Franco File Friday: Yvette Van Boven (+ a book giveaway!)

Multiple homes, multiple talents. The theme of many is unmistakable in the life of bestselling cookbook author and food stylist Yvette Van Boven. She has the enviable luxury of straddling Paris and Amsterdam, where she co-owns Aan de Amstel, a restaurant and catering company, and a dream job that allows her to toil in the kitchen all day, testing and tasting recipes that may become the backbone of her new cookbook. She's also responsible for the playful illustrations you may have seen peppered through her first works Home Made and Home Made Winter as well as in a host of prestigious publications like Bon Appétit, Elle and Food & Wine).

With Home Made Summer, Yvette transports us to Provence, where she spent many summers with family and which largely inspired the book.Through vibrant salads, beautiful tarts, luscious cocktails and lively drawings, she shares her passion for the summer bounty. Without question, this is unadulterated joy in book form. Learn a bit more about Yvette and enter to take home a copy of her book below!

Describe what you love about France in three words. 

Food, Charm, Language

How has your time in France influenced your work? 

Oh in many so many ways. The French country taught me recipes and it taught me all about produce and country living (nature, funny expressions and long-lived traditions). Living in Paris has shown me another side of French living-  the big city life where we can all explore wonderful food and meet exciting chefs. Everywhere you work and feel comfortable, it seeps into your work, one way or another.

The first place you go when you return to Paris? 

We live near the Canal St. Martin, so the first thing we usually do is stroll down the canal with our dog Marie and go for drink at one of its little bars or cafés. We often discover new little places that have just opened their doors. It’s an exciting area and we feel fortunate to be a part of it.

Your favorite French dish to eat and your favorite dish to prepare? 

That is a difficult one! I guess that cassoulet is one of my favorite dishes ever overall. I’m in love with beans and I love sausages very much. Then again, I also really REALLY enjoy a French cheese platter served with a light, green, leafy salad. We have taken over that tradition of serving salad with cheese after dinner.

I’m also hooked on éclairs, pain de Tradition, petit salé, or paté en croute. I like to make bouillabaisse during the summer, artichokes with vinaigrette and the challenge of a croquembouche. (I learned how to make one with a bottle of champagne inside!)

A lesson that life in France has taught you?

Patience. I’ve never waited so long to get anything done as I have in France.

***

Win a copy of Yvette's new book Home Made Summer! There are 3 ways to enter:  

1/ Leave a comment below sharing your go-to dish during the summer (mandatory) 

2/ Like Lost In Cheeseland on Facebook -- EXTRA ENTRY 

3/ Like Yvette on Facebook -- EXTRA ENTRY

You will receive one entry for each action (please leave a comment per action). Entries must be posted by Thursday,  June 20th to qualify. The winner will be drawn randomly and announced here on Friday, June 21st!

The South of France

People often say that life moves at a slower pace in the south (some might even argue it's an indolent, unproductive pace) and while it's been an annual part of my French experience the last seven years, it was only during this last trip that I fully feel it. It's easy to point to climate and industry as driving factors but the languid lifestyle really seems to stem from an overall appreciation and respect for life. Despite having a minimum of five weeks of vacation to look forward to, Parisians are stressed, anxious and quick-tempered - adjectives that have, I admit, come to describe my own behavior at times.  

A few days split between Marseille, La Ciotat and Cassis and I felt the fervent southern pull. No stress, no rush, just sea and sunshine. Getaways to the south of France should be mandatory not only for an attitude adjustment but to revive our zest for life. At only 3.5 hours from Paris, what good reason do we have to stay away? 

What's your favorite spot in the South of France?

{Photo: Taken along the Route des Crêtes, between La Ciotat and Cassis. More stories coming soon!}

Franco File Friday: Carla Coulson

France was in the cards for me the moment I stepped off the plane in high school. The path to making this life a reality was not without its arduous moments but there was a spark I couldn't ignore. For others, it's more of an acquired passion. For Australian photographer Carla Coulson, moving to Paris meant abandoning her first love and longtime home base: Florence. What was meant to be a year stint has turned into nine wildly creative, inspiring years that led her to publish Paris Tango, a tribute to the city. 

When she isn't shooting for international magazines, she's hard at work on her portrait series of other women who have fallen for Paris. Below, she shares a few of her favorite things and moments in her adopted home. 

Describe what you love about France in three words. 

Peeling paint, discretion and love of beauty.

How does life in France inform your work? 

When I arrived in Paris one of my first jobs was shooting couture gowns at Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, Christian Lacroix and Valentino for an Italian fashion magazine. It was an unforgettable introduction to Paris. The French understated aesthetic has woven its way into my work.

Every time I push open one of those oversized heavy doors and enter a courtyard another little bit of Paris magic is revealed. Paris is an incredible backdrop for a photographer and I adore shooting portraits in apartments with faded grandeur or in an unknown corner of Paris.

Favorite place to take first-time visitors? 

Deyrolle, it sums up the quirkiness of the French and it’s really a unique place that would only exist in 2013 in Paris (and all animals have died of natural causes). And, of course, the fabulous Merci.

A French memento you always bring home to family in Australia? 

Perfume, I am in love with so many French perfumers including Frederic Malle, Serge Lutens and Annick Goutal. I feel like the French ‘own’ perfume! I am addicted to Carnal Flower by Frederic Malle and when I can afford it I give it to everyone I love.

Most frustrating or amusing interaction with the French since you've been here? 

Anyone who has ever gone through the process to a get a carte de séjour will understand this story. Getting my French papers was the most demoralizing, frustrating experience and made me truly understand the word ‘powerless’. After months of going to and from the Prefecture to be sent back for another piece of paper the Prefecture promised to call and never did.

After three months had passed with no word I went back, the person I saw wanted to kick me out and the boss stepped in and apologized for not being in touch (first miracle). She told me if I could be back within in one hour with every document they needed (photocopied 400 times), I could have my Carte de Séjour today.

They knew I had no chance as I sprinted out the door. Little did they know that my hubby is the world’s most organized man and he had every document down to the letter he received when he studied at a French university. The photocopier at the post office was free (2^nd miracle) and I broke an Olympic record and made it back within one hour. When I walked in the door I could see the ‘get outta of here’ look in the boss’s eye and let out a little laugh of disbelief. She couldn’t believe it and good to her word gave me my carte de sejour that day. I had my first and only ever cigarette!!

Don't miss Carla's fantastic blog Carla Loves Photography and follow her work and travels on Facebook,Twitter and Instagram. 

Paris dogs

After boarding the metro the other day, a towering man slipped into the car just as the doors sealed shut behind him. It was upon closer look that the other passengers and I realized that what was unusual about this man wasn't his height or his lanky stature but rather what he was wearing: a woman's burgundy skirt suit, a dark brown wig, and layers of stage makeup. As the metro lurched away from the platform, he launched into a theatrical monologue - a conversation with someone on the other end of a toy telephone receiver. The scene continued for several stations (likely ended up in a Vine) before he and I both descended.  It was a strange if comical incident, to be sure, but on a scale of surprising sights in Paris it doesn't actually rank highest.

Nor do my Paris gym experiences from a few years ago or the somewhat recent running trend (the pall of outdoor exercise shame has lifted!). But witnessing the scene above, pooches lined in serried ranks patiently waiting for their dog walker to arrive and start the day's adventure, was out of the ordinary. A glorious surprise that elicited a justifiable stream of 'awws' from passersby. I was in the neighborhood for Verjus sandwiches (again) with photographer Valérie Dray and we both couldn't help but admire their astonishing demonstration of patience.

Laura of Verjus explained that these dogs camp out across from the restaurant nearly everyday before their stroll but the kicker is that once they begin, the German Shepherd on the far right takes the beagle's leash in his mouth and leads the pack. Any indecorous barking or tugging and he puts the other pooches in their place with a quick stare.

Having grown up with two large dogs, I often find myself wishing for a bigger apartment to relive the experience as an adult. But with the costly commodities of square footage and green space combined with our hectic schedules, it's not very fair or comfortable for even the smallest dog. Thankfully, I know where I can get my fix when the puppy pangs return.

My favorite spots for dog sightings: Jardin du Palais Royal, Jardin des Tuileries, and Parc Monceau.

*Follow me on Instagram for more Paris snapshots

The Paris Journal

If you only had a day in Paris, how would you spend it? Skipping stones along the Canal Saint-Martin like Amélie Poulain or ambling the cobblestone streets of the Marais? The magic of this city lives within its hundreds of urban hamlets and vibrant neighborhoods. It's there in the innumerable opportunities for inspiration and self-discovery and beating wildly in its mercurial brand of charm. It's that ineffable feeling and collection of moments that 29 million visitors came seeking last year and millions more dream about experiencing for themselves every day.

But to reach it, whether in person of from afar, you must cut through the din of prescriptive travel guides and editorialized stories. The Paris Journal, a new digital, multimedia book from Nichole and Evan Robertson (of the Obvious State creative studio), offers exactly that; an uninterrupted visual journey of one Paris neighborhood, from morning to night.

Volume One, released today for download on iPad, will bring you on an immersive tour through the hillside neighborhood of Montmartre through over 120 fine art photographs and 14 videos. It's armchair travel without the unwanted commentary; a rich escape when you need it most.

Even before the success of Nichole's book Paris in Color, an Amazon bestseller (#1 at the time of publishing this post), the couple wanted to find a way to share the details they love most about Paris without needing to rely on text to narrate the story. In opting for an app versus an e-book, their interactive vision came to life naturally and, in turn, allowed them to offer an experience that is crafted wholly for the viewer.

Download the app, sit back, and visit Montmartre. The result is absolutely stunning.

For more information on The Paris Journal, visit Obvious State.

Lunching at Colorova

I've already sung the praises of Colorova Pâtisserie (which, since it opened last August, has been one of two of my major motivations to go to the left bank), but at the time I hadn't fully discovered their noontime talents.

Friday is typically the only day I'm able to squeeze in a lunch date or meeting and while I try to vary my outings, I'm a fierce creature of habit. I find myself drawn to a handful of favorites - Verjus for sandwiches, Clasico Argentino for empanadas, Al Taglio for pizza, and Nanashi for Bento. All are within the 10-12€ range, all relatively quick. But when I want to linger over a more complete meal and want to be sure I am served something different than the last visit, I book a table at Colorova.

Lunch follows the standard starter + main/main + dessert or you can opt for all three, which I guarantee you'll have trouble resisting. The meal will set you back between 18-24€ (without wine) but when the first dish arrives plentifully adorned with the season's freshest and most colorful ingredients and you experience that beautiful jolt of flavor, you'll ask yourself why you've wasted your precious time with anything else.

Put down the tasteless potatoes, forgo the flaccid green beans that often constitute a side dish and go where the chef understands the value in playing with and shaping seasonal produce. It's rare that a meal meets all the right textural notes, especially at lunch, and even more unusual at this price point. And for me, that's worth the return trip every time. 

Colorova Pâtisserie 

47 rue de l'Abbé Grégoire

75006, Paris

+33(0)1.45.44.67.56

Métro: Saint-Placide (line 4)

Closed Monday, brunch menu Sat/Sunday

Reservations strongly recommended

Related

More Colorova photos in my Flickr collection

My Colorova highlight for Afar Magazine

Felicia of Love.Life.Eat discovers Colorova