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| Food - Interviews@3LC | ||||
| Tuesday, 14 February 2006 | ||||
Page 1 of 2  The young Clotilde Dusoulier from Paris, France set palates on fire and inspired culinary curiosity across all age groups when she began her blog Chocolate & Zucchini two-and-a-half years ago. Her recipe was perfect: engaging writing, great photography, simple and flavorful recipes, interesting content. In a very brief time the name of her blog, abbreviated as C&Z was not just all over the internet and print media, but also on the radio waves. Her writing and recipes have been admired by internationally respected food critics and writers, she is oft invited to participate in food-related festivals and she is currently working on a cookbook which will feature 75 new recipes.As she explains in her profile on the website, Clotilde did not set out to conquer the food world. She started her blog as an outlet for everything she loved about food and self expression. “I was always someone who wrote, I just didn’t know what format or topic I wanted to deal with,” she said. Of course when she arrived at the decision of creating a blog the main ingredient was food, but it was also writing and photography. It didn’t hurt that she’s actually quite good at all three and her voice is the icing on the cake. She’s optimistic, thorough, intelligent, insightful, experienced, adventuresome and she’s fun. And that’s why thousands of people make it a priority to visit her blog every day. Clotilde got the blog bug when she worked as a programmer in Silicon Valley for two years. The connection between cooking and programming may not be obvious, but for her the basis of the two are the same and the transition was a natural evolution: you start creating from scratch and you work at it until you get the product you set out to achieve. Although she learned baking from her mother as a young girl, she really got into savory cooking in the U.S. Yes, a French person who embraces cooking while in the United States may seem far-fetched, but Clotilde is a perfect food Ambassador, a double-agent if you will. Perfectly bilingual, she has a command of the English language which is superior to many native speakers and writers! (Another reason she’s adored by so many readers across the world.) And rather than create a rivalry between the two cuisines which have most shaped her recipe repertoire, her top priority is quality ingredients and taste. So whether it’s a wheel of Cheddar from Wisconsin, or Comté from le massif de Jura, she objectively promotes its use in the tastiest ways in dishes often tied to cherished family memories or her time in the United States.  Most of all (but equally as important), Clotilde radiates positive vibes. Her clear, bright, concise, intelligent writing makes you fall in love with whatever she’s telling you about, from an artisanal candy from her childhood, a tart she learned to bake one summer, or the discovery of a new food shop or restaurant, you want immediately to experience the same nice feelings. As you read her posts, you romanticize about Paris, about the French countryside, about being as skilled in the kitchen and about having the same stimulating food and environment at your fingertips which have produced such a well-rounded, truly talented, affable person. So where would Clotilde like to go from here? She’d like to work around food, drawing on her writing abilities, but whether it is another cookbook, or in the field of restaurant reviews or travel books, she just doesn’t know. She has a healthy attitude about her well-deserved success and where it might take her. “My personal approach is to just seize the day. Everything that has happened has been serendipity—happy circumstances, people offered opportunities. It all showed me that there’s no need for a Master Plan, just to build on a daily basis and use my instincts.” Wherever she goes, there are tens of thousands of people worldwide who will follow her. |
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