I know you can’t wait to find out who the winner of the Rose Tartes book is, and I’d like to thank you all for taking part, because I’ve had a blast organizing this contest.
But first I wanted to share with you an interview with Christelle Huet-Gomez, the book’s author. Being rather technical, I’m always in awe of people who create recipes, and I wanted to dig a little deeper into the why and how of creating “Rose Tartes”.
– Hello Christelle, would you first like to introduce yourself?
Hi Camille, my name is Christelle, I’m 39 years old and I’ve been baking for 3 years, so pretty much since I started my blog. In real life, I write cookbooks and children’s books, which correspond to my two passions, so you could say I’m very lucky. Before that, I was a history and geography teacher in secondary school (I’d like to say hello to my students from Chanteloup les Vignes at <3) and before that, a financial auditor (I got lost). I also have 3 great little girls who, as luck would have it, are super gourmets and try out all my recipes in advance đ
NoteDeCamille: It’s a bit too classy to make a living writing books…
– When did you start your blog and what has it brought you?
I opened my blog in April 2013 after missing the casting for Le meilleur pĂątissier on M6 (I tell the story here: https: //www.iletaitunefoislapatisserie.com/2015/11/comment-jai-rate-casting-meilleur-patissier-m6.html). I’d learned a lot for the casting, and I’d perfected my pastry skills a lot, so I wanted to make something of it, hence the blog. It’s been a great help, because I’ve met a lot of people who are passionate about pastry, and I get some really nice emails every day, which makes me really happy! And above all, it has enabled me to get into cookery books, an activity I love and hope to continue for a long time to come.
NDC: Your testimony is really interesting, it reminds me a bit of taking the CAP, it’s so hard to stand back when you’ve got 100 pairs of eyes scrutinizing what you’re doing…
– What do you think sets you apart from other blogs?
Hard to say! There are so many food blogs out there that I don’t know if it’s really possible to stand out from the crowd. Let’s just say that I try to do the best I can (like everyone else ;)), take the prettiest photos I can, and describe the recipes in such a way that everyone can succeed. I try to reply to all the comments, but it’s not easy. I’ve also recently launched a YouTube channel on which I film my recipes, and I think that can help a lot of people.
– What’s your favorite recipe? Which one is the most popular with your readers?
Your questions are hard, Camille (NDC: But noooooo, it’s just that I’m super curious!) ! I have so many favorite recipes ^^ My favorite recipe for as long as I can remember is lemon tart, but ever since I tried it, I’ve been crazy about Philippe Conticini’s Grand Cru Vanille. Otherwise, I’m a fan of cookies, I eat tons of them, and my favorite recipe is the one I call “the best cookies” đ (NDC: Oh Christelle you’re gonna love the next recipe!)
The most successful recipe on the blog changes from month to month, but I think the cheesecake recipe comes back very often as number 1. The magic vanilla cake is also a big hit!
– Can you tell us about your book?
The “Rose Tartes” book contains 33 recipes for flower-shaped pastries, with individual tarts and large tarts to share. For the individual tarts, the principle is as follows: you cut slices of fruit, place them on a strip of puff pastry with a little preparation, roll them up and put them in the oven. It’s very easy to make, and has a great effect!
David Japy took the photographs for the book, and Christine Legeret did the styling and illustrations. They did a great job, and the book is sublime! (NDC: I can confirm that all the recipes are mouth-watering!)
– How do you create your recipes? What are your sources of inspiration?
In general, I start with what I have in my cupboards and try to imagine what I could do with it. That’s for simple recipes. For more elaborate recipes, like entremets, I take a paper and pencil and draw the different layers, trying to find something that’s both tasty, beautiful and appetizing, which isn’t always easy.
For the basics, I often use the book PĂątisserie, l’ultime rĂ©fĂ©rence by Christophe Felder, which I recommend to everyone, beginner or advanced, it’s a bible. I also read a lot of blogs and I’m starting to have a nice collection of pastry books at home.
– What are your future projects?
Ah, I’d love to talk about it, but it’s top secret! I’ve got two new books coming out this fall from Marabout. I can’t wait because they’re going to be great! The photos are magnificent, I love them. Then I have a project with a big chain store, but again, I can’t say anything yet.
NDC: Wow, that’s teasing or I don’t know my stuff! Thanks for your time!
Well, I’ll stop making you languish, the winner of the book is GeneviĂšve Chapelle (GeneviĂšve you rock because you’re named after my grandmother! I’ll send you an e-mail to get your contact details).
And for the others, you can buy Christelle’s lovely book:
