1. How did your cooking blog come about?

I started cooking as a child alongside my mother and grandmother back home in France. My grandmother gave me the love of baking while my mom made sure I knew all the French classics. I started writing 'Tartelette' shortly after quitting my job as Executive Pastry chef in a French restaurant were I live. I had no clue of the who/what/when/where, but I picked up my brother's old camera and started taking pictures of the desserts I was making at home. My mom started telling me I should journal them and the blog started. I've always kept journals but this one had bells and whistles like templates, colors and fonts. It really appealed to my self-teaching nature.

2. What would you recommend as the top five French Sweets or desserts that everyone must taste?

- Macaroons
- Eclairs
- Tarte au citron (lemon tart)
- Croissant aix amandes (almond croissant)
- Crepes

I always try to showcase what is in season and how to make the best use of what is available. I also like to incorporate interesting contrast of textures, spices and herbs. All the recipes on my blog are either variations of family favorites, or some that I have had the chance to work on while working at a restaurant. Even the ones that look more complicated are not. They can be made over the span of a few days, at your own pace and do not require any special instruments or crazy hard to find ingredients. I think that's what people appreciate. Showcasing good food that one can make at home.

4. As a former pastry chef, can you recommend a few good and time tested pastry cookbooks for our readers?

- "Baking From My Home To Yours" by Dorie Greenspan
- "Heavenly Cakes" by Rose Levy Beranbaum
- "Sweet Miniatures" by Flo Braker
- "The Perfect Scoop" by David Lebovitz

5. Please describe how you conduct private cookery classes.

There are two types of classes that I teach; either one on one or in small groups (10-12 people). We start with a small introduction on what it is that we are about to cook/bake and then we get right into it. Theory has its purpose to describe technique or tips but there is nothing like practice so each participant is providing with the tools and time to learn the task at hand. I'm the quiet teacher who lets you take the initiative, even the one to mess up, so that you can learn. I will stop you before things go wrong of course. I found out that this way of teaching baking or cooking let people grow their confidence in the kitchen faster and far better than telling them what to do and where all the time. Not every recipe is written the same way depending on the country, author or format, so this way they are prepared to go beyond what's on paper if needed.

A food stylist works for advertising agencies, food magazines, photographers, and other types of lifestyle media to make a food product or recipe look its best. Food stylists do the shopping, food preparation and cooking/baking. Then they plate the food and arrange it so that it looks fresh, appetizing and you, the reader jut want to grab that plate all for yourself. Throughout the shoot, a food stylist is there to ensure that the food stays fresh and appetizing no matter how long it takes the photographer to get the job done. That means that we often have more than one plate of the same thing ready to go. There is never a dull moment between the shopping, cooking, styling, and cleaning.

7. What tips in food photography can you offer our readers?

Take your time. Even if your plate is going to feed your family within the next five to 10 minutes, take one of those minutes to step back, breathe and think about what you want to say with your picture. Do you want to focus on the overall aspect of the dish, the texture, the topping, or the filling? Focus on that. Move around the plate or move the plate around to find the better angle. Do not think about what other people are doing but focus on what you can do with your time, where you are in your photography knowledge and skills, what type of message you wish to convey. If you want to get serious about photography, read and practice. Read about basic photo skills and practice on your free time. Locate a photographer in your area and ask to intern.