LirÔlac

Born in Aix-les-Bains, Mercotte spent decades traveling around the Savoie, meeting with chefs, local growers, and exceptional artisans who, over time, became some of her closest friends.

While she has written more than her fair share of cooking books, La Savoie Gourmande differs in format. More than a series of recipes, this book needs to be read. It includes testimonials and interviews with award-winning chefs, revealing their personalities, far from the typical pre-rehearsed platitudes. The book presents the local farmers and artisans who work with the chefs on a daily basis, and also offers a few choice recipes.

The idea for the book came from Marie Etchegoyan, photographer for Le Meilleur Pâtissier, who convinced her to embark on a new adventure, since Mercotte knows the aforementioned chefs, growers, and artisans better than anyone else.

Among the key figures in high-end cuisine in Annecy are Laurent Petit, Jean Sulpice, Yoann Conte, Florian Favario, Patrick Agnellet, and Philippe Rigollot, the latter two being pastry chefs.

The opportunity to learn more about each one of them, their backgrounds, their work, their passion, and the sacrifices each has made to reach where they are today.

Who better than Mercotte, their neighbor and friend, to invite them to sit down for a chat? She writes loud and clear about her love for the Savoie and Haute-Savoie, the beautiful landscapes, the power of the seasons, the quality of life, and the amazing 55 Michelin-starred chefs in the area, and we are more than proud to have her as an ambassador.

Come and meet Mercotte on October 1st, at the LirÔlac book festival during a roundtable discussion with Jean Sulpice and led by journalist Serge Delémontex.