Monday, December 15, 2008

Mighty Maïté

I don’t know when it was that someone told me about Maïté. A sort of Julia Child of southwestern French cooking, for years Maïté had a TV show, La Cuisine des Mousquetaires, which spawned a long list of cookbooks, including the legendary La Cuisine de Maïté. But while Julia regaled us with her semi-aristocratic huffing and puffing, Maïté is a working class food goddess, who was first discovered when she was the official cook for her home-town rugby team. She specializes in simple, traditional recipes. She’s as solid and unflappable as those rugby players, and her home-cooked charm is 100% southwest. I came across this excerpt on YouTube. Watch closely as she coos sweet nothings to nervous eel that she is about to flog with a blunt instrument.

6 comments:

David in Setouchi said...

She's cult!

Adam said...

She has a restaurant which serves a social purpose too, as the staff there are largely young people who have had difficulties integrating the worlds of education and work. Good on her!

Starman said...

You have to feel a bit sorry for that poor eel.

Margie Rynn said...

I know! Particularly when she's telling it "it's nothing at all, ma cherie..." Apparently her books are quiet good, despite what any PETA activist might say...

Starman said...

Bonnes Fêtes !

Starman said...

Bonne Année !