Vegan cooking in France

Why do I love France? Well, because je suis française! But here’s the whole story:

My earliest memory from my childhood is the smell of something great baking in the oven, it was intoxicating and I will never forget it. I come from a family of amazing French and European cooks and bakers; my Ancestors are from Normandy, France and date back to the 1500s. Most of my life was spent in the kitchen with family and those great times with my Grandpa ‘Chevy’ Chevalier. He was a great fisherman and a fantastic cook; but I say he was a Chef. Those are the moments that I treasure the most.

Since I was born in the USA I was only taught a small amount of French language as a child, but for my family it was more about the food and tradition. Course dinners, proper eating times, table settings, wine, menus that reflected the season and it was a respected ritual. This was serious gastronomy!

My dream has always been to move to France and connect to my family roots. Every year that passed my passion and love for French culture grew. Until I jumped on a plane from Los Angeles, CA headed for Nice, France. It was love at first sight! And I’ve never felt so at home in my life. It all made sense now, all that stuff when I was growing up.

The difference is that I see French food in a different way now. I declared myself a vegetarian when I was 12 years old and now am vegan. Living in California taught me more about diet, health and nutrition. So it has been my goal to stay true to my French roots but put a healthy spin on it. Impossible you say? Not at all, as long as you’re in ‘the know’. And there will be wine, bread, pastries and chocolate – bien sûr!

Today, I am Certified Artisan Baker, Pastry Enthusiast and Vegan Chef. I am here to prove that France has many outstanding options if you are health conscious, have food allergies or you’re a vegetarian, etc. All this with loads of flavor! I hope that fellow Gastronomy Fans, Cooks, Health Nuts and Food Lovers of all kinds enjoy my articles. Vive La France!