One evening in Brussels, Michel and I were entertaining our French friends for dinner at home. As it was a spur-of-the-moment invitation to our friends, there wasn’t any time for me to plan the menu the way I usually do, so I decided to rely on one of the tried-and-true dinner menus I often serve back home in Montreal. Success! Well beyond the usual compliments to the cook, our guests were intrigued by my recipes and asked many questions. This made me wonder.
The idea of writing a cookbook started to take shape at the end of summer 2018, shortly after taking a road trip to Métis-sur-Mer in Québec, with my mother Andrée, my aunt Élise and their good friend Thérèse. During that trip, we tasted local cuisine and we chatted about our favourite recipes. And naturally, we moved on to talk about the subject of food. I started to notice that whenever food is the topic of conversation, whether with family, friends or new acquaintances, the discussion always perks up.
Am I a professional chef? Absolutely not, but even without formal training, I learned how to cook by helping my mother, watching television cooking shows, being chief cook at a summer camp, entertaining family and friends at home, and staying curious. I also took several cooking classes in Montréal, Toronto, Santa Monica and La Jolla in California. I continue to read magazines and cookbooks that always find their way to my night table.
In a way, this collection of recipes will become a family heirloom. Who knows, maybe one day Philip, my son, my nieces and nephews, and my granddaughter Romie will decide to connect with the family culinary history, one bite at a time.
Bon appétit!
Anne Vézina
June 30, 2020