CBC.ca | All in a Weekend

"Moutarde Chou" takes a look at the casse-croûte culture

2012-05-20T12:45:55Z

Everyone remembers their favourite snack-shack, or casse-croute, which many of us as kids went to and were able to enjoy a good "hot-dog steamé" and a poutine. They are scattered all over Quebec.

Freelance lifestyle journalist, Emilie Villeneuve and her friend of 15 years, Olivier Blouin, created a representation and history of the best casse-croutes in Quebec in their newly released book, "Moutarde Chou". They travelled over 7000 kilometres in order to find the best hamburgers, hot-dogs and poutine and really get to the real personalities behind the wonderful and reputable restaurants.

Emilie put her fork down and spoke with Sonali Karnick.

Poutine Masala: Quebec meets India on stage

2012-05-20T12:10:04Z

A new Bollywood-style show has sold out the past few nights in Montreal. "Poutine Masala" is a trilingual romantic-comedy which mashes up the cultures of Quebec and India playing at the Mainline Theatre in Montreal. Deepali Lindblom stars in the comedy. She produced play, which is semi-autobiographical. Deepali spoke with Sonali Karnick about where the idea for the show came from.

The St.Lawrence Choir celebrates its 40th anniversary

2012-05-20T11:45:32Z

With 75 amateur voices singing together, Montreal's St Lawrence Choir makes a big sound.
Next Saturday, they'll raise up their voices in Mozart, along with the Longueuil Symphony Orchestra.

It'll be a Montreal premiere; a reworking of Mozart's Mass in C Minor by musicologist Robert Levin to celebrate the St Lawrence Choir's 40th anniversary.

Michael Zaugg will be leading the choir on that night, as he has for the past four years. He spoke with Sonali Karnick about the performance and moving the choir in a new direction.

Filmmaker Chloé Robichaud at the Cannes film festival

2012-05-19T12:45:00Z

The 65th Cannes Film Festival began this week in the south of France.

And at 24, Montrealer Chloé Robichaud is a veteran of the festival - this is her third visit to Cannes.

This time, she's the director, screenplay writer and editor of her own short film, Chef de Meute - or Herd Leader - which will be competing for a Palme d'Or.

It will be screened twice for the public next Saturday.

But she's already there, on the Croisette. Sonali Karnick spoke with her there, in Cannes.

Scones at the Gryphon d'or tea room in NDG

2012-05-19T12:10:00Z

In Quebec it's the Journée des Patriotes on Monday, but it's also known as Victoria Day.

So we decided to drop in on one of Montreal's best tea rooms for a traditional British tea.

The Gryphon d'Or opened 15 years ago in NDG.

Cucumber sandwiches, sweets like Sticky Toffee Pudding, and blended teas have won it a place on the 'Best Tea List'. And it's scones win raves.

Sonali Karnick went out to meet owner Peggy Regan at Le Gryphon d'Or for a lesson in scone making.

But first Peggy showed her around the tea room on Monkland Avenue.

Have a listen - and then try her recipe below:

Scone Recipe
2 cups of All Purpose Flour
2 tablespoons of double-acting baking powder
2 tablespoons of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup of good quality margarine
1 egg - beaten and add milk to bring up to 3/4s of a cup

Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 13-15 minutes.

Wadada Leo Smith at Victoriaville avant-garde music festival

2012-05-19T11:45:00Z

Trumpeter and composer Wadada Leo Smith headlines at the Festival International de Musique Actuelle this weekend in Victoriaville.

It's a major showcase for avant-garde and improvised music in North America.

Wadada Leo Smith has had a long career in that field. He's now 70 years old.

Tonight, he performs his "10 Freedom Summers" suite, inspired by the campaigns to end segregation from 1954 to 1964.

We called him up at his home in Ventura, California.

The Lanyard for Mother's Day

2012-05-13T12:50:45Z

It's Mother's Day today and many of us will celebrate our mothers and what they've done for us through the years. We may buy her flowers, or make her breakfast in bed or take her out to dinner. But Billy Collins, the former Poet Laureate of the United States, recalls thanking his mother with a lanyard.

If you don't know what that is, you'll figure it out from his poem - THE LANYARD.

Collins was sure when he was a boy that his gift was grand enough. Now it seems he's not so sure.Here he is, reading his poem.

Canada Writes writing challenge for Crime Month

2012-05-13T12:11:41Z

It's Crime Month on CBC Radio's Canada Writes website. So this week two of its editors, Christopher DiRaddo and Jennifer Warren, came into studio to tell us about the Canada Writes Page-turner Challenge -- to write the most bone-chilling opening scene for a crime novel. Apart from the sheer fun of trying the challenge, the prize is an iPad.

Chris and Jennifer also read out some of the best Quebec entries so far - apparently, the creepiest too. Have a listen!

Montreal's 370th anniversary celebrations

2012-05-13T11:45:17Z

Montreal celebrates its 370th anniversary on Thursday. To commemorate the anniversary, 35 museums and organisations around the city have joined together for the first time to highlight Montreal's history from now until the end of the year.

The Pointe-à-Callière museum sits at the heart of that history, and they'll be offering you free access to the remains of the old city in their archeological crypt in the basement. Louise Pothier is Pointe-à-Callière's Director of exhibitions and technology and an archaeologist. She spoke with Sonali Karnick about the history of the museum and what's in store for the anniversary celebrations.

Ross Murray on Mother's Day

2012-05-13T11:10:18Z

It's Mother's Day and traditionally on a day like this, we associate Mom with the cooking. This is the day she gets a 'break'; breakfast in bed or dinner out. But our columnist Ross Murray hopes he'll be the one to pass on a love of cooking to his own kids.

Tourism Quebec: Sunday Update

2012-05-13T10:10:56Z

Micheline Lachance of Tourism Quebec has today's list of activities:

Festival de musique classique de Pierre-De Saurel (Sorel-Tracy, Montérégie)

Super Salon Kinsmen de Val d'Or
(Proceeds to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation)

Salon passion médiévale (Centre Pierre-Charbonneau, Montréal) (Photo, left)

Printemps Rosé, rosé wine festival in the Townships

2012-05-12T12:50:00Z

With the weather warming up, the season of the terrasse, the picnic and the patio supper begins. And this weekend in the Townships, it's the time to break out the local rosé wines.

The first-ever edition of the Printemps Rosé is a celebration that showcases rosé wines produced here in Quebec. It's a month long festival of samplings at restaurants, at the vineyards, and even from the back of a pink caravan.

Denis Paradis is the owner of Le Domaine du Ridge, one of the biggest wineries in Quebec. It's located in Saint-Armand in the Eastern Townships and its award-winning rosé is one of featured wines in the Printemps Rosé.

He spoke with Sonali Karnick about the state of rosés in Quebec and the festival.

Breakfast in Bed for Mother's Day

2012-05-12T12:20:00Z

It's Mother's Day tomorrow and what better way for her to wake up than with breakfast in bed.

Of course, toast and jam is always an option. But if you're looking for ideas for what to put on the tray, chef Derek Bocking can help.

His blog Derek's Kitchen is all about sharing 'recipes to inspire.'

You may also know Derek Bocking from Canada's first Top Chef show. He is now a sous-chef at Chez Ma Grosse Truie Chérie. He shared a simple delicious breakfast-in-bed idea with Sonali Karnick.

Dr. Mike Evans on the new Life Expectancy Calculator

2012-05-12T11:45:00Z

Would you like to know how long you'll live?

Maybe, maybe not.

But with the new Life Expectancy Calculator, you can at least figure out what you need to do to live longer and better.

One small change can make a big difference.

The calculator was created by researchers at the Institute of Clinical Evaluative Sciences and Public Health Ontario.

It's online - and it 's already so popular that the website crashed earlier this week.

Our own weekend house doctor, Mike Evans, talked about it with Sonali Karnick.

Mendel Guide to Quebec City's Lower Town

2012-05-12T11:10:04Z

David Mendel is a well-known architectural historian and the president of Mendel Tours in Quebec City. Mendel Tours specializes in learning travel and works with high-profile clients from around the world.

David Mendel himself has lived in Quebec's historic old town for 36 years. And after years of telling people about the city's heritage, he started his own line of guidebooks - "Mendel Guides" - full of beautiful pictures of la Vieille Ville.

His first guide sold 7,000 copies. His second is titled "Quebec, Birthplace of New France" - and this time it takes us through the city's Lower Town.

David Mendel told Sonali Karnick about the new guidebook.