I was surprised the first time I met Jacqueline Ngo Ppii, who by sheer coincidence, I’d contacted a few weeks earlier when I learned about her company, Little Africa Paris. I wanted to sign up for one of their culinary tours of the African neighborhoods and markets of Paris. I’ve visited some of them a few times on my own, but I wanted to learn…
Thanks so much to the 6188 people who responded to my survey that I launched at the beginning of August, before taking a summer break. (Which I wrote about in my September newsletter.) I’m back in the saddle, so to speak, and I thought I’d share some of the results with you. There’s been a huge shift in blogs over the last decade. Most of…
While doing research for Drinking French, I was on the prowl to find a substitute for Amer Picon, the classic apéritif from France that’s not available in the U.S. While I found some alternatives that were available in America (which I listed in the book) my very favorite was Sepia Amer, made by Audemus Spirits in France. (h/t to Josh of Paris Wine Company for…
I was delighted that so many people were interested in setting up a French bar in advance of the publication of Drinking French and have been asked what liquors and spirits to get. So I’ve teamed up with Slope Cellars wine and spirits shop in New York City to release a Drinking French Bar Box. The Drinking French Bar Box includes a bottle of Old…
-This Thursday, April 16th, I’ll be on my publisher’s Instagram Feed at Ten Speed Press I’ll be talking about how to set up your own French bar as well as sharing a classic French apéritif that I’ll be demonstrating, which you can make at home. It’ll be taking place at 10 pm CET which is 4 pm ET, 1 pm PT. Please confirm the time…
As some of you know, since the lockdown (and since my book tour was postponed), I’m doing a daily Apéro Hour (Happy Hour) on Instagram Live. At 6pm (CET, Paris time) each day, except Sunday, I’ve been demonstrating a different drink, ranging from cocktails to classic café drinks and apéritifs. Along the way, I’m talking about French spirits and apéritifs, sharing some history and lore…
My bags were packed, and I was ready to go (and planning on stocking up on Sharpies as soon as I hit the ground) but due to current circumstances, I’ve had to cancel my Drinking French book tour. With travel difficult between countries and advisements to avoid large gatherings, my publisher and I decided it was best to put it off for now. Hopefully, the…
I’ll be at WHSmith in Paris next Thursday, celebrating the release of Drinking French: The iconic cocktails, apéritifs, and café traditions of France, with 160 recipes on February 27th. The event will be from 6 to 7:30pm and include a talk, book signing, and a French cheese and spirits tasting, as well.
I’ve been scrambling to get caught up on, well…everything. Included on my sizable to-do list is a rather long blog post that’s hopefully going to be worth the wait. (Ya never know…) There are also a few tech issues behind-the-scenes here on the blog that need tending to, even though I’d rather be baking. There is…or was…a cashew brittle recipe that didn’t quite work 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...
