Journal

Thoughts & Essays

Cook, Connect, Build & Restore

Cook, Connect, Build & Restore

Eating local food in Brooklyn certainly constitutes something quite different than what I was doing growing up in Provence, where all senses were easily activated in a rush of colors, smells, tastes.
However, in navigating the NYC landscape for the past 2 decades and learning how to source local food here, I managed to find a similar kaleidoscope of senses, and, more importantly, realize the impact on our community.
And along the way I developed a strategy to feed my family in a conscious yet efficient way & cook, connect, build & restore.

Our Family Weekly Cooking Strategy

Our Family Weekly Cooking Strategy

I had a good laugh the other day when a friend told me that some people have this super glamorous vision of my family life when it comes down to food. They envision me eating at ICI (now called Maison May Dekalb ) almost every night, with my perfectly mannered...

Evolution Rather than Resolutions

Evolution Rather than Resolutions

I do not believe in New Year’s resolutions:
it is too much pressure and in the end, it is too easy to drop them. I believe in process instead.
On slow, steady, sustainable building.
2015 is due to bring huge changes in my professional life.
But it did not happen overnight, neither did I wake up on
January 1st and decided to go for it.

Slow Food, Provençal Style

Slow Food, Provençal Style

My aunt “Mine” was a serious cook, in a peasant’s intuitive, self-taught way. I never saw her look at a recipe book unless she was making a dessert, and she had the genius ability to produce an amazing dish out of what anyone else would have considered an empty fridge. I have many fond memories of her cooking, but my absolute favorite dish of hers was her ratatouille.

Braised Pork Shoulder, Chimichurri & Creamy Grits

Braised Pork Shoulder, Chimichurri & Creamy Grits

I love this dish because it is comforting, disarmingly easy to make and is best cooked the day before so when your guests arrive, you do not have anything to worry about and your kitchen is clean… And I always do a batch of garlicky sautéed collard greens on the side so I do not feel like I splurge too much…
Have your guests leave with some left over pork, perfect in a sandwich the following day: spread horseradish mayo on ciabatta & add a few pickles and serve with bitter winter greens.

The Power of Food

The Power of Food

I discovered that beyond pleasure, food is actual nourishment in the deepest sense of the term: it is sustenance for your body and soul, it can drag you down or lift you up. I think, if I treat myself well, I’ll always choose the latter.

Where I Am Now – Possibly Who I Am – For Now

Where I Am Now – Possibly Who I Am – For Now

I think we’d all like to think ourselves as more than just the sum of our parts. Take me, for example: you could label me as just a female entrepreneur, or a (single) mother, or a restaurateur. I’m French, I’m a New Yorker. But to me, all of those things are so deeply intertwined to make me, you can’t think about one without the other. If I’m just a female entrepreneur, I’m a bitch. Just seen as French, oh, oui, oui, we get it. A single mother first and foremost? It’s oh, poor you.
It’s taken me a long time to realize who I am as a whole, and to free myself from living solely toward others’ or my own, expectations based on any one part of who I am.