Flavour of Montreal Cookbook - Canada

Additional Details

Description: Introduction 

It is, I suppose, fair to assume that in editing a book of recipes, occasionally the situation might arise whereby lack of relevant subject matter makes it necessary to "pad" in order to fill all available space. However it has always been my experience that the reverse is true, and that lack of space, not material, is the factor which limits content, and that could never be more true than in this case. For to attempt, in a book of this size, to accurately portray, through recipes, the many and varied culinary delights of Montreal, is well nigh possible. 

All too many therefore who know the city well will, I fear, find their own favourite restaurant and recipe missing. I can only apologise in advance for the many unfortunate yet unavoidable omissions, and hope that at some later date the opportunity will present itself to rectify the situation. 

In making a final selection of recipes to include I allowed myself to be influenced by the very unique 'flavour' of Montreal itself. For Montreal is not simply a bustling, cosmopolitan North American metropolis, although it is indeed all of that. But more; Montreal is a great, distinctively Canadian city -- And yet more still; Montreal is a city, who's history, seeped in the early days of French rule, still exerts an extraordinary influence on both itself and the lives of it's citizens. 

In the everyday life of the city nowhere is this influence more noticeable than in the eating habits of the people and in the restaurants which cater to these habits. For this reason I chose to ignore the many fine examples of a wide variety of ethnic cuisines on offer, and limited this book to French and French Canadian flavours. 

The recipes themselves were supplied by a number of Montreal's leading chefs, and in spite of some difficulties of communication, as is often the case between professional and amateur, I believe that I have been able to put them on paper in a manner that reflects the intentions of their creators. However it should be pointed out that in order to achieve some form of standardization and to direct the edition towards the domestic kitchen, certain deliberate changes have been made, and therefore not in every case is the recipe exactly as given. Perhaps you will see fit to make even more alterations, for I think it is worth stressing that the fun of cooking, and cooking should be fun, comes from experimenting and from improvisation, and not from adhering strictly to the exact instructions of someone else. 

With this in mind it is my hope that within the following pages you will find recipes which will, not only in themselves give you many enjoyable hours of cooking and eating, but which will also give you the basis of ideas for creating your own original "masterpieces." 

---- 

Condition: Bookboards, interior pages and dust jacket are in good condition. Bookboards have very light spots along the edge. First title page has a small pen inscription. Bottom corner tip of front cover's interior flap has been clipped.