The French predilection of blowing things out of proportion is nowhere more evident than in the highly detailed, extraordinary Michelin maps, which cover every nook, cranny, crevice and petit village in France. And like many things French, once you figure out how to work within the ‘system’, in this case an unwieldingly large map that’s impossible to unfurl in the car, it works better than…
These are pêche plat, or ‘flat peaches’…for obvious reasons! They’re white-fleshed little peaches with tiny pits and are grown in the US as well, where they’re often called Donut® or Saturn peaches. Last week in Paris I saw flat nectarines. Is this a trend? What’s next…flat watermelons? Flat blueberries? These are the best fruit in the world: Reine Claude plums. Don’t let the dull green…
1. You buy clothing, not based on style or fashion, but because the texture and color of the fabric will make new and interesting backgrounds for your food shots. 2. You choose routes through town based on what’s to eat or photograph along the way in lieu of the most direct path. 3. You find the only friends that’ll talk to you are other food…
A favorite late summer treat in France is the Pêche de Vigne, or ‘peach of the grapevine’. These fuzzy heirloom peaches have a dull, very fuzzy dusky exterior that gives little clue to the dazzling flesh within. But slice one open, and…wow! The rare Pêche de Vigne appears only for a short time; just during the fleeting, final weeks in August. Their taste is a…
You may have seen the fresh shelling bean at your market, but passed them by since you didn’t know what to do with them. True, in their pods, they look like something that’s going to be a lot of work. Or something you’d rather not bother with, since the pods aren’t edible. Whatever your preconceptions are, it’s time to get rid fo them. Fresh shelling…
I was talking to my agent in the US the other day (which sounds far more pretentious than it really it….usually our ‘talking’ is me listening while he tells me what I should and shouldn’t be doing with my life.) Obviously I have a need for stern, authoritarian figures. I was telling him that I would be going on vacation for a few weeks. “A…
What’s up with all the soft, pale baguettes appearing in Paris? A few years back, when I moved to the Bastille, my local boulangerie made the best baguettes I’ve ever had. Each baguette was a revelation. If I was lucky to get there at just the right time, I would be handed a still-warm, slender flute of bread. I’d rip off the end as soon…
If you’re looking for Asian ingredients in Paris, this is the place. Everything from mangoes and Thai basil, to fresh ginger and other vegetables, as well as meats, sauces, nuts, oils, and noodles, you’ll find at Tang Frères. Tang Frères 48, avenue d’Ivry, 13th Tel: 01 45 70 80 00 Mètro: Porte d’Ivry (Closed Monday)
Why temper chocolate? The short answer is that chemically, chocolate is composed of several different little crystals (six to be exact) but the desirable ones are called beta crystals. The development and formation of these beta crystals are what makes well-tempered chocolate. If you imagine a cup of chicken stock, it may seem uniform, but if left to sit, the fat will rise to the…
Join me on my Spring 2026 book tour for my latest book, The Great Book of Chocolate
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