Parisians homesick for their grandmother’s inimitable ratatouille and Sunday roast chicken can now rent out a substitute stand-in through a recently launched personal chef service that will send a ‘mamie’ to their kitchen to whip up an old-fashioned home-cooked meal.
After moving to Paris from the south of France, founder Alizé Delbes says she found herself homesick for her grandmother’s cooking.
And despite its reputation as the gastronomic capital of the world, Delbes said she was unable to find a restaurant that could evoke the memories and nostalgia of her mamie’s veal blanquette and chocolate mousse.
That led to Lou Papé, a site created to bring authentic, French dishes into the homes of local Parisians in search of comfort foods from their childhood.
The concept is simple: The host can choose from a selection of chefs and their proposed menu. After sorting out the details -- date of dinner party, venue and number of guests -- the chef will prep, cook and serve the meal in the host’s home.
Clean-up is also included.
So far, the selection of chefs is small.
There’s Beatrice, 60, who says cooking has always been a favorite pastime and boasts training with the prestigious Institut Paul Bocuse in Lyon.
Similarly, Catherine, 58, says she’s an avid cook and has also completed a cooking course at the same cooking school.
Two ‘papies’ or grandpas round out the selection.
If language isn’t a big issue, Paris-bound travelers in search of a truly authentic French meal may want to consider booking a ‘Beatrice’ or ‘Jean-Jacques’ if staying in a short-term vacation rental with a kitchen.
Meanwhile, Lou Papé isn’t the first site to offer the specialized services of grandmothers and place value in the expertise of seniors.
Both Mamy Factory and Les Mamies Tricoteuses sell kids’ clothes such as bonnets and sweaters hand-knit by talented mamies.
