Laura as a baby

Laura getting busy in the kitchen

From the time that I was very little I enjoyed being in the kitchen. My earliest and fondest memories were of my parents, both of whom are excellent cooks, preparing delicious food for our family celebrations (being part Italian we had lots of them!)

It was a great thrill for me when on Jan 2, I visited my son in Montreal, at Bistro Cocagne where he has been working for the past 14 months.  He is following in my footsteps – pursuing the art of cooking fine cuisine. His chef, Alexandre Loiseau, is quite obviously a master at his craft, for the simplicity yet intensity of his dishes. Bistro Cocagne features a seasonal menu with a focus on local products.

It was an indescribable thrill to have my son prepare and serve a six course tasting menu he made specially for me. When he came home later that night he methodically went over the details with me, inquiring as to whether both timing and quality had been up to the perfection he was striving for. They had been.

For me, this was the best gift that I was given over the holidays: seeing how the fruits of my labor had produced this incredible individual who is so particular, passionate, and crazy about what he does.

The love of good food has been tried, tested and passed on to yet another generation. Quite simply, for me, this was the most elating way to begin a brand new decade! ~ Laura