Creole Cuisine at the Foire de Paris

The Académie de l'Art Culinaire du Monde Créole hosted an all-day event featuring Creole cuisine at the Foire de Paris (Paris Fair) last week.

MC Laura provided lively commentary as various local chefs prepared recipes for foods and beverages before a live audience.

Laura, Mistress of Ceremonies
© Discover Paris!
Chefs Tristan Tharsis and Yannis Artigny teamed up to prepare Pain au beurre et Chocolat martiniquais, a traditional combination served at special occasions such as weddings and baptisms.

Chef Artigny prepared the bread,

Chef Yannis Artigny
© Discover Paris!
while Chef Tharsis prepared the hot chocolate.

Chef Tristan Tharsis
© Discover Paris!
Chef Elis Bond prepared multiple Afro-Caribbean fusion dishes.

Chef Elis Bond
© Discover Paris!
He also worked with nutritionist Dr. Marie-Antoinette Séjean, who shared tips on how to prepare light and healthy Creole meals. Dr. Séjean is president of the French association Nutricréole and the ambassadrice santé (Health Ambassador) for the Académie.

Dr. Marie-Antoinette Séjean
© Discover Paris!

Healthy Créole Cuisine
© Discover Paris!
Chef Xavier Guillaume Sivager prepared a flaming plantain and bacon dish called Croustillant de banane au lard.

Chef Xavier Guillaume Sivager
© Discover Paris!

Flaming the plantains
© Discover Paris!

Chef Ayaba prepared several varieties of vegan Boules d'énergie gourmandes Kâ. These were made from ground nuts, dates, and other ingredients rolled into balls and coated with shredded coconut.

Chef Ayaba
© Discover Paris!

Gourmet Energy Ball
© Discover Paris!
And Chef Stéphane Sorbon demonstrated how to make exotic cocktails.

Chef Stéphane Sorbon
© Discover Paris!
Other chefs who participated in the culinary event (but whose photographs are not shown here) are Béatrice Fabignon, who prepared seafood dishes, and Vanessa Kichenin, who prepared Indo-Guadeloupian lentil fritters.

Some of the cooking demonstrations were interactive, with members of the audience joining the chefs on stage to learn firsthand how to prepare the recipes.

Processing ingredients
© Discover Paris!

Peeling and seasoning
© Discover Paris!

Contemplating cocktails
© Discover Paris!
Several of the participating chefs are members of the Cercle des Jeunes Chefs Créoles (Circle of Young Creole Chefs), of which Chef Xavier Guillaume Sivager is president.

The Académie also hosted a food photography exhibition, with images taken by chefs as well as amateur and professional photographers. It sponsored a drawing for an airline ticket to the French Caribbean (winner: Abauzit Sylviane) and awarded the Prix Savoirs et Saveurs Créole (Creole Expertise and Flavors Prize) to the best Créole gastronomy stand at the fair.


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3rd Annual Trophées de l'Art Culinaire du Monde Créole Award Ceremony - Trophy Winners

Last week, I presented details about the ambassadors inducted by the Academy of Culinary Art for the Creole World for outreach to countries around the world with the intent to safeguard, promote, and transmit Creole culinary culture and savoir-faire. Today, I'm presenting the award winners!

Trophées de l’Art Culinaire Créole award
Sixteen prizes were awarded in front of a crowd of ~300 persons. (This is twice the number of prizes awarded in 2015!) The winners were:

Trophée Entrepreneurs (Entrepreneur Trophy): for those who respect Creole culinary traditions and promote them through their preparation of traditional or modern, innovative dishes

For traditional cuisine - Stéphane Sorbon

For innovative, modern cuisine - Nathanaël Ducteil

Left: Presenter Isabelle Tulle and Stéphane Sorbon
Right: Nathanaël Ducteil
© Discover Paris!
Trophée “Avenir” (“Future” Trophy): for a young culinary professional who particularly distinguished himself or herself over the course of the last 1-2 years

Yannis Artigny

Trophée Chef Créole de l'Année (Creole Chef of the Year): for commitment and talent in the promotion of Creole gastronomy

Béatrice Fabignon

Left: Miss Nappy 2016 (Aurélye Dangeles) and Yannis Artigny
Right: Béatrice Fabignon and Xavier-Guillaume Sivager
© Discover Paris!
Trophée Littérature Gastronomique (Gastronomic Literature Trophy): for persons who contribute to the promotion of Créole cuisine through literary works

Nadege Fleurimond

Nadege is an American of Haitian origin. She won this award for having written the book Haiti Uncovered. One of the three Americans to be included in the award ceremony, she was not able to be present to accept her award in person.

Nadege Fleurimond
Image courtesy of Nadege Fleurimond
Trophée Innovation Economique (Economic Innovation Prize): for persons that the jury wishes to honor (students, researchers, farmers, restaurant owners ...) for innovative work which is economic in nature

Christophe Luijer for Jus de Canne SO'KANNA (bottled, pressed sugar cane juice)

Trophée Meilleur Blog Culinaire (Best Culinary Blog): for the best of the Web in the dissemination of Creole gastronomic information

Leslie Belliot for Je Cuisine Créole

Christophe Luijer (center left)
Leslie Belliot (center right)
© Discover Paris!
Trophée d’Honneur (Trophy of Honor): for persons (whether culinary professionals or not) who demystify and passionately promote the recognition of Creole cuisine (three awards were given this year)

Janick Ancete for La Bonne Crêpe Martiniquaise

Isabelle Avril for Karaib'Confiseries

Elodie Donardim accepted the award for Leslie Ferraty, founder of Beyond the Beach

Left: Janick Ancete and Mariama Jones
Center: Aurélye Danglades, Isabelle Avril, Mariama Jones
Right: Elodie Donardim
Winner of the Trophée Avenir
© Discover Paris!
Trophée Chef Traiteur Créole de l'Année (Creole Caterer of the Year): for the person who, through his or her catering activity, puts Creole gastronomy at the heart of events that do not have a Creole theme

Jean-Marc Floro

Prix Spécial du Jury (Jury's Special Prize): for a person that the jury wishes to particularly honor

Doris Kazi

Jean-Marc Floro and Doris Kazi
Winner of the Trophée Avenir
© Discover Paris!
Grand Prix de l'Académie de l’Art Culinaire Créole (Grand Prize for Creole Culinary Art): for a person, institution, or geographical entity (city, region…) that has particular distinction in the domain of culinary culture

Robert Pellegatta for Hôtel French Coco (Martinique)

Left to right: Stéphane Gaboreau, Aurélye Danglades,
Robert Pellegatta, Mariama Jones
© Discover Paris!
Trophée Excellence Créole (Trophy for Creole Excellence): for a person who has distinguished himself / herself in the field of gastronomy throughout his / her career

Jessica B. Harris

Left to right: Nicole Etienne, Aurélye Danglades,
Jessica B. Harris, Mariama Jones
© Discover Paris!
Trophée du Mérite Créole (Trophy for Creole Merit): rewards services rendered in the name of Creole gastronomy

Association des Cuisinières de Guadeloupe - 100 ans (Guadeloupan Cooks Association - 100 years of existence)

MC Rony Théophile and the Cuisinières de la Guadeloupe
© Discover Paris!
Jessica B. Harris is a longtime member of this organization.

At the end of the evening, all the laureates and ambassadors returned to the stage for photos.

Ambassadors and trophy winners
© Discover Paris!
Chef Jérôme Bertin took his place at the front of the stage for a photo with the group.

Chef Jérôme Bertin
© L'Académie de l'Art Culinaire du Monde Créole
Dessert was served and the evening ended with much laughter and camaraderie.

Medley of chocolate desserts with banana
© Outremers 360

Panna cotta with sweet potato coulis and cocoa bits
© Outremers 360

Looking forward to next year's award ceremony!

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3rd Annual Trophées de l’Art Culinaire Créole Award Ceremony - Ambassadors

In its ever advancing quest to safeguard, promote, and defend Creole gastronomy, the Académie de l'Art Culinaire du Monde Créole held its third annual award ceremony on November 5, 2016.

Each year, the Academy expands the award ceremony, increasing the number of honors it bestows and including more areas of the world that are cradles of Creole cooking. This year was no different - for the first time, three culinary professionals from the United States were celebrated. Most importantly, the Academy introduced an ambassadorship program that will extend its reach in a more official and visible way.

This year's dinner was created by Chef Jérôme Bertin, winner of the 2015 Trophée d'Honneur. The amuse bouche consisted of a small cup of a fish soup containing a single shrimp.

Ravioli in citronelle-perfumed bisque
© Discover Paris!
This was followed by an entrée (first course) of a large ouassous (crawfish) ravioli served with citronelle-perfumed bisque. The main course was a delightful assembly of veal medallion, wild mushrooms seasoned with Bay St. Thomas, sweet potato puree dusted with crushed hazelnuts, and a delicate risotto hash brown seasoned with Parmesan cheese and truffle.

Veal Medallion, sweet potato purée, and risotto hash brown
© Discover Paris!
The meal was served during the award ceremony. Dessert was served afterward.

Our MCs, Solange Lucina and Rony Théophile, moved the audience through the evening with light-hearted banter.

Solange Lucina and Rony Théophile
© Discover Paris!
Several performers provided colorful, rousing breaks in the presentation schedule.

Performers
Images and collage © Discover Paris!
The first person from the U.S. to be acknowledged in the Academy's award ceremony was renowned author and food historian Jessica B. Harris. She was the Invitée d'Honneur (Honored Guest) for the evening and addressed the audience multiple times during the proceedings.

Jessica B. Harris
© Discover Paris!
I was the second American to be acknowledged at an Academy award ceremony. I have been named U.S. Ambassador for the Academy!

Each ambassador was called by name as he or she walked onto the stage.

2016 Ambassadors (from left to right): Marie-Antoinette Séjean, Monique Y. Wells,
Jenny Hippocrate, Andjizy Darouche, Gordon Henderson, Joel Kichenin, and Rosange Lhuerre
© Discover Paris!
We recited our oath together. Then each of us was given a sash by Academy president, Georges Garnier.

Reading the ambassador's oath
© Discover Paris!

President Georges Garnier distributes certificates and sashes
© Discover Paris!
The entire list of 2016 Ambassadors for the Académie de l'Art Culinaire du Monde Créole is as follows:

Andjizi DAROUECHE - Mayotte

Jenny HIPPOCRATE-FIXY - Europe

Gordon HENDERSON - Dominica and Anglophone Caribbean

Joël KICHENIN - Guadeloupe

Rosange LHUERRE - French Guiana

Marie-Antoinette SEJEAN - Health Ambassador (France)

Monique Y. WELLS - USA

Stéphane DURAND - Haïti (absent)

Marie-France GRAIN-GALET - Reunion Island (absent)

Edis SANCHEZ - Dominican Republic (absent)

After the ambassadors left the stage, the MCs introduced the Cercle Gastronomique des Jeunes Chefs Créoles - five young chefs who are making a name for themselves in the Creole cooking arena. Chef Xavier-Guillaume Sivager (center in the photo below) won the Trophée Avenir award last year.

Cercle Gastronomique des Jeunes Chefs Créoles and MC Rony Théophile
© Discover Paris!
Next week, I'll present the trophy winners - two of whom are American!

Monique with ambassador's certificate
© Discover Paris!
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Caffé Créole

I have wanted to review the restaurant Caffé Créole since July 2013, when I visited the nearby art gallery BE-ESPACE (now closed) to see a fantastic exhibition of works by Alexis Peskine. Something has always prevented me from going there...until now!

The restaurant is located on boulevard Beaumarchais, about a third of the way between place de la Bastille and place de la République. The evening that Tom and I dined there, the atmosphere on the sidewalk terrace was animated because of a UEFA Euro 2016 match that was in full swing.

We arrived early enough to benefit from happy hour and decided to order caipirinhas, the classic Brazilian cocktail, while we perused the menu. They were quite refreshing!

Caffé Créole Caipirinha
© Discover Paris!
For the starter, Tom selected Feroce d’avocat, a paste of shredded, dried codfish, avocado, and cassava flour. Served chilled on a plate with achards (a type of cold slaw in spicy sauce) and a mixed-green salad, it was a tasty dish that somewhat resembled guacamole with grainy texture.

Féroce d'avocat
© Discover Paris!
I ordered samossas and was delighted with the appearance of this appetizer. But I mistakenly thought that they had a vegetable filling and gave them to Tom when I discovered that they were made from tuna (I'm not a seafood eater).

Samossas
© Discover Paris!
As a replacement, I ordered Boudin créole, a portion of three small blood sausages served with mixed-green salad, achards, and two kinds of salsa, one hot and one mild. The owner of the restaurant came to the table and offered a third type of salsa made from vinegar, chopped bell pepper, grated cabbage, and sliced green onions. The boudin was only mildly spicy and the owner specified that the special salsa also was not spicy. I enjoyed the combination of the two.

Boudin créole
© Discover Paris!

Special condiment for boudin
© Discover Paris!
Tom and I both selected Colombo de cabri (goat stew) as our main course. Our portions were generous and redolent with the aroma of cloves and other spices. Sides of long-grain white rice, achards, fried plantain, and cassava were served on the same plate as the stew, and tender red beans flavored with onion were served in a separate bowl for us to share. Along with the rice, these could have been a course on their own.

Colombo de cabri
© Discover Paris!
When it came time for dessert, I was satiated and decided not to indulge in this course. Tom ordered the Sorbet coco maison and received two scoops of house-made coconut sorbet in a coconut shell. He described it as being surprisingly rich with slightly-grainy texture and enjoyed it immensely!

I appreciated the eclectic decor of this restaurant, which includes straw hats of many colors, a madras pattern of orange, yellow, peach, green, and white on the walls, and several works of art that evoke the black Creole world.

Caffé Créole decor
© Discover Paris!

Three persons served us that evening and each of them was friendly and accommodating. I wouldn't hesitate to return to dine at Caffé Créole!

Caffé Créole
62, boulevard Beaumarchais
75011 Paris
Tel: 01 55 28 50 76
Métro: Chemin Vert (Line 8) or Bréguet-Sabin (Line 5)

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