You celebrate the return of pleasure in cooking. Why did you lose this taste for cooking?
I haven’t always had a healthy relationship with cooking. My eating disorder has marked my life between diets, bulimia and orthorexia [une obsession alimentaire pour la nourriture saine]. I should have taken care of it much earlier, I waited until the end of my forties to consult… My advice is that you have to take care of it for a better quality of life. You can eat your fill and have a stable weight for a better life. Also, when you become a parent, daily cooking can quickly become a chore. In our house, there are allergies, one of my daughters became vegetarian for a while, I have intolerances, so it becomes complicated and we lose the pleasure of cooking! Eating dishes that make us happy is important for our vitality and health, let’s not forget that. And with a little music, it’s always good for the atmosphere!
Does taking care of yourself start at the plate?
Yes. We must re-appropriate the way we eat with the sole aim of feeling well. It makes all the difference in the energy we will have during the day. What a difference when you prepare a dish you love! What a pleasure ! It changes everything. We are bombarded with information about food, about what to eat and what not to eat. There is stress, guilt and competition. We compare ourselves, we look at each other’s plate instead of listening to their desires. Let’s take the time to eat for ourselves, our satisfaction and our well-being. I’m happy to do this magazine, because we all have a very personal relationship with food and it’s good to start a conversation, to talk about eating well and the pleasure we get from it.
Has cooking been part of your life since you were little?
Yes. I lived in the countryside in the middle of the woods. I didn’t have access to all the outside entertainment, so cooking became a hobby. I loved cooking, especially baking. My grandmother Annette cooked a lot. She was the mother of 12 children, in Bas-du-Fleuve. There is also his recipe for cream sugar in the magazine, which is really delicious. I pay tribute to him in this way.
What recipes can we find in this first issue of Mitsou kitchen ?
Recipes that can be cooked easily with fresh ingredients. We are all looking for short preparations, comfort dishes, inventive and tasty. I love crab cakes, I always have some in the freezer, homemade or purchased. With a salad, it’s perfect. I also like pappardelle with mushrooms, Swedish pork polpettes, shrimp skewers with Chimichurri sauce, lasagna with eggplant and pesto, pizza with olives and artichokes. There are also snacks and desserts, like gluten-free brownies, cannoli-style cups, a real delight, or orange and blueberry muffins. I cook instinctively, I never follow recipes to the letter, so you can add your personal touch.
Mitsou kitchen
Practical-Practical, Winter 2024
$12.95