My obsession happens to be tablecloths and place settings! I’m not a chef nor a cheesemaker, but a party thrower! So for me, great food needs great presentation. Whether I’m on the road for a Cheese Journeys adventure or staying with family in an Airbnb and want to create a specific look, I travel with tablecloths: a classic Provençal nappe; an old piece of lace; a red & white check cloth; or perhaps a rustic Italian print. I collect them all!
While most chefs travel with their own set of knives - no matter where they’re headed - our Cheese Journeys chefs, Romain Alinat and Sylvain Jamois (both French but living in England), have some unique travel essentials as well.
Chef Romain Alinat
Romain, knowing he may not have access to key ingredients every day when on the road, packs his spices and - get this - his collection of mortar and pestles so he can grind spices fresh for each recipe!
Two years ago, while we were traveling in England and doing a photo shoot with the chefs, Romain pulled out a separate small suitcase of spices and three mortar and pestles. I couldn’t believe it! I eagerly asked him to explain what I thought was slightly obsessive. After all, I had one mortar and pestle collecting dust and decorating my kitchen shelf back home.
“I grew up in Provence, it’s what we do! Cooking with freshly ground spices makes all the difference in terms of flavor, and it’s what I find super exciting in creating every dish,” begins Alinat. “It rivals already-ground spices by far as they release great aromatic flavors into your food,” continues Romain. “One thing people don’t always know is that whole spices need roasting in a pan prior to crushing, that way they lose their humidity and are easier to reduce into powder. The ultimate tools for grinding are a mortar and pestle, using different ones depending on the size and quantity of the spice pods, seeds, or leaves you’ll be pulverizing.”
Needless to say, I came home from that trip determined to use mine every time I cook- in fact, I now have three!
Chef Sylvain Jamois
So many guests comment how much they enjoy working and cooking with Chef Sylvain. His door is always open, inviting guests to experience what goes on in the kitchen during a Cheese Journeys adventure.
As I imagined that designing menus, shopping at markets with guests, and cooking in the kitchen with others under your feet can be stressful for many chefs, one day I asked him, “What is the key to you always being upbeat and joyful in the kitchen?”
Sylvain thought about it for a minute and mused, in his distinct French-English accent, “I never leave home without my color-coordinated outfits as I prefer to wear one color at a time. While I only wear black when I’m cooking (down to my socks and skivvies!), for everyday wear, it still has to be just one color, but that can range from all red, to all blue, or all green.“ Jamois continues, “I hardly ever mix colors; weird, perhaps, but it just makes me happy.”
Last year Sylvain visited us in NYC to experience the flourishing American cheese scene, and sure enough - every day he dressed in solid colors and a smile on his face. Maybe he’s on to something!
Tenaya Darlington, aka Mme Fromage
It’s hard to find Mme Fromage without her “cheese valise.” In this mini carryall, which has room for a small notebook, a wooden cheese board, a knife and spoon, plus a small bag of dates and walnuts, Tenaya says, “I’m good to go for breakfast or a spontaneous pairing situation in a park anytime.
“I also always carry a cotton napkin and a vial of lavender oil. The napkin is a perfect covering for the fold-down tray table on an airplane, while a little lavender on one's pillow makes for sweet dreams absolutely anywhere -- especially in a chateau.”
The girl always travels light, but she has everything she needs!
