Multi-award winning Canadian soulful singer/songwriter Charlie A’Court is currently gracing our shores to promote his new album ‘Sun Is Gonna Shine’, is out now through Code One Recordings/MGM. Charlie appeared at Sydney Blues and Roots Festival last weekend along with various other shows in Sydney venues finishing his tour off in Devonport and Hobart and Melbourne on the following dates:
Thursday 8 Nov Hobart REPUBLIC BAR
Friday 9 Nov Devonport RED HOT MUSIC w/ Jeff Martin
Saturday 10 Nov Melbourne RETREAT HOTEL BRUNSWICK – Front Bar.
Being Canadian he certainly has some interesting tastes in food, like his choice for what he would choose for his last meal on earth…. Read on to find out more.
What were your food influences when you were growing up and what kind of food did you eat at home or with your family?
When I was a kid, my grandmother was the head chef of the family and we would often have meals at her house. My grandparents came from England and moved to Canada so dinners were staunchly British. Meals like liver and onions, shepherd’s pie, fish on Fridays and roast beef with Yorkshire pudding every Sunday. Nana lived through WWII and lived off of food rations so much that when she came to Canada and realized she could buy everything under one roof, she would cook these huge meals as if the whole village was coming to dinner.
What dish or cuisine do you most like to eat on tour and why?
I’m a big fan of Japanese and Thai food, simply because it’s some of the healthiest food you can eat. The tour lifestyle and “road food” can be hazardous to your health. Besides, I love going to a new city and trying a sushi or thai restaurant and falling in love with the food all over again.
What type of food do you hate, and what is the most disgusting thing you’ve ever eaten?
Tell us the story. To this day liver and onions remain my mortal enemy!! Nana would make this once a week with brussel sprouts. Nana was a great cook but this meal always made me cringe and feel like I was dumping an ashtray in my mouth!
What type of food do you make sure to avoid before a gig or going on stage?
Broccoli and cabbage! Unless you really want to set your band mates off. Generally I’m pretty easy going with food but I try not to have anything too heavy because I like to bounce around on stage, especially if I have the band with me. I always like to have fresh fruit at the shows to keep my energy up and stay hydrated.
Imagine for a second you can request anything on your rider at a gig. What food do you put on it?
Start with fresh baked parmesan baguette with seared Atlantic salmon with rosemary and drizzled maple syrup. The main would be bourbon smoked rotisserie lamb with a lemon grass aioli sauce served with a thai chilly vermicelli salad. Finish with a light tiramisu topped with belgium chocolate mouse and a single mint leaf. Absolute heaven!
What has been your biggest cooking disaster to date?
I love to cook and trying new recipes and one Christmas I was hosting a party where sushi was the main dish. I’m talking full on with gyoza dumplings, miso soup, different types of sashimi and maki rolls and tempura veggies and shrimp! Now to cook tempura, you need a cold batter and a very hot fryer. I had my shrimp ready to go but what I didn’t account for was hot oil bubbling up and over the top of the pot and as soon as the shrimp hit the oil it was like a volcano erupted. I’m not gonna lie, there may have been some flames involved and I may have lost some hair on my arm but I had my oven mitt on and grabbed the pot and put it the sink pronto. Fortunately there was no real damage and the only victim was the shrimp and maybe my pride…but the guests were entertained!
When you tour overseas, what food from home do you miss the most?
I do all the cooking at home so when I’m on tour what I miss the most is access to a kitchen where I can make something myself. When ever I’ve hit a wall creatively with music I can usually turn to the kitchen and have some fun and still be creative. I’ve never seen cooking as a chore, it’s alway been fun for me. I love making pizzas, making the dough from scratch, getting those toppings from the market just for that perfect combination and smelling the ingredients as it bakes. Yeah, a great can’t be beat! I think I’ve actually fallen in love the with pizza at The Brass Monkey in Cronulla. There’s one called the Vivaldi with slow cooked lamb, spiced chillies, mediterranean yoghurt and mint leaves that blows my mind.
This is your last day on earth, what is your final meal?
Really? I think I’d be way too nervous to eat anything. I’ve always wanted to try chicken and waffles together with some southern gravy. Maybe go nuts with the best bacon money can buy. Maybe I’d call the Monkey and see if they deliver! Oh! Deep fried Mars bars. Never had them and I’ve always wanted to know what the fuss is all about.
