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 "For my husband and I, cooking is not merely about putting food on the table. It's about a way of life that sustains more than just the body. Through food, we nurture loving relationships with family and friends. We take time to be with one another, to chat and to laugh. Our greatest joy is sharing good food around the table young and old, new friends and close family everyone is enriched by the experience," says Chef Alessandra Quaglia, who along with her husband, Chef Jean-Francis Quaglia own Vancouver's Provence Restaurants (Provence Mediterranean Grill and Provence Marinaside). It is this passion for food and how it enriches life that has resulted in the Quaglia's first book New World Provence : Modern French Cooking for Friends and Family published by Arsenal Pulp Press and available in bookstores starting in early November.
More than cookbook, New World Provence, espouses the Quaglia's philosophy of sharing, of slowing down to create and enjoy meals together with people you love. Famed bookstore doyen Barbara-jo McIntosh of Barbara-jo's Books to Cooks calls it "taking time to smell the rouille."
Featuring more than 120 recipes and 32 full colour photographs, the Quaglia's book illustrates how simple it is to create tasty, nutritious dishes based on classic French favourites. "The rewards far outweigh the effort it takes to make any of our dishes," says Chef Jean-Francis. "We've created these recipes for home cooks. Now you can bring the sunshine of Provence to your home any time of the year."
To the couple's many Vancouver fans, their story is the stuff of romance novels. In 1990, as a young Chef de Partie Tournant, Jean-Francis was working under the direction of famed Chef Dominique LeStanc at Nice's Hotel Negresco ( 2 Michelin stars). That same year, Alessandra, a newly-minted graduate of George Brown College's culinary program, applied for a stage at Hotel Negresco and was hired by Chef LeStanc as Commis de Cuisine. It didn't take long for the pretty Canadian import to catch the eye and the heart of the handsome young Chef de Partie. At the time, Alessandra spoke very little French and Jean-Francis did not speak any English. He wooed, and won his ladylove with food. Thus began the Quaglia's life long love affair with sharing good food.
The couple has stayed in contact with Chef Le Stanc and was delighted when he accepted their invitation to write one of the Forwards to their book. The other is by Rob Feenie, chef-owner of Lumiere and Feenie's (Vancouver), Canadian Food Network Host and Iron Chef. In honour of the book's launch, Chef Le Stanc will be travelling to Vancouver to cook a special dinner on Monday, November 12th, 2007. For more information on Chef Le Stanc's dinner please click here
The first Provence Restaurant, Provence Mediterranean Grill opened 10 years ago to great acclaim in Vancouver's Point Grey neighbourhood. It was followed five years later by its younger and larger sibling, Provence Marinaside on the quayside in the artsy Yaletown neighbourhood. |
