Book Joie de Vivre with Maison Courvoisier

This book, both a story about cognac and inspiration that comes from cognac, is not just about the spirit itself, but it is also a voyage through regional producers, products, landscapes, people, foods, and drinks. For me, creating this book has been a year-long (yet never-ending) discovery, even a university that I graduated in one year, but leaving still so much to learn. For a year I never stopped thinking about the abundance it gives us, trying to capture it so I can share it with you. 

After so many trips there over the years, I know quite a lot about the abundance of this region, but I never knew that it was so grand. From vegetables and pulses to cheese and pastry and from seafood to fish and meat to all the other products imaginable. The seasonal impact is immense, as is the influence from the sea, land, forests, locations, and traditions.  I travelled in my head through tastes, recipes, and traditions, later seeking to replicate and share them with you. I tasted before I tried, and I tried before I tasted. I read and cooked and sometimes vice versa. I stayed there for weeks to cook and bake and brought a car full of products home to continue my journey as if I were there, although I was back in Lyon. 

And while doing that, I had just one idea in mind - the recipes have to be easy, seasonal, simple, and very inspiring, so that everyone can master and enjoy them. And although some of them contain cognac, not too many though, it is always a good idea to have a glass with it, not in it. 

It has been a privileged journey that I am so grateful to share with you, together with my dearest Courvoisier and the ladies, who helped me - sommelier Melania Battiston, Abbie Moulton, florist Justine Beussart, illustrator Gail Gosschalik, and bartender Lea Longayrou. 

In partnership with Maison Courvoisier