1. What foods do you always have on hand?
Kosher salt, air-dried sausages, unsalted butter, blue cheese, unpasteurized honey, fresh fruit, a bottle of wine and rustic bread. Basically, I’m always ready for a picnic. I can’t keep sweets in the house because I eat them all!
2. What’s your favorite thing to eat?
Every time I eat veal blanquette, I remember that it’s my favorite food. I like it best served over jasmine rice or fresh egg noodles. Favorite dessert? Crème caramel.
3. Favorite breakfast?
I had a breakfast at Kenny & Zuke's in Portland last fall featuring two eggs, two knishes, two HUGE slices of corned beef and an onion bialy. It was pretty memorable. Most days I eat porridge, fruit and peanut butter but when I’m on vacation I eat blue cheese, honey and melon with nut bread.
4. What’s an ingredient that’s often misunderstood?
4. What’s an ingredient that’s often misunderstood?
Buttermilk. People hear “butter” and they assume that it’s fatty or unhealthy. Cultured buttermilk has nothing to do with the byproduct of buttermaking, but is a wonderful low-fat dairy product that adds a wonderful dimension to creamy foods while maintaining their rich texture. I make my own buttermilk using cultures I get from hippies in the US, and it’s great!
5. New ingredient you’ve recently discovered?
I had duck hearts for the first time in San Francisco last year. They are delicious, and so versatile! Bite-sized pieces of ducky wonder.
6. Guilty pleasure food?
I have a bubble tea problem. My favorite is the house special at a Calgary shop made with three kinds of pearls, coconut, mandarin and mango called Yong Chi Kim Lu.
7. Favorite vacation spot?
7. Favorite vacation spot?
I spent the month of July in Aix-en-Provence last year. I would be happy to do that every year.
8. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
Calgary is where my heart is, but if forced to choose, I’d live in Lyon, France.
9. Do you have any pets?
It wouldn’t be fair for me to keep an animal, I’m never home enough.
10. Coffee or tea and how do you take it?
I’m a picky espresso drinker. I only drink coffee that’s been made with a lot of love. I love loose teas, especially white tea, earl grey or jasmine served straight-up (or on rare occasions with a splash of honey).
11. What’s your favorite thing to cook?
When I bake bread, I always find myself singing. It makes me feel so happy, watching loaves rise in the oven, smelling the smells and, of course, tasting the wares!
12. Favorite TV show?
I’m a Trekkie.
13. Person you’d love to cook with?
She’s no longer with us, but I wish I’d had the chance to cook with Julia Child.
14. One food you couldn’t live without?
14. One food you couldn’t live without?
Cheese!
15. Favorite food from childhood?
My sister used to make “porcupine meatballs”. Basically meatballs stuffed with rice and baked in tomato sauce. Porcupine meatball night was always hotly anticipated in our house.
16. Favorite ice cream flavor?
16. Favorite ice cream flavor?
Single malt scotch (my own recipe, of course)
17. Favorite holiday?
Thanksgiving. Harvest is my favorite time of year!
18. Favorite book?
18. Favorite book?
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver.
19. Favorite cookbooks?
The Joy of Cooking. It’s my go-to. David Kingsmill's Home Bistro is the book that first got me thinking about being a professional chef. I cooked it cover to cover. Claudia Fleming's The Last Course informed my pastry sensibilities more than any other.
20. Signature dish, if you had to pick one?
Fromage blanc cheesecake with buttermilk ice cream. There are several stories behind that dish that really sum up what good food means to me.
