Fruits of labor
CÉLINE MAGUET • Soif
WORK • Friday Routine
CÉLINE MAGUET • co-founder & cookbook author • Soif
Neighborhood you work & live in: Belleville
It’s Friday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
I don’t really have a traditional workplace or office, as every week is different. I could be at a winemaker’s place tasting their wines, working from home on a column or text, or in a coffee shop for a meeting. I love working in the morning — I write and work better, then. I usually wake up early, so by the time it’s 10h, I’ve already accomplished a fair amount of work. Wednesdays are especially productive; by then, the rush of the week starts to kick in, and everything begins to fall into place. I typically schedule meetings in the afternoon, leaving time in the morning for writing.
What’s on the agenda for today?
Right now, my main focus is my cookbook. It will be my second cookbook and is about cooking with fruits, specifically in their sweet versions. I’ve been working on it for a year now. I've done four photo shoots, following the seasons, and now, I need to send it to my editor and actually write everything down. I maintain my journalistic approach for the texts, aiming to make the recipes approachable. I don’t take a chef's approach; instead, I explain certain techniques and how to substitute ingredients.
I think what made my first book, La bonne cuisine des légumes, a success was the way it conveyed information. Each fruit in the new book has an introductory page explaining its history, how it has evolved, and why we use it. It’s a lot of research and takes time, but I try to maintain the editorial style of the first book while adding even more useful information. I think many people feel alienated by cookbooks because they don’t have the right ingredients or utensils, so I want this book to be a real tool for them on how to understand what makes the core of a recipe, and how to play around with it.
Aside from the book, we are also working on the project of opening a wine bar with Soif, but finding a location takes time.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
I was loving Pénates in Rennes before it closed, because the owners bought a farm where they want to expand and grow their own vegetables. I highly recommend keeping an eye on what the chef does next.
What was wonderful about Rennes is how easily accessible great produce is, whether from the sea or local farms. One farm I really like is La Ferme de Quincé, an alternative associative farm that also hosts parties and concerts. They often host two djs I love, Celele and Blanca Brucsi.
Another restaurant I’ve recently discovered, and where I’m eager to return to Paulownia in the 20th arr. The space is fantastic, with a large picture window letting in plenty of sunlight. I visited with some winemakers and my associates, and the wine list is excellent, superbly curated by the owner. The decor isn’t typically Parisian; it’s very personal, and lived-in, reflecting the owners' style, and is elegant in a warm, inviting way. The service is equally warm and attentive.
In the kitchen, they excel at working with jus in a way you rarely see. You can tell they have experience in top-tier gastronomic kitchens. Every dish is thoughtfully executed. I had a pigeon with a little croque monsieur made from the offal on the side. I am really sensitive to a plate making sense and using produce in its entirety. The lunch menu is reasonably priced at around €27, offering dishes that could easily belong on an evening menu.
How about a little leisure or culture?
In Ivry, near Paris, there’s Garsac Diffusion, which takes place once a month. It’s run by two guys who’ve been collecting "voices of theatre" created by Altec in the US, the predecessors of home cinema. They have four of these speakers and set them up in a quadraphonic system. The sound is incredibly well-regulated, and the quality is insane — you can easily have a conversation with your friends while dancing. I was there last month with a group of 15 friends, from 15h-22h, and the atmosphere just kept building. A DJ from Montreal, Nap (Daniel Rincón), played, and the vibe kept rising and getting caliente. Suddenly, people started doing the conga dance. It wasn’t your typical snaking, but it was beautiful. I love it when a party is disconnected from the usual nighttime expectations and simply becomes a place to free yourself and dance.
Any weekend getaways?
For the beach, head to Soulac-sur-Mer. From Paris it’s a quick train to Bordeaux, just a couple of hours, then a small train down the coast for the perfect beach weekend. Make sure to visit Montreuil-sur-Mer for great bread/wine/vibes.
A great weekend destination is Brussels; there’s a real douceur de vivre to the place, shaped entirely by the people and the town’s unique spirit. Another longer trip I have planned is to Sicily. I’ll be traveling by train from Paris to Nice, then to Ventimiglia, Genoa, Rome, and Naples, before taking a ferry from there. It’s a way of changing the focus of the journey, moving from simply going from point A to point B, and instead living the trip while leaving a more conscious, thoughtful footprint.
What was your last great vacation?
The last trip I took was to Ireland last year with my van. I think I enjoy traveling to countries where food isn’t the main focus; it changes the way you experience the journey. When food isn't the central event, the trip isn’t dictated by it. We had a portable pizza oven, but since it rained a lot, we ended up having much of our food cold. It also raises questions about how we feed ourselves, and it offers a different perspective compared to places like France, Spain, or Italy, where food is such an integral part of daily life, and a proper art de vivre.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
For sure, my van. I had never traveled this way before — so light and free — and you can really experience the landscape like never before. It also raises questions about our consumption. For example, in France, you can always find drinking water in cemeteries, but in Ireland, it rains so much that cemeteries don’t need to have a water point. It makes you reflect on nature and its accessibility.
What store or service do you always recommend?
Maison Néroli. It’s a shop in the 11th that specializes in essential oils and hydrosols. Their selection is incredibly specific and precise, offering so many options, even within the same plant and its varieties, that they can really tailor their products to address the specific needs or conditions you're looking to treat. I think it makes a great gift, a little box of different oils to care for someone's needs. What's also great is that you can cook with their hydrosols, offering another way to flow with the changing seasons.
Photo credit: Quentin Tourbez