There’s a misconception that the French don’t eat junk food. While it’s true that the drugstore shelves around here are lined with, of all things—drugs, there are some foods around that don’t quite fall into the high-fallutin’ AOC category elsewhere. It’s become commonplace to see teenagers swilling la Coca from plastic liter jugs on the sidewalks and it’s not unusual to see a Parisian toting…
In a country where one of the tenets is égalite, there are, believe it or not, some people who are more “equal” than others. It’s one of the less-discussed French paradoxes. No, I’m not talking about the motor scooter drivers who ride roughshod through Paris, bombarding pedestrians on the sidewalks or breaking through traffic, cutting off buses, bicyclists, and generally wreaking havoc in their noisy,…
Before I went away for recent my trip to New York City, as a gesture of extraordinary kindness to the person who I swapped apartments with, I cleaned out some of the things in my fridge. Nevertheless, she managed to find my stash of crunchy organic peanut butter, but curiously missed the luscious jar of salted butter caramel from Henri Le Roux in Brittany. What’s…
About 25 years ago, I was traveling around Europe with nothing but an overstuffed backpack, which probably reeked of ripe brie from all the cheese I’d stashed into it. I was by myself, ending up befriending a Turkish woman, and we traveled together for a few weeks. She was a journalist and told me she’d gotten divorced, which meant that if she went to certain…
Now that I’ve had a few days to digest everything I tasted at the Salon del Gusto, I thought I’d show you a fraction of what was on offer. The event was an unparalleled opportunity to sample foods from all over the world, with a focus on Italy, of course, since that’s where the event takes place. That meant an abundance of cured pork products…
After returning from my first-ever visit to the Slow Food Salone del Gusto in Torino, Italy, on Monday, I began writing up the event, and looking at the photos I’d taken. As I wrote, I found myself writing a but at length of what this event was, and wasn’t, and how people (including me) perceive these kinds of events. I didn’t go with any agenda;…
I hate to say I told you so. But… When everyone around here was telling me my glass dish was used for garlic, and I disagreed, insisting it’s for butter. I finally got proof-positive. Last week, I was shopping at Zabar’s, hoping actually to pick up a few more of my favorite knives.
It’s considered rude in France to ask people who you’ve just met—“What do you do?” It’s kinda like asking someone how much money they make. We Americans are used to freely discussing money, or anything financial, and have no qualms about admiring someone’s new shirt, and in the next breath asking them how much it cost. Or walking into someone’s apartment and asking them how…
[Update: As of October 2019, City Bakery has closed.] Here’s what I like best about The City Bakery: anything you order is going to be first-rate. There’s a thin, flaky apple tart with a hint of tangy lemon and lots of crackly sugar. The chocolate cookie is soft and bursting with deep, dark chocolate flavor. And the dreamy chocolate tartlet is simple and direct: a…
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