About Mountain Culinaire

practice

Mountain Culinaire is about bringing beauty to your kitchen, international influence to your dining room, and healthfulness to your meals and your life. There are countless websites about whole food recipes; I’m not trying to reproduce that style, but to teach you about food and to empower you to experiment and practice on your own. I’d like to hear what you want to learn; please let me know!

In Montana’s Gallatin Valley, I’m available to assist you in person. Whether you need to maintain a doctor’s prescribed eating plan, or need help finding ways to enjoy nutritious food, I’m here to be your local kitchen concierge toward meeting your goals. Some services that I offer are one-on-one culinary instruction, pantry makeovers, group classes, cooking in your home as a personal chef, and small scale catering.

SEE: LOCAL KITCHEN CONCIERGE

I learned therapeutic cooking {cooking for conditions} from a classically-trained chef and a doctor of naturopathy, and I love the combination of those two fields: classics and conditions. My favorite things to prepare are vegetables as well as snacks that are rich in healthful fats and antioxidants. For years I have helped people pursue healthy dietary changes, have given educational presentations to small gatherings, and have served simple and elegant meals.

For a bite more of personal information, please see this page About Renée.

Tasty wishes to you in your culinary endeavors, and please reach out with any questions!

Perspective

I live in Montana where the mountains are high and the prairies are wide, where people are kind and the future is bright. A jagged blue and white horizon provides a constant iconic inspiration beyond our green valleys. The rugged landscape and distinct seasons shape lifestyles here and won’t let us forget our connection to earth’s resources. God makes nature known all the time—whether in the beauty of a flower or the strength of a snowstorm.

Aside from the being native to this rustic area, I have always been interested in the romantic and exotic: tables set with soft linens; mealtime ways of other cultures; woven bistro chairs in Paris; spice merchants in busy markets. I’ve been able to travel and sample culinary traditions in Western and Eastern Europe, in Canada to the north and the Tropics to the south, in opposite ends of the United States, and in the land of India—so far.

SEE: the blog to read further

Usually my cooking blends, as above, the rustic and romantic: garden vegetables garnished and served on a piece of artisan pottery; or specialty seasonings from overseas used with ingredients from my local discount grocer. Currently I have been appreciating the flavors of central France, the Mediterranean, and Morocco—and the seasonings and teas of Northern India. There’s enough variety there to be inexhaustible.

I appreciate encouragement from a fine network of family and others—local and afar.

What is your favorite place for lifestyle ideas? Other countries, homes of friends, magazines?

Philosophy

I love kitchens. I like to organize mine for efficiency—and style it to be uplifting for hours spent there. A kitchen provides for the making of delicious memories, whether a canvas poised for hospitality or for the teaching of lasting skills. Kitchens used to be central to homes, and good things were encouraged. Food delights our senses; nurtures our bodies; helps us to celebrate. Let’s restore traditions and wellness one meal at a time.

My dietary philosophy isn’t a trend, but a loyalty to the foods of our ancestors’ kitchens. Foods are at their best when real, unrefined and nutrient-dense, from organic plants & clean animals; traditional, ethical, and seasonal. Addressing the standard modern diet is complex, but eating flavorful, timeless foods can be achievable and fulfilling. Let’s discern the best ingredients and take them on a journey through our kitchens.

See: Recipes and meal ideas

Vegetarian meals can be inventive, yet meat consumption affords vital nutrients. Grains and seeds, minimally processed until recent history, are found in most world cuisines. Fats and oils are an important thing to get “right” for the sake of our cellular structure. Vegetables are necessary to the level they are nourishing—that is, abundantly. Spices and herbs are troves of taste and nutrition. Let’s explore these components together.

I like to incorporate an uncommon flavor in a dish and let people fall in love with it.

Food and kitchens are indispensable. Let’s make ours more holistic and more beautiful!