What’s better than sharing a meal?

Canadian Chefs' Congress bus in Lunenburg, NS in September 2012.

We can’t think of anything.

When I (Julie) think of family this is the picture that comes to mind… everyone gathered around a table with plenty of delicious food……in this photo there also seems to be more than plenty of spirits!!

 

Are sunday night dinners the same as they were when you were a kid? Were they meaningful for your family? Are they a significant part of your weekend now? What do you eat on sunday nights? For host of the Sunday Night Dinner Podcast, Suzanne Hancock, her dinners while growing up included popcorn and ice cream which would seem like a dream to most kids.

Christian cooking over a wood fire at Picacho Peaks in Arizona on New Year’s Day 2015.

Note: Looking at these photos one might think Christian does all of the cooking!  The truth is that one of us seems to be able to cook and take photos! :))) Also! We travel with our favourite cookware: All Clad plus a Cast Iron Frying Pan.

When Suzanne asked us to be guests on her podcast we immediately thought of cooking over an open fire to share with her how we approach cooking and eating while travelling and living in the van. We don’t often cook over an open fire but when we do it is special. We had camped at the Glen Rouge back in June when our friends Jess, Andy and Braden were camping there. So we decided the Rouge would be a perfect location for the podcast. Our site happily overlooked the Rouge River on what ended up being two of the warmest days of the summer. Luckily there was a lovely breeze along the river and a canopy of trees which shaded the campsite.

While preparing, cooking and eating Suzanne asked us lots of questions about Sunday night dinners on the road and about dinners with our families while growing up. We also talked about our experiences working on the Canadian Chefs’ Congress from 2007 to 2014 and how it influenced our relationship to food. The experience of travelling on the Congress bus – a converted school bus with a professional kitchen and dining room turned bunks for eight by night – from Ontario to Nova Scotia and back in September 2012 was, in retrospect, the precursor to vanlife.

Have a listen. Not just to our podcast but to all of them especially the one where our friend, Chef Michael Dixon, makes classic French Onion Soup. But seriously, listen to ours first. 😉 Here’s the link: http://sundaynightdinnerpodcast.com

Thank you Suzanne for sharing Sunday night dinner with us on a Monday afternoon!