Your French Chef

Fairfield County’s very own Chef Emilie is really making people pause and take notice. A personal chef, a caterer and a cooking class instructor she specializes in classic French cuisine. Those who have had her cater their parties or taken her cooking classes feel compelled to keep coming back for more.

A couple of weeks ago I realized that she is teaching a few classes in Westport as part of the Continuing Ed program. I quickly got online to sign up.

First class: French Macarons. Sold out! Dang it!!!!
Second class: Cooking Lobsters. Few seats left! Sign up: Check!
Third Class: A Tasting Menu. Few seats left! Sign up: Check!

What fun these classes were! Chef Emilie is such a charming and generous individual. She brings special treats to class so that everyone can start munching on food as soon as they get there. While she teaches 4-5 of her recipes in class, she generously shares recipes for the prepared goodies she brought from home for everyone. Attendees are encouraged to take any and all of the leftovers. The class turns into a night of jovial camaraderie as well as cooking and eating delicious food with your newly-discovered-foodie-friends!

This totally hands-on experience was a great way to learn. In the lobster cooking class, we made bowl-licking-good French style lobster bisque, grilled lobsters, as well as boiled lobsters served with garlic aioli. We learned the techniques to slit live lobsters in half for grilling as well as its various cooking methods. The garlic aioli was so simple and yet so so good. It went so beautifully with the grilled as well as boiled lobster. We learned simple tips and tricks to transform the lobsters into summery lobster salad as well as lobster rolls. With lobster selling for under $5/lb, it was the perfect time to take this class.

The next class I attended was a tasting menu or a mini appetizer and dessert class. Chef Emilie walked in with delicious chocolate pudding, savory bread and savory cheese puffs for us to start munching on. They were divine! In France, she told us, folks snack on these savory puffs and bread with their wine. French don’t have cheese with crackers or grapes etc. You just snack on cheese – typically before your dessert course.

We learned how to make the cheese puffs as well as the savory bread which was flavored with peppers, feta cheese, herbs and spices. I could not stop eating this stuff. And I could not believe how easy everything was to make! The best part was that these recipes allow for very easy substitution of ingredients you may have at home.

We learned how to put together a simple smoked salmon salad with avocado, tomatoes, chives and savory sour cream sauce. It looked stunning with all its vibrant colors in the mini serving cups. My favorite recipe was this roasted red bell pepper soup. It was so smokey and flavorful. It tasted great at room temperature or served cold. What an elegant dish to have at my next party!

We also learned how to make two desserts: chocolate mousse and lemon meringue mini cupcakes. They were so easy to make and so delicious to eat!

We learned some wonderfully simple tips on serving our food at parties and the importance of using colors and textures of the ingredients for a successful presentation. Chef Emilie used red peppercorns as a garnish in some dishes. I think I am in love with this spice! Sweet, spicy and crunchy – it is a perfect little touch to savory dishes.

The beauty of Chef Emilie’s recipes is that the same basic recipes can be transformed into many different things. The cheese puffs recipe dough, for instance, is the same dough one would use for dessert cream puffs. All you do is replace the salt and pepper with the sugar.

It is French cooking made simple!

Visit Chef Emilie’s website for more information about her catering services, her classes or to view her blog.