On Monday I shared a few pictures and videos of my aunt Margot's cookbook on Instagram. The voiceover said, "I love this book because it's what I want to do."
People ask me all the time, "What is all of this?" They mean the cooking, the videos, the constant creating and posting of content. And honestly it's a tough question to answer some days. The entire genesis of this project was to expand on what I was doing in the evenings while I had another line of work and just see where it went. I have to say, so far so good. I don't exactly know how this builds into a business that sustains my life, but I'm pretty sure I see the general shape of things on the horizon.
What I do know is who has always been encouraging and inspiring me. It's a long list! High on that list is my aunt Margot and her kids, my cousins, Jackson, Jemima, Quentin and Oliver.
Margot and my mom have always been fantastic cooks themselves and they both grew two families full of cooks and chefs. Jackson, Jemima, and my brother Anton all own restaurants and the rest of us have learned from them and aspire to do great things in the kitchen because of them. But make no mistake, Margot and my mom, Nadine, were the inspiration for all of it.
I have wonderful memories of Margot in the kitchen. I can remember the first time I tried Aglio e Olio in Margot and Edward's house on Boswell Ave. in Yorkville. It was the mid-80s and I can remember thinking that it was the best pasta I've ever had in my life. Mind blown!
I took a suggestion from Margot once when I was a young, single dad, prepping lunch for my kids and their elevated palates. She suggested I make them her down and dirty pasta Vongole. It was an instant hit. So much so that it became an almost weekly occurrence for them to take to school in thermoses.
And finally I can't talk about Margot's cooking without talking about the green beans recipe from my first cookbook, one of the most memorable dishes she taught me. We were up at the cottage with a large crew and the chefs were all pitching in to help. She leaned to me and gently said, "let me show you a little trick."
I watched as she rapidly blanched the beans, then put them in an ancient ceramic dish with fresh diced garlic, softened butter, a little sea salt and a toss later and I realized I'd been over thinking green beans my whole life.
This is what I mean by, "this is what I want."
To bring my family and friends together. To help each other in the kitchen by sharing tips and family kitchen secrets, saving and passing along favourite recipes without hesitation.
That's the point of all of this. I hope it encourages you to cook and try new things out, stretch your skills and make something on a grander scale than you're used to.
I hope you've had a fantastic weekend! Cheers!
-Jeremy