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Martin Picard – sensualist, chef, provocateur, host extraordinaire – will be signing copies of his book Au Pied de Cochon: A Cookbook from the Celebrated Restaurant

Martin Picard – sensualist, chef, provocateur, host extraordinaire. In the introduction Anthony Bourdain calls him Rabelesian. “A fantastically talented chef, a friend, an inspiration” and “Au Pied de Cochon is simply one of my favourite restaurants on the planet,” according to Bourdain.

This is a sumptuous album, full of carnal pleasures – Picard knows too well that the act of cooking, eating and living are to be celebrated in a deliberate and wholly conscious manner. It is not a book for the faint of heart, or the faint of stomach! Picard brings together fifty-five of his restaurant’s recipes. Eschewing culinary fads, he pairs rustic comfort foods like stick-to-your-ribs poutine with a decadent slab of foie gras. There’s no calorie-counting here: other over-the-top delicacies include, Venison “Chinese Pie” and, true to the restaurant’s name, Braised Pigs’ Feet.

But this is no ordinary cookbook. Recounting the wild story of the restaurant’s beginnings and its passionate crew, the pages are imbued with Picard’s exacting vision and illustrated with more than 600 photos and 50 original illustrations. Au Pied de Cochon is a celebration of pure cooking and pure indulgence from a kitchen. It is a testament to the depth of respect that Picard has for his raw ingredients – from his relationship with the farm where his pork is raised, to the hours spent pickling and preserving. Picard is a strong proponent of the Slow Food Movement. He gives respect to the ingredients he relies upon to create his soul-nourishing, heart-stopping, eye-seducing dishes!

MARTIN PICARD was a member of the culinary team that opened Montreal’s internationally acclaimed restaurant Toqué. He has earned distinction for his mastery of Southern French cuisine to which he adds his own unique, contemporary twist at his award-winning restaurant, Au Pied de Cochon, opened in November 2001. Look for him on the new Food Network program At the Table With…

Getting there: Yonge Street at Yorkville Avenue

For more information contact: Alison Fryer
Phone: 416-920-2665
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