The first time I saw Laura Calder was on her James Beard Award winning TV series French Food at Home. She was cooking peasant food while wearing a dress the color of flesh, and although it was her outfit that caught my eye, it was her voice and her words that pulled me in. I listened, captivated, as she described the menu for the ‘Thrifty’ show, effortlessly rolling her tongue around words like croûte and crêpe, shrugging her shoulders just the tiniest bit to emphasize each ‘R’. Somewhere between the Soufléed Spinach Omelette and the Baked Onions with Vinaigrette, I knew I was hooked.
Later that evening I found all 25 episodes from Season 3 on the Food Network Canada’s website, then spent the next three days immersed in a world of French food (a cuisine that seemed very exotic to me at the time). Laura cooked in a kitchen from another era – a kitchen where milk came out of the refrigerator in glass bottles and butter was stored in earthenware crocks; a place where napkins were pressed before being laid on the table and ingredients were measured out in dollops and dribbles.
Looking back now, I realize I was seduced as much by her phraseology as I was by the romantic food she prepared. Laura wrote every episode of French Food at Home, producing scripts that were filled with evocative language. The way she described vegetables – at times sensuous, as buttery strands of cabbage that tangled together or oil-slicked beets that glistened like jewels in a crystal bowl, and at times whimsically personified, with onions that wore jackets, mushrooms with heels, or tomatoes with waists and butts, either way – her viewers got the message: French veggies are sexy veggies.
It should come as no surprise that Laura Calder is also a bestselling author. According to , she is a writer by profession. Not a celebrity chef, or a television personality, or even a food writer, but a writer. It should also come as no surprise that the moment I saw this Tweet I was on the phone to Barbara-Jo:
Barbara-Jo is the owner of Books to Cooks, a sublime Vancouver bookstore that specializes in cookbooks of every kind, including many unique and rare finds.
When I walked into the shop, I saw Laura doing exactly what I imagine she might do in her free time, browsing French cookbooks. The first thing I noticed about her was her height. The second was her seemingly pore-less complexion. Barbara-Jo greeted me then introduced me to Laura who was gracious enough to pose for a few photos and chat with me about nothing in particular until it was time for the event to begin.
The bookstore has a full kitchen where guest chefs and cookbook authors can come and share their culinary wisdom.
For this special event, Laura Calder was at the hob cooking up a casual Sunday Supper with recipes from her latest book Dinner Chez Moi - The Fine Art of Feeding Friends.
Supper started off with Tuna and White Bean Salad on Toasted Baguette served with a sparkling glass of champagne.
Followed by the main course, sticky-sweet Apricot Ribs…
Served with Quinoa with Spinach and Hazelnuts (loaded with fresh veggies, nuts, grains and luxurious hazelnut oil). Yum!
Laura was an animated and charming host, entertaining her guests with stories, answering questions, and chatting about her plans.
For dessert, Pistachio Semifreddo with Poached Peaches.
Each dish was fantastic and better than the one before. The recipes were not the least bit fussy (nor were they particularly French) and each one could be made ahead of time, leaving the host free to enjoy a relaxing evening entertaining friends, old or new.
Watch for my review of coming soon!
†DISCLOSURE: This post includes an Amazon affiliate link to Dinner Chez Moi. I will receive a tiny commission in the event that it generates any sales.
This is definitely one of those events I would have loved to attend. It doesn’t surprise me that she writes her own material for her shows. She started off as a linguist.
It was definitely worth the trip!
So glad we did the Fab Five Fall Wine Festival event over the weekend ~ turns out I was the lucky winner of the mixed case of wine from Camelot Vineyards. Yay
Hi, Laura–Lucky you! I have LC’s FRENCH COOKING AT HOME and love it! I felt really bad for her when it first came out–at the height of all things anti-French in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq. I particularly enjoyed her recipe for a kind of air-dried duck breast. Basically it involved packing a duck breast in coarse salt, then peppercorns, then suspending it outside for about a week. The result was a kind of duck prosciutto. After that she kind of dropped off the map for me. I don’t think the tv show FCAH is shown in the US. Anyway, thanks for bringing her back to my attention. I’ll have to take a look at her new book. Great post. Ken
Hi Ken,
She talked a little about the fall-out from the ‘Freedom Fry” movement. It was one of those things you can never anticipate…just bad timing.
That duck prosciutto sounds like something I’d love to try! She really has a lot of great recipes, and she isn’t afraid to admit that she gets most of them from friends and family. She has a recipe for a Rhubarb Parfait that is one of my all-time favourite summer desserts!
When I wrote this post I included a few links to video clips, but now that I think more about it, I may go back and update them to link to the print versions of the recipes instead, in case the video stream isn’t available outside of Canada.
Not sure if you have The Cooking Channel where you are but they still airing French Food at Home daily.
Thanks!
Laura
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Hello Laura,
What a lovely post, she is all that and more. A real wordsmith and I always said she should write a novel. It was true about the timing of her first book which was so unfair. I laugh as the air-dried duck was made in my woodshed because it was deemed not such a good idea to dry it in Paris with all the car fumes! So I patiently watched it – to be truthful, worried over it for the week! I only wish people could get to know her as a person because she really has a beautiful soul as well. I will send her your post if I may. I am so happy you got to meet her and that bookshop is so beautiful! Have a happy Sunday!
Ivan
Hi Ivan,
Thanks so much for your comments. I’m also very happy I got to meet Laura. Not only did she turn me on to French cooking, she also inspired my trip to Paris, which in turn inspired this blog. I suppose you could say she changed my life
The duck prosciutto that so impressed Ken was hung to dry in your woodshed? I love that! I love how food and recipes connect people, and I like picturing you fretting over that chunk of duck. That’s fantastic!
I’m so glad you stopped by. Please do share my post with Laura. I hope she’ll enjoy. Oh – and if you ever do convince her to write that novel, I promise I’ll buy it!
Cheers,
Laura
Sounds like it was the best of evenings! Thanks for sharing this.
It was indeed! Thanks Wini and congratulations on your recent award. I loved your speech!
I am so sad I missed this! Hopefully she will return and thanks for the tip on this unique book store. I will have to visit on my next trip in November.
Wonderful post! I love her show and I hope she returns to television soon. It seems that the Food Network has been focusing more on food truck competitions and Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives than cooking programs.
I couldn’t agree more Murissa! (And don’t forget cupcakes.)
Laura is in Paris now working on a new book and a new TV series! Yay! I just hope Food Network Canada is planning on airing it.
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I’m a big fan of Laura Calder also, and have all her books (one of my daughters thoughtfully gifted me her latest for Christmas). How I would have loved to join you for dinner with Laura! Thanks for sharing this special event.
It was such a pleasure to meet her! She was just as charming and vivacious as she is on TV; also very genuine and very gracious. I’m really looking forward to her next cookbook (something along the lines of French Food Fast) and am even more excited for her new show!
Thanks so much for stopping by Mar. I hope you had a lovely Easter
Cheers,
Laura