Sophie Dudemaine caught her first glimpses of the culinary world when her grandfather, the original owner of the restaurant in the Eiffel Tower, took her there every Sunday as a girl. Sophie went on to work with leading French chefs and eventually launched entrepreneurial projects out of her home, which include a catering and meal-planning business, a cake-making company, and now a cookbook empire and a television show called Allo Sophie!
Sophie recently came out with Ducasse Made Simple by Sophie, in which she collaborates with famous French chef Alain Ducasse to simplify his dishes for easy preparation by the amateur cook or working parent.
Q: Why do you think it is important for people to be able to cook gourmet food simply?
A: People work a lot, and they don't have time to cook when they come home, so it is important to show them recipes that are very quick and accessible. My aim is not to make complicated dishes, but to create a simple and good meal.
Q: What are some easy ways to keep cooking simple?
A. One word: organization. Prepare as much as you can way in advance and try not to leave things to the last minute. Prep your vegetables first, and then start cooking. Remember, stay cool. No stress. Otherwise, go and eat at a restaurant.
Q: What are some ideas for getting kids involved in the kitchen?
A: I think it is very important for children to taste everything. If they don't like it, it is still part of a discovery journey. It is important for children to know what kind of produce is used and to watch you cook. My daughter is always around in the kitchen with me, so even if she doesn't participate, she can see what is going on. She even proposed to cook a dinner for us once a month, just like in a restaurant. It is a smart way for her to make some pocket money.
Q: What is the most memorable meal you've eaten?
A: I had ... dinner in the kitchen at Le Louis XV in Monaco, where my husband and I tasted the most memorable meal of our lives.
Q: Biggest cooking disaster?
A: One day, in the early stages of my career, I was trying out a quiche lorraine recipe. I was always taught to pierce holes in the bottom of my pie crust. Unfortunately, because the bottom of the mold was removable, all the filling seeped out, covering the insides of the oven and making a complete mess! Looking back, this was very entertaining for my husband!
Q: Guilty food pleasure?
A: I adore French fries with béarnaise and a delicious T-bone steak.
Q: Favorite thing to cook at home?
A: I write on average two cookbooks per year and test the contents on my family, my friends, or even clients of my bed and breakfast in Normandy, so I am always cooking! It would be impossible to pick a favorite, though I do love making the cakes that helped to launch my career.
Q: Who inspired you to become a chef?
A: My family—I grew up watching them cook and spent more time in the kitchen than I did studying.
Q: What is your best cooking tip?
A: Organization!
Q: Favorite kitchen tool?
A: My all-time-favorite utensil is an apple slicer: It extracts the core of the apple while simultaneously peeling and slicing the apple. With this you can prepare an apple tart or applesauce in five minutes.
Q: Do you have tips for getting picky kids to eat?
A: Mix ingredients that children love with those that they may not like so much. For example, I add spinach to my meatloaf. Since everything is mashed, I've managed to get my daughter to eat spinach without her even realizing it. This little trick works miracles!
Q: If you haven't shopped in a week and need to prepare a quick family meal, what do you make?
A: A tortilla with everything I can find in the fridge or my pantry. I call this dish "everything but the kitchen sink."
Q: How often do you order take out?
A: I don't really order in much, but we do go out to eat for special occasions—a memorable meal always gives me inspiration for my next project!
