Emily in France 🇫🇷 The South Beckons
We've been waiting for you!
As you may already know, 2022 was the start of a big, exciting project for me: the launch of TERRE/MER, a ceramics and cooking retreat by and for women in the South of France.
I run these retreats alongside my dear friend Camille Drozdz, a product designer, ceramicist, and founder of ICI l'Atelier. We're currently hard at work planning our next long weekend April 11 to 14… want to join us?
Mornings at TERRE/MER begin with harborside yoga followed by a typical French breakfast of viennoiseries from the local bakery, local yogurts and jams, tea, coffee, and conversation. (I may or may not regale you with the purported Viennese origin of the croissant.)
We then head to Camille's studio to craft our own lines of bespoke ceramics. If you've never touched clay before, never fear: Camille's practiced pedagogy will help even newbies come away with something they love. (My proudest accomplishment so far? A line of garlic graters that we'll be using to make my secret aïoli recipe this April!)
In the afternoons, we take advantage of the richness of the picturesque village of La Ciotat and its surroundings for activities that, over the course of the past few years, have ranged from hikes along the calanques to discover the flora and fauna that help nourish the busy bees of a local apiculteur to visits of the portside farmer's market.
And of course, we take the time to visit one of my favorite fromagères for a discovery of the region's best cheeses.
Lunch and dinner focus on local ingredients and recipes, prepared by yours truly… with your help! Each evening, I offer cooking ateliers over an apéritif of local wine or juice, letting my nerd flag fly high as we delve deep into the history and culture behind some of the region's tastiest creations and discover tips gleaned from chefs over the course of my decade-long career as a culinary journalist.
If a creativity-driven, community-building long weekend sounds like something you'd be up for, or if you've got a friend you think would be keen, please don't hesitate to let me know! And even if you can't make it this time, be sure to follow us on Instagram and subscribe to our free, bimonthly newsletter to soak up the southern French sun from afar.
Cheese of the Week
France and Japan have long enjoyed an exchange of flavors and expertise, with Japanese chefs mastering the art of French cuisine in the capital’s dining rooms as well as in international contests, such as the best pâté-croûte championships or AAAAA recognition for andouillette. I’m also seeing Japanese flavors at cheese shops, such as with cherry blossom-infused goat cheese or this special temporary creation from Romain, a cheesemonger-in-training introduced at one of my favorite cheese shops, Quatrehomme.
This Excelsior Kintsugi Miso sees triple cream Brillat-Savarin, previously known as Excelsior, sandwiched around two layers of white miso, which also appears in the Kintsugi-inspired design on top.
Brillat-Savarin is frequently paired with sweeter fillings or accompaniments: I’ve enjoyed it with black cherry jam or chestnut honey… and been less fussed by pairings with things like chocolate. In this case, the umami-rich miso was a really interesting counterpoint to the creamy, buttery cheese; rather than overpowering the delicacy of the triple-cream, if anything, the miso was almost cheesier than the cheese. It looks like a layer cake…  and that’s apt. It almost tasted like dessert!
To discover more of my favorite cheeses, be sure to follow me on Instagram @emily_in_france, subscribe to my YouTube channel, and tune into the Terroir Podcast, where Caroline Conner and I delve into France's cheese, wine, and more one region at a time.
What I’m Eating
Au Pied de Cochon in the former market district of Les Halles claims to have invented French onion soup as we know it. With fond memories of the one I’d tried back in 2018 when reporting on the hangover special for Vice, I returned to the storied dining room to see if it was worth the trip. I was surprised by what I discovered! More on the blog.
What I’m Doing
1. Our next TERRE/MER retreat is on the books! Join us for cooking, ceramics, and yoga overlooking the Mediterranean from April 11 to 14. Book now to secure yoru spot!
2. Signups for the next edition of the Nantes Writers’ Workshop June 24 to 28 are open! In the meantime, be sure to sign up for our newsletter to keep those creative juices a-flowing.
Where I’m Going
1. To the Corbières (and the village of my heart) for some much-needed thinking time.
2. To Montolieu, a village boasting a whopping 15 bookshops, to research an upcoming story for the BBC.
3. To a meeting of locals pushing to list the Cathar castle of Aguilar as UNESCO World Heritage. If it’s even a bit like the town meetings in Gilmore Girls, I’ll be thrilled.
What I'm Writing
1. If the key to one’s heart is through their stomach, the key to France is undoubtedly through its cheese — at least as far as Anna Juhl of Cheese Journeys is concerned. The native Iowan’s luxury travel company takes a unique approach, introducing cheese lovers to some of Europe’s most exciting, enticing cheese regions since its inception, in 2013. For My French Life.
2. Not exactly writing… but I appeared in this newsletter from Where Is the Market? chatting about my favorite market in Paris.
3. This recipe is the luxe way to shake 'n bake your next chicken dinner. For InsideHook.
What I'm Reading
1. OK, so I’m not reading this music video… but I do recommend listening to this phenomenal freestyle rap from my friend Carole Cassier.
2. This story about the treasures of Notre Dame from Bonjour Paris. (Subscribe with a Friends & Family discount here to get access to not just this but loads of other articles, including some by yours truly.)
3. This story about pot au feu, a dish that never dies. In the New York Times.
A bientôt !