A LETTER FROM THE BIG CHEESE

Poutine isn't made with mozzarella, or it shouldn't be. It's cheddar cheese curds that are the secret. They're a typically Quebecois snack food that you can get in most grocery stores and sometimes even at the dep. If they're properly fresh they squeak between your teeth when you eat them. Mozz is too rubbery and stringy for poutine, although I hear it's used some places. It's all wrong. Otherwise, love your "four pillars" piece. I'm glad you've made shish taouk one of the pillars, because it's not usually mentioned but I think you're right. Kate M. Montreal City Weblog ------------------ Hi Kate! Thanks for your letter! You are absolutely right - I just changed it. I suppose all my years of having "polluted" poutine in Ontario (aka mozzarella) and then having the real thing in Montreal I never noticed the taste difference between the mild cheddar cheese curds and the mozzarella! I always used to pick up small bags of the curds at Provigo/Jean Talon (whenever I could make it up there!) and loved the squeakiness of it that you mention. Such a bizarre but satisfying texture for a cheese! Anyhoots, I thank you again for loaning your discerning taste buds to correct me in my cheese errors. Thanks for reading! Kitty

A LETTER FROM THE PIGEON

dear kitty mak, i was wondering why the article on simahlak has a stevie b. record pasted to it. hehe, stevie b. and noel. oh yes. do you know i once kicked this dude off my turntables at a party for playing timmy t's 'time after time'? this is a true story. i was playing a bunch of hip hop records and i noticed him and his little crew just staring at me off in the cut. he finally approached and asked if he could spin. no prob. but then he put on that record which i fully despise i'd say about 2 songs into his set so i gave him the boot. that mofo contaminated my shit! i never really liked noel but stevie b was cool. i have a few dino records too. much like alternative music, i tend to like the females better in that freestyle genre (sweet sensation, cover girls, nocera, connie, safire, etc.). so have you heard the new amerie yet? was he referring to 'one thing'? i love the track but i dont think the vocals match. it's like she's screaming over the beats which are very busy. i just listen to the instrumental. i heard julio g. on kday say that amerie told him (he does interviews for napster) that they (you know "they") almost didn't put that song on her album. they thought it needed more music and more production. and do you know what dj quik's first single is? i think i know, i'm just wondering if you do? i'm curious about simahlak now. he sounds funky (as opposed to house-y/techno-y). that's cool. is techno even a category these days? that sammich you wrote about sounds great. i might have to try it. i tried a .99 kfc snacker for the first time jesterday and i gotta say it was pretty damn good! i mean were talking a real, fairly substantial all white meat chicken breast with lettuce and mayo for a buck! dude. i liked it so much, i went and got 2 more today! and now i have enough fat grams to last me til wednesday. this keetologue is pretty damn cool. and congrats on making it thru school. i cant believe it's been 4 years already. keep doin it! your big bro, o/g pigeon from los angeles, cali, west coast, usa ------------------ Thanks for your letter, Pidge. I have no idea what DJ Quik's first single was, but I do know that it came out around the time when the closest thing to hip hop I was listening to was Kris Kross. (On that note I can't believe Jermaine Dupri is still around.) Kitty

A REAL LIVE LETTER FROM A REAL LIVE FUR COAT WEARER

Dear Kitty, I read your article about wearing a fur coat, and your frustrating feelings. For me it was the same at the first time for two reasons: 1. the type of fur: a full length Canadian wolf, a gift from my mother and 2. that I am a man. I cannot describe how nervous I was, when I left the house (it was a very cold day five years ago), because I was afraid of the anti-fur movement and the fact that it is a real eye catching coat. I felt like a pimp. But after a short time, when I recognized that nobody does destroy my fur coat, and the women looked a little bit strange, but made me compliments about my coat, I get more self- conscious. I like wearing fur coats, because of their softness and the natural warmness. Now I own several more coats, and I do not have any fear or excitement when I wear a 20,000E full length Russian black mink coat in trench coat style or a 7,000E full length silver fox in the city or at the bus station. It does not depend on the type of fur, I wear also rabbit fur, which was much more cheaper than the above mentioned coats( in summa I have 15 different types of fur coats/jackets of wolf, mink, red fox, silver fox etc.), I wear them with proud. The people recognize this, and the coats are symbol of my hard earned money. You have right, fur is a symbol either of cruelty or of wealthy. But it is also the oldest clothing of mankind, an the fur coats nowadays have the same high-tech as the first cars with racing cars. For me it is a symbol of manufacturing, craftsmanship and tradition. In the last time, designer made much more fur fashion for men, which is lucky for me, so that I am not the only one (but I think, no man around here has got a silver fox coat) that share this passion. There is great demand on mens furs, and let see what happens. You gave a very interesting insight vision about female fur coat wearers, I hope that I give you a little from a mans point of view. with best regards Andreas R.Andreas Roduch ------------------ Andreas R. Andreas Roduch, you have made my year. This was the most sincere and honest letter I have ever received. Thank you. -Kitty