This text is part of the special Pleasures notebook
Word folks translates into French as “people”, but also as “parents” and “family”. This word also refers us to music drawing its essence from popular traditions. It’s a bit of all this that Frédérike Lachance-Brulotte, at the origin of the blog Folks & Forks, nourishes his creative imagination, made of comforting recipes, vintage crockery, candles, old stones and wood. Followed by more than 200,000 Internet users and author of two magnificent books, the second of which published this fall is dedicated to her daughter, Mathilde, the worthy heiress of innkeepers invites us into her timeless universe to bring a touch of magic to our Holidays. end of the year.
Frédérike, what does the holiday season mean to you?
For me, this time of year is synonymous with traditions, memories and large family tables. I also believe that it is above all an excuse to get together around a good meal. When I was little, I never stopped asking: “What are we eating?” » I also observed for hours my grandfather, an excellent cook, working in front of the stove. It is therefore in this spirit that I experience the holidays, by cooking a lot. But it doesn’t weigh on me, because I really enjoy it.
Is your unique graphic universe reflected in your Christmas decorations?
Yes, it’s very important, and I want people to feel magic when they come to my house. I have a very rustic house in the country, so my decorations are to match. Pine cones, natural fir, wooden decorations, linen tablecloths, candles, old crockery and glassware, outdoor fairy lights. All of this is in line with my deep love for my roots, the values that I have inherited and that I wish to pass on to my daughter, Mathilde.
How are your holidays going, and what are you enjoying?
The holidays are something for us! We sit down for lunch and dinner between December 24 and 27. For New Year’s Eve on December 24 at my parents’ house, in the form of potluck, there are about twenty of us. We all bring small dishes and we play lots of games, like cocktail competitions, to keep the atmosphere happy throughout the evening. The next day, we have a big brunch, then a festive meal at my in-laws’ house.
As for me, I am organizing a open house on the 27th for all family members and friends who are available. There, no one brings anything, it’s me who cooks the comforting specialties that I love: tourtière, meatball stew, roast chicken, etc. And I never fail to prepare Spakendo (a kind of stuffed baguette), our oldest festive family recipe, as well as my mother’s little pigs (recipe to discover below) and my grandmother’s hidden olives. mother (spiced and cooked into paste). These three recipes are also found in my latest book, where I included a chapter on our holiday traditions. I place the dishes in the center of the table, and everyone helps themselves.
What are your best holiday cooking tips?
I would say, first of all, there is no harm in going back to basics. Well-made traditional dishes are extraordinary. They are also more economical, since we can buy our ingredients in good quantities in advance, rather than piecemeal at the last moment. Personally, I stock up well before Christmas and vacuum seal my ingredients until I cook them. And since I prefer to do everything myself, I start preparing most of my dishes – pies, large cuts of meat, terrines – three weeks before Christmas. Then, the day before the gatherings, I prepare everything fresh, like salads. On the big day, all I have to do is reheat and prepare. And I always do a little more so as not to be in trouble in the event of an unexpected visit. So I’m never stressed during the holidays.
Folks & Forks, volume 2. Legacy for Mathilde
Frédérike Lachance-Brulotte, Pratico-Pratiques, Quebec, 2023, 256 pages
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