One of my favorite food bloggers in the French food blogging scene is Clotilde Dusoulier. Her blog, Chocolate & Zucchini, was probably the first food blog to be written in both French and English.
When I was editor-in-chief of Gourmandize.com, I had the opportunity to interview her about her upcoming cookbook, The French Market Cookbook. Honestly, I was thrilled to meet her at a party and then get the chance to interview her for work!
You can read my interview with her on the Gourmandize website by clicking on the photos below, or read on to get a little preview:
WHY DO YOU WRITE IN ENGLISH AS WELL AS FRENCH?
When I started Chocolate & Zucchini in 2003, all blogs were written in English, and since I wanted to join the (tiny) community of food blogs that existed back then, it made sense to write in this shared language. And then, as my audience grew, my French readers started asking me to create a French version, so I did a few years later. It’s a lot of work to maintain both versions, but I enjoy adopting those two slightly different angles.
WHY DID YOU START YOUR SERIES ‘PARENTS WHO COOK, AND HAS HAVING A CHILD CHANGED YOUR COOKING STYLE?
I had a little boy two years ago. I quickly realized how much it was going to change my life in general and my cooking habits in particular. Honestly, it took a while for me to find my new groove. I’d always been a spontaneous cook and now I needed to do more planning if I wanted to get anything done. I imagined I wasn’t alone in this, so I asked around for insight and advice. It’s been fantastic hearing from all these parents and drawing inspiration from them.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO PARENTS ON FEEDING SMALL CHILDREN?
The best advice I’ve heard, and the one I want to pass along, is to do what feels right for you. Maybe you love mixing purées, maybe it bores you to tears. Perhaps you want to start your kid on solid foods right away so you can all eat the same things. Or maybe the risk of choking scares you to death… There is no one right way: as long as you’re comfortable with your choices and the kid senses they come from a place of love, you’re all set. Beyond that, I feel pretty strongly that you should never ever force a child to eat (even cajoling and bargaining don’t feel right to me). The only way to instill good eating habits, in the long run, is to lead by example.
WHAT WAS YOUR BEST DINING EXPERIENCE?
It’s hard to name just one! A few years ago I had a marvelous lunch at Le Jules Verne, the gastronomic restaurant that’s up in the Eiffel Tower. It had recently reopened after renovation, and I was tasting the chef’s cuisine for an article I was working on. It was a gorgeous day, the view was breathtaking, the food excellent. In a contemporary take on classic French foods, I remember a ham and endive dish with truffle sauce that made me love cooked endives for the first time. Plus I was with the person I love most in the world. It was magical.
LIVING IN FRANCE, ARE THERE ANY AMERICAN FOODS THAT YOU MISS?
Real bagels (the chewy kind from New York). I also miss fifferent varieties of kale and lightly salted chunky peanut butter. Also, burgers from In N Out.
Click on the pictures below to read the complete Chocolate and Zucchini interview.
The complete interview with Clotilde Dusoulier of Chocolate and Zucchini
Are you in the mood to read another interview? Check out all of my chef interviews here!
