Hello, I’m Alix!

I’m 34 years old and have had the incredible fortune of spending more than half my life living abroad. And that’s not counting the many wonderful trips I’ve been lucky enough to take!

Traveling, eating, taking photographs, and writing are my favorite activities. That’s why, one beautiful sunny winter afternoon, sitting on the terrace of Café Montparnasse, I smiled when a friend suggested I write a travel cookbook. Just a few hours later, on the train home, I was already jotting down my best recipes on paper. Gathered over the years and through countless encounters, they are all sized for 4 people.

Tips & Advice

I love simple cooking with good ingredients, but I don’t enjoy hunting down exotic items that can only be found in overpriced specialty stores in big cities. No “pink salt from the remote highlands of the Himalayas” here! That said, if you’ve brought some back from your travels, by all means use them!

I’ve therefore tried to adapt these world recipes to suit the shopping list of a typical household — one where nobody has much time, but everyone loves to gather around a good meal.

I do recommend choosing quality products whenever possible. This is especially true for fish and meat. Be mindful of heavy metal content in certain fish, such as salmon.

Finally, I’m always a little envious of fruit that has traveled farther than I have. So I mainly buy seasonal, locally grown fruit — organic when possible, to avoid overloading my body with pesticides. There’s no need to buy kiwis from New Zealand when we have great producers right here!

If you can, choose quality basics. I’m thinking especially of:

• Olive oil — Extra virgin, labeled “Obtained directly from olives and solely by mechanical means.” Cold-pressed is also preferable.
• Salt — Choose unrefined (grey) salt, rich in sodium chloride, magnesium, and trace minerals.
• Pepper — Whole peppercorns, freshly ground before use. Use white pepper for fish, shellfish, and white meats.

Cooking and traveling go hand in hand when you love people — when you love discovering them, surprising them, and being surprised in return.

I hope these recipes will brighten your everyday life and take your taste buds — and those of your family and friends — on a journey!

I can’t wait to read your travel stories and taste your recipes!