The worst thing about the pâtisserie of Arnaud Larher is that it’s too dang far away from where I live. Located on the northern fringes of Montmarte, it takes me 3 different métros to get there, and even then, it’s a hike from the métro station (which is buried very, very deep underground, since that quartier of Paris is mostly soft limestone, aka plaster of…
When the winter chill comes to Paris, one of the great pleasures is sipping a cup of rich hot chocolate, known as chocolat chaud, in a cozy café. But no matter where you live, you can easily make and enjoy the chocolatey taste of this Parisian specialty at home. Contrary to popular belief, Parisian hot chocolate is usually made with milk rather than cream, and get…
There’s nothing I like better than a big batch of mole, the famed Mexican sauce, spiked with chiles, spices, and a hint of dark, bitter chocolate. Mole is excellent spooned over baked or poached chicken, and I’m especially fond of slathering it over a pot of crispy-cooked carnitas, too. Recipes adapted from The Sweet Life in Paris (Broadway Books) by David Lebovitz
Certainly one of the most stunning pastry shops in Paris is Sadaharu Aoki. It’s so well-regarded that I ran into a famous chocolatier from the neighborhood during my last visit, who was picking up his goûter, or afternoon snack, as they call it in Paris. We recognized each other and he smiled at me while choosing a Thé Vert Napoléan; layers of vivid green tea…
After the end of a long week: I renewed my Carte de Sejour, braved the hectic but incredibleMarché St. Pierre at the foot of Montmarte…and tried to get an answer about why after 10 days, I still don’t have internet access or cable tv. With all that stress, I felt it was an absolute necessity to visit Ladurée twice this week, especially since all my…
One of the most vexing tasks some bakers come across is making the perfect Parisian macaron, those ethereal little domes of almond meringue seen all over Paris, often filled with buttercream, ganache, or a fruity filling of jam. Although the original macaron didn’t have filling, but were simply fused together while warm. So I decided to create two recipes for chocolate macarons: one with an…
I am often asked the difficult-to-answer question, “Who is the best chocolatier in Paris?” There are very few parts of Paris where you can’t find something delicious made of chocolate. Luckily from my apartment, I’m just a few blocks from Dalloyau, Gerard Mulot, Lenôtre, and Joséphine Vannier near the Place des Vosges, a small chocolate shop whose window delights the tourists, but belies the more…
I often cook pasta in not enough water. I wash mushrooms. I don’t grind my own coffee beans. I melt chocolate in a bowl set in, not over, simmering water. I hate soup as a first course. I buy store-brand butter for baking. I try to use as few pots and pans when I cooking as I can. I lift the lid when cooking rice…
Although Germany is famous for tall, multi-layered torten with alternating layers of cream, cake, fruit, nuts, beer, sausages, etc…German Chocolate Cake is decidedly the result of good-old American ingenuity. Deep, dark chocolate cake is layered with a rich filling of toasty coconut and pecans, then glazed with a slick, bittersweet chocolate icing. It’s based on a recipe using Bakers™ Chocolate, a company which employed Samuel…
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