The gastronomic component of Montréal en lumière allows us (finally!) to discover the cuisine of some Aboriginal chefs whose work is otherwise not very accessible to us, in Montreal.
Posted at 2:00 p.m.
One of the five pairings that intrigues us the most is that of Maria-José de Frias, from the restaurant Le Virunga, with Lysanne O’Bomsawin, from the caterer Québénakis. It will materialize on February 25 and 26.
The two women started by listing the ingredients common to their two cuisines, such as squash, beans, smoked foods, fish. “The biggest difference is the spices,” notes Lysanne O’Bomsawin, reached by phone last week.
Virunga puts forward “the typical flavors of sub-Saharan Africa”, while Québénakis specializes in Quebec and Abenaki cuisine.
The other pairing that promises to be very unifying and warm is held at Kamuy, where Paul Toussaint receives Shawn Adler, member of the Lac des Mille Lacs First Nation and chef-owner of The Flying Chestnut Kitchen, in Eugenia, and of the Pow Wow Cafe in Toronto. Two very unique evenings are announced, on February 24 and 25.
A few days earlier (February 21 and 22), it was chef Maxime Lizotte, co-owner of the restaurant L’Introuvable, in Beauce, and head of Wigwam, chef at home, who cooked at the General Staff. And although chef Martin Gagné has returned to his kitchens at Le Parlementaire in Quebec City, his menu will still be served at the ITHQ, from February 22 to 26.