Lili Barbery Coulon, journalist, founder of the blog LiliBarbery, mother of 8-and-a-half-year-old Jeanne.
Your Proustian madeleine? The profiteroles with whipped cream my mother used to make when I was little
Your favorite family member? I don’t have a favorite family member. I stopped fantasizing about perfect families a long time ago. They don’t exist. Every family has its share of dysfunction, unspoken things, sorrow, and joy, even when the Polaroid makes them look perfect.
Where do you go for family lunch? We like going to l’Orient Extrême on rue Bernard Palissy, or sometimes to the Dépanneur in the 9th arrondissement to please my daughter, who loves their burgers (even though I much prefer the burgers at Maison Mère in the same neighborhood). When the weather is nice, I like going to the Musée de la Vie Romantique. They have a small tearoom that isn’t anything special, but the garden is worth the detour, and in Paris, that’s precious.
What does a family snack time look like at your house? On a daily basis, it’s mostly Jeanne (8) who sits down for a snack. Her favorite thing: bread, salted butter, and small squares of chocolate on her toast. For birthdays, since I’m both obsessive and always enthusiastic about creating a beautiful table, I go all out with My Little Day decorations, prepare a ton of cakes and cookies, and decorate with candies all over the tablecloth…
A really fun activity with the kids? Going to a museum with a sketchbook. We sit down in front of a painting chosen by the child, each with our own sketchbook, and draw what we see. It helps the child learn how to look at a work of art. And it’s really pleasant to draw as an adult; we lose track of time doing it. A lovely moment to share together that only costs the price of an admission ticket.
A recipe you can master in no time? I never fail at making whipped cream. And it’s amazing. The secret: put the liquid cream, the electric whisk, and the mixing bowl in the fridge for at least an hour. Then, beat the cream until it firms up, add a packet of organic vanilla sugar, a packet of Chantifix (a miracle product), and keep whisking for a little longer. DONE. The hardest part is not eating the bowl before you’ve bought the strawberries!
How do they get you? When my daughter plays the “perfect child,” starts clearing the table without being asked, prefers her books to the iPad, and tidies her room, she always has something she wants to ask me. She’s clever; she doesn’t say it right away. Then, after a few days, she can’t keep it up anymore and goes back to her old self. Normal, right?
They make a big deal out of…? I’m very strict about screen time. It’s only on weekends and Wednesday afternoons. Turning off a cartoon or a YouTube video is always treated like a tragedy.
A favorite product from “À la Mère de Famille”? I don’t know what it’s called, but it’s the chocolate-covered almonds. Good grief, that stuff drives me crazy—if I get my hands on it, I can’t stop… (Lili talks about the Amandes de L’Ili Pika)
A gift for ALMF for its 255th birthday? Another 255 years of creativity before their eyes! And my dream: I’d love to see a shop made entirely of chocolate, like stepping into Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. You could eat everything—it would be incredible /// something to imagine at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs?
As Annie Cordy used to say, Cho KaKakao, if I give you chocolate, what do you give me? All my love <3
