Kedgeree
Before I moved to London, I’d never heard of nor tasted kedgeree. And what immediately intrigued me when I learned of the dish (besides the name itself) was that the components were all foods and flavours that I love. Rice, mild curry, smoked fish and hard-cooked eggs. How could you go wrong with that combination, and why in the heck have I never tried this dish?
The first time I ordered kedgeree was in a pub in Chelsea, and the little voice in my head was hoping that this taste experience was not going to disappoint. And it didn’t. But I will admit the chef in me came out as I savoured it and explored the flavours. I instantly began to think about ways I could make this my own. Later, at home, I delved into my cookbook collection and did a bit of research and realized that I am not the only one who likes to put her own stamp on the historical dish.
Kedgeree, from what I read, apparently dates back to 1340, originating from India as a breakfast dish. Although, this may be up for debate if you approach any Scot, as they claim Scottish soldiers introduced it in India. Regardless of origin, I must ask myself: Have I been sleeping under a rock? How is it that it’s taken me my lifetime to discover this deliciously comforting food? It certainly does not surprise me one bit that this dish has evolved from breakfast to lunch and is now a very popular pub supper. Personally, I love breakfast for dinner, and kedgeree has definitely become a new favourite at my house. I use brown rice in my recipe – mostly because I love the nutty taste and texture (and it’s always in my pantry!), but I'm curious to try it with wild rice (yes, that's the Canadian in me coming out) and perhaps a dozen or so tender poached quail eggs. I may just have a very tempting, guest-worthy dinner on my hands.
Andrea Stewart
It’s not surprising that three of Andrea Stewart’s favourite foods are bread, butter and champagne, since her approach to all things culinary has always been pure and simple. This experienced, creative and enterprising chef and editor approaches cooking and eating with a solid appreciation for fresh, local and seasonal ingredients. Andrea’s journey with food began while living in France, working as an au pair for Grace Jones. While feeding the young offspring of the famous singer, she was tempted on a daily basis by the busy, colourful French food markets. Later on, she spent a summer at Ecole de Gastronomie Francaise Ritz-Escoffier and fell in love all over again with everything France had to offer. Upon returning to Canada, she was accepted at the acclaimed Stratford Chefs School and after completing her first year she headed to New York to further sharpen her skills, working alongside some of the finest (including Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto) and catering Martha Stewart’s executive meetings. Andrea returned to Toronto in 1996, and further immersed herself in her career, working at some of the city’s top food fixtures, including Mildred Pierce and Ace Bakery. She eventually took a side-step out of the kitchen and into the halls of magazine publishing, landing a position as Food Editor of Wish Magazine in 2004. While inspiring busy Canadian wonder-women to cook from scratch, she published her first cookbook, Wish, Market to Table. From street food to fine dining to unfamiliar grocery stores, food still motivates Andrea at every turn. She recently sold everything but a prized collection of cookbooks and moved to the U.K., where her culinary library spans the two floors of her London flat. She won’t rest until she has cooked from every one of them!