Where does the name Chez Caet come from?
It’s a blend of my homemaker capabilities (I can hear my sister laughing now! Just remember Bre, you’re the one who wanted a pattern for a pillowcase!) and my french education. I used to dream of opening up a dessert bistro with a french flair – back when I had lofty dreams that involved money trees! I also hope it makes people feel like they are invited guests in my kitchen – as it should be.
What was the first real meal you ever made for someone?
I have no idea. I kind of grew up cooking, although my family never really had the traditional 5pm sit down and have dinner schedule. Dessert wise, I’m pretty sure I mastered the chocolate cheesecake before I was 10, without adult help. Meal wise, I think it was probably my dad’s macaroni casserole (the recipe is on here somewhere!).
You cook a lot, but do you ever go out to eat?
Yes. Often it’s just me cooking for me, so I go out fairly frequently – plus my apartment doesn’t even have a table and chairs so guests often take me out even though I want to cook! I try not to order anything from the menu that I could easily make at home though – I don’t see the point of spending money to eat something I could probably make a better version of myself. That said – I’ll put a plug in here for the Ardmore Tea Room in Halifax: they make the best grilled cheese sandwich platters. It’s probably the only thing I’ll order out that I could just as easily make at home.
What kind of formal training do you have?
I don’t. Plain and simple. I did about 4 months of baking and pastry school before my personal life took over and I ended up dealing with a severe illness. I decided that I didn’t want to work in someone elses kitchen for years and years so I pursued a different educational avenue. The cooking and baking thing is just a side hobby for fun. Part of my schooling that I did involved food safety protocols though, and I’m glad I was there for that – I’m super cautious about contamination and food poisoning now.
What is the most surprising food you’ve ever eaten in a meal?
My best friend made a vegan thanksgiving for us last year. She made a tofurky, which I was a bit leery of but tried anyway since I can’t actually eat real turkey. It was SO good! We had it paired with mashed potatoes and sweet potato and a whole plethora of other veggies, but I was really surprised at the taste and texture of our “turkey”.
Is there anything that you don’t like to use in your recipes?
I’m not sure where this came from, but I really don’t like to use products that are full of chemicals and preservatives. I’m allergic to MSG and so is my mom, and over the past few years my eyes have been opened to what’s really in the food we eat. When I go to the grocery store I try to stay on the perimeter instead of going into the aisles where the processed and pre-packaged stuff is. The biggest shock to me was the day I realized just how much added sugar was in JUICE! I used to think it was good for you but now I only drink pure apple and orange juice, or pureed fruits that I made myself. You’ll usually only find local produce and products in my recipes – when I do use prepared stuff it’s always the cheapest version that has the least amount of chemicals in it.
Final question: when are you going to post the recipe for your world famous chocolate chip cookies?
Ahahahaha. Never. A girl has to have SOME secrets!
Chez Caet 