If you ask Céline to describe herself in three words, she'll say: "French. Curious. Obsessed with my Japanese Crockpot." Yes, you read that right. While most people bring back kimonos or chopsticks from Japan, Céline came back with what she calls "the best kitchen discovery of my entire life" – a red Japanese Crockpot that changed everything.
It all started during a culinary tour in Tokyo. Céline was visiting a tiny home goods store in Shibuya when she spotted it – a sleek, red Crockpot with Japanese instructions she couldn't read. "I had no idea what half the buttons did," she laughs, "but something about it just spoke to me. Maybe it was the color. Maybe it was destiny. Probably both."
The shopkeeper, noticing her fascination, demonstrated how it worked. Slow cooking, pressure cooking, rice making – this thing did EVERYTHING. Céline bought it on the spot, somehow managed to fit it in her suitcase (goodbye, half her clothes), and flew it back to France like it was made of gold.
Her twin sister Cécile's reaction? "You brought back a WHAT? We have Crockpots here!" But after Céline made her first Japanese-inspired beef curry in it, Cécile immediately understood. There was something special about this particular appliance. Maybe it was the precise temperature control. Maybe it was the way it retained heat. Or maybe, just maybe, it had absorbed some of that Japanese kitchen magic.
When Chef Heinze first met Céline at QuickyCooking, she was in the middle of making a French coq au vin... in her Japanese Crockpot. "You're putting French cuisine in a Japanese appliance?" he asked, both horrified and intrigued. "Watch and learn, Chef," Céline replied with a wink. The result? Even Heinze admitted it was one of the best coq au vin he'd ever tasted.
That's Céline's superpower: she bridges cultures through food. She takes traditional French techniques, combines them with Japanese precision, and makes them work in modern kitchen appliances. Her motto? "The best recipes have no borders."
Béatrice loves working with Céline because while Béatrice focuses on speed and efficiency, Céline brings the art and elegance to slow cooking. "Béatrice teaches people how to save time," Céline explains, "I teach them how to enjoy that time while their food cooks itself."
Working alongside her twin sister Cécile at QuickyCooking has been a dream come true. While Cécile focuses on recipe discovery and adaptation, Céline specializes in presentation and refinement. "We complete each other," Cécile always says. "She makes everything beautiful, I make everything work."
Laurence, the nutrition expert, appreciates Céline's attention to ingredient quality. "She won't compromise on fresh herbs, good olive oil, or proper seasoning. It's very French," Laurence smiles. "But she'll happily make it all in a Crockpot. It's very practical."
Noémie, who organizes the QuickyCooking team's schedule, has learned to give Céline a bit more time for her recipes. "She's not slow, she's thorough," Noémie explains. "When Céline creates a recipe, every detail matters – the garnish, the plating, the aroma when you lift the lid. It's an experience, not just a meal."
These days, Céline's Japanese Crockpot has become something of a legend at QuickyCooking. Vanessa, the photographer, insists on photographing it whenever possible. "That red color pops so beautifully in photos!" she says. Céline just smiles. She knows it's not about the color. It's about what comes out of it.
From French beef bourguignon to Japanese curry, from Italian osso buco to American pot roast, Céline has proven that with the right tool and the right technique, any cuisine can become accessible to home cooks. Her mission? Show people that slow cooking isn't just convenient – it's also an art form.
And that Japanese Crockpot she brought back from Tokyo? It still sits proudly on her counter, used almost daily, a constant reminder that sometimes the best discoveries happen when you're willing to drag a kitchen appliance across the world in your suitcase.
