For Élyse Marquis, Sunday is synonymous with sweetness, rest and new recipes to try among the 200 cookbooks that the host of the show Les Chefs! has accumulated over the years. Sunday is also an opportunity to take walks by the river and read quietly in the comfort of your home.
Child, it was an important day. “Every Sunday, my parents and I – I am an only child – we went to Granby, to see my grandparents. We were going through Mont-Saint-Hilaire to pick up my religious great-aunt. I remember she was dressed in the traditional costume of a nun, in black and white. My paternal grandmother made her meatloaf for us, she sold Avon products, so I was allowed to smell all the flavors of the small pots, while at my other grandmother’s, there was always a small dish candies hidden in a cupboard waiting for me! I felt good at my grandparents. I lived privileged moments. When my daughter Alice was little (she is 19), I kept this tradition. We went to see my parents on Sunday. There’s a song by Marie-Ève Janvier called Ledimanche that really reminds me of my memories at my grandparents. »
“Sunday is a day of sweetness, of rest, where I spend time with my daughter Alice. For the past few years, I have accompanied him to his singing lessons on Sundays, in Ahuntsic. So, during his lesson, I’m going to walk along the Rivière des Prairies. I discovered a small path, at the edge of the river, very pleasant. I feel like I’m far from Montreal. It’s so quiet that there are Sundays when I don’t see anyone! It is very soothing to walk along the water’s edge, whatever the season. I listen to podcasts, I created one myself, Breathe in before you breathe out, on well-being [offered on OHdio]. »
“Sunday is the day I cook and try new recipes. I have time to miss them and start over! This is my eighth year hosting Les Chefs! and I admit that I really started cooking thanks to that. We used to eat a lot in restaurants, even for lunch! We hardly even made toast at home! For eight years, I have been cooking for pleasure to discover recipes, new ingredients. I find it relaxing on Sundays to be able to cook, quietly. During the week, I never try anything new, I go with sure values. I realize that I am becoming more and more vegetarian, not completely, but let’s say I put more vegetable protein in my diet. I like Loounie’s book, for its easy recipes, I also like Mandy’s La bonne table, a book full of good recipes and very well illustrated. Obviously, Ricardo’s recipes are a classic. I must have over 200 cookbooks in my house, I love it! »
“Sunday is a cocooning day where you rest, take care of yourself. It’s a downtime where we give ourselves permission to stroll and meditate. I’m a hardworking girl, an action girl, but on Sundays I like it quiet. It is also a day when I read a lot. Right now, it’s Nicole Bordeleau’s book Inner Healing. I read cookbooks like they’re novels! On Sundays, I like to make myself a little herbal tea. The one with rose and chamomile, Camomille sublime from Camellia Sinensis, is my favorite. It is a tea house where there is a large selection. I buy my herbal teas there. »
“In the Mile End, with Alice, we often go get hot bagels, on Fairmount or Saint-Viateur. We take a pot of cream cheese and we eat our bagels while walking, we feel good, we feel free, we like this feeling. In summer, we also stop at Kem Coba on Fairmount Street to enjoy a wonderful ice cream. The place is so popular that there are long lines, but it’s worth the wait. When I go to brunch with friends, it’s at Leméac, in Outremont, for the huge, super decadent and delicious French toast. »
