Laura Calder

I’ve altered my morning television viewing habits since our local cable station added The Cooking Channel. One of my new favorite programs is French Food at Home, which originally was broadcast on the Food Network Canada channel, with its lovely host, Laura Calder.

Laura (if I may be so bold as to use her first name as though she’s a close friend) used to have a desk job in journalism (hey, just like me!). Didn’t suit her. She wanted to be a chef, so it was “Culinary school, here I come.” Still not enough. She honed her skill in California wine country before being turned on to French food. Before you knew it, she was in France, studying at Ecole de Cuisine LaVarenne.

She has a soft yet animated personality that mesmerized me from the start (I love the way she flips her hands in the air to demonstrate her enthusiasm). And the fact that she’s very lovely with a comely stature doesn’t hurt one bit. Her recipes are very simple – perfect for the home cook – and they turn out very well, lending a sort of French elegance to everyday cooking.

With two cookbooks to her credit – French Food at Home (2003) and French Taste (2009) – she has established herself as a sort of neo-Julia Child, a leader in French cooking at home.

And, she’s awfully nice to look at in the morning.

For more about Laura, check out her website: www.lauracalder.ca