A Wizard Who Dares

Wraps of fresh-truffle butter, home-made cream flavoured with dill, cheese sushi surrounded with a ginger coating ? She knows how to do it. Better yet, she invents recipes day after day. Settled in the 17th arrondissement of Paris (« rue de Tocqueville, I’ve always lived and worked here, it is my hometown »), Martine Dubois, who loves words, defines herself as a « cheese merchant ».

« Even when I was little, I wanted to be a shopkeeper. The stories about the old-fashioned shops always fascinated me, particularly the thought of getting unusual and precious items from exotic places. In a certain way, my dream has come true as I seek out rare cheeses from all over France... »

However, Martine is also a mother and a « cordon bleu ». Those who open the door to her store can choose between a wide variety of cheese-based culinary fantasies, but also edible flowers (nasturtium, pansies, orchids...) and antique cutlery ! We are far from « verrines » those little individual portions that have been popular the past few years. Perfect accompaniments, miniscule slices or sophisticated preparations, the idea did not just suddenly come out of the blue, these ideas came to her after confecting made-to-order platters (private catering functions for actors, politicians, royalty...) and spruced-up buffets which reflect the « merchant’s » personality: « I refuse to use the word “caterer” : it brings to mind huge servings, big delivery trucks... even if there are some fantastic caterers ! I, however, dare to bring things together. I find ways to make room for cheese on the buffet table, where sometimes there isn’t even a single knife. What you need is to make them stand out and easy to eat. For a long time, cheese was kept away from the buffet table because of its smell.

Now, because of cutting techniques and inventive presentation styles, attitudes are changing. I think it is the visual aspect (geometric and unusual cutting styles not usually associated with traditional cheese) that makes the guest want to taste, and then will tempt them to venture towards more modern presentation techniques. This is why it is important to offer at least these two cheese presentation styles. Sometimes we will include these two styles in a totally traditional cheese buffet. You can easily offer all three at the same time, they work very well together ! »

Martine’s mother and grandmother were very goods cooks, her youngest son became a chef. On rue de Tocqueville she combines her passion for cheese with her love of the theatre : « The shop is like a theatre. The moment I prefer the most is early in the morning, backstage, before the curtain rises. We don’t yet know what our audience will be like. It is a very diverse group of people that enter, in terms of accents, customs, couples uniting then splitting up... » Assisted by eight colleagues, she has made her little shop somewhat of a beehive : « For the past ten years, I’m at home, I have earned my place. It wasn’t that easy because the cheese world can be quite macho. At times I felt like I was suffocating, but I stayed in there and I won over those that were the most suspicious. I started with the things that weren’t visible : renovating the cellar before starting work in the store : an automated door so that it is not as cold and so that the cheese suffer less. » And if she had to choose just one cheese to take on a desert island ? After a long hesitation, she chooses the Epoisses : « The only problem is that I am totally incapable of stopping after just one bite ! »

Her last creation perfectly illustrates her limitless creativity : a Rubik’s Cube made of different breads (corn, rye, curry...) and cheese (Saint-Félicien with truffles, goat cheese with chives, mascarpone with candied tomatoes, Philadelphia Cream Cheese with raisins !