About Vanessa Muri
Montreal City Editor Vanessa Muri has lived in London and Tokyo, but finds the charms of her hometown irresistible. From the latest scoops to the best deals in Montreal and everything in between, don't miss her weekly take on life in the fair city.
Cooking with Chuck
montreal musings Montreal
(Oct.20.10)
La Guilde Culinaire was home to another great Montreal foodie event last week, promoting products from In Foods Inc, a young Montreal-based company dedicated to creating healthy, nutritious and easy foods to handle our crazy lifestyles. Founding chef of Garde Manger Chuck Hughes (an inspiration to foodies everywhere) was also there to share his creative genius.
I’ve sampled the In Snax Pita Crisps before but was eager to get my fingers on some appetizers made with their two-minute microwaveable In Cuisin Mashed Potatoes. I mean, we’ve all tried instant mashed potatoes before, and their chemical taste is beyond bland. These are 100% real potatoes, frozen and preservative-free.
A fun combination of watching, tasting and experimenting followed as the appetizers began to flow, starting with their pita chips (multigrain are definitely my favourite), hummus and this incredible beet dip (I’ve added the recipe below – you have to try it yourself). The carrot & petite pea mash was delicious inside a thin samosa. And everyone loved the mini croquettes on a stick. (All recipes will be online soon.)
Chuck Hughes whipped up some easy hors d’oeuvres that we were free to try ourselves at the various stations. (I was happy to leave it to the eager foodies.) These strawberry comfit cones made with crushed cinnamon crisps made for a sweet dessert. He was fun to chat with, very easy-going and passionate about food.
Overall the evening was a fun one, and I can say that the mashed potatoes rivalled those I’ve had from anyone's kitchen. (Including my own.) I'm interested to see what their next product will be.
Beet Dip courtesy of La Guilde Culinaire
• 250 gr cooked beets
• 100 ml tahini (sesame paste)
• 75 ml lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove
• 65 ml water
• 30 ml olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• In Snax multigrain pita crisps
METHOD
1. In a food processor, mix tahini, beets, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, water and salt and pepper to taste.
2. Process until you get a creamy consistency. Check and adjust the seasoning.
3. Savour with some In Snax multigrain pita crisps and fresh vegetables.
Chef’s note: Mix the tahini well in its jar before taking the necessary quantity.
Vadim Daniel Photography