She is the great winner of the first Cuisine Cup edition. Gentle and discreet, she impressed us with her incredible technique and her culinary creativity. Granddaughter of a cook who passed his passion on her, she believes that cooking is a way to share pleasure and have a good time. It could not be better: these are exactly Cuisine Cup's values!

Why did you want to take part in a cooking competition? And why Cuisine Cup?

Cooking is a passion and I am used to surfing on cooking blogs. I heard about Cuisine Cup by a total piece of luck, one day before the end date of enrolments. It was the first time I took part in a cooking contest.

Do you prefer savoury or sweet meals?

Savoury: fish.

What is your best memory of Cuisine Cup 2008?

There is no specific moment, it is many things altogether. Cuisine Cup was a wonderful human experience where we shared a lot with the candidates, the organizers...

And your worse memory?

I cut my finger during the quarterfinal. It was not serious enough to stop the competion, but it still hurts a bit.

What have you done since you won Cuisine Cup last year? Professionally, personally and in cooking?

Thanks to Cuisine Cup, I went to Istanbul where I discovered the city, but also had a greedy trip and met some Chefs. A really beautiful experience! On a personal point of view, I was called by a local newspaper and people started to call me because they wanted me to come and cook at their place :-)
At work, nothing really changed, except that my colleagues learned that I have a passion for cooking. I'm not working in the culinary field, but if such an opportunity occurred to me, I would probably jump at it!

Do you have some advice for the candidates?

The most important thing is to taking pleasure!

Ilyas is a 28 years old young financial adviser, but also one of the most loyal clients of L'atelier des Chefs. After 150 cookery classes, he decided last year to dive into the Cuisine Cup experience, whereas 3 years earlier his culinary skills consisted in throwing raviolis in boiling water and in making yoghourt cakes! He ended up at the third place of the contest.

Why did you want to take part in a cooking competition? And why Cuisine Cup?

I am not really interested in cooking competitions. I think I am quite a good cook, but I do not really have a competitive spirit. I enrolled for Cuisine Cup because it was organized by L'atelier des Chefs. As they taught me absolutely everything (at least in cooking...), I found it was funny to cook and be judged by those who learned me how to cook a steack without setting fire to my kitchen. Moreover under such circumstances, if it works I can tell that I am a skilled student, and if it does not, L'atelier des Chefs' cooks can worry... Thus, I win in every case!

Do you prefer savoury or sweet meals?

Everything depends on the meal quality! It's obvious that I prefer eating a well-executed sweet meal than a failed savoury meal and so on. Yet, I believe it's more interesting to study the conditions at the limits. I think that if I had to eat something failed, I'd rather eat something sweet (except maybe a spanish or portuguese pastry: that's really inhuman). But if I had to eat something really, really good, I'd rather eat something savoury.

What is your best memory of Cuisine Cup 2008 ?

It's hard to keep only one memory in mind, thus I will tell you 3 of them. As number 3, the face Pascal pulled when he saw Eva's desert. As number 2, the moment in the video when Pierre Gagnaire tells my meal is "nice". And as number 1, the pleasure to cook for cooking, without thinking of anything else nor having to doing the washing up after.

And your worse memory?

It's also hard to think of only one bad memory... As number 3, the small feeling of anguish when my meals were tested, and the following wait. As number 2, the way back to home by train/tramway/subway/walk when a force 54 storm beats down on France. As number 1, the alarm clock at 7 on Sunday morning. Without hesitating...

If you take your experience into account, are there some advice you would like to give to the candidates?

First of all, I would advise them not to enrol, so that I can win the next edition. Or at least to abandon if I am selected. More seriously, I think the most important thing is really to do what whe we can do. It's not because it's a contest that you must do something really complicated. And also, do not listen to people's advice (of course mine, but most of all those like "ah, your meal is so bad! If I were you, I'd do a giant tartiflette on a sausages-tartare-bed with a schrimps-tagada strawberies sauce").»

Will you enrol this year?

How not to?

Dethroned finalist of the previous edition, Pascal amazed us all along the contest with his state of concentration, his organisation and his speaker skills! Freshly retired, Pascal can today totally devote his life to his hobby: cooking, eating and passing down his skills to his grandchildren.

Why did you want to take part in a cooking contest?

This is of course L'atelier des Chefs of Bordeaux, Frédéric and Benoit who talked me into doing it. Without them, it is more than obvious that I wouldn't have dive into the Adventure (because it is an Adventure, no doubt about that!).

Do you prefer savoury or sweet meals?

Savoury, without hesitating, because I am unable to taste "sweet" meals.

What is your best memory of Cuisine Cup 2008 ?

First of all the atmosphere, as well during Bordeaux sessions as during the final in Lyon. It was not a contest where the candidates were opponents, but a contest where we were eager to share our experiences, realizations, success and failures. An atmosphere where everybody was happy for the other's success. Some of the candidates even became true friends: Marie Frédérique in Bordeaux and Eric with whom I am still in touch thanks to his blog "A boire et à manger", and then Emilie, the Lyon vice-winner and her blog "Un p'tit creux pour Emilie", with whom a true dialog took place in spite of the distance, until our last meeting at the "Européennes du Goût" in Aurillac- where Eva, the winner, also was.
What gave concrete expression to this atmosphere was a dinner the 8 Bordeaux candidates made with 16 hands before eating and sharing it on the 2nd of February at L'atelier des Chefs. Could we dream of a better proof? Thus, there is a life after the contest (you will notice that I avoid the term "opponent").

And your worse memory?

None (though it was raining in Lyon the evening of the arrival!)

What have you done since last year? Professionally, personally and in cooking?

In cooking: many cookery classes at L'atelier des Chefs Bordeaux with Frédéric. And also one in Péclet and one in Penthièvre. Japanese and "fusion cuisine" classes at Isse workshop ; Chinese and Italian food cookery classes at San Michele in Florence, cookery classes with Michelin starred chefs (William Ledeuil - Ze Kitchen Gallery ; Fabrice Biasolo - Une auberge en Gascogne ; Benjamin Tourcel - L'Auberge du Prieuré).
Professionaly: I was retired and I am still, even if I keep on doing some consulting.
Personnaly: I lead one of my granddaughter (Eléa, 9 years old) into my passion for cooking, but in the sweet field (Ex: pastry classes during Easter holidays). I "restore" a 201 Peugeot from 1931 that I bought 2 years ago, and I try to "cultivate my mind".

If you take your experience into account, are there some advice you would like to give to the candidates?
None, I myself am interested in all the advice one can give me.

Will you enrol this year?

The dates (of the contest and preparation sessions), as well as my interest for the ingredient that will be imposed (last year: the potato) will condition my choice.
I also fear to tarnish the wonderful memory I have from previous year edition. I'm neither looking for confrontation nor for the medal. And what if the atmosphere was not to be so good? I'm not interested in the contest as a contest (and that was already the case last year, that's why Frédéric and Benoît had to make many efforts to talk me into enrolling). Only the meetings and discoveries can motivate me.
And if ever I do not enrol, I would like to be part of the jury (not as a cooking, press or blog professional), but as a cooking-lover, or a former candidate (but thus the rules would have to be changed and I guess it is not so easy).

Cooking is a passion for her since her youngest days, and Sandrine has now been enrolling for every cooking competition for almost 2 years now. In order to share her hobby, she even decided to create her own blog la table de Sandrine, on which she often releases her best recipes. Always smiling, Sandrine gladdened us all along the contest thanks to her good mood... even if the stress sometimes overrided :-)

Why did you want to take part in a cooking contest? And why Cuisine Cup ?

Actually, I've been taking part in cooking contests for a while now, and I love that!!! It is always a new challenge to take up, totally different from the others, and during which I am at 100%...., I try to find "the recipe" that will make the difference and seduce the jury, and it is really motivating and enriching.

I had followed a few classes at L'atelier des Chefs Penthièvre, that I had won at a former recipes contest with Cyril Lignac. Thus, I discovered Cuisine Cup as well as L'atelier des Chefs' blog. I did not hesitate, I prepared a recipe on the potato theme and enrolled to the contest. Cuisine Cup was for me my first "real" competition... I mean, a serious competition realized in the presence of chefs, with a timing and ingredient baskets to respect.... a bit like a competition for professionals.
Cuisine Cup was a real challenge, I loved it and it taught me a lot of things, as well on a culinary point of view as on a personal one.

Do you prefer savoury or sweet meals?

The people who know me know that I prefer sweet... Well, for a pastry chef's daughter, that's not really amazing. I like both savoury and sweet meals, but it is obvious I can not end an excellent lunch without a really greedy desert. I am a real chocolate-aholic, particularly the Saint-Domingue Cacao Barry, vanilla and salted-butter caramel.... that I made during the Cuisine Cup quarterfinal. The more time flies, the more sweet meals I make. I take a lot of pleasure in imaginating, cooking, dressing and eating them... For that matter, I am really careful for my blog not to become a sweet blog!!!!

What is your best memory of Cuisine Cup 2008 ?

My best memory? Well it's tricky, as I of course have plenty of good memories... I'd say that when I arrived first in quarterfinal in Paris and when I was announced that I was going to Lyon... I could'nt believe it was true. But also the party at La Cour des Loges in Lyon with Pierre Gagnaire, the candidates and the team of L'atelier des Chefs... And to conclude with a more personal memory: a true friendship that was born with a friend chef who will recognize himself and who helped me throughout Cuisine Cup.

And your worse memory?

When I opened the oven door to get my puff mikados out, and saw that they had swollen too much and were horrible!!! I still remember the face I pulled at that moment, and also the Chef who was so sorry for me... Thus, I had to improvise and change the dressing of my dessert. At that moment, I began to panic a little and I would like to thank the team cameraman for having told me to stay right to the end... It was in quarterfinal in Paris!!!!

What have you done since last year? Professionally, personally and in cooking?

Plenty of things !!!!!!
Professionally, nothing has changed. I am still a employee and work for the Conseil Général de l'Oise.
In cooking and personally, I would say that they are both the same for me, the most important thing is for me to know how to manage everything as well as possible. I explain: I am really mad about cooking!!! And it overflows more and more on my personal life. Cooking is vital for me, I can not do without it. During Cuisine Cup, I had a culinary website that I transformed into a real culinary blog on the 1st january 2008, La Table de Sandrine : http://www.latabledesandrine.com. It is a blog that really looks like me, full with events and recipes. Thanks to this blog, I met a lot of people in the cuisine circle. It evolved a lot, such as my cooking techniques.

I also took part in more cooking competitions as a participant, which enabled me to meet Jean Pierre Coffe, but also as a member of the jury with the chef Jean-Yves Corvez, Alain Montigny (the Michelin starred chef of Dolce Chantilly), and Sophie Dudemaine, for a special cakes recipes competition.
I also carried out some chefs interviews that are on my blog and on the culinary website www.750g.com..... as well as some articles about products I particularly like.
A photo report entitled "Une journée avec Sandrine" ("A day with Sandrine"), has also be made at my place and published in "Envie de Plus", the magazine of La Poste.
I still write a culinary column in a weekly local newspaper, and from September I will also write a column for the monthly magazine "TungSTENE". I also sometimes lead cooking workshops and I prepare for the Championnat de France de Cuisine Amateur (France championnship of amateur cooking) that will take place by the end of the year.
But the project that is really close to my heart is the redaction of a book with my friend Damien, one of the 2 chefs who lead the website www.750g.com. It is worth keeping an eye on!!!
Well, as I told you, many things happened in one year. I think I am very lucky. Everything is ok for me, I take advantage of every moment and I will see what will happen...

If you take your experience into account, are there some advice you would like to give to the candidates?

First of all, take pleasure in cooking.... Do not listen all the advice you're given, but believe in your emotions, tastes, senses, instinct and be loyal to your "cuisine style". And most of all, let your greed speak for you!!!!!!

Will you enrol this year?

Yes, without hesitating !!!!!!!!
I am waiting for this year theme with impatience and I am looking for a little recipe that may freak the jury out.
Anyway, I wish a good luck to every future candidate and I hope you will take as much pleasure as I did in taking part in Cuisine Cup.