C H E F ’ S TI P S & TR I C KS
Mom’s the Word: BY KEANE STRAUB I PHOTOS BY DONG KIM
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EHIND EVERY GOOD CHEF, there are sources of inspiration. On the surface, it may be travels to exotic places, trendy new ingredients, or a hole in the market begging to be filled with amazing flavours. Go back a little further, and you’ll find more often than not, the desire to cook was sparked during formative years. Every spark needs to be fanned to full flame, just like every budding chef needs to be nurtured. For May, we asked four Alberta chefs to go back to the beginning and tell us about the people that first inspired them to follow their passion: their mothers, and in some cases, grandmothers. From being subject to questionable dishes, to teaching basic techniques, to pouring love into everything they create, here’s to moms and maternal figures, and everything these amazing people do to shape and mould the future. Edmonton-based butcher and educator, Elyse Chatterton, was born in Lancashire in the UK, where her family owns a dairy farm. Growing up, she watched her mother and grandmother use their skills and knowledge to feed both family and guests. “My grandmother had a kitchen superpower of being able to feed any number of guests by simply cooking a pan of potatoes! To this day I have no idea how she did that.” Being part of a farming family taught Chatterton to enjoy food in all of its stages, from growing and producing, to cooking, and of course, eating and sharing. “My family’s food motto is, ‘Never undercater’. Farming families like to feed people and surround themselves with delicious, homemade food that they lovingly share with everyone who comes to visit.” On the farm, Chatterton’s favourite time of day was 3 pm, which meant homemade cake and biscuits devoured with cups of
10 Culinaire | May 2021
tea. It’s only fitting that she shares a recipe for biscuits that has been passed down through generations. “Make these biscuits for yourself, your family and your friends,” says Chatterton. “They will be requested again and again, I promise. They are super simple but deliver on taste and buttery texture every single time.”
Granny Makinson’s Sugar Cakes
(Seeded Goosnargh Biscuits) Makes about 30 biscuits
3 1/3 cups (450 g) all-purpose flour 1 1/3 cups (340 g) unsalted butter ½ cup (115 g) sugar 1 tsp caraway seeds Pinch of salt Sugar for sprinkling
1. Preheat the oven to 280º F 2. Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and rub the mixture with your fingers until it all comes together. 3. Roll out the dough to approximately 1 cm thick. Cut into rounds and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. 4. Bake low and slow until the biscuits are pale but dry - 45 minutes. The secret to a perfect Goosnargh Biscuit is to keep them as pale as possible. 5. Remove from the oven and generously sprinkle with sugar and cool on a wire rack. 6. Store in an airtight container.
