When I asked Gabriel Gaté if he would chat with me for my podcast, I had no idea of the reception I would get. We have mutual friends, as the French community in Melbourne is small and tight, but I was not prepared for the wonderfully warm and generous person, who could not have been more happy to talk about his life in France, his work, his care for others and la vie quotidienne in general. In this episode FrancoFilers hear a down to earth and honest chat with Gabriel who is an internationally renowned chef, author of 23 cook books and countless recipes, a tv presenter with so many appearances including15 years of Taste of Le Tour, the segment that aired during the SBS Tour de France coverage & our Australian go-to person for French culture.

Listening to Gabriel talk about his life growing up in the Loire Valley with his grandmother who fueled his passion for food and cooking, transported me back to that region with its beautiful landscapes, markets, produce and chateaux.

He fascinated me with his story of the 200 year old restaurant in Paris where Napoleon dined, Le Grand Vefour, and reminisced about eating at the chouette petite brasseries on so many Paris street corners.

His experience with Le Tour de France is exceptional, as are the recipes he shared during that series.   

After this chat I was inspired to head to the kitchen and start cooking, although nothing would be as good as using the produce from his garden in the Loire or the divine French farmers' markets.

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Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
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Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website