Cooksister | Food, Travel, Photography

Food, photos & faraway places

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • About me
    • Contact me
    • Work with me
    • Legal
      • Copyright notice & Disclaimer
      • Disclosure
      • Cookies and Privacy Policy
    • Press and media
    • Cooksister FAQs
  • RECIPES
    • Recipe Index – by course
    • Baking (savoury)
    • Braai/Barbecue
    • Breakfast & brunch
    • Christmas
    • Dessert
    • Drinks
    • Eggs
    • Fish
    • Gluten-free
    • Leftovers
    • Pasta & rice
    • Poultry
    • Pulses
    • Salads
    • Soup
    • South African
    • Starters & light meals
    • Vegan
    • Vegetables
    • Vegetarian
  • RESTAURANTS
    • British Isles restaurants
    • Dubai restaurants
    • France restaurants
    • London restaurants
    • Montenegro restaurants
    • New York restaurants
    • Pop-ups and supperclubs
    • Serbia restaurants
    • Singapore restaurants
    • South Africa restaurants
    • Sweden restaurants
    • Switzerland restaurants
    • USA restaurants
  • TRAVEL
    • All my travel posts
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Canada
      • Dubai
      • Cruise ships
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Grenada
      • Hong Kong
      • Hotel reviews
      • Italy
      • Israel
      • Jersey
      • Mexico
      • Netherlands
      • Norway
      • Portugal
      • Singapore
      • Ski & snow
      • South Africa
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • UK
      • USA
      • Wales
  • PORTFOLIO
    • Freelance writing portfolio
    • Speaking and teaching
    • Photography portfolio
    • Buy my photos
You are here: Home / Shows, launches and events / Launching the 2015 Bernard Loiseau Festival Culinare with Constance Hotels

Launching the 2015 Bernard Loiseau Festival Culinare with Constance Hotels

by Jeanne Horak on January 24, 2015 5 Comments in Shows, launches and events

ConstanceFestivalCulinaireTitle

Unlike many teenagers, Bernard Loiseau knew from an early age what he wanted to do with his life, and that was cook.   At an age when other teenage boys are chasing girls and playing football, he was already an apprentice at the renowned La Maison Troisgros, a restaurant that has had three Michelin stars since 1968. Having completed his apprenticeship, Loiseau went to work for Claude Verger at Le Barriere where the respected Gault Millau guide hailed him as a prodigy and one of the first proponents of nouvelle cuisine, the gastronomic revolution that was sweeping France and emphasised lightness and freshness over heavy classic French cuisine. In 1975 Verger installed Loiseau as the head chef of his newly-acquired restaurant, La Côte d’Or in Saulieu and gave him free reign to develop his highly personal style of cuisine.  This style continued to develop after Loiseau bought La Côte d’Or from Verger in 1982, renamed is Relais Bernard Loiseau, and was awarded three Michelin stars in 1991. But in 2003, at the height of his career as one of France’s most commercially successful chefs but suffering from depression, Bernard Loiseau took his own life.  There was some speculation that he feared the loss of one of his Michelin stars, but the star was never lost – all that was lost to the culinary world was the star that had been Bernard Loiseau.

Bernard Loiseau was the first Michelin- starred chef to incorporate his business and trade its shares on the stock exchange and when he died, his wife Dominique felt she should keep the business running after his death so that his spirit and legacy could live on. The very next day she took over the reins of the business including her husband’s eponymous restaurant and placed Patrick Bertron, one of Loiseau’s protegés at the helm.  The restaurant still maintains its 3-star status today.  Another way in which Mme Loiseau sought to preserve her husband’s legacy was to team up with Constance Hotels to host a prestigious annual culinary festival at the five-star Belle Mare Plage resort in Mauritius. Each year, six European Michelin-starred chefs are flown to the island to compete in teams to compete in creating a starter and a main course with a Mauritian flavour.  As Bernard Loiseau was known for being generous with his culinary knowledge, the theme of learning and sharing runs through the festival: all participating international chefs are paired up with an Indian Ocean island chef from a Constance resort and they cook as a team throughout the week-long festival. All spices must be prepared with the traditional “roche-cari”, a stone used for crushing spice ingredients; and candidates shop for their own fresh produce at Port-Louis so as to encourage creativity in design using only local seasonal products. Although only the jury (including Mme Loiseau and chef Bertron) taste the competition food, they can participate in cooking activities at the hotel all through the festival as well as being able to attend a special six-course dinner cooked by participating chefs.

This year is a rather special year as it will be the tenth anniversary of the first Bernard Loiseau Festival Culinare.  To launch this year’s competition, Constance hotels recently staged a European roadshow including dinner at the St James’s Hotel and Club in London to which I was invited. The achingly chic and very charming Dominique Loiseau herself was in attendance, and over glasses of vintage Deutz Champagne Brut 2006 we were treated to video footage from last year’s competition and interviews with past chef participants, all of whom talked of the irreplaceable experience of teaching and learning that the festival provides.  For the dinner, Constance Belle Mare Plage executive chef Dominique Gral had flown over to team up with St James’s chef William Drabble (himself a former contestant at the festival in 2013) in preparing a four course meal for us to savour.

 

ConstanceDinnerDiptych

 

ScallopPalmHeartVeloute

 

After nibbling on the excellent bread and flavoured butters, and sipping the rather wonderful Chateau des Fesles 2011 Chenin Blanc (Loire), we kicked off with the first course:  a wonderfully delicate veloute of palm heart with a seared hand-dived scallop and vanilla oil. The scallop was impressively huge, sweet and seared to perfection, with the crisp crust contrasting beautifully with the buttery interior. The palm heart veloute was seductive and silky, and I loved the sweet note of spice that the vanilla oil added. Palm hearts are a central feature in Mauritian cuisine and are a key ingredient at the Festival Culinaire Bernard Loiseau. If you want to try your hand at recreating this veloute at home, you can get the recipe from the Constance Hotels website.

 

ConstanceDinnerSeabass

 

ConstanceLamb

 

The next dish was my runaway favourite of the night: seabass with citrus, fennel, gratinated clams and lemon grass foam.  Not only was it beautifully presented, but it also featured one of my favourite seldom-seen-in-London ingredients: a razor clam! I loved the crisp-skinned and well-seasoned delicate seabass and the nutty flavour of the gratinated clams – such a successful dish! The following dish, accompanied by Chateau du Cartillon (Haut-Medoc) 2012, was another hit: Lune Valley lamb cooked 3 ways with curry spices, aubergine and giant couscous.  I am always a succker for different takes on the same ingredient grouped together on a plate and this was no exception. There was fillet, belly and (I think) slow-cooked neck on a bed of nutty giant couscous and topped with a zingy aubergine paste – a fantastic combination of flavours and textures.

 

CoconutPineappleDessert

 

ConstancePetitFours

 

WilliamDrabble

 

All too soon it was time for dessert and continuing the theme of island flavours, this consisted of  a pineapple and coconut bavarois with coconut sorbet.  It’s hard to overstate the deliciousness of this dish.  I loved the creamy richness of the bavarois and the zing of the cubes of marinated fruit, but my favourite aspect was dipping the crisp pineapple ring into the nutty toasted coconut sorbet.  Heaven on a plate!  And so the evening drew to a close, but not before we had a chance to meet the chefs, and to finish off with a coffee and some excellent petit fours served on cocoa nibs in a covetable lacquered box.  Enjoying such excellent food and seeing the two chefs chatting so convivially seemed to me to be a very fitting way to launch this prestigious contest based on fine food and co-operation, and an excellent memorial to Bernard Loiseau.

GOOD TO KNOW

The 10th Bernard Loiseau Culinary Festival will take place from 21-28 March 2015 at Constance Belle Mare Plage resort in Mauritius.  The competition pairs six Michelin-starred chefs with six island chefs from of Constance Hotels & Resorts for a week of collaborative cooking. The main objective of the Festival is to support the exchange of experience and knowledge of the participating professionals, and to gather chefs from very diverse backgrounds around a common passion: the love of cooking and the art of the table. All cooks of the Constance Hotels Group, from commis to Chef de partie, can participate in the Bernard Loiseau Culinary Festival as an island chef.  Resort guests have the opportunity of attending a 6-course dinner prepared by the participating chefs.

DISCLOSURE:  I attended this dinner as a guest of Constance Hotels but received no further remuneration and was not required to write a positive review. I retained full editorial control and all opinions are my own. 

 

And in other news… I am once again teaming up with Meeta to run a food styling and photography workshop – this time in glorious Vienna in the Spring!  On 17-18 April We will be offering you two intensive and hands-on days with two instructors, talking you through the techy bits of how to get the best out of your camera, as well as the art of food styling and the power of Lightroom.  I will be presenting a session on low-light restaurant photography and there will be plenty of  hands-on styling exercises throughout, with me and Meeta on hand to answer questions and offer guidance as you style and shoot. We will also be taking you to the famous Naschmarkt vintage market, so pack light – you’ll need space for all those awesome props! Registrations are now open – full details are available here. We hope to see you in Vienna! 

 

ViennaBadge

More deliciousness for you!

  • Digital Dish – Cooksister in print!Digital Dish – Cooksister in print!
  • Film & Fizz @ One AldwychFilm & Fizz @ One Aldwych
  • Warm avocado and biltong soupWarm avocado and biltong soup
  • A foodie walking tour of Hong KongA foodie walking tour of Hong Kong

Never miss a Cooksister post

If you enjoyed this post, enter your e-mail address here to receive a FREE e-mail update when a new post appears on Cooksister

I love comments almost as much as I love cheese - so if you can't leave me any cheese, please leave me a comment instead!

« Halloumi, roasted grape & pecan salad
Food photography & styling workshop – Vienna, 17-18 April 2015 »

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Jan @GlugofOil says

    January 25, 2015 at 7:38 am

    Oh my goodness, what a fantastic place and such beautiful food!

    Reply
  2. Camilla @FabFood4All says

    January 25, 2015 at 4:45 pm

    What world class cuisine – utterly stunning and delicious looking! Fabulous photograpy too as always Jeanne!

    Reply
  3. Jo of Jo's Kitchen says

    January 27, 2015 at 3:41 pm

    Gorgeous food. The whole experience sounds amazing!

    Reply
  4. Emily @amummytoo says

    January 28, 2015 at 8:38 pm

    Wow, that’s certainly exceptional looking food. And there’s that Vienna flier again! I’m sorely tempted.

    Reply
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Never miss a Cooksister post!

Get my latest recipes delivered by e-mail!

Search over 500 recipes

Recently on Cooksister

  • Masalchi by Atul Kochhar – Indian street food in Wembley
  • Barbecued salmon with blood oranges and capers
  • Roasted Brussels sprouts with feta, pomegranate and pine nuts [GF, V]
  • Love Yourself healthy meal delivery [Review]
  • Antillean
  • Festive roast lamb with pomegranate glaze
  • Rustic blood orange and pistachio galettes
  • Cauliflower steak Welsh rarebit

Archives by month

Archives by category

Popular posts

Oxtail and red wine potjie
Peppermint Crisp fridge tart - a South African treat
Nigella's Bakewell slices & the Big Bakewell Taste-off
My big, fat South African potato bake
Jan Ellis pudding - a classic South African dessert
Gem squash 101: how to find them, how to grow them, how to eat them!

Featured on

Also available on

🌷🌷🌷 It’s tulip season in London! Every 🌷🌷🌷 It’s tulip season in London!

Everywhere you look, these long-legged floral supermodels are adding a splash of colour to parks and gardens and I just can’t get enough of them! It’s easy to see how they inspired a collective buying frenzy in 17th Century Holland, called “tulip fever”, but today there are less dramatic ways to enjoy them. Here are a couple of suggestions of where to see them at their best:

🌷 The ultimate tulipalooza is the annual opening of Keukenhof gardens outside Amsterdam where 7 million (!) bulbs burst into life each Spring. This year the gardens are open 24 March-15 May (click on the link in my bio for FAQs and my top tips for visitors)

🌷In London, Kew Gardens always has spectacular displays of tulips; but you can also see excellent and free tulips in most of the Royal Parks such as Regents Park. 

🌷The Hampton Court Palace tulip festival is on until 2 May and the Hever  Castle’s Tulip Celebrations until 24 April - both within easy reach of London.

🌷The Morges Fete de la Tulipe in Switzerland takes place every year against the spectacular backdrop of Lake Geneva - it is on until 8 May this year.

I spotted these spectacular red frilly parrot tulips beside St Paul’s Cathedral yesterday 🌹 Where is the best display of tulips that you have ever seen?
MASALCHI BY ATUL KOCHHAR - pan-Indian street food MASALCHI BY ATUL KOCHHAR - pan-Indian street food restaurant in Wembley

Remember to save this post so you can find it later! 🔖

[Invited] If you thought Brick Lane and chicken tikka masala or madras were all there is to know about the food of the Indian subcontinent, think again! In the shadow of the Wembley arch,  @chefatulkochhar has opened his first casual dining restaurant,  showcasing the rustic, spicy, diverse street foods of India. 

Highlights when I visited included:
1. Carrot halwa
2. Papdi chaat
3. Chicken 65
4. Tandoori broccoli
5. Smoky aubergine chokha
6. A snap of all our mains - you can read all about these and more in the full review on my blog - click the link in my bio or go to:
 https://www.cooksister.com/2022/04/masalchi-atul-kochhar-indian-wembley.html

What is your favourite dish from the Indian subcontinent? Let me know in the comments 🌶🌶🌶
🍒🌸 It’s cherry blossom season! 🍒🌸 T 🍒🌸 It’s cherry blossom season! 🍒🌸

There is no season in London that I love more than cherry blossom season! From March through to April, trees in various parks and gardens in London put on an amazing display of delicate pink and white blossoms - and everything in the city seems a little more magical. This particular tree near St Pauls must be among London’s most photographed, and it’s not hard to see why 💕

Did you know that...

🌸cherry blossoms are Japan’s national flower and are known as Sakura 

🌸In 1910, Japan sent the USA some cherry trees as a goodwill gesture… and the Dept of Agriculture inspectors nearly caused an international incident by burning them as they were carrying insects and diseases! But in 1915 Japan sent more cherry trees that survived the inspectors, and these marked the start of cherry trees in the USA.

🌸 Peak blossom season is usually only two to three weeks in March/April but is hard to predict as the weather and the subspecies of tree influence the timing.

🌸The cherry blossom capital of the  world is Macon, Georgia with 300,000 - 350,000 Yoshino cherry blossom trees.

🌸 There are over 200 different varieties of cherry blossom and some are purely ornamental (meaning they produce no cherries)

Where is your favourite place to see cherry blossoms in London or around the world? Let me know in the comments and happy blossom hunting! 🌸🍒🌸

#pinkpinkpink
Dyed Gwyl Dewi Hapus - that's Happy St David's Day Dyed Gwyl Dewi Hapus - that's Happy St David's Day to those of you who don't speak Welsh! 

1 March is the Welsh national day  and what better way to celebrate than surrounded by daffodils -  the Welsh national flower!

Did you know that:
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 The English name "Wales" comes from the Anglo-Saxon word meaning "foreigner" - but the country's Welsh name "Cymru" means "friends" in Welsh.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 The  Welsh language Cymraeg is the oldest language in Britain, at about 4,000 years old!

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 There are more castles per square mile in Wales than any other European country.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Mount Everest is named after George Everest, the Welsh surveyor who first mapped the peak on western maps.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 The beautiful Menai bridge (spanning the Menai Strait between the Isle of Anglesey and mainland Wales) was the first suspension bridge in the world.

Have you ever visited Wales? What did you like most about it?
*NEW RECIPE* Barbecued salmon with blood oranges, *NEW RECIPE* Barbecued salmon with blood oranges, capers and dill. Pretty in pink 💕

[AD] Blood oranges are a small obsession of mine - from blood orange posset to blood orange and halloumi salad to blood orange & Cointreau upside down cake, I am always looking for new ways to make the most of their short season. Barbecuing them with salmon, capers and dill is a perfect match in terms of flavour as well as colour (or you can oven bake the salmon if it's not barbecue weather where you are!)

When @grahambeckuk asked me to suggest some recipes to match their wonderful Graham Beck Brut Rosé NV sparkling wine from South Africa, this was a pairing made in heaven, and wonderfully colour co-ordinated with their silver-pink bubbly. Get the full recipe and find out more about Graham Beck's sparkling wines, made using the same methods as Champagne, on my blog - link in my bio above. 

What do you like to do with blood oranges? I'd love to hear in the comments!
💘"Love yourself first and everything falls into 💘"Love yourself first and everything falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world." - Lucille Ball

Whether you are celebrating with a partner, with friends, or by yourself today, I hope most of all that you love yourself, love your body, love your strengths, love your weaknesses, and love who you are (or are becoming). Because... you're worth it!

Are you doing anything celebratory today? Let me know in the comments 💘💘💘

(The beautiful street art is London Hearts by @akajimmyc)
📸: @girl_travelsworld
Would you believe me if I told you this is NOT a p Would you believe me if I told you this is NOT a picture of a Moorish palace, a castle or a cathedral? And that you can get to it from central London in under an hour?

This is Crossness Pumping Station @crossnesset , a Grade I listed heritage site and one of London's last remaining magnificent Victorian sewage (!) pumping stations in Abbey Wood near Rainham. 

Did you know that...

💩 You can visit the building on monthly open days - the next one is Sun 20 Feb. Book at www.crossness.org.uk

💩  It was only in 1856, after 3 major cholera outbreaks in 30 years and the Big Stink when the stench of London's sewage finally reached Parliament, that construction of an intercepting sewer system for the city was approved.  The system (parts of which are still in use today) was designed by Sir Joseph Bazalgette, Chief Engineer of London's Board of Metropolitan Works at the time.

💩  At Crossness, all London's sewage from south of the river was was raised by 9-12 metres to large reservoirs so that gravity would cause it to flow further east and into the Thames estuary. (Yes, until the 1880s, raw sewage was simply pumped into the Thames!)

💩 The incoming liquid was raised by the four enormous steam driven pumps, built to Joseph Bazalgette's design. The pumps were named Victoria, Prince Consort, Albert Edward, and Alexandra. They are thought to be the largest remaining rotative beam engines in the world, with 52-ton flywheels and 47-ton beams. 

💩 The pumping station was decommissioned and abandoned in the 1950s but declared a listed building in 1970.  Although all 4 beam engines remain in place, they were so damaged that today (thanks to the efforts of the Crossness Engines Trust) only Prince Consort has been restored to working condition and can be seen in action on open days.

💩 The exuberant and colourful wrought ironwork inside is the amazing work of architect Charles Henry Driver. My favourite detail is the fact that the pillars in the central atrium are topped with stylised figs and senna pods... two of nature's greatest natural laxatives 🤣
*NEW RECIPE* Roasted Brussels sprouts with feta ch *NEW RECIPE* Roasted Brussels sprouts with feta cheese, pomegranate and pine nuts

Ever noticed how you are affected by colours? 🌈

Maybe some colours make you agitated and some make you relaxed. Or maybe you find yourself inexplicably attracted to a particular colour (oh, hi teal and aqua!💙). On the basis that all colours have a wavelength, and that those outside the visible spectrum can affect us, it makes sense that the colours we see can affect our mood or even our physiology. Did you know for instance that exposure to red light can increase your blood pressure and heart rate? Are there any colours that you find yourself particularly attracted to or affected by?

The pretty colours of these roasted Brussels sprouts with feta cheese, pomegranate and pine nuts will be the first things that attract you to this dish - but it is the delicious combination of flavours and textures that will keep you coming back for more!

The recipe (and more about how colour affects us mentally and physically) is now live on my blog - click the live link in my profile and remember to like and bookmark this post to see more Cooksister in your Instagram feed ❤️
Perspective: a particular attitude towards or way Perspective: a particular attitude towards or way of regarding something.

Perspective is the one thing that the Covid-19 pandemic has given us plenty of. It has certainly made us re-evaluate what is truly important, and also what we did and didn't enjoy about our lives  before the pandemic and its associated lockdowns. It made me appreciate how much happiness my house, my job, my friends, my own company and my running bring to my life (and how fortunate I am to have all these things). But it also brought home how much I enjoy and miss travel, the theatre, and the luxury of reataurant visits at the drop of a hat. I don't think words can describe my joy at sipping the first coffee purchased from a coffee shop in summer 2020 as lockdown eased. It's the little things...

One of the things I have enjoyed and will not miss as the world creeps back to normality is the absence of crowds in what is usually a crowded city. On the occasions that I have been in central London since the start of the pandemic, streets have been blissfully empty and it has felt as if I were discovering my city anew. This glorious perspective (hah!) of St Paul's Cathedral normally requires a long wait while a queue of tourists and "influencers" ahead of you pose for photos - but on this glorious day last Spring it was almost deserted. I will miss that...

Is there anything you will miss as Covid-19 restrictions start to be lifted?
Load More... Follow me on Instagram

Follow Jeanne Horak-Druiff's board Recipes by Cooksister on Pinterest.

Cooksister

The South African Food and Wine Blog Directory

The South African Food and Wine Blog Directory

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Jeanne Horak is a freelance food and travel writer; recipe developer and photographer. South African by birth and Londoner by choice, Jeanne has been writing about food and travel on Cooksister since 2004. She is a popular speaker on food photography and writing has also contributed articles, recipes and photos to a number of online and print publications. Jeanne has also worked with a number of destination marketers to promote their city or region. Please get in touch to work with her Read More…

Latest Recipes

Salmon with blood oranges dill and capers
Brussels sprouts with feta and pomegranate
Roast lamb with pomegranate glaze
Blood orange & pistachio galettes
Cauliflower topped steak with melted cheese
Plate of potted smoked salmon with slaw and a glass of champagne
bowls of pistachio pomegranate bircher muesli
Brussels sprouts with chorizo & hazelnuts

SITEMAP

Home

Contact

About me

Recipe Index

Restaurant Index

Copyright & Disclaimer

Cookies & privacy policy




blog counter

© 2004 - 2022 · Jeanne Horak unless otherwise stated - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. You may not reproduce any text, excerpts or images without my prior permission. Site by RTW Labs

Copyright © 2022 · Cooksister on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Cooksister cookie consent
We use cookies to ensure you receive the best experience on our site. If you continue to use this site, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions. Accept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT