Today I have the huge pleasure to share my first French dad interview! Yes I mostly put mums in the spotlight on my blog but some dads can be pretty good cooks too :-)

This French dad is as well a very singular dad because not only he has three daughters (!) but he runs as well a French food delivery business called Papa Chef. I got to know him because one of my twin dad friend, who happens to be a real foodie, ordered his Valentine’s dinner from him and kept talking about how good it was. As I was thinking ohhh I should really meet this mysterious Papa Chef, he e-mailed me (!!!). Since then, we met, I got to try his delicious food, I bombarded him with questions and today I have even made one of his recipes: his clafoutis! If you live in the West London area you should definitely give his food a try.

So without further ado, you will find below the interview and next week his recipe… amazing!

Croque-Maman: What is your most cherished childhood food memory?

Papa Chef: I remember playing outside with my friends. It’s summer, no school, such freedom. And then we would just go to my grandma’s house, all of us, and she would cook pommes dauphines for us. And there was plenty of it. We would just stuff ourselves with these hot, crispy on the outside, melting in our mouths pommes dauphines and feel overjoyed. I have no idea how many of them she had to make to feed us all, there were so many of us. Every time I cook pommes dauphines it brings these warm memories of my childhood, summers and my grandma.

CM: What are your top tips to manage meal time and/or to promote healthy childhood eating?

PC: When it comes to food we follow French routine:

  • Always have meals at the same time of the day;
  • At least once a day (usually at dinner time) the whole family should gathers together around the table for a meal. It’s not just a meal, it’s a ritual. I want my children to feel that from an early age.

Healthy eating? Well, that’s easy. I let them watch and take part in the cooking process; it makes them curious to try out results. This way they learn to love vegetables like carrots and onions. And, of course, no junk food.

papa chef (3in1)

CM: What are your children’s favourite dish(es)?

PC: My little one, Zoya, is a carnivorous one. She loves meat, everything with meat. She is just a year and a half but already eats beef bourguignon.

The middle one, Lilou, is three and a half and her favourite are fresh tomatoes. Lots of tomatoes. Plus she has a sweet tooth and would never say no to a dessert.

My oldest one, stepdaughter Daria, is seventeen years old and as a typical teenager is craving for a Big Mac, but would happily swap it for a home-made burger with loads of green salad.

CM: Could you please share with Croque-Maman one of your best family recipe and any story/comment related to it?

The recipe I want to share with you is a French classic dessert: clafoutis with fruits or berries of your choice. You will find it here.

 

Pssst… By the way, if you did wonder, Papa Chef’s first name is Benjamin.

If you liked this interview, make sure you check out the French mums intervews: Noémie and her crêpes recipe, Sandrine and her “tarte” au chocolat and Clotilde and her one-egg omelette.