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The Art of Living According to Joe Beef by David McMillan, Frederic Morin and Meredith Erickson
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The Art of Living According to Joe Beef

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The Art of Living According to Joe Beef by David McMillan, Frederic Morin and Meredith Erickson
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Oct 11, 2011 | ISBN 9781607740148

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    Oct 11, 2011 | ISBN 9781607740148

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Product Details

Praise

Finalist, IACP Awards 2012, Chefs & Restaurants Category
Winner of Food52’s Piglet Tournament of Cookbooks, 2012


“As I leafed through the pages I came to be charmed by their story and the unconventional way the book is laid out. There is a sense of history to the book and their deep love of Montreal is evident throughout. There is richness in detail and usually a lovely idiosyncratic story for each recipe that makes the book as much of an engaging read as a straightforward cookbook.” 
—Judge Alice Waters, Food52’s Piglet Tournament of Cookbooks, 2012

“One of the best cookbooks of the year. . . the stories by Frédéric Morin and David McMillan are worth the price.”
—Edward Ash-Milby, Buyer at Barnes & Noble 

“This bizarre and spectacular book isn’t like the other on my list—but then again, it’s not much like any other book I know of, cooking-related or otherwise. . . a kind of artist’s statement for an idiosyncratic and unlikely restaurant.” 
—Mother Jones, Favorite Cookbooks of 2011, 12/3/11

“Proof of Morin’s and McMillan’s creative culinary genius.” 
—USA Today, 11/22/11 

“Joe Beef is a Montreal restaurant worthy of a special trip north, as David Chang attests in his foreword to this “cookbook of sorts.” The free-form tome embodies the delicious chaos of the place, and the eccentric interests and oversize appetites of the men behind it—chefs and co-owners Frédéric Morin and David McMillan. There’s history here, including the tale of Joe Beef himself, the 19th-century Irish immigrant, Canadian tavern owner and “friend of the working man” for whom the restaurant is named. In addition to recipes, there are chapters on the history of Montreal eating (spotlighting the casse-croute tradition of ramshackle snack shacks) and on trains—old-school rail travel being one of Morin’s enduring obsessions. Cook this: Spaghetti homard-lobster in bacon-brandy cream; stuffed dining-car calf liver in Parmesan-mustard crust; Joe Beef foie gras and cheddar cheese “Double Down.”
—Time Out New York, The Season’s Best Cookbooks, 11/15/11

“I believe everyone should eat at Joe Beef at least once. And I think everyone should buy this cookbook.”
—Food Republic, 11/14/11

“Inventive, meaty, badass cooking. And with these chefs, you get the sense that food and only food is what matters.”
—BonAppetit.com, BA Daily blog, 10/18/11 

“Beautiful, hip, both feminine and masculine at the same time. . . . The book conveys an entire atmosphere, a way of relating to food, yes, but also time, and love, and communication. The recipes are sexy, but in the way that Montreal is sexy. If you have been to Montreal, I’m guessing you know what I mean.” 
—Eating from the Ground Up, 10/11/11

“If one judges a cookbook by its idiosyncrasies, this fall’s best comes from Canada. The Art of Living According to Joe Beef, by Frédéric Morin and David McMillan, will teach you how to cook a horse steak, make absinthe, tour Canada by train and cure a hangover (kale with bacon and fried egg). . . . But what makes this cookbook so great—and Momofuku Ko chef David Chang’s “favorite restaurant in the world,” according to his foreword—is the confidence, humor and lack of pretense that allows Morin and McMillan to serve a mound of caviar next to a martini garnished with a Vienna sausage. Oh, those Canadians.” 
—Departures, 9/15/11

“This book, from the folks behind the Montreal restaurant David Chang calls his “favorite restaurant in the world,” covers a fantastic range of topics. Sure, there are recipes, but there is also a history of the restaurants of Montreal, a paean to the trains of Canada, “Le Grand Setup de Caviar,” a thirty ingredient smorgasbord, a martini recipe that calls for a Vienna sausage garnish, and plans for building a smoker yourself.” 
—Eater National, 9/12/11

“From the acclaimed Montreal restaurant come personality-packed tales of food and drink, like instructions for building a smoker and distilling absinthe.”
—DETAILS, The Year’s 10 Best Cookbooks, September 2011 Issue

“Touching on many of this fall’s themes—and simultaneously defying categorization—is The Art of Living According to Joe Beef: A Cookbook of Sorts by David McMillan, Frédéric Morin, and Meredith Erickson. While it is tied to a restaurant (Montreal bistro Joe Beef), it makes nods to regular folks, too, including, for instance, instructions for building a backyard smoker. But with recipes for Swedish sandwiches, recollections of favorite train trips, and a love letter to French burgundy, this is one cookbook that—happily, for us—eschews all the trends.”
—Publishers Weekly, Top 10 Fall Cookbooks, 6/27/11

“A savvy page-turner full of meats, oysters, attitude and irreverence.”
—Publishers Weekly, 6/20/11

“Fred, Dave, and Meredith are a significant part of what makes Montreal dangerous—and delicious—to anyone who loves food. The words Joe Beef are synonymous with good food and good times.”
—ANTHONY BOURDAIN
 
“This is the most amazing cookbook of the last ten years. As a longtime fan of the restaurant and its staff, I can tell you that Joe Beef is more than just an eatery. It embodies a way of looking at food and life, a zeitgeist, that I thought was impossible to capture in print. I was wrong. If you want to cook in a gutsy, honest, meat-centric, modernist aesthetic—then look no further.”
—ANDREW ZIMMERN, award-winning chef, author, and host of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern
 
“Eating at Joe Beef is the most heartwarming, delicious time you will have north of the border. Fred and David are truly talented artisans and gastronomes dedicated to flavor, technique, and downright old-world hospitality. Read this book; it’ll make your mouth water.”
—FRANK CASTRONOVO and FRANK FALCINELLI, chefs/owners, Frankies Spuntino
  
“This cookbook is crazy delicious, just like the restaurant—full of fun, flavor, philosophy, and food.”
—BONNIE STERN, founder, Bonnie Stern School of Cooking
 
“Fred and Dave sont des vrais (are the real thing). They were hunting, fishing, foraging, butchering whole animals, and growing their own vegetables long before it was cool. I could go on about how these boys cook (like masters), but you’ll discover that in these pages.”
—RIAD NASR, executive chef, Minetta Tavern
 
The Art of Living According to Joe Beef captures Fred and Dave’s complete vision: their unique style of cooking and a warm and wacky atmosphere that always seems to be ahead of the curve. This is everything we love about Joe Beef, without having to fly to Montreal.”
—VINNY DOTOLO and JON SHOOK, Animal and Son of a Gun restaurants
 
“Filled with historic facts, quirky cooking techniques, and food that holds nothing back, this book is overflowing with ingenuity. It reflects, indeed, the art of living according to Joe Beef.”
—CHUCK HUGHES, chef/owner, Garde Manger

Table Of Contents

Foreword by David Chang ix
Introduction 1
Joe Beef of Montreal 6

 
Chapter 1: Building a Tiny Restaurant in the Middle of Nowhere 11
Foie Gras Parfait with Madeira Jelly 21
Marrowbones Cultivateur 23
Spaghetti Homard-Lobster 27
Oeufs en Pot 29
Scallops with Pulled Pork 30
Arctic Char for Two with Gulf of St. Lawrence Snow Crab 32
Foie Gras Breakfast Sandwich 34
Schnitzel of Pork 36
Pojarsky de Veau 38
Lièvre à la Royale 40
Lamb Paloise 43
 
Chapter 2: The Builders, the Brewers, the Bankers, and the Gangsters 45
Lamb Shoulder for Two, Condimint 54
Oeufs en Gelée 57
Duck Steak au Poivre 61
Pâté en Croûte 62
Blanquette de Veau aux Chicons 65
Filet de Cheval à Cheval 66
Pieds-Paquets with Sauce Charcutière 68
Brochette de Lapin aux Pruneaux 70
Profiteroles de Chèvre et Céleri, Purée de Tomates et Persil, R.I.P. Nicolas Jongleux 72
Veal Liver Brisket 74
Turbot au Vermouth de Chambéry 78
Époisses de Bourgogne à l’Echalotte 79
 
Chapter 3: Trains! 81
Fred’s Top Canadian Train Itineraries 86
Le Grand Setup de Caviar 91
Tiny Sausage Links 93
Canard et Saucisse 94
Dining Car Calf Liver 95
Pork Fish Sticks 97
Box of Pullman Loaf 98
Peameal Bacon 100
Chicken Jalfrezi 102
Beer Cheese 105
Lentils Like Baked Beans 106
New England Clam Chowder 107
 
Chapter 4: The Seaway Snack Bar 109
Hot Oysters on the Radio 120
Oysters #37 123
Mouclade 125
Squid Stuffed with Lobster 127
Smelt Mayonnaise 128
Whelks with Escargot Butter 131
Steamers 132
 
Smorgasbord Insert
Black Pepper Crème Fraîche • Cucumber Salad • Dill Butter • Smoked Mackerel or Rainbow Trout • 
Maple Smoked Kamouraska Eel • Pickled Eggs with Celery and Horseradish • Char Tartare • 
Aquavit Onions • Cured Char with Gin • Nova Scotian “Salmon” Gundy • Potato Salad with Cider 
Vinegar and Shallot • Smoked West Coast Oysters • Smoked Sturgeon and Scallops

 
Razor Clams Video Lottery Terminal, aka Clams Casino 133
Cornflake Eel Nuggets 134
Baked Common Crab 137
Mackerel Benedict 138
 
Chapter 5: The Smoker 141
Building Your Own Smoker 146
The Hot Délicieux Sandwich 151
Smoked Baby Back Ribs 153
Good Fries 154
Liverpool House Rabbit Sausage 156
Porchetta alla Joe Beef 158
Preserved Stone Fruits 161
Smoked Cheddar with Doughnuts 163
 
Tall Tales, Taste, and a Few Theories 166
Éclair Velveeta 170 • Ricotta Gnocchi with Rich and Tasty Red Sauce 171  Joe Beef Double 
Down
 173 • Chicken Skin Jus 174 • Chicken Skin Tacos 175 • Purée de Fines Herbes 176 • 
Mustard 176 • BBQ Sauce 176 • An Easy Hollandaise 177 • Sour Crudités 177 • Truffled Eggs 
with Everything Biscuits and Watercress
 178 • Purée de Pommes de Terre 180 • Polenta 181
 
Chapter 6: Building a Garden in a Crack Den 183
Parc Vinet Salad 190
Pickled Rhubarb 191
Salade d’Endive 191
Bagna Càuda and Aioli 192
Jerusalem Artichokes with Ketchup 195
Apple Vinny 196
Cider Turnips 196
Carrots with Honey 198
Baked Mushrooms with New (or Old!) Garlic 201
Herbes Salées 201
Kale for a Hangover 202
Cauliflower Gratin 203
Spring Beets 204
Petits Farcis 206
 
Chapter 7: A Word on Booze 209
The Vijay Singh 226
Roman Coke 226
Sausage Martini 226
The Master Cleanse 229
Gin ’n’ Jews 229
Bock Tomate 229
Robert Roy 230
The Raw Beef 230
Joe Beef César 230
Burdock Root Wine 232
Cold Mulled Wine 233
Making Your Own Absinthe 234
 
Chapter 8: Putting the “Beef” in Joe Beef 237
Strip Loin Steak 240
Côte de Boeuf 243
Zesty Italian Tartare 245
Daube de Joues de Boeuf Chaude (Hot) 246
Deviled Kidney and Hanger on Toast 247
Filet de Boeuf: The Postmodern Offal! 248
Beef Shank Stock 249
Montreal Steak Spice 250
Joe Beef Sauce Vin Rouge 250
Onion Soup Sauce 251
Gentleman Steak Sauce 251
 
Chapter 9: The Dessert Chariot 253
Marjolaine 255
O + G’s Cardamom Banana Bread 258
Ice Cream Base 260
Financiers 262
Panna Cotta 264
Éclairs 266
Merveilleux 270
Chaud Froid de Pamplemousse au Romarin 272
 

Montreal in Two Days 278
Acknowledgments 282
About the Authors & Photographer 285
Index 286

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