When I moved to Paris, I was pretty shocked at how expensive things were. And I don’t mean Louis Vuitton suitcases or Kelly bags. Something as simple as a sponge at the supermarket would cost 4€ or a plastic storage container at the BHV might run you 15€ around here. Ouch! Then I learned about the Paris pas cher stores all over town. Although concentrated…
[UPDATE: The original bakery mentioned here is now closed. However it was replaced by Maison Landemain, which has excellent croissants, and other pastries and bread.] Truth is, I don’t eat croissants very often for the simple reason that I don’t like to get dressed until I’ve had my morning coffee & toast. So having one is a relatively big deal for me, since croissants are…
Back in my intrepid youth, when my hair dipped below my ears (when I had hair, that is…), I flirted with vegetarianism. I should probably say it was more than a passing fancy; I was a vegetarian for about six years and even worked in a vegetarian restaurant. At Cabbagetown Café in Ithaca, New York, we’d ladle up bowls of Cashew Chili or curious soups,…
Free Bikes In Paris Over 20,000 bicycles are on their way to Paris as part of the mayor’s plan to make the residents of the city less-dependent on cars. (Many citizens of the city are absolutely irate about the new bike lanes.) The bikes will be free to use and can be picked up at one of 1451 stations, then dropped off at any one…
Living abroad, naturally, one of the great joys in life is getting a care package from ‘home’. A box arrives unannounced from a friend, and it’s a wonderful surprise. You rip it open and find it’s packed with all sorts of things that you miss about your country. For an American, especially one who bakes, contents might include, say…corn syrup, peanut butter, a mini-Sharpie keychain…
The Time Out Paris: Eating and Drinking has reviews that are solid and well-researched. The newest guide, Edition 8, has essential information on over 850 restaurants, and included are chapters on Bistros, Brasseries, Classics, Haut Cuisine, Trendy, and Regional cuisines, as well as a good section for les Vegetarians. But my favorite is the section on Budget restaurants, which are fun to explore…especially if you’re…
I met Gale Gand a few years back at a culinary conference. I love meeting other bakers since we all share an unspoken bond, and we’re generally the nicest people you’re likely to meet (if I do say so myself). And I was happy to discover that Gale was no exception. Gale’s the author of four highly-regarded books on baking, Just A Bite, Butter Sugar…
As you can imagine, after living in San Francisco for almost twenty years, I have some pretty wacky friends. While I don’t want to recount everything that happened back in the days of free-love, many of us have grown up and gone on to tastier things. One friend has a wildly successful cheese shop. Another opened a bakery , a chocolate factory, or became wine…
Here it is! The final round-up for Sugar High Friday #27: Chocolate By Brand. These are the last entries for the event and thanks to everyone for their participation. I was overwhelmed by the number of entries (to say the least…) but was happy there was so much interest in chocolate and was amazed at all the beautiful and well-crated dessert folks are making out…
Join me on my Spring 2026 book tour for my latest book, The Great Book of Chocolate
A
Get David's newsletter sent right to your Inbox!
Sign up for my newsletter and get my FREE guidebook to the best bakeries and pastry shops in Paris...
