there are a ton of markets that sell locally grown fresh food.
Two of the more popular markets are:
The Jean Talon Market is one of the best places to find a wide variety of locally grown crops. Fresh asparagus, berries, apples, you name it: there is a ton of stuff that is grown right here in Quebec just waiting to be brought home and cooked!
The Atwater Market is also a great place for some food deals and other fresh produce.
As well, for those of you lucky enough to either live off the island, or who don’t mind Sunday drives, just West of Montreal in Monteregie are numerous smaller farming communities. Places like St-Polycarpe have regular market days where people can buy food straight from the farmers themselves.
In fact using fresh ingredients in our recipes is one thing that we do our best to ensure over here at 21st Century Food. We directly with local growers and providers, and much of the same produce that goes to the farmers markets also makes it’s way into the meals we deliver. How’s that for freshness?
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