She has one of the most identifiable voices in the food blogosphere. In part, because she’s been at it for so long. With 10 years and two blogs under her belt – first foodbeam and, now, Like a strawberry milk (aka in French comme un lait fraise) – Fanny Zanotti is among the most enduring bloggers around (even though she’s still shy of 30). Time on the job notwithstanding, it’s Fanny’s whimsical tone, accompanied by pretty illustrations, graphic Polaroids and occasional animated gifs that characterise this ever-popular blogger. Oh, and her desserts. Among her many talents, Fanny is also a qualified pastry chef (she interned at Pierre Hermé, completed her apprenticeship at famed Nicoise patisserie Lac and was junior sous chef at Dinner by Heston), and she dissects each of her complex creations into the baking science and technique required to put them together. Pastry enthusiasts will geek out on her detailed recipes (all done by weight for precision – don’t forget your scales), but anyone who has a sweet tooth will take inspiration from her desserts, which trace Fanny’s years in France, then London and now in Sweden, where she lives with her Scandinavian partner. Fanny even has her own standout cookbook, Paris Pastry Club, which was released last year. In celebration of Bastille Day, Fanny selects her most cherished French sweet recipes, including a classic brioche from Tropez, rustic pistachio and apricot tart, cinnamon-flecked croissants and a sumptuous chocolate and blood orange dessert.
I grew up in a small village in the south of France, where our kitchen window opened to a paved street and many dinners took place on a large table we’d take outside and share with our neighbours.
“Come summer, we’d pack ourselves – cat and dog included – into a 1970s campervan and take a road trip to my grandparents’ home in Fouras on the Atlantic Coast. When we’d arrive, we’d abandon the van for bicycles and hasten to the fort by the end of a path. And on rainy days, I would sit on the kitchen counter and make cakes and tarts with my grandmother. It doesn’t get any more cliché than this. A few days later, Bastille Day would come, with a breakfast made of piping hot croissants served with a glass of milk. And then my grand-mère would set off to the market with a celebratory dinner in mind. More often than not, a tart would be shared for dinner. Once the sun had set, we'd walk to the fort, holding paper lanterns. And watch the fireworks in the distance.”
I started my blog to… Share my most-loved recipes and kitchen experiments (with hints of food science and deceptively romantic words). With a good dose of instant pictures and mischief, too.
When I go back to my home town… Valbonne, France, the first thing I eat is a thick slice of warm baguette from the boulangerie (bakery) right across the road – which most likely gets paired with some of the amazing cheeses my mother always has in the fridge.
My favourite Bastille Day food memory is… Of raspberry madeleines, which, at times, we ate straight from the oven and, at other times, with a fat scoop of just-churned vanilla ice-cream while looking at the fireworks on the distant coastline.
Friends always ask me to bake my… Macarons, which I make in classical flavours like pistachios and vanilla, as well as slightly more special flavours, like elderflower and champagne, fermented mango, coconut and lime, salted caramel, avocado and chilli, pumpkin and cinnamon, and rhubarb and cream. Even beetroot and orange.
The one thing I won’t cook is… Omelette. My partner Karl simply makes the best ones I’ve ever had, so I gladly leave him to work his magic for breakfast.
I always have… Many different flours, chocolates and sugars in my pantry; eggs, butter, fresh yeast and vanilla beans in my fridge; and ready-to-bake cookie dough and rolled pâte sucrée (sweet pastry) in my freezer. Oh and my sourdough starter on my kitchen counter.
My favourite biscuit to dunk in a cup of tea is… A simple shortbread, with more than a hint of sea salt and a generous amount of vanilla seeds.
My most chocolate-splattered cookbook is… One of my black notebooks into which every recipe I make gets written down. It has been with me for over ten years now and it’s seen many kitchens and even more pastries.
Beyond my own blog, some of my favourites reads are… The Little Loaf (Kate makes wonderfully classic pastries and her new book, which has just come out, is a favourite in my house); Babes in Boyland (for the Nordic aesthetics); Nordljus (Keiko is someone I would love to be friends with; her pictures are poetic and her impeccable technique shines through her beautiful desserts); Call Me Cupcake (Linda takes the most wonderful pictures and makes show-stopping party cakes); and Smitten Kitchen (I’ve loved Deb for almost as long as I can remember; her recipes are very well handpicked, and her writing is straight-to-the-point and witty).
Source: Fanny Zanotti
Source: Fanny Zanotti
Source: Fanny Zanotti and Helen Cathcart
Source: Fanny Zanotti
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