This past night, viewers of TVE’s La2 were transported to the fascinating world of Julie Andrieu through the program ‘The Mathematics of the Mirror’. In this installment, the charismatic presenter Carlos del Amor unraveled the secrets that have catapulted the renowned French gastronomic critic to fame.
Julie Andrieu, famous for her program ‘Julie’s Recipes’, revealed her life and professional experiences in a majestic setting: the kitchens of the Royal Palace of Madrid. From her origins in Paris, where she learned from her actress mother that no dream is unattainable, to her consecration as a culinary icon, Andrieu has built a career that challenges conventions and exalts the essence of traditional French cuisine.
In this exclusive interview conducted by Carlos del Amor, the chemistry between both characters gave rise to a dialogue seasoned with humor, intelligence and a touch of magnificence. The program started with a trip in Andrieu’s famous red car: “I love freedom, that the landscapes change every day.” With his Peugeot 304 cabriolet he has traveled around France in search of traditional recipes that have almost disappeared. In his vehicle, Del Amor played flamenco music on his radio.
Julie Andrieu’s dream was to be a photojournalist, although today she has her own cooking show, ‘Julie’s Recipes’. With her red vehicle and accompanied by Carlos del Amor, Andrieu “parked” near the Cathedral of La Almudena and immersed herself in the kitchens of the Royal Palace of Madrid: “I don’t think the kitchens of the Palace of Versailles are so beautiful” , she commented, impressed by the surroundings. In her kitchen, she does not renounce modernity although she tries to cook in the simplest way possible so that it is accessible to the entire public: “The best chefs create from tradition. Tradition is our foundation,” Julie added, taking an interest not only in the cuisine, but also in the history behind it.
Julie Andrieu analyzed the evolution of kitchens, formerly relegated to basements or far from main rooms: “Today, that has changed. The kitchens are in the center of the houses and we are proud to cook,” commented the French critic. “In my house I do day-to-day cooking, I don’t make very elaborate dishes,” Andrieu said shortly before being surprised by a video that Del Amor shared with the cook about her mother, Nicole Courcel: “I had never seen this video.” , she acknowledged excitedly.
“My mother was an actress who started working very young, at 18,” she explained, anticipating her mother’s difficult life: “My father abandoned her 15 days before my birth and I grew up in dressing rooms,” she confessed during the interview. Regarding his paternal absence, Andrieu said: “My father was married and, although he left his wife, he did not stay with my mother. My mother suffered a lot; However, she never had a bad word about my father,” Andrieu said. She reunited with her father when she was 8 years old and, although she had a cordial relationship, she did not grow up with him and the relationship she generated was an adult one.
“I came from a background that had nothing to do with cooking. My mother was an actress and she did not cook, it seemed to her that the idea of ??her was associated with the subjugation of the home,” Andrieu considered to delve deeply into the machismo of the kitchen. But, according to Andrieu, is it more so than another? According to the guest at ‘The Mathematics of the Mirror’, professional cooking was for men, while women cooked at home. “It is a world that is opening up and it is not being easy for women,” said the cook.
And Julie Andrieu’s weak point? Impatience. “Sometimes I go too fast. Furthermore, sometimes I often say what I think, it is difficult for me to compromise and I am too direct. It can be a virtue or a defect,” added the guest at ‘Julie’s Mathematics’.
“I think it’s wonderful. I’m a cook, but I watch cooking shows and my wife and I are followers of her show. My congratulations. Julie, she continues making programs and showing us the corners of France,” chef Pedro Subijana sent in a video. Andrieu spoke about the comparisons between Spanish and French cuisine: “There is a French feeling, not of superiority, but of having achieved something and that has prevented them from having fun with cooking”; On the other hand, French critics are full of praise for Spanish chefs.
The potato omelet with or without onion? “I have always thought that with onion,” said Andrieu. And about the ingredient that she doesn’t like in the kitchen: “It’s an ingredient that you people from Madrid love and that you use a lot: tripe,” the French critic rejects the offal completely: “I’ll stick with the stew or the sandwich squid”, he compensated in his dialogue. In life, Andrieu can’t stand lies.
She took the opportunity to be very critical of families who use screens. For Julie Andrieu, raising her children with screens, especially at the table, would be “abuse”: “How many people put the screen in front of their children even before putting the plate on the table? Basically to get rid of them,” Andrieu was very harsh. “We are not seeing the extent to which that is toxic.”
With a smile, Julie Andrieu closes the curtain on this magnificent interview by sharing her most intimate culinary preferences. Between laughs, she confesses her appreciation for gastronomic diversity, making it clear that, although she avoids tripe, her heart leans toward versatility and exotic flavors. Moroccan pastry is high on the list of her favorite dishes, while pasta stands as her faithful companion in everyday life.
