Emilie about her cookery workshops

I like cooking and I need to practise my French when I can, so when a French friend invited me to a culinary workshop I jumped at the chance. The one I went to was in French, but the woman who gives them, Emilie, is happy to do English, French or a mix – as the group dictates. I spoke to her once all the cooking was done and to dodge the washing up...

DH: Are you local to this part of the world?

Emilie: Yes, actually I was born in Cagnes-Sur-Mer and have lived in Le Rouret all my life, so I’ve seen it change a lot in that time. It’s become wonderfully international. Last year my friend Chrystel and I organised a Christmas atelier for food from around the world. I stuck posters up around the area encouraging people to bring a favourite recipe from their county for us to cook together.

DH: How many nationalities took part?

Emilie: We had participants from Italy, Germany, the USA, the UK and from all over France – considering this was our first year the response was great. I’m sure we’ll have even more this year as so many people told me if they’d have known they would have come! We prepared the food together and then sold it at the Christmas Market in Le Rouret to raise money for charity.

(The workshop I went to the hostess provided the ingredients and Emilie brought her knowledge and equipment for free. After the prep work was done she showed us the new Demarle catalogue with all the lovely gadgets and cook books without any obligation to buy; so I didn’t. The non-stick flexi moulds she uses don’t need a bain-marie and last a lifetime)

DH: How did you get into this line of work?

Emilie: I’ve always cooked since helping my mother and grandmother while I was growing up, so the workshops were a natural progression for me. I offer this service to people and I’ll soon be preparing the dessert for 30 guests at a wedding!

Normally what happens at the workshops is that a person decides what they want to improve-on or where they have gaps in their knowledge and then we plan together. So they provide the kitchen, invite their friends and provide the ingredients and I bring the tools and demonstrate how they work, and of course there is an exchange of ideas and recipes.

DH: Knowing that you work with such lovely equipment, what is your favourite?

Emilie (pictured left): Without a doubt the moulds. It has to be the one shaped like lots of small spoons. I use them all the time either for something salty for an apero or with nougatine if I’m preparing something sweet. It looks very pretty and I think it just gives that professional look to your food without really trying! These are great for people who don’t cook very much – it gives them the chance to create something stylish easily.

DH: What’s your favourite food and do you allow yourself a guilty food pleasure?

Emilie: I love Strawberry gateau and cream probably because my mother has made me this for every birthday since I was small and I also really like choucroute (pork, potatoes and grated cabbage). I guess the thing I eat but I shouldn’t is toffees, caramel toffees.

DH: Are you a beach or a mountains person? And what kind of holidays do you like?

Emilie: I like the beach in Normandy very much as you have space to move even in July. And I’d love to visit Ireland one day.

DH: The workshop that I went to lasted two hours and we managed to make three different recipes in that time and try them out at the end. If other people want to host a workshop or find out more about what you do, how can they contact you?

Emilie: I have a food blog that readers might like to visit, http://pralinereglisse.canalblog.com/ named after my cat and dog (!) or they can call me on 06 14 36 02 33 and we'll have a chat.

*Details of Emilie’s Christmas workshop will be posted on this site closer to the time