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Marie-Claude Lortie, food columnist for the Montreal newspaper La Presse, has selected Desert Miracle extra virgin olive oil from Morocco as one of the 10 best food products of 2009.
Desert Miracle was awarded the 2009 Mario Solinas 3rd prize (medium green) by the International Olive Council, and has also won other prestigious awards.
INRA (Institut national de recherche agronomique), the French National Institute for Agricultural Research, has played a very important role in a new trend in gastronomy by launching “molecular gastronomy”.
The pioneer and leading light behind this discipline is Hervé This, a researcher at INRA, whose research results are not only amazing but often hilarious.
Molecular gastronomy is a scientific discipline that studies the physical and chemical processes that occur during cooking. The areas of investigations cover a broad spectrum: the understanding of how ingredients change when they are cooked, the mechanisms of aroma release and the perception of taste and flavour, how new cooking methods might produce improved results of texture and flavour, etc.
Molecular cooking is a style of cuisine inspired by the knowledge acquired in molecular gastronomy to create new dishes with new ingredients, new utensils and new methods.
To learn more on the subject:
Hervé This Web site.
Hervé This, Molecular Gastronomist on YouTube.
Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie: Inventors (Hervé This) on YouTube.
Food-Info.net is a project initiated and run by an independent Dutch group, Food-Info Foundation. The site is non-commercial, and all content and lay-out are provided by member universities.
It is an exceptional and reliable source of information on food –composition, allergies and intolerances, additives, etc. The site is written in English, but the content has been translated into more than 20 languages.
Here are examples of FAQs on coffee:
What is the most expensive coffee?
What is washed or wet-processed coffee?
Can coffee help increase alertness and attentiveness and increase sleepiness?
The Food-links to Canadian sources may be very useful!
HACCP, pronounced “has-sep”, stands for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points. HACCP is internationally recognized as the gold standard for food safety.
This system became mandatory in all of Canada's federally registered meat establishments in 2005 and in fish processing establishments in 1998. By checking food safety at "critical points" in the production process, HACCP helps prevent hazards before they occur.
In other federally registered sectors (non meat and fish), industry has voluntarily implemented HACCP as a means of taking a proactive approach to preventing food safety problems.
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) released a food safety management system, known as ISO 22000:2005 that is broader than HACCP. This standard is used on a voluntary basis in Europe.
The Canadian Food and Inspection Agency page on HACCP.
The Food Safety Network (University of Guelph) page on HACCP.
Wikipedia page on HACCP.
Wikipedia page on ISO 22000.
The new Four O’Clock line of pyramidal bags offers easier preparation, bold design and delicious tea blends.
The sweet fragrance of camomile flowers is in perfect harmony with exotic citrus notes.
This caffeine-free blend is also delicious as an iced tea.
Founded in 1992 by company president Johanne Dion, TRANS-HERBe specializes in processing herbs and spices to make herbal infusions and teas that are in great demand.
The firm’s goal is to be a market leader in developing and packaging teas and herbal teas in Canada.
TRANS-HERBe supplies customers in Canada, the United States, Japan, Taiwan and other countries.
The company creates and produces its own tea brands, as well as generic tea products.
