Quantcast
Stage actor loves daily oatmeal, cutting board – Metro US

Stage actor loves daily oatmeal, cutting board

Rene Johnston/ TorStar Photo file

Actor Brent Carver rehearses as Gandalf for the stage performance of Lord Of The Rings earlier this year.

Brent Carver is starring in the CanStage production of The Story of My Life, which runs until Dec. 9.

Most recently the stage actor starred in Lord Of The Rings (Toronto), King Lear (Lincoln Center in New York City); Copenhagen (The Vancouver Playhouse) and My Life With Albertine (Playwrights Horizons in New York).

He won a 1993 Tony Award for Best Actor in a musical for Kiss Of The Spider Woman.

Q: What is your fondest memory from your family kitchen?

A: My mother’s fantastic cooking. On Mondays, she would bake loaves of bread, date squares and cinnamon buns. The kids would sit around the table eating and laughing. It was noisy!

Q: What kitchen aromas bring back memories?

A: I remember when I came home from school smelling the molasses from the brown breads. I loved it. My mom had waxed the floors so I could smell floor wax and from her ironing, spray starch.

Q: What is your favourite food to cook?

A: Every morning I prepare hot, slow-cooked oatmeal. Sometimes I eat it with yogurt and nuts. It’s the best! I also make soups with tofu.

Q: How did the first meal you prepared turn out?

A: My mom would prepare something in the morning before she went to work. When we got home from school, it was our job to prepare the vegetables. I would make carrots, peas or potatoes. Of course, I burned them a few times. I tried once to make Hollandaise sauce and it turned out like scrambled eggs. I’m good at inviting someone over who can cook and cleaning up after them.

Q: What rituals from your background do you partake in?

A: If I’m not doing a show during the holidays, I visit my family in B.C. They all have big families. It is terrific to spend time with them. My mom used to work in a Chinese restaurant and picked up a few cooking tips. She makes exceptional Chinese food. We play games and laugh.

Q: Is there a dish you prepare to take to events and holiday gatherings?

A: I make an incredible potato salad with fresh celery, green onions, eggs and celery seed. The trick is not to let the potatoes become too damp or moist. They have to be quite dry. Then you have to let the potato salad sit in the refrigerator, at least for a couple of hours.

Q: Is there a kitchen gadget you can’t live without?

A: A cutting board is a must when making potato salad!

entertainment@metronews.ca