Music

Blue Rodeo has a cookbook and it looks delightful

by Mark Teo

North of the border, Blue Rodeo is a Cancon institution—thanks to the sublime songwriting skills of Greg Keelor and the silk-voiced charm of Jim Cuddy, the band’s nuanced country has soundtracked countless forays into the Muskokas, campfire jams and cottage kitchen parties. Indeed, the band’s music has scored plenty of kitchen jams, but now, Cuddy and co. are preparing to make literal kitchen jam—in the form of a cookbook.

The cookbook accompanies their 2013 album, In Our Nature, which was recorded at Keelor’s farm. There, the band holed up in separate rooms to record, making it—according to a band statement—a supremely intimate affair.

“Recording at Greg’s farm was key to the groove of this record,” said Cuddy, who also owns a farm of his own. “I was a little unsure at the beginning whether it was a good idea to encamp at Greg’s as we have a great studio in downtown Toronto. But by the time we got comfortable at Greg’s, after a few days, it was obvious that being in his farmhouse and being surrounded by the great outdoors was having such a positive effect on the collective spirit. It was very unifying.”

Apparently, recording at a farm also inspired more than music—it also inspired homegrown food. The result was the Sing For Your Supper cookbook, illustrated by Sunbear’s Kate Boothman, a musician-chef who helped cook for the band during the In Our Nature sessions. Boothman has included 80 recipes for the book—10 by the band itself—and has developed accompanying illustrations. Expect those recipes to reflect the dietary requirements of the band: Cuddy, for example, requested egg-free recipes while recording.

“Food is so crucial to feeling happy and sharing stories, there’s a real communal element to it,” Boothman told Rolling Spoon (which is an inredible title for a music / cooking blog). “It’s nice to be able to step away from the microphone for a minute and eat. You go back after dinner and you have a clearer perspective. Everyone is always happy after dinner and the recording always goes smoothly and it always leads into a long productive night. It’s nice to reconnect with each other as humans instead of just in the headphones.”

As for the recipes? Expect items like an eggless caesar salad, watermelon-feta salads, and rainbow quinoa. Partial proceeds from the project, says the band’s site, will go to the Daily Bread Food Bank.

Of course, this isn’t the first time music and food has collided. But we wager that Blue Rodeo’s rapini dishes will end up better than Korn’s corn on the cob or Coolio’s famed 2 Fork Steak and Ghettalian Garlic Bread recipes. Judge for yourself.