Restaurant Reviews

[ The Garlic Harvest ]

There was a time, in the so-called "good old days," when being a farmer was very different from what it is today. Back then, when a farmer needed a new barn built, or help with a crop, people from the community would gather and hold a barn raising bee, or help gather in the harvest.

[ English summer puddings ]

Whatever you do, don't call them dessert

[ Best Buys: Corn on cob isn't yet a sure bet ]

Corn on the cob has appeared in Montreal with the taste we remember all year long. It's not a sure bet yet; of four cobs sampled this week, two had that crisp, fresh, sweet jolt of flavour we like so much, while two were good, but on the starchy side. Prices in the public markets -usually the best place to buy fresh corn -are high, but should come down as the season advances. So far, all the corn is the twocolour type, but all-yellow cobs are ripening fast.

[ 'Chef' is not a casual title ]

King pin. Head honcho. Top dog. You can picture the kind of person I'm talking about. A chef is all those things. Chef is a precise word: it connotes responsibility and experience, and there is only one chef in a professional kitchen.

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