This text is part of the special book Plaisirs
Chef Sophie Tabet is a woman of tradition. When you go to his restaurant Chez Sophie, in Montreal, you know that French haute cuisine will be in the spotlight. Inspirations, techniques, decor, service: everything is irreproachable and constant. But this perfectionism has a double origin. That of studies carried out at the prestigious Paul Bocuse Institute and remarkable passages in the kitchens of Michelin-starred establishments – she was notably awarded the prize for Chef of the Future and Best Restaurant by the International Academy of Gastronomy in 2010. That also of a Lebanese grandmother for whom the art of receiving was a priesthood. From her visits to Lebanon every Christmas, Sophie Tabet has inherited values and principles, in addition to happy and delicious memories. It is this intimate part of her life that she has agreed to share with us.
Sophie, what were your Christmases like when you were young?
They constituted, for our family, a little scattered, the occasion to gather us. So, even though my parents, my brother and I lived in Quebec, we went to Lebanon every year for the holidays without fail. Christmas was always spent with my paternal grandmother, who loved to entertain and whose cuisine was both refined and hearty. I remember the large buffet and the series of tables that welcomed us, because there were many of us. But I am much more aware today than then of the importance of this reunion. Because beyond the opportunity to treat ourselves and gifts, Christmas was above all an excuse to have a good time together.
Did you eat typical Lebanese dishes on this occasion?
No way ! In fact, the Lebanese prepare and consume many more French dishes than Lebanese on a daily basis. Fattouche salad, mezes, vine leaves, keftas, stuffed aubergines, kebbés, we eat all this in the restaurant on Sundays with family or friends. And we eat it in quantity! But at Christmas, my grandmother used to cook turkey with rice, almonds and walnuts, fillet of beef with potatoes, endives stuffed with prawns and cocktail sauce, sorbets and pastries, such as Christmas log. She also served smoked salmon, foie gras and cheeses. I remember it perfectly, because it was always the same menu, so we knew exactly what was waiting for us, and we were really looking forward to sitting down. I have also kept this tradition and serve the same menu from one year to another at Christmas since my grandmother died.
Some Lebanese specialties to try
Precisely, what do you think you inherited from your grandmother and, more generally, from your Lebanese origins?
I would say above all that it is the art of receiving, the art of the table. Ever since I was little, I have been attached to ensuring that nothing is missing on the table, which is a very Lebanese approach. This component is, in my opinion, as important as the quality of the cuisine. I take care of all the details as soon as I receive, whether they are guests at home or customers at the restaurant. Everything has to be perfect, but also everyone has to be satisfied. I therefore adapt to people who eat gluten-free, vegetarian, etc. It is essential for me to please my guests.
Since you are receiving now at Christmas, what are you serving?
The menu that I cook every other year—my husband is of Italian origin, so we go there every two years for the holidays—is less extensive than those of my youth, because there are far fewer of us here and we don’t want not abuse too much. In my opinion, there is nothing worse than being too drunk after a meal. So I’m preparing a three-course menu that first includes homemade foie gras ravioli, served in a mushroom and truffle broth. Then, I serve the same beef tenderloin, the same baked potatoes and the same endives that my grandmother used to make. For dessert, I prepare a mont-blanc (small layered dome of meringue, whipped cream and vermicelli with chestnut cream), as well as a panettone so that my husband does not feel forgotten, anyway! He is also responsible for choosing the wines for the evening, since he is a sommelier. Ah, and very important thing: I always organize myself so that my house smells like Christmas, with the smells of fir trees and the mulled wine with which we welcome our guests.
Does the end of the year have the same importance as Christmas for you?
Not really. Depending on the year, the restaurant is open or not on December 31. If we are not working that evening, we usually invite a couple of friends, whose daughter is the same age as ours. And there, the menu fluctuates. On the other hand, the 1er January, we are still on leave and spend it between us at home.
What Lebanese-inspired recipe do you suggest for Christmas?
As I cook little Lebanese, I hesitated between a creation and a typical dish. In the first case, I was thinking of offering a soup or kebbés of pumpkin with shavings of chestnuts, which the Lebanese like to eat in winter after having cooked them in embers. But I finally opted for meghli, a dessert that is traditionally prepared in Lebanon to celebrate the birth of a child or at Christmas, which coincides with the birth of Jesus. This recipe includes powdered rice, water, sugar, cinnamon, cumin and anise. This mixture with a gelatinous consistency and chocolate color, to which almonds, walnuts and pistachios are added, has a symbolism of rebirth, the brown representing the desert on which seeds are placed. The spices in this dessert are also supposed to promote milk production. My grandmother made it every Christmas, as well as to mark the birth of her children and grandchildren, so it’s a way for me to pay tribute to her. I often miss her.
This special content was produced by the Special Publications team of the To have to, pertaining to marketing. The drafting of To have to did not take part.