Table of Contents
My French roots
I eat, therefore I am. I grew up in France with a mother who was a fantastic cook and a father who was the harshest food critic I have ever known (his biggest compliment was “hmmm, that’s not bad”). With 5 siblings and a grand-mother living with us, I had ample opportunity to watch my Mom cook for a crowd of 9, helping her out when I wasn’t doing homework, and learning by watching. The favorite conversation topic at the dinner table was always food, either discussing a past meal or what was going to be served at the next one. I ate my first hamburger at McDonald’s in Paris when I was in college, and that was a luxury I could barely afford on my college stipend – I had long figured out that cooking at home was so much cheaper than eating out.
A journey in my kitchen
Over the years, my cooking has greatly evolved. Arriving in the US at the age of 22, I had to adapt my cooking to ingredients I could find here (forget fromage blanc and creme fraiche). Then I had to cook for my children as they were growing up – introducing them to classic French dishes but also mixing in some very American staples like hamburgers and hot-dogs (yes, guilty of that…). I am proud to say they both turned out very healthy, will try just about any food, and can cook even better than I can. My husband, who grew up in New York, is by far my best customer. He has also influenced my cooking over the years, encouraging me to broaden my repertoire with different ethnic influences, from Indian to Chinese to Tex-Mex…
Pivoting to the Mediterranean Diet
As we were both getting older, though, my focus turned to making healthy food choices to increase our chances of having a good quality of life into our late years. Since it is now widely recognized by the medical community that the healthiest way to eat is to follow a Mediterranean diet, I have been striving to build our meals around these guidelines.
Getting an education
I never do anything halfway, and my journey led me to hours, days and months of personal research on the Mediterranean Diet. In fact, I became so passionate about it that I decided to pursue an education in the field of nutrition. I completed several courses from Harvard Medical School, Stanford University and Emory University. I am now proud to offer nutrition coaching services to clients seeking a healthier lifestyle, with a focus on post-menopausal women struggling to lose weight.
Featured in the media
I have had the privilege to contribute to this great article published in US News World Report. It provides excellent tips on how to succeed on the Mediterranean Diet:
https://health.usnews.com/wellness/food/slideshow-mediterranean-tips
Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants.
We all understand these basic principles summarized by Michael Pollan. Yet, applying them to our daily food choices requires a lot of research and planning. That’s the part I love to do. By sharing some of my recipes here, I hope to inspire you to prepare healthy meals for your family and friends.
Forget picky eaters
Your kitchen isn’t a restaurant or a cafeteria. Dinner time can be so much nicer with less ordering and more enjoying. Find meals everyone at the table will love and surprise your family with new recipes so tasty they will ask for more.
Not a great cook?
No problem. I am not Martha Stewart and I have no formal culinary training. I merely enjoy cooking because I enjoy eating… and I do like my family to eat well, as simply and as naturally as possible. If I can do it, so can you!
Let’s get cooking!
