ORIGINS
As the daughter of an Alsacian wine-grower, I was fortunate to grow up in the countryside, in a family where the taste of wonderful things was a big part of daily life.
My Italian grandmother was responsible for the preparation of family meals and it was she (Cordon Bleu) who inspired my childhood passion for cooking.
My parents and grandparents attached great importance to the quality and origin of products so I had the good fortune to be very aware of this from a young age.
WINE AND CUISINE
During our childhood, my father, passionate about his profession as a wine-grower, introduced my brother and I to the world of wine. We took part in the running of the family business, leant a hand in “working the vines” and were regularly invited to join him in the cellars for wine-tasting. I adored this world and it is why I first decided to explore “oenology” and wine-tasting…
Having spent a dozen or so years in this business developing an interest in the art of wine-tasting and appreciating the teaching aspect and contact with “trainees”, I decided to enhance this knowledge by offering cooking classes.
Thus, in 2006 I set up my cookery school “Cardamome” in Colmar.
ALAIN PASSARD
Thanks to a recipe and design contest in 2005 (organised for the release of Alain Passard’s first cookery book “La cuisine des petites betes”) Alain Passard invited me to join the team in the kitchen of his Paris restaurant “L’Arpege”.
It was the beginning of a long collaboration . For the last 10 years I have accompanied and assisted the Chef in the preparation of prestigious meals for culinary events in the 4 corners of the world …
Alain Passard is the “godfather” of Cardamome.
TRAVELS
I have always had a taste for travel. One of my objectives (even before I made cooking my profession) has always been to go and discover local markets and to achieve a cultural vision of countries through their cuisine. I have often been taught to cook local dishes in family kitchens. This is how I filled my recipe book with “secrets” shared by men and women from around the world…