Marie-Aude Rose
The smell of fresh brioche is the first thing we notice walking into the home of Marie-Aude Rose. The French chef – now stateside – grew up in Paris and honed her craft working inside some of its most well-known restaurants, including Spring where she met her husband Daniel Rose (chef of Le Coucou in NYC). Marie-Aude, now executive chef of La Mercerie Café in Manhattan’s SoHo, spends her time at home testing recipes, building menus, and taking care of her young family. Read on to learn more about how she works and what she likes to wear when she’s “doing it all” (if such a thing exists).
JEUNE OTTE: Looks like you’re creating some recipes for La Mercerie. How does that work?
MARIE-AUDE: To think about La Mercerie’s menu I need to look at several components: A frame: French cuisine, traditions and modernity; The seasonality of the produce: Spring starting means lots of beautiful asparagus, ramps, spring carrots and onions, peas and fava beans, also strawberries on the way; The weather: if it’s still pretty cold out there I will keep the soups and stew a little longer; The customer feedback: maybe some modification are to be applied to a dish or even just removed if not popular; The execution: in a kitchen that was built for 44 seats and has grown to 150 with the outdoor space, I need to create a balance between hot station (oven/flat top/induction) and cold stations (garde manger and pastry) so that the flow is consistent and the customers don’t wait too long for their food. After considering all of that I let my imagination work, I get inspired by renowned French chefs whose cookbooks I collect, by my memories of meals from my childhood and adult life as well.
The watermelon and bell pepper salad I prepared today is a work in progress for this summer at La Mercerie. I am trying to find the right dressing so that the sweetness of the fruit is not overwhelmed by vinegar or mustard so I am going towards a peppery olive oil and a sweet moscatel vinegar that will gently bring the elements together.
JO: WHAT’S IN THE OVEN RIGHT NOW?
MARIE-AUDE: Brioche. Brioche is my favorite thing to make. I prepare it once a week for my family. In France you can buy it at the boulangerie everyday so I get a little lazy making it but here in the States I love that I don’t have an easily accessible bakery to get it. I have a thing for butter, especially salted butter.JO: What role does clothing play in your life?
MARIE-AUDE: I don’t have an addiction to fashion for myself, but I do love comfortable clothes and soft and fluid fabrics. Jeune Otte has some pieces that correspond perfectly to what I look for in clothing: beautiful fabrics, comfortable, elegant yet fit in a casual mood too. 
JO: Any favorites from Collection VI?
MARIE-AUDE: The Maria Jumpsuit I could wear everyday in any season, for a dressed-up party or to cook, hang, play with the kids at home.
The Calvin Maxi Dress is ideal for these coming hot days, light and comfortable. The belt makes it super playful and I could see myself wearing it at a wedding, a BBQ or at the beach.
And the Reed Pants I loved too because I like that they really wrap your waist and give a beautiful silhouette.JO: Thanks Marie-Aude!
photos by Noah Sheldon
