In the series, these Frenchies in L.A…
Meet Michèle La Porta, creator of “Starlette Cake™”
In 1985, when Michèle opened her very first tea salon Thé Cool in the sixteenth arrondissement of Paris, little did she know that twenty-seven years later she would still be serving the very same cake she created back then! Starlette Cake™ was born when Michèle was herself looking for ways to eat healthy for pleasure and without guilt.
We met recently in Beverly Hills on a beautiful California morning with the sun peeking and a mild breeze passing through the Palm trees. Michèle graciously welcomed me in her home for tea time and a slice of “Starlette Cake™”.
Parisian born Michèle is an attractive blonde with piercing blue eyes who has a genuine warmth about her. She seems quite at home in the city of the Angels: “My Life changed in 2008 when I fell in love with Los Angeles during a 3-week visit!” Michèle entered the Green Card lottery contest on a dare and she recalls that: “My fingers just did the walking on the computer as I entered in the last week hours of the contest”! In June 2009 she won! “I sensed that I had a life to build here! I left Paris and came to L.A with my daughter and two suitcases!”
Flashback twenty-seven years ago… Michèle had just opened her very first tea salon she named Thé Cool, a unique and exclusive concept in Paris and the very first salon to serve not only tea and pastry but also homemade light savory dishes to this day. “I still remember the very first day I opened the tea shop, I ran out of all the ingredients around noon and had to run to the corner store to restock and start all other again until closing time!”
When former French First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy and the famous model Karen Mulder entered the tea salon for the first time, they tasted the “almost no calorie” cake she kept in a corner of her display case and the two beauties were hooked instantly! What followed was a huge buzz in all Paris as ELLE Magazine and many others started to talk about it. Starlette Cake™ was born according to La Porta.
With growing popularity, Michèle was invited to host her own cooking show on France 2 “TéléMatin” TV show,(the equivalent of “Good Morning America”), showing the audience how to cook lightly and healthy which she hosted for many years “Destiny must be provoked”, says Michèle La Porta, “chance or luck really is a talent!“
“Starlette Cake™” creation has now made a successful debut in L.A and it is now proudly served at Sur Restaurant & Lounge, in West Hollywood as well as at Luxe Rodeo Drive Hotel. Michèle has created a cake that is unique in the world and that everyone should enjoy with a secret recipe that she keeps close to her heart, but we know that it contains: no sugar, no gluten, no eggs, no flour, and no fat!
“I believe you must enjoy when eating and eat well!” Michèle has intuitively developed her passion for cooking during her many travels in exotic places. “We eat with our eyes first so presentation is important. If the mind and body are happy, you can eat everything you want in reasonable amounts. I prefer steaming and using spices to make food more tasty” she says.
It goes hand in hand that Michele loves to entertain: “Cooking is a gift you give to others; you have to love other people and love making people happy. To me, it’s a contradiction to feel sad on a diet because food is meant to be enjoyed”.
Michèle’s inspiration in Life are qualities she herself exudes: “Passion, optimism, and energy!” I had such a delightful moment with Michèle and I wish her and “Starlette Cake™” a sweet and long success! This is what sweet dreams are made of…
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French Culture & Lifestyle in the USA
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- The Starlette Cake .TM… Why French Women Don’t Get Fat! (frenchalacarteblog.com)
