Anne Ettore. “I never travel without an empty suitcase that I bring back full of finds”

When I was a teenager, I would sneak between my father and the stove to watch him cook. I used to accompany him to the market, he would show me how to choose the right products, respecting the seasons, loving the local producers I learned to recognize the freshness of fish from the red of the gills, to forbid strawberries at Christmas or tomatoes in January, and I am very grateful to him for that. Back home, I played the role of clerk, trying to complete the small tasks he gave me. I was proud to be part of the cooking and above all happy to be able to share this special moment with him.We both had my place and I wouldn’t give it up for anything in the world.

Will there be a capo at Christmas?

Obviously, I get a taste for good things, a passion for products, and an unbridled gluttony from me. I never travel without an empty suitcase full of finds. This connection with cooking has always remained our preferred communication weather. We exchange photos of our culinary achievements, share images of our meals at the restaurant, and each has their own tips and tricks: the sauce, the pie to improve…

These exchanges culminate at Christmastime, when Mom joins in to talk about dessert, a topic that has never interested Dad.In early November, the first messages appeared: Will there be a capon for Christmas? Are the dead available this season? Are you making your pie for Boxing Day? What if we found a good foie gras? Do we order it? Yes, but with whom?What if we made a citrus dessert?

An extraordinary field of possibilities

Christmas meals are a holiday, and the celebration begins in November. Our cookbooks are at the center of our discussions, as we share the same passion for the subject. Gastronomy books have always had a good place in the house. Dad flipped through books by Olympe Versini, Jacques Maximin and Roger Vergé before cooking. We have Olympe in common, but with an average of one book a week, my collection offers me extraordinary opportunities, and I always have a stack of cookbooks under my bed. I consult before going to sleep. They are never far from Japanese chef Fumiko Kono or Andre Zana Murat.

Christmas is going to have a special flavor this year, not only is the talk of Christmas dinner going well, but Olympus is still at the heart of it.

Cooking Author, Anne Etorre is published Olympe, freelance chefpublished by Éditions Hachette Cuisine, a work crowned with the Festins femmes-Madame Figaro 2024 prize, which honors a cookbook signed by a woman.