Ricevere con stile: Intervista alla food writer Laura Calder ♥
Laura Calder was born in rural eastern Canada and grew up on home-made bread, unpasteurized milk, and organic vegetables in a house built by her great-grandfather. She is one of Canada’s most charming Food Network hosts, proving herself witty, engaging, an excellent teacher and a great deal of fun. Laura’s passion for cooking and writing about food shows in her elegant cookbooks, and Dinner Chez Moi is no exception. A menu-based, seasonal cookbook offering multiple options and mix-and-match menus gives cooks as many ideas for meals as there are days in the year.
Interview with Laura Calder ♥
How to you receive in style?
I think the main thing is warmth and being present for people. Turn off the cell phones, don’t answer the land-line, throw the TV out the window… Be present.
How do you organize a dinner party for friends?
I’m very spontaneous. I usually get the urge to entertain at the last minute, so I round people up on a whim. It’s nice, in a way, because it takes the pressure off!
Do you prefer formal or informal table-settings?
I love both. Sometimes you really want to create an ambiance that feels rich and special; other times you just want things kept plain. They both have their place.
What do you love about cooking?
I love that it relaxes me and allows me to be creative. I like looking at ingredients and feeling out what to do with them to suit the occasion and my mood. And, I especially love feeding people. There’s something in the giving that results in a lot of “get”.
What’s your favourite Christmas menu/recipe.
Traditional Christmas dinner — making it and eating it — can be a bit of a hectic ordeal. I almost prefer the night before Christmas. Just a handful of people, candlelight, and my mother’s lobster bisque.
What is “the fine art of feeding friends”?
The fine art of feeding friends is really about understanding what people want or need in any given moment and figuring out how to create a meal that feeds them in the full sense of the term. Sometimes we’re in the mood for a big celebration; sometimes we’re battered and we just want chicken soup. It’s understanding the nuances of appetite that make it all work.
Were you born with a passion for food?
I have certainly been obsessed with feeding people since I was a very small child.
Do you do brunch?
Never. I don’t understand the concept of brunch. I just want lunch. A proper lunch without maple syrup poured over it, thanks. 🙂
Are good manners important?
Of course they are! Manners aren’t about pretence. They’re about smoothing the edges in an otherwise rather brutish world and making people get along better and feel as comfortable as possible.
What the secret to your success?
I don’t sit around thinking of myself as successful. I think about small things I want to accomplish and I try to accomplish them as best I can. Often I have to change plans because what I’m doing isn’t working. And of course there have been disappointments. But, I think what makes it all seem worthwhile is finding ways to see it all as a learning experience. And hopefully we get to meet good people along the way.
What’s next for you?
I just shot a one-hour special in the French Alps, which I hope will turn into a food/travel series in France. I’ve also just submitted my next book proposal, so I should be starting in on that this fall. Can’t wait!
Do you like Il Galateo di Madame Eleonora?
Of course! It’s good for my Italian. And I need to practice. 🙂
Intervista curata da Eleonora Miucci
Laura Calder videos food network:
Complimenti per l’intervista e a Laura Calder che non conoscevo, ma che grazie a te ora adoro! Brava come sempre Eleonora. Baci Cate