Lucien Chef Ambition at La Maison Paisible in Avignon. Episode 3: The Menu.
Invited by Mohamed El Khatib and the Collection Lambert in Avignon, my mission was to prepare a special menu, a banquet for 200 residents of the nursing home.
Last February, I spent a day at La Maison Paisible, with Camille Nauffray, the dramaturge behind the project. It was for me to discover the place, meet the staff and the residents.
First, we met Sebastien Besmier, executive Chef of the home. For two hours, he explained how they built menus, the attention they give to diversifying the offer, he gave us a tour of the kitchen - it was the first time I was entering a community kitchen.
Then, Camille organized a conversation with a group of six residents. All of them had a connection with food: parents owners of a restaurant, farmers ... I asked them to tell me about their food memories, what they were eating young (they are in their 90s today). They all mentioned very traditional cuisine from Provence.
So instead of trying to cook a "new cuisine", I asked some friends with local roots to share their recipes. Emilienne Rozier, one of my "mom" when I was a teenager, gave me the recipe of la Soupe au Pistou, she hold from her mother. Ariane Ascaride offered a recipe from her grandmother, a Pâté de foie de lapin au Genièvre, (rabbit liver and Juniper), I added my mom's potato salad, my daube (a beef stew) and for dessert, the traditional Chouquettes and Chantilly.
The goal was not only to please the residents with their childhood meals but also to trigger their memories. And we succeeded. The banquet lasted more than two hours. A record according to the nurses.
A massive thanks to Sebastien, Benjamin and Penda from La Maison Paisible for their help and support and the team of volunteers
Look at the whole series here
