About Me

 

I have a family of gourmet home chefs (not by designation, but merely by pure love of food and passion). Growing up, food was the centre of all gatherings. We always ate dinner as a family, every single night. Weekend meals were always together at the table. We never ate separately. My parents, yes, mom AND dad, spoiled us every single day with their amazing culinary skills, and we always ate amazing food. When they came home from work at 7pm, my dad would have his beer to unwind, and then start making a fresh dinner for the family. Yes, we ate dinner very late, but that was normal for us. For big gatherings, my mom would go all out and make a feast. I’m talking 4-5 course meals, plus appetizers, and I’d make the desserts. Then I met my husband, and little did I know he was also a chef in the kitchen. So, I never really had to cook. Once we got married, my husband Cédric did all the cooking, and I enjoyed doing all the baking. Mind you, he does make some pretty amazing French desserts. Most of his memories in baking are with his uncle, whom he always talks about when we reminisce on certain dishes, smells and flavours. I still remember the first time I cooked for him, his eyes were wide open and he said: “Oh my gosh chérie! This is so good! All these years, I didn’t know you could cook like that!” I whispered: “you never let me”. Truth be told, he loves cooking for us, and pretends he has his Michelin Star.

 

This guy may not always appear on my blog, but he is always there! Cédric is the backbone of this blog; the tech guy behind the scenes. He is also the photographer for Bon Goût.

 

I always clean the entire kitchen before starting to cook; clutter gives me anxiety. Cédric can work under any circumstance and will tune out whatever is not part of the task at hand. We eat our meals as a family, together, at the table, I am usually the last one to laugh hysterically at jokes, and I never put away the vacuum because dust, crumbs and I are not friends. Cédric is a Creuset kinda guy, and I, well don’t get me wrong, I love my Creuset, but I cannot live without my Instant Pot and Air Fryer.

 

When we first became parents, I wanted to be that mom, the one who does it all: from making all the fun treats for birthdays, planning the birthday parties, and playdates, going for a stroll with the kiddos. I wanted my kids to say “my mommy makes the best cupcakes.” I dreamed of the day I could walk them to school. Reality kicked in very quickly. Instead, I had to rush to drop them off, swallow my breakfast if I had any, and then head to work, only to put on a brave face but wonder if I kissed them goodbye, if I rushed their little bodies to eat breakfast, and get ready, if I yelled too much before school, prepping a healthy snack and dinner in my head, remembering to book that doctor’s appointment, stop by the grocery store before pick up realizing I forgot to take out the beef roast in the morning. I was consumed with guilt, doubt and a never-ending list of to-dos. I quickly realized that it takes a village to raise these kiddos, and motherhood is a journey. When you’re your own village though, times can very trying. I’ve learned to give myself grace and celebrate even the littlest of wins. Some days I feel like supermom, other days I am struggling with that never-ending pile of laundry staring at me to be folded, and those dishes that miraculously reappear, picks-ups, drop-offs, and everything in between. This is when Bon Goût was created. It is my outlet. Our kitchen is where we get to be authentically us, we are able to create whatever we want with whatever we have on hand. It is where we teach our children the love and respect of all foods, all cultures, and it is where we spend the majority of our family time and gatherings.

 

As I embarked on the postpartum journey of trying to heal my body from the inside out, I decided to see a Naturopathic doctor. Read more about this life changing experience HERE. Bon Goût has taken a whole other dimension. I found out that I had to avoid many foods, particularly dairy, eggs, and cashews. WOW!  These were major inflammatory factors for my body, which were hindering any progress I was trying to make in my life. I went cold turkey on these dietary changes, and started experiencing with modifications to suit my dietary needs and have not looked back since. I have never felt better! I eat a variety of foods and don’t feel like I’m missing out. It has become a lifestyle I am proud of. We are happier, healthier and we get to share in this journey with all of you! My hope is that you realize that you can take your health back and you can choose to make better choices for the benefit of your long term overall wellbeing. It is never too late to start, no matter how many times you start over, keep going! Bon Goût will be a landmark showcasing a variety of cuisines, and will occasionally be dairy-free, egg-free, and cashew-free. I trust you will find something inspiring or relatable on here, that you can recreate and enjoy with your loved ones. I would be thrilled to hear about your experience, drop me a comment!

 

Bon Appétit!