Free snacking starts Thursday at Montréal en lumière fest
Four days of free snacking start Thursday as part of the Montréal en lumière festival.
Until Saturday, the public is invited to sample cheeses from up to 17 Quebec cheesemakers at Complexe Desjardins. On Saturday and Sunday at Jean Talon Market, you can sample a variety of products — both wines and food specialties — from the Lanaudière region northeast of Montreal.
Large and small cheesemakers will offer free tastings at the cheese festival, which opens each of its three days at 11: 30 a. m. and continues Thursday and Friday until 7 p. m., and Saturday until 5 p. m.
Each of the cheesemakers will be present to talk about their products and to sell cheese. Quebec beers and wines will also be offered ( minimum age 18). Admission is free.
At the market expo, saffron from the first harvest of a unique spice farm, meats of bison and wapiti, delicacies made of wild plants and mushrooms, prize- winning cheese curds and preserves made from squash will be among specialties offered both weekend days from 9.30 a. m. to 5 p. m.
One of the bargains of the festival will be the annual weekend series of free cooking classes to be given by chefs at Jean Talon Market. The 10 teachers, all chefs from Lanaudière, will be joined by producers to talk up regional products. The chefs will then demonstrate a few dishes and serve samples of their cooking. Recipes will be available. First class on Saturday and Sunday is at 9: 30 a. m., last class at 3: 30 p. m. Led by veteran chef-teacher Jean- Paul Grappe, the sessions will take place next door to the product expo on the mezzanine floor of the market. Classes will be in French, but English questions can be answered. No reservations are necessary.
Three of the chefs who will teach will also cook dinners in Montreal restaurants during the festival: Marie- Ève Dubeau of L’Ange Cornu Bistro, L’Assomption, at Bistro Lustucru on Thursday and Friday; Nancy Hinton of La Table des Jardins Sauvages, St-Roch- del’Achigan, at Les 400 Coups on Feb. 24; and Yan Walters of Domaine des Trois Gourmands, St- Alexisde- Montcalm, at Quartier Général on Feb. 24 and 25.
New at this year’s festival is a Salon du Livre Gourmand cookbook fair, running from Feb. 26 to 28 at Complexe Desjardins. Hours are from 10: 30 a. m. daily until 8 p. m. on Feb. 26 and 27, until 11 p. m. on Feb. 28. Sponsored by the bookseller Reynaud- Bray and Les Éditions LaPresse, the expo will have hundreds of books on display and some authors present to sign copies of their books for shoppers. Admission is free.
For full details on festival plans, visit montrealenlumiere. com or call 514- 288- 9955.