(Saint-Cuthbert) “What better way to get to know someone than to share a meal or a drink with them? » Nutritionist Marianne Lefebvre is convinced: cooking has the power to bring people together.
“I really believe in food to improve living together,” says the international nutrition specialist who recently launched Dans les cuisines du monde.
On the shelves of bookstores, the work is classified as a recipe book, but this term is a bit reductive. Because throughout the pages, not only do we discover dishes from the four corners of the world, but we also meet Quebecers from all walks of life who cook them.
Originally from Kazakhstan, Zhannat Ospanova, for example, gives a recipe for plov, a festive and easy-to-prepare stew of lamb and carrots. In another chapter, we prepare foufou thanks to Beninese Colette Azandjeme. In the section devoted to Latin America, Mario Briones takes the reader to Mexico with his flautas de pollo.
There are a dozen of them who accepted Marianne Lefebvre’s invitation to present their family’s culinary specialties and recount the memories associated with them. People that the nutritionist has met in various contexts, notably during her studies or while working with newcomers.
“I wanted to do everything possible to put people from elsewhere forward,” she says when asked about the unconventional format of her work.
Through these portraits, we have the impression of finding ourselves in the kitchen with the nutritionist and her guests. A bit like now. In her house in Saint-Cuthbert, in Lanaudière, she prepares cheese rolls for La Presse, a recipe given to her by sisters Stéfanie and Mélanie Lantagne Lopez, two cooking enthusiasts born in Peru to a Bolivian mother and a Quebecois father.
“When we talk about immigrants, we talk about them en masse. […] We forget that they are individuals, that they have a history, a family, a culture,” argues the author.
The great traveler firmly believes that being interested in the food culture of someone from elsewhere facilitates the creation of bonds.
“It loosens tongues, the food. Everyone eats. Everyone likes to eat,” she says, emphasizing that the topic will not spark controversy. “Not like politics,” says with a laugh the woman who also gives intercultural conferences and team-building workshops.
Quebec’s culinary identity has also been strongly influenced by the different waves of immigration, recalls Marianne Lefebvre.
“What are the most popular foods in Montreal? The smoked meat sandwich and the bagel, two dishes that were brought by the Jews,” she gives as an example.
To satisfy this curiosity, the nutritionist added information in her book on certain ingredients that have been cooked for less time in Quebec, such as lemongrass or pancit. “You can very well only read In the Kitchens of the World for your general knowledge,” she notes.
Some traditional recipes have also been adapted so that they can be cooked no matter where you are in Quebec, not just in urban centers.
The culinary exchange advocated by Marianne Lefebvre is not, however, one-way. “I think it’s important to promote Quebec cuisine too. »
To do this, we can all do simple things to introduce local products, believes the author.
“In schools, in businesses, Quebecers eat together, Haitians eat together, North Africans eat together. You can invite people from different cultures to share your lunch. »
The one who has worked directly with newcomers for a long time believes that most of them would be happy to accept such an outstretched hand.
“I just think we need to get out of our way and really go out and meet each other. »
