Her irresistible smile is her best business card, Angèle Maeght Ferreux is the chef of the moment in Paris. With her crown of flowers as a toque, she is unstoppable: she writes cooking books promoting an healthier diet, she owns a mini countertop « la Guinguette d’Angèle » which allows Parisian to enjoy her delicious organic, locally sourced and gluten free recipes and she has a catering service for professional.
Angèle Maeght Ferreux is the great-granddaughter of Aimé Maeght the famous post-war art dealer and friend of Matisse, Miro and Giacometti. As a child, she lived in Paris on the left bank in Saint germain des Près and spent her summers in Saint-Paul de Vence, the stronghold of the Maeght,in Provence.
At 17 she decided to go to San Francisco where she finished her high school years and discover organic food and local production.Then she went to Australia where she learnt the virtues of fasting through the ’green tea Monday’ only green tea on Monday. She quickly realized the importance of diet on health : «I became interested in gluten which is so much talked about today and the impact of genetic transformation of wheat since the 50s when stronger varieties were created but more complicated to digest. »
Back in Europe she keeps on cooking and decided to become a naturopath. In 2012, she creates a catering service to broadcast her innovative fairy cuisine. Soon, she was spotted by the Haute Couture brands and hired for the biggest shows of the Fashion Week in Paris: Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Isabel Marant … For the opening of Inès de La Fressange’s new boutique it was a thousand pieces to deliver at once, and five hundred the day before at Christian Louboutin: vegan cheese cakes, mini sandwiches and her famous Primavera Roll, a spring roll made only with vegetables and flowers … Today, everyone want her services and she had to expand her team which now has ten people (all girls).
Her unique signature is exactly what was needed in the organic/ gluten-free trend: a magical and girly twist bringing flavors and good mood!
For you to get to know her better I interviewed Angèle Maeght Ferreux :
Can you describe your cuisine in a few words?
Joyful, delicious, pretty, gourmand.
What is the encounter that changed your life?
There are so much .. Pierre Rabhi, first through his books, he has completely revolutionized the way I see life .. And great friends which direct me with kindness and accuracy ..
Why choose organic?
It’s obvious when cooking for abetter health not to introduce food contaminated by toxic agents or endocrine disruptors such as pesticides. It would be absurd ..
Do you have iconic products?
I have a lot! When traveling, to avoid the food served in the plane I always have a miso soup in powder that I drink throughout the trip, I drink clay every morning to protect me from all food poisoning .. I spent like that three months in India without any worries!
Your recipes are composed like paintings, is colour for you an important medium?
Exactly! It is full of meaning, values and benefits ..! The more colorful the food is the more it contains antioxidants!
Which recipe are you most proud of?
My latest raw kale chips with bbq sauce are delicious !
Why did you name your mini counter Guinguette?
Primarily because my grandmother used to have one on the banks of the river Marne, but also because I like the fact that in a Guingette we dance, we laugh, we’re outside, it’s the weekend, we are together and we eat together in the best atmosphere! Pure joy !
Where do you unearth your products?
I travel a lot for always tracking down novelties over the world, but sometimes it’s in my own country that I find treasures (like a Burgundian beekeeper who gives me the best propolis)
Could you give us some recipe ideas:
– For breakfast?
Le « miam ô fruits » (recipe from France Guillain) It’s a crushed banana mixed with a good raw oil rich in omega , and fresh fruits. It fills all the daily nutritional requirements and has a very low glycemic index = no sudden feeling of being totally shattered.
– For a quick meal?
Roasted buckwheat in pancakes, topped with avocado, seaweed tartar,fresh herbs and seed sprouts! It’s healthy and quick to do: a must!
What is always in your fridge?
Good raw oils, fruits and vegetables, fresh pollen, a bio nail varnish, aloe vera, a bottle of sea buckthorn juice.
A new food trend you want to share?
The chaga! It is an extraordinary Chinese mushroom , an anti aging remedy. And also the acai berry which is a very good antioxidant I discovered in Brazil and I’m crazy for ..
What does your day looks like ?
None are alike .. I can get up at 5am to go to my suppliers or work before going my courses of Naturopathy, or hang out in bed until noon … I can run anywhere from meeting to meeting or stay the all day in my kitchen .. My constant is the unknown, and I like it …
What is your favorite place on earth?
A bed or walking anywhere.
You’re more of a morning or an evening person ?
I love mornings !
I prefer waking up with the birds singing than sleeping with the music too loud stuck in my ears ..
I love to see the sunrise and enjoy the early start of the day.
What are your future plans?
I would like to open a new tavern soon, with tables! I will organize in fall the first Healthy food festival in Paris, I am writing a new book, a guide step by step to reduce the gluten from your diet, I made my range of delicacies (Kale chips, energy Balls .. ) which will be exclusive to the Bon Marché in July and August .. And I would like to buy a land to produce directly my vegetables!