She is to haute patisserie what Ginette Mathiot used to be to home cooking: a formidable transmission channel. With one of the most popular blogs in France, she co-hosts Le Meilleur Pâtissier show.

In which state of mind do you approach a tasting session?

Tantalisingly and with curiosity! I want to feel emotions first.

You favourite flavour?

Vanilla, calamondin – a very popular citrus fruit in Filipino cooking. I also love kaffir lime, a kind of small lemon.

A sweet souvenir from childhood?

Bugnes (Editor's note: beignets) flavoured with orange flower. As a child I had a very strong relationship with my two aunts and this was one of their favourite recipes.

Where does the love of good food stand in your life?

Essential! It is part of my unavoidable pleasures. One has to be hedonist, life would be impossible to manage otherwise.

Are you sensitive to chocolate?

What a question! I am unreserved on the teachings of Frédéric Bau from the École du Grand Chocolat (Editor's note: Valrhona). But, as far as taste is concerned, I prefer chocolate tablets to chocolate entremets!

Your favourite dessert?

I am lucky enough to find it in my neighbourhood: the Saint- Honoré by Cédric Pernot in Chambéry.

A recipe you like to cook?

Macaroons! People say I make them well… but one has to remain humble: in haute patisserie, macaroons are a real lesson of modesty.

What do you think of the success of pastry chefs in the media?

The documentary La revanche des pâtissiers by Philippe Boé and Jean-Pierre Petit in 2010 was a turning point. The shows that followed allowed to make what you call haute patisserie available to the public. People have become  sensitive to it. Media exposure of chefs in boutiques or restaurants is well deserved.

Your favourite gourmet moment?

Tea time. To me, the love of good food goes with tea and cakes, like tea at the Meurice (Editor's note: palace) in Paris.

What sweet would you choose to be?

A vanilla and cardamom marshmallow.

From "Desserts" Autumn/Winter n°14