Welcome
Meet Jill !
Bonjour ! I’m Jill, a Scot (and French citizen) living near Paris – author, home cook and photographer behind the website, wife, mum and flute player.
I created this Paris based food blog in 2010 to coincide with the release of my first book, Mad About Macarons. Today I’m building on my experience of French family life around Paris for 30 years – including a deliciously fun spell as chocolate-pastry Parisian tour guide, inspiration behind my second book, Teatime in Paris and now le blog.
France has been in my stars: childhood family holidays, studying flute in France, a passion for French wines leading to a wine diploma. The cérise sur le gateau? My Frenchman – now husband, Antoine, who whisked me to Paris in 1992. I’m still learning the language (I wish I’d invented le and la, as I’d make it easier!), and its fascinating food and wine culture.
So here is where I share what I learn along the way.
Jury Duty
The Sweeter Side
My French jury duty so far has been for patisserie (2017, 2019).
With the lovely Mercotte (France’s Mary Berry), I’m not the strict person on the jury. I think I’m the clown girl – and flattered to be invited back for my friends, chef Christophe Roussel’s amateur pastry challenge in La Baule in June 2022.
Check out Raphaël Haumont (far right on the photo), food scientist with Thierry Marx. See how he transforms astronaut, Thomas Pesquet’s favourite French comfort food for Space.
From left: Christophe Roussel, Eric Guerin, Christophe Felder, Mercotte, Raphaël Haumont.
Random facts
- Originally from Edinburgh, Scotland, I met my French (Corsican) husband in Glasgow and didn’t think I’d be taking a one-way ticket to Paris. Had I known, I’d have worked harder at French at school;
- I play with my food. That sounds weird, so to understand what I mean, pop over to my YouTube channel. I played flute for Scotland, masterclasses (James Galway) & studied with Alain Marion in Nice. My motto? You’re only as good as your last performance, so I play on;
- I love the fun side of life – and finding terrible puns;
- For my Masters marketing research project, I studied consumption of wines by the glass in hotels and inns around the UK. It’s the most fun study I’ve ever had to endure;
- While studying music in Scotland, I was overweight and tried some pretty drastic diets. Since living in Paris, I’ve adapted to the French way of life and haven’t dieted since…
- Yet I love wine, cheese, pastries and those extra buttery croissants! I’m still wearing my clothes before the kids were born 21 years ago, so there must be something in it (find out more in Lifestyle)!
Becoming
Mad about macarons
It’s a romantic cliché, moving to Paris to start a new life with my Corsican Frenchman in 1992. While working in Paris’s chic 16th, I tasted my first Parisian macaron. What was all the fuss about and why so expensive? As it was rather a costly hobby tasting them around Paris, I set about making my own homemade macarons.
It wasn’t that easy at first without a recipe explaining all the tips. So experimenting with initial delicious macaron failures, I came up with my own step-by-step recipe that worked in a non-professional kitchen. Somehow our French guests were impressed. By perfecting the macaron, they also accepted I could cook and, before I knew it, they were asking for my recipes! So, Mad About Macarons was born.
QUESTIONS?
Work with Jill
I’d love to hear from you if you have any questions about my books or about anything on le blog. Please don’t forget to comment on recipe posts and leave a review. I love to hear when you make the recipes!
Please get in touch for product reviews, French food/travel promotion or events that would be of interest to my readers. Contact me with your product or concept and I’ll get back to you soonest.
Mad about Macarons
How to make perfect macarons. Parisian Macarons are easier to make than you think: you just need a good step-by-step recipe! Both books published by Waverley Books, UK.
Teatime in Paris
Follow the easy way to make the Parisians’ favourite afternoon treats: éclairs, choux buns, tartlets, mille-feuilles, ice cream, crêpes, madeleines, financiers, and even more macarons.
