I am not a good traveler and I get whiny and irritable when I’m the least bit uncomfortable. Even more so than usual. There’s nothing I like better than tucking into my own bed every night and arranging the jumble of pillows just-so in my own very-special configuration. So unlike the rest of America, I sympathize with Paris Hilton and am not keen on sleeping…
A ficelle is a small baguette, whose name actually means ‘string’. But in French bakery lingo it means a thin little crusty baguette. A ficelle makes a perfect petit snack, especially one like this that’s crusted with lots of poppy and sesame seeds. One of my all-time, tip-top favorite breads in Paris is the ficelle apéritif baked at Moisan bakery. Although primarily known for their…
Find a treasure…after uncovering where all the flea markets in Paris are. Float down the Seine at a bargain price. Make new friends at the biggest dinner party in Paris. A nice, brand-new pocket guide to the Markets of Paris. Learn French by listening to the news in ‘easy French‘ while reading the script. Don’t wanna sleep on my Aerobed? Paris hotels for 35€…or less!…
[Update: In 2018, new owners took over Blé Sucré. Some of the items have changed and these madeleines may no longer be available. You can find my Lemon-glazed madeleine recipe here.] The best Madeleines in the world are right here in Paris. Well…duh. You don’t need to visit my blog to know that, do you? I’ve never been one of those people who waxed poetically…
Here’s my address book for the most popular and some of my favorite places for ice cream in Paris. I recently published an updated list of ice cream shops in Paris=> Here! In addition to these glaciers, some of the pâtisseries make their own exceptionally-good ice cream which they’ll scoop up from freezers parked on the sidewalks outside during the summer. Some of the best…
It’s pretty overwhelming visiting a fromagerie. After years of trying as many French cheeses as I could, I’ve settled on a few favorites that I go back to over and over, which include moist, piquant Roquefort de Carles, which I like drizzled with chestnut honey, little rounds of tangy chèvre and ash-covered Selles-sur-Cher, and nutty Comté from the French alps, which if you taste one…
A blog is an online diary where you can write about what you see and what you eat. It’s a marvelous thing that you can use to share your culinary experiences for everyone to read. The flip side of having a blog is that others can, and do, read it. A while back I wrote something about a chocolate shop in the Marais that I…
 One of the most confusing things for visitors to Paris is figuring out the tip system. Unlike the United States where tips are expected (and considered part of the wages paid), in France by law, service compris is always included in the price, wherever you eat or drink. Waiters are paid a living wage, similar to what someone who works in a store or bakery is paid….
I was excited to finally visit the famed kitchen of La Maison du Chocolat, just outside of Paris. Robert Linxe, who was born in the Basque region founded La Maison du Chocolat. He was one the major proponents of using ganache in his chocolates; that slightly-airy amalgamation of chocolate and cream. Then he went on to develop a flavor palette of ganache-based chocolates…and the rest…
Join me on my Spring 2026 book tour for my latest book, The Great Book of Chocolate
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