I am fortunate to meet and to know many talented, creative and determined women. Today I am happy to bring you the second in my series about women who have come to France from far away and created a new life for themselves.
They don't always speak French before coming, they rarely know which way their lives will turn, but they all come here with a passion and a will to fit in and thrive.
Today you will learn about Marjorie, who arrived from America and made herself a new life and a new living in the wine producing region of Burgundy.
My stylish and - really almost - French girlfriends!
Hi Marjorie, thank you for letting MFCH come visit with you! We’d love to know more about how you came to live in France, and about the life you have created for yourself here. What brought you to France, and when?
I moved to France in September of 2008. My daughter, Kendall, is the real Francophile. She has been living in France for 11 years. I had the opportunity in 2006 to work with Anne Willan at her château in Burgundy and I fell in love with the region. I knew that if I was ever going to make the jump across the pond for good, that was the time.
The light-bulb went off that my daughter was never going to return to the states and that my future grandchildren would be French. Even though she had not yet found her very own Frenchman, her heart and soul were French.
I went back to the states, sold everything and moved to Burgundy. Being very close as mother/daughter, we decided to work together and combined our passions to create The Cook's Atelier.
Incidentally, my hunch paid off. She did find her very own Frenchman and I have one grandson, Luc who will be two in June and another little girl, Manon Clair who has just arrived in April.
Did you already speak French before moving here?
No. I always like to say, "I speak food". My personality is very open and I love to talk. I find that people are happy to see I am trying.... we work things out. Let's just say, it's a work in progress.
Where did you learn to cook?
I originally trained as pastry chef in the States. I had my own restaurant, and when I wanted to come to France and learn some more, I was thrilled to have the chance to work with Anne Willan who founded the Ecole de Cuisine La Varenne .
Can you tell us what do you love the most about your everyday life here, and give us an idea of your typical day?
A typical working day for me at The Cook's Atelier might begin with a cup of tea as I sit down with my daughter and we work out the logistics for an upcoming cooking class or workshop. We might be hosting clients for a cooking class or preparing for a wine dinner at our atelier.
I may visit a favourite artisan food producer or take our 1983 2CV car (aka Madeleine) for a ride to visit a local brocante or market. Every day is different, but the focus is always on food and creating the life that I have always dreamed of.
How easy is it for an American to set up a cookery school in France?!
Not easy at all. I think that if it wasn't for the fact that the core of our business was to create something together on the same side of the pond. It would have been overwhelming. As they say, tons of red tape, but well worth the challenge.
To begin with I just had a small flat in centre of Beaune; I needed to make a living, and I decided to completely root myself in Burgundy. So I said to myself - and my daughter - "all I need to work is a small space, a kitchen, a good stove and hey! ... an atelier!"
I remember how nervous I was for our very first clients! Ten French men, together for a birthday celebration! But we served them good food in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere and they loved it!
Today I love my life here. I have friends, I have got to know all our producers; and of course I now have two French grandchildren ... life is perfect!
What do you like about your region of France?
The thing I love the most about this region of France, besides the wine! , is that to me, it feels like it is still authentic and although Beaune is small, it is very international. We receive clients from all over the world.
What words of advice would you have for someone wondering about moving to France?
The process of moving to France can certainly be difficult. Forge ahead. It will be worth the aggravation. Do what you love every day and people will find you; we created our life here and the business came after. In fact we had no business plan; we just started to do what was obvious and our passion became contagious!
It is easy to get hung up on the scary bits, but because we are doing what we really love, people gravitate ... they come into our lives a little, family is very important. We have put family first, built our life here as a priority and the rest has just fallen into place.
There is a wonderful film on your website about the man who you buy your cheese from, can you tell us a little bit about that?
Ah! This is all about the appreciation of the people behind the food we eat - a vital part of our lives.
It has taken years to get to know our suppliers, but gradually from a simple bonjour as we buy from vendors at the market, friendships have developed. They know we are passionate about food and about what they are doing, so they opened up to us.
Today our cooking school is at the forefront of an international movement to support local farmers and sustainable food .
In celebration of that simple idea, we have created a film series honouring our favourite artisan food producers. This film about Yan, the shepherd and cheese maker, is the first of the series. And we were among his first clients when he started his production a few years ago!
Finally Marjorie, the readers at MFCH just love a good recipe - would you be kind enough to share one with us?
Yes of course! This is one of our favourite spring recipes, when the local farmers market has stands full of fresh asparagus
White asparagus with prosciutto and herbs
Serves 4 to 6
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 pound fresh, fat white asparagus (about 16 spears)
6 slices prosciutto, preferably San Daniele
1 lemon, thinly sliced
a small handful of fresh herbs such as flat leaf parsley, chervil or chives
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Combine the olive oil, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, a pinch of sea salt, a couple grinds of freshly ground black pepper and stir briskly into an emulsion. Taste for seasoning. Stir well again just before dressing the asparagus.
Peel each asparagus spear to within a couple inches from the tip, then break off the woody end. Steam just until tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. While the asparagus are still warm, dress with the vinaigrette. Wrap each asparagus with a slice of prosciutto.
To serve, arrange the asparagus on a platter. Tuck the lemon slices in and around the asparagus and scatter the herbs. This dish is best served at room temperature with a drizzle of lemon juice.
Merci Marjorie !!
And thank you all for reading. If you would like to take a cooking lesson with Marjorie in her Atelier in beautiful Burgundy, then just pop over to her site and say hello!
Beaune, Burgundy
marjorie@thecooksatelier.com
photos 1 & 2 http://emilyjohnstonanderson.virb.com/
all other pics The Cooks Atelier
all other pics The Cooks Atelier
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