Real French crepes appeared at the Ashland Farmers Market this summer and are set to come to The Corner Spot, Sept. 8 to 14. Who is behind this French delicacy? In an interview, baker Marie Simeoni talked about her background, her business, La Maison a Gateaux, and plans to spread fine French cakes, pies and crepes to Metrowest.
What are crepes?
“Crepes are thin French pancakes. They are a staple of the Brittany region of France where traditionally, every family was eating them on Fridays or on any festive occasion. They look like pancakes, but the batter is different and they are cooked on a large plate to be very thin. Because of that, they are very difficult to prepare, and you need to learn the way to spread the batter on the plate without tearing the crepe or leaving holes in it. This [is] particularly challenging in the open when there is wind!
“My batter is prepared fresh at home from organic ingredients. I use French aromas to give them their distinctive taste from France, and at markets people are driven to me by the nice smell. Some people who have visited France or lived there told me that it is exactly how they taste over there. I offer sweet crepes with a lot of different toppings, such as sugar, lemon, Jam, Nutella, maple syrup, and I also have my own home-made recipes for French ganache (chocolate preparation with French baking chocolate) and salted caramel. Depending on where I am going, I can also [make] savoury crepes (ham and cheese), with a different batter.”
What is your business?
“My business is a residential kitchen where I prepare crepes, cakes, and cookies that I can deliver. I also propose birthday and other celebration formulas where I can either prepare crepes and cakes ahead of time or prepare the crepes on site. I provide only limited quantities to keep the quality as high as I can. My business is done through my website, www.lamaisonagateaux.com, unless I am participating [in] farmers markets or fairs. Currently, I participate [in] the farmers markets of Hopkinton, Grafton and Shrewsbury. Before participating, I was regularly attending several markets because I grew up in a rural place and ate mainly food cultivated or raised by my parents. So, this was a natural fit for me.
“I only use organic, locally-sourced, and French ingredients. This came naturally because it allows me to obtain the best taste and flavors for my creations, and it is also how I want to teach my kids about good food. I like to introduce people to recipes from different regions of France, such as the cherry pie from Limousin, the Alsatian pie, the Norman pie, and the Corsican peasant pie. More will come later!”
Why are you launching a business now?
“I moved to the U.S. six years ago to follow my husband after living in Edinburgh, Scotland, for three years. I am French, from the beautiful Corsica island. I started working as an educator in high schools and primary schools. Then, I was an administrator in the Environmental Protection Services for the Corsican region. I now live in Shrewsbury, and I am a mother of two children. Moving to the U.S. was challenging because I did not learn English at school and I couldn’t work at first.
“[It] is during this time that I started to develop the idea of my business. My family, my neighbors, and the parents of my kids’ friends loved my cakes and suggested that I should open a bakery. I have always baked, and liked it, but my kids still need me at home. I was wondering how I could start an activity while still caring for my kids, and this is when I learned about residential kitchens. This seemed a good opportunity to start developing my project while still being at home. This was challenging, but I started to create my logo, website, and style.
“I felt that even [though] I was a good baker and knew how to prepare a lot of French recipes, I needed to further develop my skills in a more professional way. During the 2016 summer, I took an intensive training on pastry-making at the best French school in Paris (Ferrandi School) and another training on crepe-making in Saint-Malo, Brittany (l’atelier de la crepe). Brittany is the region of France where the crepes were born. The combination of my existing skills and my professional training allowed me to adjust to the local ingredients and find the right tools to prepare cakes, cookies, and crepes that taste just like the ones done in France. It took me over six months to acquire the tools—some were shipped from France—and find the right ingredients. To perfect my skills, I am still in contact with Ferrandi and exchange regularly with my teacher.”
Why choose Ashland?
“The manager of Hopkinton’s Farmers Market, Laura [Davis], recommended me [to] the Ashland Farmers Market. Then, Beth [Reynolds] asked me if I was interested in trying a week at The Corner Spot. I find the idea of The Corner Spot amazing, and it corresponds to what I am looking for to really interact with people and share my passion about authentic and good French food. In addition, the concept of The Corner Spot is close to what you can find in France in small towns were people regroup and exchange at a gathering area, such as a plaza or a market. I also like very much the area, which combines the feeling of being in the countryside with all the convenient services of a larger place. I found also that people are interested in good, authentic and natural food and like cultural exchanges.
“I will do my first week at The Corner Spot, from September 8 to 14. I am also planning to do several fairs in [the] fall; more about it will be available on my Facebook page, www.facebook.com/lamaisonagateaux.”
Simeoni’s website is www.lamaisonagateaux.com.
Issue Date:
September, 2017
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