Hi, my name is Benedikte. I am Norwegian but I have been living in France for the last 20 years – hence the blog name Salmon & Frogs. Cooking is for me a lifelong love story. It is all about intentions, sharing, pleasure, generosity and joy. Watching family and friends find happiness over a meal is for me one of the best recipes for joy.
The contrasts but also the similarities in the two cooking cultures are fascinating! While Norwegian cooking can seem to be a bit more down to earth, French cooking has the reputation of being more sophisticated. In reality, the picture is much more nuanced. I hope to be able to take you on a culinary journey that will open both your mind and your taste buds, but most importantly bring joy to your table.
Although cooking is my passion and I initially wanted to become a chef, I ended up with quite a different journey. After taking a BA degree in Marketing and Statistics in London, and an MBA degree from Essec Business school in France, I spent almost 20 years in marketing, finance and management positions in international companies in Paris as well as working as an independent consultant and personal development coach. Fascinated by yoga and self-development, I have also recently graduated as a Vinyasa yoga teacher. But currently, I am coming back to my first passion and I have just started the French Chef degree, the “CAP Cuisine”. Hopefully, I will successfully graduate in May 2021.
I started working on this blog during the Covid 19 confinement. Like so many others around the world, I was locked up at home which led to a great opportunity to reflect and get inspired. Instead of sharing my recipes only with friends and family as I have always done, I felt like sharing it with a wider public.
The blog has already become an activity for the whole family and I am extremely grateful for the help I get from everyone. My husband assist with the cooking and is also taking some of the pictures (usually the best ones!), my youngest son helps with the cooking, my oldest son and my sister in law helps with the French translation and my mum with the Norwegian translation.
Every recipe has been savored and approved at our family table and all is being shared with love and good intentions, hoping it will bring you and yours a moment of pure joy.
Bon Appetit!
“In fact, taking care of others, helping others, ultimately is the way to discover your own joy and to have a happy life. So that is what I call wise selfishness.”
Dalai lama XIV, the Book of Joy: Lasting happiness in a changing world