A Quick Bite With Geoff Tracy

After cutting his teeth at the Culinary Institute in NY, chef Geoff Tracy opened two restaurants before his 30th birthday. He now oversees four restaurants in and around Washington D.C., has three children and a new cookbook and memoir Baby Love, which he penned with his wife and MSNBC News Chief Correspondent Norah O’Donnell. Baby Love solves the dilemma whipping up easy-to-make, cost-effective and nutritious meals for busy parents with famished families. More recipes from the book can be found at www.BabyLoveFoods.

Q: What’s your earliest food memory?
A: Crinkle cut French fries baked in the oven served with cold Heinz ketchup.

Q: What was your favourite food as a child?
A: Cheddar cheese.

Q: Is there a food you loathed as a child and have since learned to enjoy? Or maybe you still can’t stand it? Tell us—what is it?
A: Hated Brussels sprouts as a kid.  They were the frozen kind.  I now I love ‘em.  Especially when cooked with lardons of bacon!  Oddly, I also hated pizza as a kid. And now it would be on the menu for a final meal if I had one day to live.

Q: What’s your default, throw-together-and-wow-everyone meal?
A: My quick throw together meal is an Asian vegetable stir-fry with jasmine rice.  My wow everyone meal is almost always Seared Sea Scallops with Mushroom Risotto.  Variations of both are actually in the book!

Q: What’s the one meal you would love to cook but fear it’s too complicated?
A: I’m a trained chef . . . few things are too complicated.  Although time becomes an issue with 5 restaurants, 3 kids, and a wife.  I used to prepare meals at home that took literally all day.  Now it has to be 45 minutes or less.

Q: What’s your favourite thing to cook or bake with someone else?
A: Pancakes with my children.  (Again recipe is in the book.)  I made them with Riley just this morning.  It can be messy, but it is worth it.

Q: What do you love most about cooking?
A: How it impacts others.

Q: What’s your favourite food memory/tradition with  your children?
A: Creating Baby Love.  It will always serve as reminder/memoir of this challenging but amazing period of time.