December 1, 2018
Dismal weather conditions cause havoc leaving thousands of acres unharvested PEI potato production will be way down this year as a result of a bad growing season with not enough rain and then even worse harvest conditions, where too much rain turned fields into mud bogs. There are 84,000 planted acres of potatoes on PEI and each acre is worth…
December 1, 2018
Crustacean consternation This week we have a tale about a lobster (or two) and how not to sell them to mid-westerners. Or anybody for that matter. Many years ago I worked at a country resort on the north shore. We got a lot of visitors from Canada and the US who had never eaten lobster before (unless it was out…
November 1, 2018
Recent trade agreement leaves dairy producers with sour taste for government’s deal With the recent signing of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), Canada’s supply management system is seemingly under threat. Many farmers and dairy product producers are saying that while the agreement doesn’t completely dismantle the system, it further chips away at it, which could lead to trouble in the…
November 1, 2018
Wine choices – red or white? There is no use whining about wine (yes, I went there!). These day even in small places your wine selection is vastly improved over the days when a rafetta covered bottle of cheap chianti was considered classy. Still, sometimes picking a wine in a restaurant can be fraught with too many choices, but in…
October 1, 2018
Spills both hot and cold, all in the timing Have you ever seen something that years later still makes you cringe? I certainly have. I was maitre’d at a resort restaurant on the Island’s north shore. We had a table of ten or so come in with a little baby, not more than a year old. We put her in…
September 1, 2018
More thrilling tales from the service industry Anyone who says that service industry work is easy and doesn’t require a particular skill set has never worked in a dining room or kitchen. Just to navigate the many personalities you will run into through the course of a day requires quick thinking, diplomacy, and a strong stomach. In this month’s edition…
August 1, 2018
Why is Caesar salad so contentious? Well here we are: the second installment of Behind the Line. This month we have some doozies that’s for sure. Most names have been changed to protect the innocent but if you happen to recognize yourself in any of these don’t worry: you are not alone. We’ve all been on one side or the…
June 30, 2018
Tales from the service industry Welcome to what we hope is the first installment of Behind the Line. We’d like you to be a part of this series by submitting first hand experiences of imperious bosses, difficult guests, and your own and others’ stupidity. Please send stories to grippingkitchentales@gmail.com. I will start with a couple of my own stories of…
June 1, 2018
Montague brewery launches product in liquor stores You certainly can’t accuse the brains behind Copper Bottom Brewing of not planning ahead. Just before opening last November, Ken Spears and Ashley Condon bought a canning system from Nova Scotia’s Tatamagouche Brewing. In May, a mere seven months later, the brewery released its first canned products. 473 ml cans of Centennial Stock…
May 1, 2018
The International Herb Association has named hops as the herb of 2018 Without hops modern-day beer would be a very different drink. For even the most mild lagers available, brewers still use hops in the recipe. But with the craft brew market still growing and going strong there is a lot more interest in beers that have stronger flavours and…