Category: Food & Wine

Tasting Paris: A Chat with French Food Connoisseur, Clotilde Dusoulier

Food is at the heart of French culture – it is quite literally the bread and butter of their way of life. Clotilde Dusoulier, a French food writer based in Paris, knows just how important it is. She’s passionate about the fresh, wholesome foods that have influenced her lifestyle and career; she writes about it on her blog, Chocolate & Zucchini

We got the chance to speak with Clotilde about French food and culture, her writing, and the importance of learning to cook. Keep reading to find out more!

SIGNATURE: When did food become such an important part of your life? Did you always know you wanted to be a food writer?

CLOTILDE DUSOULIER: I grew up in a French family where fresh, seasonal food was important, but we didn’t make a big deal out of it. It’s only as a young adult, when I moved to California after graduating, that I took stock of my culinary heritage, and became fascinated with food, and what it says about us. I started to cook with increasing passion, as a creative outlet and a way to reconnect with home.I always knew I wanted to write, and I stumbled upon food writing specifically when I decided to start a blog in 2003 to share my passion for cooking. I realized it was a topic that inspired me endlessly, and allowed me to connect with others in a genuine and meaningful way.

Clotilde Dusoulier
Chef and author Clotilde Dusoulier

 

“My mission is to give my readers fresh ideas that keep them excited and motivated to cook on a day-to-day basis.” 

CD: It’s a toss-up between a baguette and a croissant! Both are iconic products of French baking, and neither is as beautifully crafted as they are in France, and in Paris specifically (pardon my Parisian bias). On my food walking tours, we spend time discussing and appreciating what makes a stellar baguette and croissant, where to buy 

 

SIG: If someone were traveling to France for the first time, what would be the first thing you recommend to eat?

CD: It’s a toss-up between a baguette and a croissant! Both are iconic products of French baking, and neither is as beautifully crafted as they are in France, and in Paris specifically (pardon my Parisian bias). On my food walking tours, we spend time discussing and appreciating what makes a stellar baguette and croissant, where to buy them, and how to recognize them.

SIG: How does food impact French culture? What are some traditions that have stood the test of time? [ . . . ]

Continue Interview at SIGNATURE: Tasting Paris: A Chat with French Food Connoisseur, Clotilde Dusoulier

‘À La Mode’ Is a Lonely Survivor of a French Culinary Code

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE French to know what à la mode means. Even at the humble American diner, where Gallic influence is usually limited to French fries and French dips, desserts are tagged with the term. Pies, cakes, and even pancakes and waffles can come crowned with a scoop of ice cream: in other words, à la mode.

American menus were once replete with such wording. Meaning in the fashion in French, à la mode is a relic of a time when elite diners worldwide used coded terms from classical French cuisine. Today, that system of naming has all but vanished outside of France and French restaurant [ . . . ]

Continue at ATLAS OBSCURA: ‘À La Mode’ Is a Lonely Survivor of a French Culinary Code – Gastro Obscura

France’s food waste prevention law making inroads 2 years in

France has been trying to end food waste through a progressive law passed in 2016 requiring supermarkets to donate unsold products to food banks. It’s estimated that one-third of all food is thrown away around the world.CGTN’s Lucy Taylor reports on how well it’s working, two years on.

Source: France’s food waste prevention law making inroads 2 years in | CGTN America

Wine quiz will pair you with a wine you’ll love

You probably remember a while back my post about the Boston based subscription company called Bright Cellars, a wine subscription company, my favorite of all of the monthly subscription boxes I receive. They sent me a complimentary box to review for the blog which I loved & we decided to partner up again (no brainer, I know)!  I will be the first to admit, I LOVE (red) wine but know very little about it – besides red/white and a little about the stereotypes of each kind (from my bar-tending career).This is where Bright Cellars comes in, it’s a company launched by two MIT graduates whose goal was to introduce “hidden gems” (non mainstream wines) to you each month, they know you will love them because they created a “quiz” which matches your taste preferences using a bright points algorithm GENIUS I know… I tell you these MIT kids think of everything! | Take the Quiz |

The Best Pastries in Paris, According to Top Chefs

When someone offers you a Parisian dessert, you will always say, “Yes.”

The French capital is home to the masters of the pastry universe, dating back to Marie-Antoine Carême, who in the early 1800s popularized such elaborate confections as the millefeuille, the croquembouche (a caramel-enrobed tower of cream puffs), and strawberries Romanov, a parfait-like concoction of marinated berries and whipped cream. It’s one reason he became the world’s first celebrity chef.

The city’s pastry scene is more dynamic and expansive than ever, ranging from modern trompe l’oeil treasures that Carême would covet to exquisite classics and even some outrageous cookies. Dessert appreciation runs so high that one of Paris’s top patissiers has just opened a shop in the valuable real estate of le Meurice hotel. His is one of a baker’s dozen of the best pastries to try, as recommended by expert chefs who know a thing or two about making magic out of flour, butter, sugar, and cream. [. . . ]

Read Full Story: The Best Pastries in Paris, According to Top Chefs