Vive La Résistance
Meet Esther Voisin, the photographer behind ‘Bohemian Cooking’
Featuring Esther Voisin
Words by Laura Neilson
Photography by Esther Voisin & Mary Ahlberg
On the morning we speak, Esther Voisin has already enjoyed a breakfast of blinis with flaky yellowfin tuna, cucumbers and crème fraîche, with a generous dusting of salt—or more specifically, fleur de sel de Guerande, hand-harvested from southern Brittany in France. It’s a repast that would cause anyone suffering from morning doldrums to weep with envy, but for Voisin, a French-born photographer who now lives in Palm Springs, the meal is mostly a secondhand riff using the previous night’s leftovers. A resourceful, but nonetheless glorious commencement to the day.
“Breakfast has always been a ritual of pleasure, a modest celebration of life, and another day on earth,” she said, explaining a sentiment that became even more profound during the pandemic, which gave way to what she now calls her ‘Resistance Breakfast.’ “It all started during lockdown, in the company of my children—a decision that whatever the dreary circumstances, we will go through the day with joy,” she added, noting that in old French, the word resister means to “advance, in spirit and in faith, by any means necessary.”
“Breakfast has always been a ritual of pleasure, a modest celebration of life, and another day on earth,” she said, explaining a sentiment that became even more profound during the pandemic, which gave way to what she now calls her ‘Resistance Breakfast.’ “It all started during lockdown, in the company of my children—a decision that whatever the dreary circumstances, we will go through the day with joy,” she added, noting that in old French, the word resister means to “advance, in spirit and in faith, by any means necessary.”
The daily ritual has inspired a book she’s currently working on about breakfast, its meaning beyond an epicurean start to one’s day, and how it’s prepared and enjoyed by various individuals. Along with her Instagram account @BohemianCooking, a collection of near-daily meals and accompanying recipes, the book is another visual example of Voisin’s mindset that life and work, food and photography, nourishment and creativity are all inseparable.
Spicy Grapefruit Salad
As much as ‘bohemian’ living might cycle in and out of fashion every so often, it’s never been a trend or even an aspiration for Voisin, who credits her mother, “a mighty Provençal woman,” for her own unfussy, improvisational approach to life, especially through food and cooking. At one point during her childhood, Voisin and her family lived in Burgundy, a region in northeastern France known for its rich, savory gastronomy and red wine-infused dishes like coq au vin and beef bourguignonne.
“Olive oil was not a trend there at all. It was butter, cream…but my mother was cooking traditional Provençal dishes: fried eggplant, tomates farcies. For my friends it was really a curiosity!” she recalled.
Most of her youth, however, was spent in the south of France, in the Mediterranean-facing Camargue, where vivid memories of resplendent Sunday lunches that her mother would begin preparing the day before still summon up tremendous joy. “Oh la, la, it was beautiful for all its diversity. My mom would also make a dessert. It was fantastic for us kids. Île flottante, with the egg whites in a meringue, or something with caramel” she gushed. Voisin also remembers eagerly assisting her mother with her favorite dessert, a speciality called fantaisies (long and thin fritters, flavored with orange blossom), and the agony of waiting for them to cool enough after coming out of the fry pan.
Black Rice with Chermoula
Even without the incentive of a sweet treat, Voisin relished the opportunities to play a mini-sous chef alongside her mother. It was a tuition-free schooling in utensil skills, and ingredients and flavors that informed the capable, creative way she operates within the kitchen today. Aesthetics and plating are typically a consideration (especially if there’s photography involved), but for the most part, her technique is easy and spontaneous. “I usually improvise except for some traditional dishes.” It’s almost perfect, then, that she would choose John Coltrane as her favorite musician to fill the room with jazz as she cooks. (During the latter years of his career, Coltrane’s saxophone music transcended into a looser-feeling form known as free jazz.)
“Everything is linked in my work. My photography, which allows me to take photographs of my plates, but also the writing, the creativity, the imagination—everything is entwined.” It’s a recipe worth committing to memory.
Esther's Recipes