Student Profiles

Student Profiles

 An American inside the kitchens of a Paris luxury hotel
 From fair trade producers to Paris shops
 Sustainability in Paris’ open-air food markets

(See overview page for important information on profiles and lists.)

An American inside the kitchens of a Paris luxury hotel

Name: Rebecca R. Undergraduate major field(s): Anthropology, French Goals for her Paris Field Study semester: Pursue a passion for French culinary history and practice; continue to develop technical (pastry) skills; conduct ethnographic research in culinary anthropology Placement: Pastry brigade of the Plaza Athénée Hotel Responsibilities as intern:  Assist in pastry production for all points of sale in hotel.  Apprentice in advanced pastry techniques. Subject of research: The development of a cult of excellence at a Paris luxury hotel. And... As a result of her semester in Paris, Rebecca was hired as head pastry chef at a restaurant in the US. Another outcome: she now plans to pursue graduate studies in France in food anthropology.

From fair trade producers to Paris shops

Name: Katherine N. Undergraduate major field(s): English, French Goals for her Paris Field Study semester: To gain a global perspective on purchasing and consumption patterns and understand the way the food industry works in France Placement: Slow Food Paris and Guayapi (not-for-profit association for the collection and distribution of wild plants of the Amazon and Sri Lanka) Responsibilities as intern:  Organize travel logistics, assist with public relations and press as well as reception for a visit to Paris by Sri Lankan food producers  Assist in organizing the participation of both organizations at the annual “Salon du Goût”, as well as various international conferences and organic food expositions  Assist with the organization and staging of a protest against food waste in Paris markets  Create a map by neighborhood of businesses and artisans who have signed on to Slow Food’s quality charter  Complete administrative tasks; maintain Slow Food Paris’ blog and Facebook page Subject of research: A comparison of the way two major newspapers– the New York Times and Le Monde – have covered food issues and organic agriculture over the last 30 years And... In addition to her other internships, Katherine completed a mini internship at the bakery of renowned pastry chef Gérard Mulot, learning techniques involved in making French pastry and keeping up with the hectic pace of the holiday season in a Paris pâtisserie.

Sustainability in Paris’ open-air food markets

Name: Alyssa B. Undergraduate major field(s): Ecology, French Goals for her Paris Field Study semester: To work in an organization that deals with food systems and promotes sustainability and healthy eating Placement: Slow Food Paris Responsibilities as intern:  Establish a repertoire of information on the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), synthesizing policy and issues in preparation for a debate on proposed modifications for 2014  Produce working papers on topics of ecology and food; visit sites ranging from open-air markets to the Cordon Bleu cooking school as part of research  Publish articles on studies on the Slow Food Paris website Subject of research: How to eat ecologically in Paris And... For a first-hand look at food distribution, Alyssa visited the world’s largest wholesale fresh food market in Rungis, just outside of Paris. Starting at 4:45 a.m., she and the IFE team toured acres and acres of market halls filled with fruits and vegetables as well as meets, cheeses and fish, learning about the range of foods that enter Paris markets and restaurants.