Potluck Pizza: how to astound your friends and keep it simple

Barry Lazar

The request was cottage country basic. "We're doing potluck. Bring over what you have." A simple request but we were at the cottage and the store was half an hour away. The cupboard was almost bare: a package of whole wheat flour – now why had I bought that? – lots of tomatoes, and some cheese from the farmer's market. Some salad stuff, but someone else was bringing a salad.

A-ha! Pizza. Everyone loves pizza, but few make it. Frankly, after you've baked it a couple of times, you won't want to buy it. I had to make the dough from scratch at the cottage, but the Flavour Guy isn't averse to last-minute inspiration, and will buy raw pizza dough at the supermarket or even beg it from a pizza parlour.

For cottage country pizza, I was going to prep everything and then bring it to the neighbour's for baking. The neighbour had pans and, most importantly, an oven – something lacking chez nous.

For the toppings, the simpler the better. Take fresh tomatoes, 1/3 of a pound or 150 g per person, cut them into small chunks, salt them and let them drain in a strainer or colander for an hour or so. Add fresh herbs – basil and oregano are nice – and ground black pepper. For the cheese, grate a half cup per person of soft cheese such as Mozzarella, mild cheddar, Gouda, Bel Paese, Fontina – these all work well – and mix in a little freshly grated Romano or Parmesan. Mild goat cheese (not feta) is good instead of the others but break it into small pieces and dot it over the pizza. Remember, this is potluck – work with what you have. If you don't have tomatoes try canned or fresh asparagus, thin slices of sweet pepper, cooked broccoli, sliced mushrooms, etc. But don't overload the pie or the crust will be soggy.

The flavour punch comes from the oil: heat a cup of olive oil in a small pot and add a tablespoon or more of finely chopped garlic and a teaspoon or less – depending upon your personal heat quota – of chili pepper flakes. Cook this slowly until the garlic just starts to sizzle and remove the pot from the stove. This spicy oil is fantastic brushed on any flat bread, like stale pita, and cooked on a baking sheet in the oven at a moderate heat – 375°F or 190°C – until the bread is golden.

When everything is ready, turn the oven to as high a temperature as it will take without broiling, around 500°F or 260°C. For baking, a pizza stone is nice but the Flavour Guy is adept with cast iron frying pans or a thick cookie sheet or whatever is handy. Use two oven racks, one at the oven's highest level and the other at the lowest. After the oven is at the right temperature, put the pans in for about 10 minutes and be careful. Use thick oven mitts to bring them out just before you put in the dough. The hot pans give the pizzas a great crust.

Once the pans are in the oven, go into action. Lightly flour your hands and the counter surface. Take a wad of dough about the size of a small grapefruit. Flatten it between your hands and stretch it to a 6-inch circle. Then roll the dough using a rolling pin. No pin? Try a wine bottle! If the dough sticks, shake a little flour over it. Turn the pizza 90 degrees after each pass to keep from overstretching one side. You're aiming for a shape no larger than the pan you're putting it in.

Timing is everything. Take the pan from the oven and put something under it – a wire rack, a trivet, a towel – to not burn the counter. Put the dough in the pan, and slip the pan back to the top rack in the oven. Wait a couple of minutes until the dough comes easily off the pan and the bottom starts to brown. Remove the pan, flip the dough, brush it all over with the spicy garlic oil, then cover it with a handful of tomatoes and another of cheese. Put the pan back on the top rack for about 5 minutes or until the top of the dough starts to brown. Work on the next pizza. When that's ready, take the one from the top rack and put it on the lower rack. Keep doing this until you have them all done. Serve at once with a salad, a bottle of wine and a towel to wipe the sweat from your brow. This is pizza that you've worked for, and it's worth it.

Barry Lazar is the Flavour Guy. You can reach him at flavourguy@theseniortimes.com.

Chalet BBQ a beacon of stability in an ocean of change

Adam Desaulniers

Over 62 years into its hot streak, NDG's landmark Chalet BBQ on Sherbrooke has made an enduring business out of sticking to one specialty — slow-cooked charcoal-grilled chicken with a unique, smoky trade-secret sauce handed down through the ages and shrouded in mystique. The flavour, unlike any standard chicken joint fare, prompts enough fan testimonials — spanning multiple generations — to give the most jaded aficionado reason to try.

"It's still the same family that runs it," says Daniel, head of the establishment for the past 20 years. "We haven't changed a thing, that's the beauty of it. Staying with what you know best, that's the secret. When I started, the boss said, 'Danny, just make sure you serve good food, and lots of it, at good prices, and don't worry about the rest.'"

Apart from the sage advice and distinct barbeque recipe, he attributes his lasting success to a few other key ingredients: "Other places use natural gas. We use charcoal. Most of our customers like it well cooked, a bit crispy. Others like it a bit different. Our policy is we do it the way you like it. Everybody's got a favourite. My staff know by heart what our regulars like. And we never charge for extras."

Sampling the half chicken dinner, accompanied by fries and coleslaw, the singular taste raises an eyebrow at first bite. Special enough to stir talk and idle speculation on its constituent parts, it raises one burning question: how has such craft stayed confined to NDG all these years and not propagated worldwide?

"People ask us about opening another location," says Daniel with a laugh, "but you think you can find people like Carmie every day?" A celebrity waitress by any measure after 15 years at Chalet BBQ, Carmie and her contribution to the ambiance are cited by fans as often as the recipe among reasons to visit. Another top draw is queen of seniority Lucia, serving customers for over 50 years. "I have great staff," he attests. "It's not me. I've got great kitchen people and fantastic waitresses. That's why people are loyal. We get to know them."

Such accolades were borne out during a Thursday lunch visit, with zealous service and speedy refills in a relaxed, low key environment suited to quiet conversation. It's unbeatable for business lunches, as long as you keep your fingers off the paperwork once the food arrives, and even a first date, wherever a vintage oldschool vibe is called for.

Daniel guesses about three quarters of the clientele are over 40. He notes that the flipside of loyalty is a strong preference for continuity. "We moved one thing," he says of a minor redecorating effort, "and everyone's asking me, 'Why did you move that? I liked it there.' So we learned if it ain't broke don't fix it." Patrons of all ages will thus find the atmosphere comfortingly retro.

As a specialty outfit, their menu doesn't take long to read, but there's a deeper logic to doing one thing well, learned from prior restaurateur experience: "Sometimes they ask, 'Why don't you put ribs on the menu, or this or that on the menu?' When the place gets busy like this, you know how much that slows things down? Our chicken takes an hour and a quarter to cook. This way it's ready right away when you order." And the food does indeed arrive at breakneck speed, making any big discussion a better idea to leave until afterwards.

This find, already familiar to many readers of The Senior Times, is a top candidate for any Best-Of itinerary when showing out-of-towners around. Chalet BBQ is at 5456 Sherbrooke W, by the Decarie Expressway overpass, and has free parking in back.

Search out local food and drink

Barry Lazar

Excuse my wine-ing… but did someone make a decision that liquids and solids are no longer to be consumed at the same time? Am I a better person if I detect the herbal notes from a high-priced “extra virgin” (which means low acidic) olive oil? Have I failed to achieve a level of wine-aficionado satori because I can’t tell my Gris from my Albarino? When did food start being work and stop being fun?

The Flavour Guy likes food, likes to eat, likes to chew the fat and then some. The Flavour Guy likes going into an Italian grocery store and having the clerk advise him that the $39.99 bottle of olive oil is actually pretty tasty and would work nicely with whatever salad or meat marinade is going towards dinner. Sure a $39.99 bottle of olive oil is sharp, earthy, buttery, grassy, peppery (choose your adjectives here) and tastes pretty nice on its own – just like that magnificent 1998 Pomerol makes for ambrosial sipping and self-satisfied inhaling – but few people make a dinner of a mere chunk of bread dipped in olive oil and washed down with a glass of wine.

Food tastes best when it’s enjoyed in the company of other food (and other people). Even Château Dépanneur is acceptable in the right company – hamburger for instance, or almost any strongly flavoured dish. The more garlic in the main course, the less likely the Flavour Guy appreciates a sincere Sancerre.

Here’s how to do it: eat some food, drink something refreshing, pause and then do it all over again. Repeat as often as necessary until either the plate is clean or the stomach is full. After a little practice you are likely to be able to achieve both conditions at the same time. The idea is to enjoy what we eat and not be cowed because we don’t know what Angus beef is (it’s a popular breed of cattle).

Why are we looking outside – and feeling ill at ease inside – because we can’t choose the perfect liquid to go with our solids? We live in a region blessed with great beer, superb apple cider, and frankly, lousy wine – however we ignore our natural riches and spend fortunes on imported wines and olive oils (often at the same price). The Flavour Guy favours searching out local foods and supporting indigenous agriculture: PEI mussels steamed with a St. Ambroise blond and later, maybe a slice of mignon de Charlevoix cheese with a small glass of very cold Pinnacle ice cider on the side.

Barry Lazar is the Flavour Guy: flavourguy@montrealfood.com

Mussels for two

• A tablespoon of butter
• A cup of finely sliced Quebec seasonal vegetables (all or some of onion, tomato, leek, garlic, celery, red peppers, carrots)
• Lots more chopped garlic (make sure it’s from Quebec, it’s worth it).
• A half bottle of beer (I’m afraid you’ll have to drink the rest).
• A ¼ teaspoon of salt
• A kilo bag of mussels (if the mussels come in a 5 pound bag – double the other ingredients). Make sure the mussels are tightly closed when you buy them.
• A handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped

Melt the butter and cook the veggies over low heat until the onion is soft but not brown. Add the beer, salt and mussels. Bring it to a boil and then quickly reduce it to simmer. Cover. Stir the mussels once or twice. It’s ready when the mussels are open. If a few don’t open, discard them. Sprinkle parsley over the mussels. Serve with a baguette, Quebec cheeses and a green salad.

Daou family serves up Lebanese cuisine with flair

Gisèle Rucker

My companion and I drove to Ville Saint-Laurent for a late afternoon lunch at Daou and found an oasis of calm. Upon entering, we were greeted by Gladys, one of four co-owners of this family establishment.

She led us into the dining area, a spacious room flooded amply by daylight thanks to large windows topped with draped valences. Smartly appointed tables, covered in green and cream tablecloths, were set with fine china sporting D for Daou. The cushiony upholstered chairs signalled the Daou family’s aim to ensure patrons the utmost comfort. Artistic photographs of Beirut, nature and an Egyptian goddess graced the room, whose ceiling bore a wooden trellis, reminiscent of a garden patio. Soft music of Middle Eastern strings allowed easy conversation.

Daou offers an equal opportunity menu: there’s no need for a magnifying glass to read the English explanation of classic Lebanese dishes. For the modest budget, three-quarter of the dishes listed come in half orders; for the smaller appetite, there’s a pita sandwich or ½ plate of salads; and for the vegetarian, there’s a large selection of salads and cooked dishes such as Foule médamas (fava beans) at $7.50 or Falafel (fried balls of crushed beans and chick peas), half order at $5.50 or full order at $7.95.

The menu features grilled meats and fish, and the restaurant is completely licensed, offering aperitifs, spirits and liqueurs, or beers from $5.25 to $7.25.

As we perused the menu, our waiter, Bassam, brought us a little dish of pickled turnips of a lovely deep pink colour and green olives with a basket of fresh soft pita bread on the house. According to Bassam, Daou is a good place to work. He feels like he’s part of the family, having served at their restaurants for 16 years.

Under Gladys’ guidance, we were treated to plentiful half-orders of cool and warm appetizers:

Fatouche is a mixed vegetable salad of diced tomatoes, lettuce and parsley, onions, lemon and oil, at $7.50. Chopped parsley is visible and texturally integral to the salad. A chopped baked pita, the Middle Eastern version of the French crouton, provides added crunch to the fresh crispy vegetables, lightly tossed with oil and lemon. “It’s like spring in your mouth,” my companion said. Bassam explained that all the ingredients are freshly sliced and chopped for each new order.

Hommos-Tahineh, a chick pea dip with sesame juice, garlic and lemon, at $5.75, was the silkiest I had ever tasted.

Rakakat are slim hot cheese rolls, crispy on the outside with lovely smooth but not too salty fetah cheese on the inside, at $7.95. Scrumptious!

Yabrak are warm little fingers of rolled vine leaves, at $6.75, stuffed with rice and beef. The vine leaves have a nice tart and spinach-y taste, but it’s the mix of textures, the smooth lemony vine leaf joined to minced meat that makes this appetizer so delightful.

For the main course, Bassam brought out the “pièce de resistance”, the Grilled Chicken Breast with generously cut fries at $13.95 for the half-plate, or $20.95 for the full plate, garnished with a special mayonnaise of garlic, lemon and oil. Grilled to perfection and seasoned with a touch of oregano, the breast was succulent and plump. Not a morsel was left.

To end the feast, we treated ourselves to Katayef, a fluffy crepe stuffed with whipped ricotta cheese and crushed pistachio in syrup perfumed with rose water at $4.75. All desserts are reasonably priced, so leave room.

Gladys told us that since 1975, they have served loyal customers at their older establishment at 519 Faillon East (near Berri). After opening in Ville Saint-Laurent 14 years ago, they now have weekly returnees to 2373 Marcel Laurin. “When the family was in Lebanon,” she said, “they had cooked, but just at home. They decided to open a restaurant when they came to Montreal.”

The Daou family continues to grace Montreal’s culinary landscape with Lebanese fine cuisine. My companion decided she would bring her whole family to Daou next time. I suggest you do the same.

2373 Marcel-Laurin, Ville Saint-Laurent.

Info: 514-334-1199

Vegging Out - the fast-food experience

Emmanuelle Glidden

After five years of being a vegetarian, I’ve learned a thing or two about eating meat-free ─ especially how to maintain my lifestyle while out and about.

At first, I avoided restaurants. I was skeptical about finding meatless meals to eat.

As it turns out, vegetarian options are not as elusive as I once believed. In the first of a series on meat-free restaurant dining, I tried popular fast food joints for their green alternatives to good old hamburgers.

The first veggie burger I sampled was Burger King’s Veggie BK, which resembles the standard fast-food burger – lettuce, tomato, onion and ketchup on a white bun. The only difference is the soy-based, meat-free patty.

A Veggie BK trio ($5.49) includes a drink and a side of fries, onion rings, baked potato or salad.

Burger King is the only fast-food restaurant I’ve encountered that offers veggie burger kids meals. These are perfect for little vegetarians or for those with smaller appetites.

At Harvey’s, customers can personalize their veggie burgers trios ($5.85) with their choice of sides, and a variety of vegetable toppings and sauces for their burger. My favorite is the pickled hot peppers.

The choice of sides are limited to fries or onion rings. Athough Harvey’s veggie burger easily satisfies fast-food cravings, it isn’t exceptional. In fact, I enjoyed the onion rings more than I did the burger.

A&W’s Veggie Swiss (the most expensive trio at $7.09) features a Portobello mushroom patty, topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, Swiss cheese and a ranch-style sauce on a whole wheat bun.

The Veggie Swiss is one delicious burger − well worth its price. The difference lies in the Portobello patty, which is juicier and more flavorful than the soy-based alternative.

Lafleur offers both veggie burgers ($6.57 for a trio) and tofu dogs, ($6.93 for a trio) topped with ketchup and mustard, make a great midnight snack. For more substance, try the veggie burger.

Thanks to these restaurants, Montreal’s vegetarian community need not deny their fast-food cravings. Even the meat-eating population can profit from these healthier alternatives.

Next month, I’ll let you in on the Asian vegetarian experience.

Every need anticipated at La Belle Province

A classy establishment always goes the extra mile for its patrons, and La Belle Province on St-Jacques is hard to forget in this respect.

Featuring exceptionally attentive staff and friendly, diverse clientele eager to extol, unbidden, the virtues of the establishment at astounding length, this popular institution is swollen to the point of bursting on a Saturday afternoon with eager patrons fond of the gigantic portions and bottomless coffees for which it’s known. The table service is snappy and responsive, while the atmosphere is relaxed and busy enough to have a good belly laugh without disturbing anyone.

Tommy, a hardworking hands-on kind of boss, when probed as to what inspires such profound loyalty in diners who keep coming again year in and year out, is quick to credit the family-friendly ambience – notably complimented by a widescreen tuned to the latest sports updates and surrounded by personal touches, movie posters and sporting collectibles. At his prompting I tried the Chef’s Special, with two eggs, three meats, French toast, home fries, baked beans, fruit and coffee, and my guest tried the spinach omelette plus, at my insistence, the poutine, since no review would be complete without it. The verdict, verbatim: “Best. Poutine. Ever.” I kid you not.

The special showed up in a flash and was done exactly as requested. It’s definitely worth a try. After diving into our saucy dishes with heady abandon, the coffee came fast and furious, without the service ever feeling rushed nor anything less than exemplary, as we sat, chins dribbling with syrupy excess, satiated and happy.

Equally worthy of recommending for either a family outing or a morning bounce after a hard night, La Belle Province is found at 6752 St-Jacques W, just west of Cavendish (bus 90 from metro Vendôme).

Worrying about the glass of wine

Bonnie Sandler

In my assessments of individuals with cognitive impairment, I have noticed that many include a history of lifelong struggles with excessive worrying, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and/or depression. This alone is something to worry about. Children of affected parents are concerned about their own future as it is, and now we have more to worry about as we try not to worry, knowing that excessive worrying could be a factor in this disease.

People who have experienced clinical depression are 2.5 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s, according to a study published this April in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology. If depression occurs before age 60, the likelihood increases nearly 4 times. There are several theories as to why this may be, and further studies are expected to explore the relationship between depression and Alzheimer’s.

Recent headlines warned women that drinking a glass of red wine daily might raise their risk of breast cancer. Should we worry? I was happier when I read that there may be constituents in wine that protect against dementia. More confusion. Are we to choose which disease we would most like to prevent? Are these studies causing us more anxiety, therefore putting us at greater risk for Alzheimer’s? Dr. Nathan Hermann, head of geriatric psychiatry at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, cautions that this is only "one of a number of studies" that have examined the issue and that "the literature is very divided on whether depression predisposes to dementia or not, and is seriously flawed methodologically, and there are no firm conclusions that can be made." So he's not stressed about it, but how do the rest of us know when to worry? Short of digging into the entire body of peer-reviewed research ourselves, the best antidote to this kind of news might just be a good Merlot.

We all need to find ways to relax, but it is especially important if we are caregivers living the 36-Hour Day (like the book of the same name). What works for one person may not be the right stress buster for another. I like to relax after a hectic day by having a glass of red wine. I rationalize that it’s good for my health. A hot bubble bath surrounded by candles also works. But does the glass of wine enhance my risk of breast cancer, or prevent dementia and heart disease? Will I worry now about having this glass of wine? Will the worry affect my cognitive functioning as I age? Will I have the opportunity to age if I have the wine?

Tonight, after a stressful day, I plan on having a glass of red wine and treating myself to a long hot bubble bath. I won’t allow myself to worry. I will simply enjoy my personal choice of de-stressing.

Please address questions and comments to bonniesandler@gmail.com.

A balance of flavours perfected at Anancy

Nancy Snipper

When Anancy's George Grant found Jamaican chef Dave Holness out of 150 applicants to cook up authentic Jamaican dishes for his 3-month-old dream restaurant, he was ecstatic. Holness trained at Jamaica’s HEART Institute, was the executive chef for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and garnered cuisine kudos in Grand Cayman. Now Montreal diners can enjoy his palette-pleasing creations at Anancy Restaurant. Holness has refined Jamaican dishes, creating a balance between herbal input and taste bud appeal for the public up here. My dining companion Dale Newton and I were surprised by the recurring ‘lightness’ in our choices — each devoid of grease and pungent spices.

We started with the chicken soup. Pumpkin seasoning with thyme added flavour accent to the fabulous string bean-shaped dumplings, potatoes, carrots and chocho (similar to small shallots). This soup was my thumbs-up favourite. Dale went crazy over Anancy’s conch fritters. She last sampled such treats in the Bahamas. Rumour ranks these fish cakes as aphrodisiacs, but we didn’t attribute our love of main meal selections to these awesome appetizers. Still, my amorous sentiments were heightened when I bit into the jerk chicken. Wow! It was so tender — utterly pleasing with its Holness balance of seven herbs. I tasted ginger, garlic and pepper, and spied pimento and bits of red and green pepper, but the rest remained a mouth-watering mystery. Dale chose ackee, a yellow veggie resembling a cooked egg yolk in taste and texture. It was exotic. Salty cured cod pieces added great flavour.

I snuck one of the dumplings that go with ackee’s tasty salad mixture. They were sensational — like a donut without the hole or the sweetness. In fact, I quickly became an Anancy dumpling addict, stuffing myself with ‘festivals’ as they are called — three are on the menu as extras. I allowed Dale the last one. She found festivals exciting. I replaced dessert with Blue Mountain coffee. Dale sipped chocolate chai tea — a perfect finale for our Jamaican feast. All we needed now was a beach to stretch out on. There was, however, a waterfall cascading down the glass at the entrance. Art-filled terra cotta walls enhance the warmth. Incredibly affordable, Anancy is a treat on all accounts!

Anancy is located at 6587 Somerled. Info: 514-486-2629