Hi everyone ! I’m Amélie, a French girl in her mid-twenties who spends more time daydreaming about food or her favorite books than engaging with the outside world. Welcome to Picnic on a Broom, my recipe journal where you will find all of my favorite treats!
FOOD; A FAMILY AFFAIR
Food has always been sacred and celebrated in our family. My aunt was a cheesemonger, my uncle a butcher, another uncle a cheesemaker, my grandpa a very talented gardener and my dad is quite frankly the best home cook there is. So it doesn’t come as a surprise that my twin sister and I unconsciously filled the only spot available for us: we would be bakers!
And we were quite devoted little bakers, trying to reproduce whatever we saw last on TV. I would spend hours checking my dad’s cookbooks collection and plan on whatever we could try next. Later as teenagers, my parents’ kitchen was always filled with laughter as my friends and I tried to tackle new baking projects, much to my parents’ regrets who were trying to divert us to the living room.
Since then not much has changed, I’m still perusing cookbooks or Internet, in search of inspiration and planning my next meal or bake is truly my motivation to get up and get going every day. I’ve been fortunate enough to have lived in 3 countries with totally different cuisines, in Martinique (a tiny island in the Carribean), France and Turkey and I’ve picked a few techniques and influence along the way.
BEGINNING OF MY BLOGGING JOURNEY
At first, my food blog was only supposed to contain Harry Potter recipes (hence the broom). I had just finished re-reading the series for the first time since high school and I was looking for a way to keep in touch with the universe so dear to my heart. A food blog seemed perfect and quite frankly I was surprised I had never thought about starting one since food has always been so important to me. Food is my safe haven and nothing else motivates me or thrills me as much.
However, I quickly realized there were so many recipes I wanted to share or work on. I couldn’t possibly restrain myself to Harry Potter (even though you would be quite surprised by how many times food is mentioned, just in the first book…54 times, yes I counted). Homely family recipes, that’s my jam and I hope you’ll find something to your liking.
I conceive every recipe as a new adventure, whether I take inspiration from a video game I just played or my mother-in-law. Every recipe I post has been tested at least 5 times (it can go up to 15 times, yes I’m crazy), to ensure stress-free successful dinners and afternoon teas with your loved ones.
With a pinch of fantasy and trusted recipes, I hope my blog will sparkle your imagination and convince you to tackle your inner chef! I’ve had no training, I’m just a home cook and if I can bake/cook, believe me so can you. Comforting food, homemade meals, delicious desserts, everything is possible. So tie your apron and let’s dive in! 💜