About La table du temps jadis,
the flavors of history!
the flavors of history!
“Gastronomy is the art of using food to create happiness”.
This phrase from English sociologist and history professor Theodore Zeldin captures the importance that cooking has in my life. For me, cooking is not just a passion or a necessity, it is a deep expression of care and affection .
Every recipe, every ingredient chosen, every dish prepared is a way for me to take care of my family and friends, to show them my love and gratitude. Cooking fills me with joy, and what's even more wonderful is the ability of this joy to spread: by cooking, I share happiness with my guests.
History and cuisine, the ingredients of my passion
History, nourishing discoveries
History with a capital H is my second passion! The exploration of eras such as the Roman era, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Grand Siècle, the Napoleonic era... So many historical treats for my spirit hungry for discoveries on the way of living, cooking and entertaining of those times of old.
Fascinating journeys to the heart of the table experience of each era , where each ceremonial, dressing, code, practice both singular and emblematic, takes me on extraordinary and sensory odysseys.
A tasty library
Already 210 cookbooks complete my library which is constantly expanding with new contemporary or historical culinary discoveries .
After having composed my current collection of cookbooks, concerning different countries (Italy, France, England, United States, Turkey, Spain, Thailand, Japan, Argentina...), it is during a trip of exploration of Châteaux de la Loire in 2016, when I discovered the first recipe books from ancient times .
My heart is racing, the evidence is there, I have just made the link between my two great passions, cooking and history !
Delving into these culinary art books from distant times meaningfully combines my powerful love for gastronomy and my immense interest in History, which has continued to grow since my arrival in Paris more than 11 years ago.
Since then, more than 30 works dedicated solely to ancient periods (from ancient Roman times to the Belle Époque) have expanded this gourmet collection . They offer me nourishing prisms on the cuisine of yesteryear , on the art of entertaining and living at the table during these past periods.
Periods that helped shape the identity and singularity of these historical eras that I love so much.
Already 210 cookbooks complete my library which is constantly expanding with new contemporary or historical culinary discoveries .
After having composed my current collection of cookbooks, concerning different countries (Italy, France, England, United States, Turkey, Spain, Thailand, Japan, Argentina...), it is during a trip of exploration of Châteaux de la Loire in 2016, when I discovered the first recipe books from ancient times . The evidence is there, I have just made the link between my two great passions, cooking and history !
Delving into these culinary art books from distant times meaningfully combines my powerful love for gastronomy and my great interest in History, which has continued to grow since my arrival in Paris more than 13 years ago.
Since then, more than 60 works solely dedicated to the cuisine of ancient times (from ancient Roman times to the Belle Époque), have added to my gourmet collection . They offer me nourishing prisms on the cuisine of yesteryear , on the art of entertaining and living at the table during these past periods.
The table of old times
will take you on a new culinary adventure
will take you on a new culinary adventure
Why a blog on old recipes and the art of living of yesteryear?
Testing new recipes and exploring the art of hosting in times gone by offer me the opportunity for fabulous exploratory journeys.
Like extraordinary dreams, with eyes open, during which the discovery of new flavors and methods of preparation and tasting of the time nourish my joy.
A passionate activity that brings me beneficial serenity. Necessary feelings at the heart of the frenetic times in which we live, where little room is left for the wonder of simple things of the heart.
My recipe? Test, experience old cuisine and share good culinary practices and period atmospheres with you
My approach ? Every weekend, as my professional week ends, my passions take place! Privileged, almost intimate moment during which I experiment with old recipes.
My intention is to bring flavors of yesteryear back to life . Forgotten recipes that truly express the taste of the era in question and are perfectly achievable with today's ingredients. Because what also drives me, beyond the discovery of this extraordinary ancient culinary art , is being able to share it.
It is therefore the love of sharing that made me want to go even further with the creation of La table du temps jadis . A lively, joyful, daring blog, open to as many people as possible, which offers you the discovery of new old recipes , directly from eras that I particularly like.
My objective is to offer you the possibility of accessing a balanced choice of dishes for each period (starter, main course and dessert), so that you can, in turn, organize your menus according to your tastes and preferences. Original recipes, recipes that have gone down in history and forgotten for various reasons, for which charming anecdotes are told to you, here on my blog or on my social networks ...
My story, my values,
the spices of my reason for being
the spices of my reason for being
“The will must imagine too much to achieve enough . The words of the philosopher Gaston Bachelard give the tempo of the vital energy which has always flowed in my heart. Because yes, my life would not be what it is today, if will had not been the first lever and the most powerful engine.
I am convinced that each of us, whatever the pitfalls and side roads, can turn a difficulty into an opportunity and an unpredictability into a new path. We are masters of our thoughts, and have a responsibility, that of acting on what we have control over, to take charge of our destiny through will and determination. And perhaps also that of having the foresight to let go of what we cannot act on. After all, aren't the limits those we set for ourselves?
Let's dream big and dare to change, and the recipe will definitely be delicious, and the aromas even tastier!
A love for cooking and the start of a career in hospitality
A happy child, especially thanks to my mother's love, I was born in Italy. Second child of two siblings, my father works in the merchant navy. Although he is often absent, he is truly a lover of cooking. When he is not working, he enjoys cooking. I think he could have been a Leader who knows, if his footsteps had not guided him across the oceans so many times.
Is it the echo of a family anchor or simply the context of an education, which led me to move towards hotel studies, in Liguria, on the Italian coast? Professional studies chosen almost by default and yet quickly sources of joy thanks to learning which stimulates my appetite for doing well and commitment .
My studies focused on hotel administration but from the age of 14, in order to earn a little money, I started working during the summers in a bar the first year and in fine hotel restaurants afterwards. . I discover the intensity of the service, the energy of doing things, the contact with customers and this allows me to experience commitment and determination.
From brigade manager to accounting, agility at the heart
With my diploma in hand, I continued to work in hotels on the Ligurian coast until one day a client, seduced by my sense of service, offered me a job within a large hotel chain in Milan. An unexpected boost, here I am, at 23 years old, responsible for the breakfast service, with a brigade of 10 people. Incredible opportunity that allows me to improve my skills in management and team coordination .
A first experience followed by a second in the hotel industry in Milan. I met the man who would become my first husband. To make my hours more compatible with a married life, I left the hotel world and joined the administrative department of an industrial company.
Big professional gap, but I take up the challenge and to my great surprise, I am seduced by the challenges of these new functions . It was at this moment that the sudden death of my mother turned my young life upside down. I am 26 years old and I am losing my compass, my bearings. A great period of sadness followed and I resigned to take the time to find myself.
Almost out of survival or resilience, I have to take control of my destiny . To slowly reconnect with the rhythm of work, I accepted a temporary job as a receptionist in an industrial company. Although overqualified, I find meaning and commitment, I provide service, get involved, evolve, grow...
I am 28 years old, and the desire to learn is heart and gut in this same multinational company which trusts me by offering me a contract in the Finance department.
The values of excellence, the love of a job well done
The different development opportunities within this company offer me numerous opportunities to excel . I seize them with enthusiasm, with this anchored desire for excellence , and as the only direction the need for improvement, to prove to myself that I can achieve it.
Thus, throughout my various positions, I consolidate my knowledge and resume studies alongside my professional activities. With a lot of resilience and thanks to the unconditional support of my brother (following my divorce and the death of our father we became closer than ever), I obtained a university degree in economics and business management in 2010. An additional qualification which allows me to work internationally with a promotion which takes me to Paris in May 2011.
Visiting Paris was a dream, my mother’s. By settling here, it's a bit like I'm honoring her memory and achieving what she would have loved to do.
The love for Paris is intense, alive, real.
I love the energy of this city, steeped in history, so romantic and stunningly beautiful. My career took a new turn because the company offered me a great opportunity within the Group's human resources department in 2014. And because my thirst for learning was difficult to quench, in 2018 I obtained my MBA degree in Paris .
My passions for History and ancient cuisine are enhanced in France
I am Italian and by essence an epicurean of life who loves beautiful tables, the art of the table and eating well. Esthete and passionate about everything related to the ancient, I like to explore the history, the eras, the moods and the atmospheres of these exciting centuries.
But alone in Paris, it’s not easy to live and share my passions. And as life never ceases to offer gifts to those who know how to see them, my path one day crosses that of a great epicurean, also in love with History, beautiful tables and, it seems, also with me.
I married my second husband, Philippe, who works in the same company as me in Paris, in December 2018. And this, a few months after the most romantic marriage proposal, made in Saint Mark's Square in Venice, under the notes from “La vie en rose”, the day before a trip aboard the Orient Express. I, who have always loved romances, here is a lovely present from life (and especially from my lover)!
And it is together that we nourish ourselves with these thrilling historical sagas. A common passion, which today is sublimated into what could have been a simple hobby, but which holds a crucial place in my heart: cooking and the art of living well at home.
I am Italian and by essence an epicurean of life who loves beautiful tables, the art of the table and eating well. Esthete and passionate about everything related to the ancient, I like to explore the history, the eras, the moods and the atmospheres of these exciting centuries.
But alone in Paris, it’s not easy to live and share my passions. And as life never ceases to offer gifts to those who know how to see them, my path one day crosses that of a great epicurean, also in love with History, beautiful tables and, it seems, also with me.
I married my second husband, Philippe, who works in the same company as me in Paris, in December 2018. And this, a few months after the most romantic marriage proposal, made in Saint Mark's Square in Venice, under the notes from “La vie en rose”, the day before a trip aboard the Orient Express. I, who have always loved romances, here is a lovely present from life (and especially from my lover)!
And it is together that we nourish ourselves with these thrilling historical sagas. A common passion, which today is sublimated into what could have been a simple hobby, but which holds a crucial place in my heart: cooking and the art of living well at home.
Birth of La table du temps jadis, a saving breath
During my 2023 summer vacation at Lake Garda, I am thinking about finding a hobby in order to create rejuvenating moments throughout the year.
One day the obvious became clear: what if I combined my love for history with my passion for cooking? While the cuisine of yesteryear captured my attention for years, the idea is there, intense, powerful, definitive!
As someone who loves cooking old recipes , I can definitely try this historical tasting immersion and share it.
It's decided ! I'm going to offer it to you all in a blog that talks about my immense passion for old cuisine... I'm going to create joy and share it with you!
The table of old times was born… Welcome to my home!
Each era, its history and its cuisine
Beyond the works of recipes from yesteryear, reading books which evoke the ways of “living the table” in each era is for me a constant source of delight.
Discover these tasty anecdotes on the origin of different dishes, on these specific ways of preparing a meal , setting a table and entertaining. Understanding the codes, the manners of life of the time, the culinary practices... So many additional pleasures which tell me about the typicality of good eating of an era .
nourishment of the mind and the heart with as many people as possible , so that you can in turn discover and experiment with new recipes from yesteryear. And just like for me, offering you the opportunity to feel this joy of discovery!
