Taste of Montreal: Tracking Down the Foods of the World

by Barry Lazar

Barry Lazar's quest to find fresh and authentic food has taken him to farmers' markets, strip malls, snack bars, supermarkets, and restaurants. The result of his adventures is Taste of Montreal:... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1550651757
• ISBN13: 9781550651751
• Release Date: September 2004
• Publisher: Vehicule Press
• Length: 278 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 4.4" x 7.0"

Customer Reviews

An invaluable addition to any food lover's library.

Globe & MailStyle Section (Toronto edition) - Page L9REQUIRED READING By Cecily RossSaturday, January 17, 2004 Taste of Montreal: Tracking Down the Foods of the WorldBy Barry Lazar (Véhicule Press, 270 pages, $13.95) ISBN: 1-55065-175-7This compact guide to the culinary smorgasbord of Montreal is much more than a resource for residents of and visitors to Canada's second largest city. It is an invaluable addition to any food lover's library.Montreal Gazette food writer Barry Lazar has compiled a fun and informative alphabetical listing of foods from around the world, all of which can be found on the streets of his native city. Beginning with anchovies and ending with zershk (dried red barberries used in Iran), each entry explains the provenance of the food, where it can be found in the city and an enticing recipe.There are foods listed that I have never heard of and am determined to seek out in Toronto -- for instance, knafé, a large Armenian pancake made from semolina and smothered in sweet ricotta-like cheese. Or salicorne, a delicious briny plant grown in salt marshes that I've only encountered on the West Coast, where it is called samphire.Lazar writes about such Quebec classics as poutine and bagels, and about delicacies such as truffles and fines herbes, but he's no food snob. My favourite entry is on bacon bits: "Like eating Styrofoam chips made with a dash of salt and hickory smoke." But what the heck. In a burst of populist enthusiasm he includes his own recipe for a sandwich involving a bagel, peanut butter and ketchup, sprinkled with a layer of "fako bacos." He's right. "The King would have loved it."