Q&A with Brooke Faudree
Brooke Faudree is a chef & event producer in Minneapolis creating beautiful and meaningful dining experiences to encapsulate a timeless joie de vivre.
A Minnesota native, Brooke grew up in a large family where feasting and large gatherings were commonplace. She began a fine arts education at the age of 6 at the Art Academy in St. Paul which continued into college. Branching into the media arts a few years later, Brooke worked in set dressing, props & styling for film & television. In between project work, she developed her love of cooking and taught herself how to bake, eventually opening a bakery and restaurant with her sister, The Copper Hen, in 2014. Later working as a private chef in the Twin Cities, Brooke launched her boutique catering company, Quince Hospitality in 2016, specializing in beautiful full-service dining events and catering. After completing an intensive culinary degree at the Institut Paul Bocuse in Écully, France, Brooke is currently producing fine dining events and pop-up dinners in transportive spaces across Minneapolis and beyond.
Brooke! You attended the Institut Paul Bocuse in Ecully, France.
Yes, I was able to complete a French intensive culinary degree in Écully, France, just outside of Lyon. Before this, I was mostly self-taught as a chef and decided that if I was going to get formal training it would be at a French culinary school in the French language.
It was a truly humbling and gratifying experience to be at the source of my love of cooking, living and studying alongside French natives. We had weekly evaluations, and I spent just as much time practicing my cuts and sauces in my tiny apartment as cleaning and pressing my chef whites.
One of my favorite memories was hosting some of my French colleagues for a celebratory dinner at the end of the program. Everyone brought a gift to introduce the américaine to something I may not have had. A favorite was marrons glacés, candied chestnuts in syrup.
We share a passion for regional French cuisine and the taxonomy associated with them. Our October dinner will be celebrating Burgundy, which is a pretty well-known area. Is there anything in particular about the region that you really love?
Burgundy is clearly a very special place, with some of the world's best wines, but the cuisine is just as important. It's fitting that it's located in the center of France, isn't it? Such a provincial place that's oh so fine and yet ruggedly français. It feels very anchored to the land and careful cultivation.
I was at Les Hospices de Beaune last year and was so impressed by how French people from all around the country came to celebrate festivities in the streets celebrating food and wine. The entire town was alive with goodwill and feasting. It felt very fitting for a medieval town, and I can't wait to be a part of it again. Think food vendors lining the streets with fire-roasted époisses and camembert, fresh oysters, large pots of boeuf bourguignon and so much wine.
I'm always in awe of how the French cultivate and celebrate their regional differences, and I am grateful to witness and share these experiences with my own guests and diners.
The first time we met we talked about the l'art de la table. What is good advice for people to put this concept into practice at home?
Les arts de la table is a French term for all the magic that goes on at the table for the guest, and I think this is why I'm in love with events overall. The expectation and unfolding of the dining experience begins with the arts de la table, it's the table setting, the menu planning, all the preparation, the greeting at the door. I think it's that intentional element of unexpectedness that I love the most.
A few tips... Let the guests bring something that will add to the evening. This doesn't have to be food, it could be their favorite record or some flowers. Let guests be active participants. It's important for the guests to be taken care of but also feel a worthy part of the experience.
Another thing, and this is a personal preference, lean into courses. As much as trends favor small plates and menus without distinction, I prefer to plan out the evening more thoughtfully. A formal framework in a causal setting gives great bones to whatever the evening holds. If you have the space, plan different parts of the evening in different rooms. My favorite thing is to serve dessert in a different room than dinner, especially if armagnac and a fire are involved. And serve dessert! More and more, people skip dessert, but it's the climax of the dinner and is the most special. Make dessert ahead so you don't have to think of it until the end of the night.