Mélanie Mangin is the mother of 5 ½-year-old Ava
Your Proustian madeleine? My mom's mirabelle plum tart (I come from the Meuse, and mirabelle plums are to us what apples are to Normandy!)
Your favorite family? I'd love to say the British royal family, that would be chic, but honestly, it's the Kardashians… They are fascinating though! Watching them is a bit like watching National Geographic.
Where do you have lunch as a family? As a family, we have lunch at Hotel Amour. My partner owns it and it's the best brunch in Paris (completely objectively, of course!)
What does a family snack time look like at your place? Family snack time is sacred, especially on vacation, with cousins, the A La mère de famille spread, a good baguette and children at the peak of excitement (and their blood sugar levels!)
A really cool activity with the kids? Often, I try to take my daughter to a museum. Yes, I know, it makes me sound like the perfect mother, but I figure it's not when she's 15 that I'll manage to drag her there! And her favorite is the Centre Pompidou. Contemporary art speaks to children and the icing on the cake: the view of Paris. Really cool, right!
A recipe you can whip up in no time? My daughter's favorite recipe, easy to make in 2 minutes with her, is quiche lorraine. It's tasty, it's quick and it's my whole childhood.
How do they have you figured out? Having me figured out, for Ava, is impossible! First because I know her better than myself and especially because there's no better actress than her! Everything is written on her face. I hope it will be the same in her teenage years!
They make a big deal out of it when…? As far as my daughter is concerned, she makes a big deal out of it when I don't let her watch a PSG match. It's a mystery to me, since I only watch football every 4 years, but this 5 ½-year-old child is a kind of self-taught hooligan who is in a trance in front of Zlatan. You can imagine…
A favorite "A la Mère de Famille" product? It's a tough choice, but if I had to end up on a deserted island, I'd bring the ChocoBat, you know, those little breaded fish, hazelnuts and crispy praline. First because it's super tasty and also, I think that on a deserted island, calorie-wise, it could save my life!
A gift for ALMF for her 255th birthday? Giving gifts, I love it, and since I'm a very generous girl, for her birthday, I'd give a new store to La mère de Famille. For example, at Bastille, on the square, at the bottom of my building…
As Annie Cordy said, Cho KaKakao, if I give you chocolate, what do you give me? Well then, I might risk being thrown into the deep dungeons of the store, but chocolate isn't really my favorite thing. On the other hand, you give me nougat, praline, almond paste, in short, everything else in the store and I'll give you my soul (I'm keeping the body though…)
