The American dream lives (at least a little) in each of us… Nevertheless, when she landed in New York nearly twenty years ago, Zoé Deleu, a young graphic designer who graduated from the École Supérieure des Arts Graphiques, could not imagine not that she will make her life there. And even less that it will conquer the Big Apple! “I arrived in the United States with my husband, Frédéric, artistic director. It was unexpected and very exciting… It lasted two years, then we came back to France. »
The second stay will turn out to be the good one, they are still there, almost fifteen years later, and their two sons grew up there. For the one who dreamed of being an architect, fate will have been facetious, as her daily life is now made up of very different things: cooking, imagining, coordinating and making people dream.
The taste of good things
Parents who were architects and decorators, brothers and sisters working in the cinema, then in the restaurant industry… At the Deleus, life is nourished by art, galleries, music, images, but also by many dinners, parties, ‘friendship. “When I returned to New York, I was a young mother. I started cooking because I always liked it. And then I helped a friend organize a cocktail party at her house. My buffet was a huge success. So I said to myself: “What if I made a job out of it?” »
To hear Zoé, who talks about herself while preparing a plate, things are simple. Still, it took work, sleepless nights, energy and determination to develop Zoé Deleu Catering, which figures prominently in the ranking of the most popular caterers of the moment! Weddings or professional events, Zoé imagines them from A to Z, taking care of the menus, but also the art of the table, the floral decoration and the service. “It’s a bit crazy job where I’m a conductor, where you have to manage the smallest detail and show imagination, while reassuring everyone. Fortunately, I have a team of around thirty people who help me effectively,” she explains.
Big Apple taste
What is also very popular are his dishes, eminently vegetal, colorful, fragrant, traveling between Europe, Asia and Mexico, building bridges between trends, cultures and flavors. “It’s true that New York is a concentrate of the world with multiple communities, but I find inspiration in nature, the freshness of seasonal products, generally organic and from the farms that supply me. I mix their colors, their textures with other things, from a Matisse exhibition to a dish eaten, from a leafed book to an image. » An eclectic taste culture that slides from a red curry noodle soup to a saffron-braised chicken, from grilled salmon in a zaatar crust to a pot-au-feu, passing through homemade lasagna or couscous meatballs … Her register is wide, as is the diversity of the streets of Brooklyn where she has long lived.
How does Zoé imagine the future? “Maybe not always in New York,” she concedes in her kitchen with a view of the Williamsburg district. Life is hectic, but we are starting to want to rest a little and we miss the French way of life. I dream of opening a hybrid place in the French countryside with a huge barn where to organize weddings and parties, cooking courses… Importing the know-how that I have developed here into France would be great! »
There is no doubt that Zoé Deleu will soon write new chapters of her life, as her energy bursts. In the meantime, here are some of her favorite recipes, from her legendary beef bourguignon to her incredible fried chicken, to bite into the Big Apple like her!
Zoe Deleu Catering
630 Flushing Avenue, 5th floor, Brooklyn
+ 1 347 260 1904
zoedeleu.com
