Meet Maxime Pouvreau, a former Michelin-starred pastry chef now based in San Francisco and founder of Petit Pot, a mouth-watering brand of French desserts! I first heard about Maxime while listening to one of my favourite podcasts, "The Pitch", in which real entrepreneurs pitch to a live panel of investors in the hope of raising venture capital. I loved his story and wanted to invite him on French Voices! We'll start the discussion with a linguistic note about the use of the "tu" and "vous" forms. Maxime will then tell us about his French homeland and career history, which led him to … Read More →

This is the second part of Steve Morel's interview. Steve is a young Frenchman who fell in love with Mongolian culture and traditional musical instrument, the Morin Khuur. He used to live a "normal" life, working for a job the meaning of which he was starting to question. And then there was the change, a calling, an irresistible passion for the music he discovered. Following his heart, he soon made the trip to Mongolia and never quite came back: Steve is now living in the country's capital city, Ulaanbaatar (Oulan-Bator in French). Today, Steve's purpose is to spread and share his knowledge of … Read More →

Steve Morel is a young Frenchman who fell in love with Mongolian culture and traditional musical instrument, the Morin Khuur. He used to live a "normal" life, working for a job the meaning of which he was starting to question. And then there was the change, a calling, an irresistible passion for the music he discovered. Following his heart, he soon made the trip to Mongolia and never quite came back: Steve is now living in the country's capital city, Ulaanbaatar (Oulan-Bator in French). Today, Steve's purpose is to spread and share his knowledge of the Mongolian culture and the Morin Khuur. … Read More →

This episode is the second part of my conversation with Gérald Darnis, a French marine biologist who studies zooplankton in the Arctic on the Canadian icebreaker Amundsen. We'll start by talking about this incredible boat: Gérald will describe it in such a way that you’ll picture yourself onboard. You'll also find how sensitive electronic instruments are being used in a way that protects them from the extreme cold. I was also curious about what a typical day may look like on board, but there is no such thing! The scientists on board are experts in so many different fields that they all … Read More →

Meet Gérald Darnis, a French marine biologist who studies zooplankton in the Arctic on the Canadian icebreaker Amundsen. After completing a PhD in oceanography, Gerald went on his first expedition in the Arctic. I asked him to share his first memories of going into a place of the world where very few of us will ever go. What is plankton? How and why is it interesting to study these tiny organisms? Why studying it in the Arctic? These are some of the questions we’ll answer to in this first episode with Gérald. Plankton is an essential part of the marine ecosystem while the Arctic … Read More →

Joseph Puzo is the CEO (in French, "PDG") of AXON' Câble, a very high technology entreprise producing cables. These are not just any cables: Axon’ is the provider for the French Ariane space rockets, Airbus aircrafts, the camera on the Discovery robot sending pictures of planet Mars to the world, and many other fascinating projects! Coming from an Italian family, Joseph Puzo came to France as a young child and therefore French was, like you, a foreign language he quickly learnt. In this episode, discover Joseph's life journey: you’ll get to see how his early studies and trainings were … Read More →

What do airbags, artificial hearts and the Discovery robot have in common? Joseph Puzo is the CEO (in French, "PDG") of AXON' Câble, a very high technology entreprise producing cables. These are not just any cables: Axon' is the provider for the French Ariane space rockets, Airbus aircrafts, the camera on the Discovery robot sending pictures of planet Mars to the world, and many other fascinating projects! This world class industry is actually established in my small hometown, Montmirail, bordering fields in the Champagne region. An episode about electric cables? Fear not, this … Read More →

This is the second part of my conversation with Maryse Mounier, a hard-working French woman growing bourbon vanilla on the Réunion island. Maryse will tell us in details about the process vanilla beans go through from the harvest until they are ready to be sold on the market. You'll probably be surprised by how precise each stage is! (temperature, time, etc.). Vanilla from La Réunion is unfortunately on the decline despite its excellent quality as it suffers from competition from Madagascar. Maryse will share her best tips on how to tell a good quality vanilla from a mediocre one – if … Read More →

Today's guest Maryse Mounier is a very energetic woman who is passionate about vanilla. She is working, on her own, in the forest where she grows Bourbon vanilla, a type of vanilla which is famous worldwide for its high quality and strong flavour. Bourbon was actually the former name of La Réunion island and we call "vanille bourbon" the vanilla beans coming from the vanilla planifolia plant. You can also find vanilla planifolia in other areas such as Madagascar or the Comoros but they are grown differently. For example, Maryse Mounier's plantation is located on a very old lava track … Read More →