Being a “artisan-manufacturer” and making fresh products everyday we tend to have our nose to the grind stone. We have to. We love it most of the time and yes, we have our so-so days, but then someone reaches out and writes  ”OMG!!! I just had your tzatziki and it is AMAZING!!! I have physically craved it ever since I’ve had it. I think you need to make a bigger bag!!!”,* and the whole day changes… It’s not everyday, true, but we keep those comments and good words in a bank of precious words, better then gold, warmer then the biggest fireplace.

We realize the joy we have, in this crazy world we love, to do something that touches people. Because food, good food, makes us happy, it’s a celebration to sit down and enjoy a meal, it doesn’t matter if it’s a vegan feast or the best triple burger. Food is life. We tend to forget…

On a lighter note, turkey is on it’s way and spirits are high or will get there, so to all of you, from all of us at Maison Le Grand, Happy Holidays and Peace on earth, this little planet we love!

*We love to hear from you!

Being born in Manitoba (spent the first weeks of my life there!) and my parents from Saskatchewan and Manitoba I am especially proud to be selling from coast to coast. We are looking forward to visit Safeway stores in the spring, but in the meanwhile Tracey, our rep is visiting as many stores as her legs will carry her!

So there it is folks, Le Grand’s products are available from coast to coast thanks  to Safeway in the west!

Our “new” pouch is 17 times lighter then the glass jar it replaced… Food in Canada, the well known magazine of  transformers and manufacturers has a very interesting article, page 32 of the 2011 september issue about  the “virtues” of flexible packaging.

In a nutshell, the U.K. -based Ellas Kitchen undertook an independent audit of the life cycle of the pouch and found out that 95% of the impact on the environment was during the making and transporting. So, only 5% of the impact is due to the final disposal. Read the full article here.

Fall is back and the harvest brings a new Le Grand Pesto.

Roasted Red Peppers have always made a big impression on me. The color is not the one of the tomato; it’s brighter and deeper. As for the taste, it’s all about smokey subtleties; a touch of sweetness  and a lovely soft texture.

I thought it was going to be easy to make a new product with such a winner! Well I discovered not long after that Red Roasted Peppers do not like to associate with the Tom Dick and Harry of the  vegetable kingdom…

They don’t dominate you see, and a little too much garlic and the red pepper is nowhere to be found… After a while it became evident that fresh herbs where dancing on the same beat.  A final contest between thyme and savory found them neck to neck. Well, lets have them together in a harmonious embrace. To bring some rhythm and crunch we added walnuts, a hint of fresh garlic and sea salt “Et voilà” our new Red Roasted Pepper Pesto!

Like our other pesto this one is a “natural” with pasta, but it’s fresh aroma is well suited for hors d’oeuvre and dips. Great with grilled meats simply as a topping.

Salmon and trout; a perfect match!

In the next few days I will post recipes for this exciting new member of our family!

I hope it will find a home in your fridge! Bon appétit!                  Bernard

First recipe with our brand new Tzatziki! Really everything from vegetables to meat and salads benefits from this summery version of Tzatziki. Of course this recipe is simple and tasty, time is of the essence, but taste is THE essence… of a good meal!

INGREDIENTS for 1 chicken thigh

• 1 chicken thigh
• 2 tablespoons of Le Grand’s Tzatziki

PREPARATION

• Gently pull the skin from the meat and fill with Tzatziki as much as you can
• Cook on the BBQ or in the oven for about an hour @ 375F    ”et voilà!”

He took the time, nevertheless, on saturday the 8th of may in “Le Journal de Montréal” to analyse and rank 6 pestos made in Quebec. His criteria was highs, but he was not out to “destroy” anyone. A few competitors lost a couple feathers though.

Le Grand’s Garden pesto ranked first with 17 points on 20. The lowest was 3 on 20. You think it made our day? You bet it did! He was judging taste, color, texture and freshness. In all fairness most pestos did ok, and that’s good for the industry. Pestso is growing in sales and usage and overall quality is improving.

We won’t sit on our laurels, you dont do that to such a fine herb, but what great motivation for us to be ranked by such a fine palate…

We have worked hard to bring you a light and yet tasty version of this summery Meditarenean sauce.

We have privileged real fresh herbs, such as dill and mint. The garlic takes a back seat so you can enjoy our Tzatziki and have a social life…  We also use premium Greek style yogourt  and no sour cream. No sugar, no oil and no gum of any kind are to be found in our Ttzatziki. In one word it’s natural.

Fresh like a summer breeze our Tzatziki brings the Mediterranean touch for your eveyday “cuisine”.

Right now you can find our Tzatziki in independant stores of the greater Montreal region and in Quebec’s IGA starting the 17th of May.

Email us your  impressions and recipes and we will send you a coupon for a free Le Grand’s product.

The most important food show on the continent is definitely  California’s Expo West. 50,ooo visitors, thousands of booths, billions of bites, one gigantic beehive…

It would be impossible to pin point the latest trend or tendency other than that it harbors a fantastic diversity. One thing that without a doubt is on the rise is the increasing number of vegan. It seems that one out of three people tasting ask about dairy products in our sauces, of course it’s a new burgeoning crowd. Good thing that we had 4 vegan sauces for them to taste and the reception was very positive. It’s interesting to notice that gourmets, gourmands or rawfooders are all surprised by the fresh and vibrant taste of our products, sounds like a plug? Ok, it is… but truth be told!

Personaly I don’t go on the road much and my little universe goes from the shop to the house so to get that kind of feedback is about the most nourishing experience I could dream of. I had more profound and interesting discussions on food there then anywhere else in such little time. Yes, ExpoWest is a time warp.

My french accented english, compounded by my baritone  voice, simply did not pierce thru the crowd. So thank goodness Tatiana was there greeting visitors with her genuine and legendary enthusiasm.

To sum it up, Expo West is the most stimulating place to be if food matters in your life……

Tatiana, Erika and my self on the beach at the Food Network 2010 Food & Wine Festival, sampling away!

Every Febuary the Food Network organizes a very popular event in Miami Beach, right on the sand and under a big tent (thank God!). The South Beach Food & Wine Festival.

20 000 people in 3 days tasted wine and discovered new and interesting  food companies like… Le Grand!

Hundreds of wines and many hors d’oeuvres are being sampled and the (happy!) crowd goes from table to table in search of the best food under the sun.

Celebrity Chefs from Anthony Bourdain* to Paula Dean gave masterclasses to enthusiastic gourmets. When I got to Bourdain’s event it was a full house, people were already lining up to get an autograph. I watched from the side this unusual Chef joking and cooking with a young french colleague. A masterclass of suave magnetism and relaxed attitude.

As for Le Gand’s sauces it was the perfect opportunity to have our products tested and tasted by Floridians since we are now available in The Fresh Markets and some Whole Foods.

If I say that the reception was great I probably sound biased, but a man tasting a sample was so enamored with the Spicy Tapenade that he proposed to film the reactions of  the people and post them on this blog… Well just picture hundreds of enthusiastic new fans and you get the idea… It is nevertheless important and stimulating for us to get first hand feed back and a little bit of sunshine in this unusually cold winter, according to the locals… oh yeah? Please come to Montreal for an unuasually mild winter and you will miraculously stop shivering back on your beautiful South Florida!