In our quest for a healthy and fulfilling life, there is one essential pillar: our diet. Following the seasons in our region, establishing this vital link with nature, and when possible with local producers, is particularly gratifying. When we give priority to these treasures of the earth, we embrace a caring approach to our bodies and the environment around us.
We can look forward to this, and the resulting cuisine, in a joyful, gourmet way. Plants bring an explosion of colors, flavors and textures to our meals, delighting our senses and awakening our culinary creativity. Eat with common sense, without dogma, by reversing the proportions. The plant component is then enhanced and made to look its best, while sometimes incorporating a little meat or fish for those who prefer it. We’re taking a step towards a more respectful balance with animals by favoring small, high-quality, local farms.
Cuisine is infinite, encouraging generosity and sharing, and bringing people together.
Alexia Beugnon was born with an innate passion for cooking and healthy food. She grew up in a family where the pursuit of natural flavors and nutrition were a priority. From an early age, Alexia was steeped in her family’s history, particularly that of her epicurean grandfather who, faced with health challenges, became primarily vegetarian. He was one of the pioneers in the development of organic farming in France. This transformative experience opened her eyes to the link between cooking and health. At the same time, her grandmother was an excellent cook, using ingredients that had already become fashionable. Chis journey has left a precious legacy for future generations.
Armed with boundless creativity and insatiable curiosity, Alexia has pursued her passion for cooking, drawing inspiration from her roots and travels to create her recipes. As a true culinary artist she sublimates fruits, vegetables, herbs, young shoots and flowers in a harmonious dance, keeping the essence of each food intact. In 2018 she founded “The Natural Cooking Project”in Annecy to transmit her vision of a gourmet, healthy and nourishing cuisine, linked to local producers, through workshops, private tables and consulting.
In her culinary inspiration workshops, Alexia emphasizes the use of organic, local and seasonal ingredients, punctuated by nuggets unearthed from her finds and encounters, creating dishes that awaken the senses. His cuisine is a daring blend of authenticity and world-traveling flavors, echoing his deep-rooted identity and his love for the pursuit of harmonious tastes and delicacy.
Every month Alexia shares with us a piece of her inspiration to nourish our hearts and stomachs with a seasonal recipe.
soft rhubarb cake
Gradients from intense pinkish red to pale green! Known for its acidity, we need sugar to make it gourmet, but the right dose to preserve its lively character. Try a small piece raw, it’s surprisingly fresh and juicy. I only moderately appreciated it until I started cooking it. I decided not to peel it or marinate it in sugar, and it’s perfect that way, and much quicker! What’s more, it remains a romantic pale pink color after baking!
A recipe for a very moist, refined-sugar-free, gluten-free cookie with candied rhubarb that melts into the dough. It can be made the day before, as it tastes even better the next day !
Ingredients for 4 gourmets
- 2-3 rhubarb stalks (if you have extra I’ll give you the solution below)
- 2 eggs
- 30g coconut coconut sugar (or rapadura) + 30g maple syrup
- 30g of semi-salted butter + 20g white white almond puree (if you don’t have any, use 50g of butter or a mixture of butter and neutral coconut oil, but the almond purée really adds something).
- 50g almond almond powder (if you have a chopper, take them in bulk and blend them yourself, leaving small crunchy pieces)
- 25g rice rice flour + 2-3 pinches of baking powder (or bicarbonate + 1 tsp lemon)
- 40g of cooking soy
- Option: vanilla
the recipe
- Rinse the stems and cut into 2 cm sections.
- Whisk together the eggs and sugar.
- Whisk in the remaining ingredients in order.
- You’ll end up with a fairly liquid paste, which is normal.
- Pour the pastry into a tart or cake tin, making sure it will be about 3 cm high when removed from the oven, otherwise the rhubarb content will be too low.
- If you’re going to unmould it, use greaseproof paper to avoid disappointment or annoyance!
- Use your creativity to arrange the sections.
- Bake for about 30 min at 180°C (preheated oven).
Simple recipe for roasted rhubarb :
- Place the slices in a dish with acacia honey (any other honey would give too strong a taste).
- Options: vanilla powder.
- Bake for 30 minutes at 170°C
- Leave the dish in the oven until cool.
- The result is a rhubarb compote with a hint of roses, which can be kept for 4 days in the fridge.