Emily in France 🇫🇷 The South Has Cast its Spell on Me

Riviera retreat (plus the return of Navigating the French)

I kick myself every day for claiming “Emily in France” rather than “Emily in Paris” as my Instagram handle all those years ago.

Well, not really. For one, as someone with two pairs of shoes (these and these), I’m not sure I want people to expect Emily Cooper’s out-there style from a person far more concerned with the origins of my cheese than my handbags. For another, while Paris is my current home (and has been, to be fair, for fifteen years), my original love affair with France happened in the South… and it’s from that still-same South that I returned yesterday after the latest iteration of TERRE/MER, the terroir-driven retreat I run with my friend Camille, the designer and ceramicist behind La Ciotat's Ici l’Atelier.

The by-women for-women retreat is built around our joint passions for ceramics and cuisine. Mornings are spent with Camille in her state-of-the-art studio, crafting hand-made ceramics. With our new long weekend format, that means ten hours total to make the tableware of your dreams. During this retreat, one participant made a gorgeous fruit bowl shaped like a sea star; another made a series of plates to share with her daughters. (Yours truly, meanwhile, made her own plates inscribed with the signs of the zodiac… and provided loads of local snacks.)

These no-waste macarons, for instance, took full advantage of local almonds…

…and used up egg whites saved from our cooking lesson on Provençal aïoli, made from scratch by our participants during our evening atelier-apéro. We also learned the art of pistou (distinct from pesto!) and sampled other delicacies like croquants, navettes, and seasonal strawberries.

La Ciotat is home to two calanques, rocky coves for which neighboring Marseille is (unfairly) even better known. Usually, we spend some time wandering these inlets, but this weekend, the weather was not on our side. No matter! We were left with ample opportunities to meet with local artisans, like the folks behind Le Savonnier des Calanques, who make truly local Marseille soap with first-press olive oil. (Did you know that the top producer of “Marseille soap” in the world is China – and the top producer in France is Nantes?)

And of course, we took the time to visit my favorite local cheesemonger, Lait Trais d’Or de Marie, where we snagged a selection of cheeses to pair with local natural wines from La Cave des Frérots.

From left to right: Grovire (the ancestor of Beaufort), tomme aux fleurs, triple cream Barisien, tomme de chèvre, and Banon de Provence.

And when a glimmer of sunshine graced us with its presence, we chanced a walk along the digue to take a look at the poudingue – puddingstone – for which la Ciotat is so known.

I’m back in Paris now, already thinking up the next recipes to share (and my next ceramics project!) But I’m also lingering on the memories from the latest edition and so grateful for the connections I've forged.

If you're interested in joining us next time, follow us on Instagram – or watch this space for our fall dates!

Cheese of the Week

Fresh, light cheeses are in season right now, and while many of the fromages that resemble the one above are made with goat milk (especially when they hail, as this one does, from the Loire), the Brossauthym is a unique creation made with sheep's milk, which, thanks to its high fat content, renders cheeses ultra rich and creamy. The even-richer milk of a breed called Rouge de l'Ouest is at the heart of this creation, which is seasoned with thyme according to a time-tested secret recipe.

The Cabassou à l’ail des ours is yet another sheep’s milk creation, this time seasoned with spring garlic. It's definitely more assertive – and I absolutely love it.

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

The menu at Basique featured quite a few vegetarian and plant-forward dishes, many of which are very creative, including a beetroot-stuffed portobello mushroom with crisp beet and yuzu that would prove to be my favorite dish of the night, the ideal marriage of bright and earthy. More on the blog.

Discover more of my foodie finds via Instagram @emily_in_france and on the blog.

What I’m Doing

June 26 to 30, my friend and fellow writer Anna Polonyi and I will be launching the very first iteration of the Nantes Writers’ Workshop.

During the five-day workshop, you'll take full advantage of morning generative writing sessions with me and afternoon craft and feedback workshops with Anna, an Iowa Writers’ Workshop grad and teacher based in Nantes. In the evenings, convene with us for craft talks over an apéritif.

Check out our website and Instagram for more information, and snag your spot before it’s too late!

Where I’m Going

1. To Butterfly Pâtisserie at the Hotel de Crillon, to check out some of the creations from this brand-new pastry salon.

2. To the Red Wheelbarrow, to hear my lovely, talented friend Kaaren Kitchell read from her new book of poems.

3. To the Fromagerie du Louvre, to check out the new selection from one of my favorite cheese shops open on a Monday!

What I'm Writing

1. Here's what's going on with the Chartreuse shortage – and what pros suggest you use instead. For InsideHook.

2. A top Chicago chef shares how to grill the perfect pork chop. For InsideHook.

3. Pizza might seem like an easy food to agree on. It's made from a dough base that is topped with zesty tomato sauce, melted cheese, and perhaps some pepperoni or sausage. But the reality is that "pizza" is less a food than it is a category. Here’s the ultimate guide to regional pizza styles for Mashed.

What I'm Saying

The word retraite has two apt translations: retirement and retreat. And while the French predilection for both is portrayed in somewhat outsized fashion in the international news media, it’s an apt word to discuss these days, in the wake of retirement reforms pushed through by a largely absent chief executive, President Macron. Here to get to the bottom of this issue is Chris O’Brien, the American journalist behind the newsletter French Crossroads.

What I'm Reading

1. Victorians had as good – if not better – life expectancies as we do today and a relative "freedom" from degenerative disease, according to one study. TLDR? Eat more fruit and stop smoking and drinking. (Also, more bonnets.)

2. There are only two Shakers remaining in America; Eater spoke to one of them about the rising Shaker Food trend.

3. New York is home to no shortage of street carts, and in this story that sits firmly in the category of Things I Never Knew I Never Knew, we discover where their glazed doughnut supply comes from. From Café Anne.

A bientôt !