Imaginative and creative, Véronique Mathieu is the champion of two in one: the dishes she cooks for entertaining at the Holidays also serve to decorate the table. This way, she saves on decoration while adding a festive and magical touch to her tables.
“I like serving things that are edible, but which are fun,” confides the mother of two children aged 8 and 12. I’m quite a Christmas freak: I make my tree and decorate the house the weekend after Halloween! »
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, THE PRESS
Véronique Mathieu is a Christmas maniac.
This Candiac resident has a few signature dishes that have become classics at her house. For example, his mashed potatoes in the shape of a snowman. “It’s a tradition,” says the forty-year-old, laughing, “the children ask for them! »
With two ice cream scoops of different sizes, she forms two balls to make the body of the snowman. She sculpts a piece of carrot to make the nose, two peppercorns to make the eyes and a sprig of rosemary to form the broom placed next to it. “My mother used to do that and it must have been more than 10 years since I picked up the idea. »
Ideas to eat
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, THE PRESS
To eat: clementines, gingerbread men and cream sugar!
Among her other “chewable” ideas, she places clementines here and there on the table. It’s pretty and people help themselves before, during or after the meal, she emphasizes. In addition to adding a touch of color, clementines are a little nod to Christmases of yesteryear, when people exchanged citrus fruits as gifts.
Another interesting decorative touch: she places a square of cream sugar under a glass in front of each guest’s plate, like a bell that contains a surprise. “Guests eat them whenever they want during the evening,” she says. And this is not to brag, but I make the best cream sugar! »
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, THE PRESS
Other garnishes include dried orange slices.
Gingerbread cookies covered with candy and dried orange slices also decorate his tables. She organizes everything by alternating with bark and fir trees found on her land. “It doesn’t cost much to make something from what you find outside,” emphasizes Véronique. I also bought battery-powered candles, which work year after year. It is economical and safe. I try to collect as many things as possible from the decoration side. »
A few years ago, she made little reindeer with her children from pieces of branches that had fallen to the ground. They are also used every Christmas.
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, THE PRESS
A table ready to entertain!
Green, white, red
This filming location director chooses to serve traditional meals: meatball stew, chicken or turkey, and pies. She prepares them in advance and freezes them raw. Once again, she strives to collect and create edible decorations: with the scraps of dough, she shapes stars and mini-trees. “They become croutons and I put them on my green soup,” she says.
A green soup? This is actually a recipe I found online, using celery, leek and spinach. As garnishes, Véronique places a little cloud of sour cream then some grenadine grains. Green, white, red… A very nice reminder of the colors associated with Christmas.
“After all, we eat with our eyes first!” “, she rightly concludes.