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About Tartelette

Welcome to Tartelette, a blog devoted to food photography, fresh seasonal ingredients and the simple things in life.

I’m Helene, photographer, expat, traveler and dog lover, currently in Charleston, South Carolina.

I started this blog in 2006, after I left a position as Pastry Chef of a French restaurant, unsure of what to do next. I just knew it would evolve around photography and food. And not only sweets!

To get in touch:

* Blog inquiries: mytartelette[at]gmail[dot]com – Please, ask to use my photographs before you go ahead and "borrow" one. I don’t bite. It’s just common courtesy.

*Commercial inquiries:

[email protected]

Twitter: @HeleneDujardin

Instagram: Helene Dujardin

Facebook page: Helene Dujardin Photography

My photography portfolio can be viewed here: http://www.helenedujardinphoto.com/

Why gluten free?

In late 2008, I was diagnosed with Meniere’s disease and was tested for several allergies at the same time.

My neurologist is a young doctor always in tune with the latest research and we looked at the relationship between gluten, sodium, cholesterol and Meniere. While the research is still in its infancy with that disease, reducing gluten, sodium and bad cholesterol had positive effect on a lot of people affected by the disease. So I started paying attention to all three. That was easy. I wanted to get better and feel better and not feel like I was in a roller coaster a few days a week with vertigo plaguing me without warning, ringing and fullness of the ear, fog on the brain, etc…

Over the years, I have found out that there is no formula to this condition. Unfortunately, I can be 100% gluten free, sodium free, bad cholesterol free, and still have one or two attacks in a month or eat some form of gluten once or twice a week and never have an episode. It’s tiresome not to know but I do know that my body has a limit to how much it can handle gluten, sodium and high fatty foods. When my ears start getting full and ringing…that’s when I have to back off. It’s not always but it happens. Over the last year or so, I have noticed that it takes about 3 days with some form of gluten or high sodium intake every day for me to get a episode of Meniere’s.

So if I want to feel good and work, and laugh and live, I have to stay away from gluten, sodium and bad cholesterol as much as possible. It’s not that hard really….

Helene Dujardin via Tartelette is a participant in the Amazon Services
LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a
means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

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Comments


Anonymous July 7, 2008 um 1:17 am

Bonjour, merci pour le commentaire laissé sur mon blog, plus que flattée ! Je voulais savoir si le livre en cours sera disponible à l’achat sur Internet ? Faites que oui !


Anonymous July 15, 2008 um 12:24 pm

That silhouette is really something!! I don’t think your hair is that crazy, though… 😉 Congratulations on the new image!


Lori July 22, 2008 um 4:35 pm

Love it !


Anonymous August 3, 2008 um 6:54 am

I only just found your blog. I am writing to let you know that I made your Tiramisu cake from a recipe you posted in 2006 and it was incredible.
Thank you so much for making the
birthday party excellent.


galleryfang August 7, 2008 um 4:51 am

Just found your fabolous blog too.. I have been crazy about macaroons. 🙂 Thanks for the recipe.


Patricia Scarpin August 7, 2008 um 2:35 pm

Put that gorgeous photo of yourself back, honey! 🙂


Anita August 21, 2008 um 9:16 pm

Helen, I didn’t realize you’d changed your "about me" page – and I love it! I can’t wait for your book to come out and learn about your fascinating life – you’ve done so many amazing things, of which the most amazing are how generous you are about sharing it and how beautifully you tell your stories. You are totally me hero – I bake and hope my stuff comes out half as good as yours! XOXO


Bea August 31, 2008 um 3:02 pm

Superbes photos! Malheureusement mon anglais n’est pas aussi bon que mon français et j’ai toujours peur d’avoir mal compris les recettes et de les rater 🙁
J’espère que ce ne sera pas le cas!
Salutations


peachey September 10, 2008 um 2:52 pm

hello there, neighbor!
jsut scrolling through your posts and photos had me in a salivating overload. my, my such wonderful and pretty sweets!


Michelle Medley September 10, 2008 um 7:17 pm

Helen:

Here’s a fun little story for you, should you ever be out in Wyoming. There’s a small little town (less than 1,000) called Dubois, but it’s large enough to support the oven work of Home Slice Artisan Bakery (a one-woman effort). I recently met the talented baker, who sells her bread, crackers and granola in the grocery store and local gas station and her rolls through the back door of two local restaurants. She invited me to spend two weeks in her kitchen, helping her out, and it was the happiest two weeks of my life.

She showed me how to work with whole grain; I showed her how to make croissants. It is my dearest wish that someday, we’ll just combine our two worlds. Someday I’ll quit my day job (ad agency) and get rolling in dough.


Anonymous September 27, 2008 um 7:09 pm

dear Miz Helen, hi!
i just wanted to tell you how awesome and toothsome everything always looks on your blog.
pictures and recipes are enough to get taste-buds go whirling away…
and i really just wanted to thank you for sharing them with this wide world.
i know how some people love to be exclusive about their own concoctions, so really, being given such delicious recipes with such gracious instructions is really a treat.
so, good luck and best wishes for whatever you might still come up with!


Hartati Nurwijaya October 10, 2008 um 4:07 am

Bonjour Helen,

You amazing talent. As a Chef and fotografer.
Good luck for your book proposal.
Cant wait to buy yoru book in amazon.

Love,

Tati in Greece


1Northeast October 17, 2008 um 9:57 am

Hello. You know I was about to ask you if 'Tartelette' is your real name. Seriously! I said, wow, is she pre- determined to be a great pastry chef! 🙂 I like your blog and the desserts you create


MAHIMA November 16, 2008 um 2:31 pm

Hi, i m a vegetarian and yet follow ur blog ardently because of ur amazing presentation. I love ur perfection.

I wanted to tag u for a bread baking event, before doing so i wanted to ask you if u are comfy with it?
would appreciate ur reply soon.


VaTeacher December 1, 2008 um 9:17 pm

Your blog is gorgeous! Love your pictures and your recipes are to die for. Quite inspiring.


Anonymous December 3, 2008 um 7:25 am

HELLO tARtLeTTe

i fall in love with your blog…
it’s lovely and i just can’t get myself out of here… marvelous!!!!
Sincerely wishing you
All the Best to you!
Good Luck!!!! 🙂


LaDue & Crew December 7, 2008 um 10:22 pm

What a delicious blog! I found you through A Yankee in a Southern Kitchen… Oh, she was right about you- you are Fab!


Anonymous December 8, 2008 um 4:57 pm

please tell me what is the baking temperature and time/lenghtin the oven for Satsuma Pistachio Dacquoise recipe?
thanks a million
milenko


Véronique December 19, 2008 um 2:35 am

jadooooooooooooore ton blogue! je le suis ardemment à chaque jour en espérant qu’une nouvelle recette fasse son apparition! tes photos sont superbes aussi mais ca je sais que tu le sais hihi! Mais peut tu me dire ou trouve tu le temps de faire toutes ses pâtisseries??? Est-ce que ce que l’on retrouve sur ton blogue c’est principalement des choses que tu fais pour le plaisir à la maison ou se sont des commandes?

continue à nous épater!
Joyeuses fêtes!


Chloe January 23, 2009 um 4:56 pm

Hi Helen

I wandered into your blog recently while looking for a mousse recipe. And lo and behold, I didn’t find just one mousse recipe but loads of wonderful looking mousses!! Thanks for sharing!! Your rapsberry lime mascarpone mousse was a hit with my friends and then I got bold and gave the mascarpone mousse a twist by using pineapple juice and pulp cooked in cloves and cinnamon instead of lime. It was just as awesome.
Thanks for the inspiration!!


Anonymous January 27, 2009 um 10:26 am

Congratulations with your winning in the foodblog awards 2008, Tartelette! Best wishes from Brussels, Belgium.


May February 8, 2009 um 12:37 pm

Hello from French-speaking Europe. Your photos and recipes are amazing – come back to France and share them there (i.e. closer to me)!


Anonymous February 9, 2009 um 4:22 pm

Hi there, very nice to find your blog from My Kitchen Snippets. I admire the way you pursue your interest and dream. May I ask where you are from ? Switzerland? I am from Basel, Switzerland.


Dewi March 4, 2009 um 4:44 pm

Helene,
wow, you put the photograph of your self, I like that. I’ve always picture you like the one in your blog, with hair puff up, skinny, and pretty stylist. Here you look so different then that caricature on your blog. Still skinny, pretty, seem so down to earth, and no puffy hair, LOL!

I am so happy to finally see your face here, and also glad to read that your book will be released in Fall. I can’t wait, because I know your recipe work.
Congratulation!
Elra


Cheryl March 6, 2009 um 1:30 am

Hello Helen!
I’m a novice cook and photographer, and I first stumbled upon your photos on flickr about a year ago. Despite not having a sweet tooth, I found myself drawn to your photos. Each and every one of your beautiful creation just lights up my screen like Christmas, over and over again! You have filled my head with posibilities, and my heart with joy. I just wanted to say, thank you so much for sharing. I am so looking forward to purchasing your book! :o)

Best regards,
Cheryl Ng from UK


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