Posted at 12:00 p.m
For Élyse Marquis, Sunday is synonymous with sweetness, calm and new recipes to try among the 200 cookbooks published by the host of the show Les chefs! has accumulated over the years. Sunday is also an opportunity to take walks along the river and read at home in peace and quiet.
childhood memory
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVE
Mont Saint Hilaire
Child, it was an important day. “Every Sunday my parents and I – I’m an only child – drove to Granby to visit my grandparents. We drove through Mont-Saint-Hilaire to pick up my pious great-aunt. I remember she was wearing the traditional nun’s costume, black and white. My paternal grandmother made her meatloaf for us, she sold Avon products so I could smell all the flavors in the little pots, while my other grandmother always had a little treat tucked away in a cupboard waiting for me! I felt comfortable with my grandparents. I have experienced privileged moments. When my daughter Alice was little (she’s 19), I continued this tradition. On Sunday we were with my parents. There is a song by Marie-Ève Janvier called Le dimanche that reminds me a lot of my memories of my grandparents. »
Stroll along the Rivière des Prairies
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVE
The prairie river
“Sunday is a day of sweetness, of quiet, spending time with my daughter Alice. For several years I have been accompanying him to his singing lessons in Ahuntsic on Sundays. So I’m going to walk along the Rivière des Prairies during his class. 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 at any time of the year. I listen to podcasts, I created one myself, Inhale Before You Exhale, about wellness [offert sur OHdio]. »
new recipes
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, ARCHIVE LA PRESSE
On Sundays we take time to cook…
“Sunday is the day I cook and try new recipes. I have time to be able to miss her and start over! This is my eighth year hosting the show Les Chefs! and I admit that thanks to that I really started cooking. We used to eat a lot in restaurants, even at lunchtime! We didn’t even make toast at home, or almost! For eight years I have been cooking for the joy of discovering recipes and new ingredients. On Sundays I find it relaxing to be able to cook in peace. During the week I never try anything new, I go with safe values. I find myself becoming more and more vegetarian, not completely, but let’s say I’m incorporating more plant-based protein into my diet. I like Loounie’s book for its simple recipes, I also like La bonne table de Mandy, a book full of good recipes and very well illustrated. Ricardo’s recipes are obviously a classic. I must have over 200 cookbooks in my house, love it! »
Readings and cocooning
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, LA PRESSE ARCHIVE
Sunday is also reading time…
“Sunday is a day of cocooning, when we rest and take care of ourselves. It is a break in which we allow ourselves to walk and meditate. I’m a hardworking action girl, but I like it quiet on Sundays. It’s also a day when I read a lot. At the moment it is the book Inner Healing by Nicole Bordeleau. I read cookbooks like novels! On Sundays I like to prepare a little herbal tea. The one with rose and chamomile, Camomile sublime by Camellia Sinensis, is my favorite. It is a teahouse where there is a wide variety to choose from. I buy my herbal teas there. »
Bagels, ice cream and good addresses
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, PRESS ARCHIVE
St Viateur bagel
“In Mile End, we often take Alice for hot bagels, at Fairmount or Saint-Viateur. We grab a pot of cream cheese and eat our bagels on the go, we feel good, we feel free, we like that feeling. In summer we also stop at Kem Coba on rue Fairmount for 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. »