Duchess at Home

A cookbook of delectable, comforting, French-inspired fare for home cooks and Francophiles everywhere, from the bestselling author of Duchess Bake Shop . In Duchess at Home --a beautiful new cookbook from the founder of Duchess Bake Shop--Giselle Courteau draws on her French and French Canadian heritage to share the food she loves to make most for her family at home. Warming soups and stews, hearty breads, and flavourful preserves fill the pages of this beautiful volume--plus, of course, plenty of recipes for her delicious sweets and desserts--from tourtière to tarte au fraises, and everything in between. With chapters for breakfast and lunch, French favourites and Quebecois cuisine, dishes for Christmas and special occasions, and even recipes inspired by the produce in Giselle's own garden, this is a cookbook that you'll turn to for inspiration all year long. Every recipe is quadruple tested, and completely achievable for home cooks. Even crafting a croquembouche becomes attainable with Giselle's careful step-by-step instructions, process photos, and templates! Cooks and bakers everywhere will enjoy cooking their way through every one of these 75 mouthwatering French-inspired recipes. With its thoughtful writing, stunning photography and design, and classic, fail-proof recipes, Duchess at Home welcomes you home to Giselle's kitchen--and is sure to become a mainstay in yours for many years to come.

“Giselle brings her cooking skills home with a book that’s equally inspiring and useful; she helps us feed our families with classic Quebecois-inspired comfort foods, and reminds us—with stunning step-by-step photos—that a good muffin can be every bit as divine as a towering croquembouche.” —Julie Van Rosendaal
 
“Giselle and I are friends, but we could be sisters. From her kitchen confessions, which mirror my own (I never measure vanilla, either!), to her techniques, which are geared towards producing delicious French-inspired fare, I feel we share a bond. If you are diving into baking for the first time, Giselle’s kind voice will give you clear instructions, and if you are expanding your repertoire, then you will reach new heights of achievement with her guidance.” —Anna Olson

“A book of real meals inspired by [Giselle Courteau's] French-Canadian heritage. There’s the famous grainy breakfast bowl from their sister restaurant, Café Linnea, and a stunning tourtière from the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec. And though the baked goods are slightly less intimidating than some of the impressive pastries in the bakery and her first book, the Maple Syrup Pie and Pouding Chômeur, Chocolate Liège Waffles and Galettes are every bit as delicious as everything else that keeps people coming back for more.” —The Globe & Mail

Praise for Duchess Bake Shop:
“The patisserie's self-published cookbook is just as meticulous, stunning and appetizing as the pastries it shows us how to make. . . . scrupulous recipes, appetizing photographs and useful information.” —*Calgary Herald

• “Recipes are detailed, but easily understood, with the help of great photography, walking you through some of the more complicated steps involved in baking.” —Edmonton Sun

Autorentext

Giselle Courteau

Leseprobe
Introduction

If somebody had told me 25 years ago that my life would be what it is now, I wouldn’t have believed them. Baking has always been with me, but never would I have imagined that it would become my career and life’s work.

As a teenager, I didn’t excel at anything specific and my grades at school weren’t great, but I did know what made me happy—it was the time I spent at home, baking. I cherished my mother’s copy of Company’s Coming Desserts and looked forward to the holidays when I would be helping her make treats. I thought of becoming a pastry chef, but was encouraged to go to university instead. Yet even after several years of study, I was still really only thinking about pastries—and slowly but surely, my skills and confidence in the kitchen were improving.

At 24, I decided that I was going to open a pastry shop. It took six more years for Duchess Bake Shop to finally come into being and nothing could really have prepared me for what it would be like. Overnight, I went from being a home baker to a small-business owner, with all the stresses and responsibilities that come with it. At first we worked 20-hour days, seven days a week. Doing payroll, paying bills, and bookkeeping were all skills I had to learn on the fly. Those first three years were the most exciting and the most difficult of my life.

With the flurry of the Bake Shop, I completely stopped baking at home. It was when Jacob and I had our children, Benoît and Rose, that I realized how much I missed it. I’m at my happiest when I’m in my home kitchen baking for my family.

It’s been five years since Duchess Bake Shop was published. In that cookbook I shared the recipes for our most popular pastries at the bakery and tried to bring what we do in a professional kitchen within reach of the home baker. But when I bake at home, the things I tend to make are more often a reflection of me as a person. My French-Canadian heritage, my passion for France, the traditions passed down in my family, and the things I grow in my garden all influence what I like to bake at home.

All of the recipes in this book are truly ‘me,’ each chapter representing an important part of my life. From old family recipes to new creations, this collection is my heart in a book. I hope these recipes will become your family favourites as well.

Bon appétit!

—Giselle