Posted at 12:00 p.m
(OTTAWA) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau occasionally likes to relax in a ring while donning boxing gloves. Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly distracts herself by putting on her running shoes to jog through the streets of the federal capital.
Finance Minister Diane Lebouthillier has a completely different preference for relaxation after a long week of parliamentary work. She just puts on her apron, sharpens her knives, rummages through her fridge and cooks.
With this passion, she has quickly won the hearts of many people in her hometown and elsewhere over the years. Even his close associates in his Ottawa office succumbed to the charms of his culinary talents. In addition, she often brings them irresistible snacks at the beginning of the week or even prepares dishes with all the flavor of the Gaspé for them when it’s time to celebrate the end of the Parliament session.
Pot-en-pot of Îles-de-la-Madeleine – one of the region’s most popular recipes, highlighting the best seafood – which she prepared during a ministerial team dinner in spring still delights the taste buds of her publicist, Chris McMillan.
“I like to cook,” says Minister Diane Lebouthillier with her beautiful apron. La Presse met her at her home in Gatineau, where she lives when the Ottawa House of Commons is in session.
In anticipation of this interview, which aims to explain her passion, the minister spared no effort: pumpkin soup for starters, cod pie with garden salad for main course and apple crisp for dessert.
PHOTO MARTIN ROY, THE LAW
Diane Lebouthillier, Secretary of State for National Revenue
I raised my children alone. I was a single mother. I had my job. I was a social worker. I had three boys. And they ate a lot!
Diane Lebouthillier, Secretary of State for National Revenue
Back then, cooking was a must to make ends meet. Her passion for homemade recipes was also passed down to her from her parents, who owned a grocery store in Newport. The family lived above the grocery store.
“My mother prepared everything that the customers didn’t buy. The tomato that was half damaged, my mother picked it up and recovered the good part. He was therefore a thrifty and careful man. I learned that very early in my life. My parents worked very hard. When my father was younger, he didn’t always have enough to eat. It was at the time when we wanted to open land. […] Food waste, I’m very sensitive to that,” she said.
Mrs. Lebouthillier remembers that the vegetable counter in the grocery store consisted mainly of carrots, turnips, onions and cabbage.
PHOTO MARTIN ROY, THE LAW
Diane Lebouthillier and her apple chip
“There was one pineapple a year. It was the wife of Doctor Joncas, the local doctor, who bought these pineapples. It was for his Easter dinner. My parents also liked to cook. My dad was the guy who tried everything. We had many fishermen who came to shop. And when they fished cod, they also caught crabs. They took them to the grocery store in green garbage bags. My father cooked this. We used to have hangers. And to loosen the crab legs, he led them in there! That was life! »
These life lessons served her well later. “When I was a single parent, the meals I prepared for my three sons were the result of my work. I had to pay for the house and the car and feed the children. That’s why I’ve always attached great importance to cooking. Throwing something in the trash is like throwing all the effort of my work in the trash. »
Since becoming finance secretary in autumn 2015, Ms Lebouthillier has taken the time to offer treats to staff in her office. “I’m basically a mother and a grandmother to myself,” she says, sitting down at the table.
PHOTO MARTIN ROY, THE LAW
Diane Lebouthillier, Secretary of State for National Revenue
I find that when you take care of the people around you, you take care of your world. For me, dedicating time to food becomes a sign of appreciation towards others. I’ve taken the time to do things and I do it with all my heart. It’s a nice way of thanking them.
Diane Lebouthillier, Secretary of State for National Revenue
She points out that many of the staff working in ministerial offices are young people separated from their families. “I feel far away from my people when I’m in Ottawa. I know what they’re going through. And I believe that these little treats make her happy and I make myself happy with them. The little treats that are all the rage are the banana breads, the chocolate banana peel muffins, and the pancakes.
At the same time, it promotes local products. “When I go through security at the airport, I tell people that if they open my suitcase they will be in for a surprise. It’s not drugs, it’s dried saltfish that I bought and wrapped in cling film to prevent the smell! »
When asked if she is offering the same goodies to her cabinet mates or Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Ms Lebouthillier replies tit for tat. ” Nope ! They already have people cooking for them! They don’t need me! »