Skip to content
0 Shares

I had a terrific time with fuzzy-faced food editor Joe Yonan when he came to Paris recently, and he was such a super dude, that I took him to my favorite market to meet some of my friends and vendors.

David & Joe

You can read the story, American Blogger in Paris in today’s Washington Post.

After our visit to a café for coffee and a walk through le marché, he came back to my place (with a photographer…and chaperone, bien sûr) and I churned up a batch of Caramelized White Chocolate Ice Cream (remember that?) as well as a warm, fruit-filled clafoutis from The Sweet Life in Paris with ripe Provencal apricots that I scored at the market.

I participated in a live Q & A, which gave me the opportunity to refute rumors that I’m “balding”—although I will accept “wirey”. You can read it at the link.

0 Shares

47 comments

    • H.Peter

    Great picture.
    Can’t wait to listen in.

    • Wayne in Washington

    Oh, the irony! It is bloggers like you who are the reason I no longer read the Washington Post. Now I’ll be going to the Post website because of your link.

    • TheKitchenWitch

    That balding comment? Hmph. Quite rude. And, I’m sure, completely inaccurate.

    • andrea

    Hi David

    The photo is great. You really don’t need to diet! Continued thanks for you words, wisdom and wit.

    • martina

    Balding? Non. My father referred to his hair issue as having “premature scalp”.

    • Bri

    I’m with Andrea, my first thought on seeing that picture was “He doesn’t need to be on a diet!” Congrats on your continued success. Good luck with the live chat!

    • Susanne

    Great Post article. Love that you ran into fans while w/ the reporter!

    • Emily

    Bald is sexy; and David you are adorable. I agree with Andrea @10:10: you do NOT need to worry about being the least bit zaftig.

    • Nicole

    How lucky we are to read about you in american publications – I was pleasantly surprised when taking my weekly trek from Boston to Pheonix on US Airways to see your featured article in the their In-Flight Magazine!

    • Jean Marie

    What a pleasant surprise this morning to open my Washington Post and see you on the cover of the food section! I agree with everyone else that you certainly do not need to be on a diet. You look great and I loved the article. Might even log on to the chat this afternoon.

    • Q.

    I live in Washington and was so delighted to see you in our newspaper! I will try to tune in for the live chat! I have lots of local food-obsessed friends who adore you!

    • Risamay

    Zut! I missed the live chat. But I just read the Post piece. Like a few of the others here, I found the bald comment random and un p’tit rude. But since this cat is clearly un ami, I’m sure it’s all good. And was glad to see the comparison to that other Daveed des États-Unis, Monsieur Sedaris. Contrary to your comment, you are an actual writer. And you’re both diabolically hilarious. He’s just not an actual cook, let alone a celebrated pâtissier. I know you’re not the jaloux type, but I wonder if he is.

    • chika

    Hello again – gosh, I managed to doze off and missed the chat session while it was happening live (2-3 AM JST usually is my prime time!) – but I did get to read the log while it was there, on the page you’ve linked above, which now seems to be gone (moved?). Lots of ice cream questions/answers (heads up to some of your most useful old entries…), which helps as I’m also churning things up a storm as of late. Thanks!

    P.S. good thing at least your friend Heather’s got a (more) reliable internet connection…

    • What a great article in the Post! By the way, you are thin and your hair is short. You come across

    I accidently wrote my comment in the place for name! What can I say but, Oops!
    Or Zut Alors!
    Thanks,
    Andrea
    @andreabakes

    • Andrea Wallick

    Hi David
    The Washington Post article was terrific! You look great. Thin and obviously your hair is short, not balding! Ridiculous. And David Sedaris, whilst very funny as well, doesn’t give me the food info and Paris hit I crave.
    I loved the Q&A today. Lively and informative! Sadly, it’s not up anymore. You answered my question and I am buying the KitchenAid tomorrow. With the built in freezer. Then, with your Scoops bible by my side, will go through each recipe. As I did with the fabulous Chocolate book. After that, I shall experiment away, trying everything but avocado (yuck!).

    Thanks again,
    Andrea Wallick
    @andreabakes

    • Megan

    Oh my heavens. This blog is joy and love and happiness in their most delicious forms. Thank you to the Washington Post for being awesome and directing me here. I only wish I’d known about this site sooner! David, you can expect me back. I may even have to buy a book. We’ll see.

    • Lydia (The Perfect Pantry)

    That fuzzy-faced guy is an old friend, and one of the best food writers I’ve ever had the pleasure to know. I can only imagine how much fun the two of you had together.

    • oregon native

    Don’t worry about being bald. My major professor always said, “God made so many perfect people and he put hair on the rest!”

    • Kathy

    You’re 50? Seriously? I would never have guessed, even being wiry and balding (I just had to laugh at that).

    Thanks for consecutive posts; I need my Lebovitz fix more than just once every three days, if possible. :)

    • evy

    You are a star! In the Washington Post!
    I too–need my Lebovitz fix more than once a week.
    A joy to read as always…

    • Marina

    I would also not be able to resist coming up to you and telling you that I love your blog if I ever ran into you in Paris. Don’t worry, I have no current travel plans to go there :).

    • Deborah

    David: I just started reading “Sweet Life” and made the clafoutis tonight with apricots, blackberries and ollalieberries. So easy and absolutely divine. I’m thinking of eating the rest while the kids are asleep — shhh! Imagine my delight to see this post. I think the ice cream will be my project for le weekend.

    • Kerrin @ MyKugelhopf

    It was a really great article! And funny thing is, when I saw the “b” word, I giggled and said to myself that I’d be hearing about that soon for sure ! haha! Looking forward to reading the Q&A when the link is posted.

    • adrian

    nice article on you there in the WP. and i wouldn’t worry about the *balding*. hereabouts they say: a nice/pretty face needs a lot of space ;-)
    and worrying about weight?! i guess you can leave that to others too.

    • Janet @Gourmet Traveller 88

    Hi David, this is awesome post (to get to know you more), just returned from the Washington Post. I am visiting Paris for a few days in 31 Aug. Wonder if I can visit the Breizh Cafe to try the buckwheat crepe. I wonder if I can have a press heading Chinese (Hong Kong) blogger living in Switzerland, hahaha.

    • Judy

    It is people like you who make life fun. You add zest in a world filled w/ routine. —-a new fan from Washington, D.C.——-

    • jonquil

    great article! does ‘wiry’ mean nix to the ‘diet’? seeing the photo of your kitchen reminds me of how much space americans seem to think is a necessity for living arrangements vs. europeans.

    • ritanyc

    So sorry I missed the chat but I love the Post article! I can’t believe one of your readers ran into you, what kismet. Also, looking sharp in the sportcoat at the market!

    • other side of the river

    Love your kitchen.

    • rooney

    the q&a can be accessed by going to the post website scroll down to daily discussions then click on weekly schedule go to wednesday and click on free range on food. voila!

    • David

    rooney: Thanks! I knew it was in there, but I didn’t know where to look. Appreciate your click-a-bilities!

    other side of the river: Would you like it? I’d share, but it’s not big enough ; )

    ritanyc: That’s funny, but I do run into people and readers frequently. It’s fun, but I’m often a bit startled because they know me, but I don’t know who they are (and I feel bad, as if I met them at a party or something and forgot their names…I’m pretty forgetful)

    Kathy: Yes, I am the big-50. I wrote up the momentous occasion when it happened…

    Riasmay: I’m sure he meant it with lots of affection. Really. (At least I hope he did..)

    • Marci

    Wonderful article by the Washington Post and the photo of you in the kitchen is exactly what I saw in my mind from reading “The Sweet Life in Paris”. I am enjoying your book, even more so because my in-laws are French and everything that you describe about the quirky-ness is true! I love your blog and your recipes have become favorites. Thank you for sharing your life with us.

    • Sue

    My first thought when I saw the photo was that, either the ‘diet’ is working or you weren’t really getting as ‘paunchy’ as you feared. Maybe you should move back to the states. I’m sure you’d feel quite svelte here!

    Thanks for the heads up about the Washington Post article. I’ll be sure to read it.

    • david

    Marci: Thanks! It was hard to capture the quirks, especially since I’ve taken on quite a few of them myself. Vive la serpillière!

    And the fish boys..

    • Anne

    But you’re not wearing a fishing vest, are you? Please say no. And curse you for pointing these out. Now everywhere I go in Paris, there are those damned vests. Why? Why? Why?

    Seriously, I’m glad my home town paper had the good sense to feature you.

    • renee

    Sorry to break on on this thread, but… I need to know David’s favorite patisserie in the Marais as I will be there in a few weeks. Can you help me?

    • terri

    you need to hang out with short people like me–that way, you’ll look tall and svelte. plus, i’m too short to be able to tell if someone is balding or not. not that you are, of course. but even if you were, as my dad always says, “God made very few perfect heads. The rest he covered with hair.” :)

    • Diana

    The live chat was cool, but it took me a minute to realize that I had to constantly refresh the page to see the new Q&A’s . You’d think it would be more like a rolling list or something.

    Btw, I’m the one moving out to Paris next week, so if you need something from Tar-zhay, let me know!

    • david

    Anne: It’s funny that no one ever noticed those before. They’re everywhere, aren’t they? Sorry to ruin it for you-but how do you think I feel?

    renee: There’s a few good ones, depending on what you’re looking for. I like Pain de Sucre for certain things, and Au Levain du Marais for croissants. You can read through my Paris Pastry Shop listings and find some faves.

    Diana: Actually I have two friends en route who have my wish lists. Yay!

    • Lauren

    Hi David,

    I dutifully went off to read the article in the Washington Post and it was a great read and I loved the photo of you in your kitchen. I know you’ve always indicated it was small but when I saw that photo I was amazed at how small it looked. But very cute too.

    I have to tell you I just ordered a copy of your book (I don’t know why it took me so long) but I’m very excited about the fact that it’s winging its way here to Australia and my apartment. Can’t wait to read it as I always look forward to your blog and am always entertained.

    Take care,

    Lauren

    • David

    I posted the link to the live Q+A discussion with the Washington Post Food Sections and readers in the entry. Enjoy!

    • Linda

    Hi David
    So sorry I missed your live interview on ice cream making I am a working girl!
    I currently have 5 ice cream makers- in various states of functionality and disrepair:

    1) My newest aquisistion is the Kitchenaid Ice cream attachment which I have not tried yet-it arrived last week-stop watching the Shopping Channel!
    2) My least favorite, the Cuisinart Supreme Commercial Quality Ice Cream Maker was great to begin with but then the paddle broke (I thought it was way too flimsy right from the get go), now the machine seizes up right at the beginning, I am debating whether to replace the paddle and get it fixed – the advantage of this one is that you can make ice cream even if the custard isn’t chiilled
    3) Cuisinart Automatic Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker- I have reverted to using this one and it’s not too bad
    4)The old hand cranked Cuisinart icecream maker-very good as long as you remember to crank it.
    5) A very old Waring Ice Cream Parlor that a friend gave me eons ago – I broke that paddle too. It made the best ice cream because the paddle is perfect but it requires salt and ice – a bit tedious.
    The Waring makes the best texture – encorporates the right amount of air – too bad it is sooo time consuming.
    What machine do you use? I also made your caramalized white chocolate but it seized up – guess Callebaut chocolate isn’t appropriate for caramalizing.
    By the way – you do not look fat David – you look very healthy and fit.You don’t want to look too gaunt and wormy. Eat, eat my boy!

    • maryn

    What a fun article. (Except for the scalp issues.) Since it mentions you took him to the marche’, I wanted to ask you: What happened to your salt guy, Regis? I was just there last Sunday and the vendor said he had bought the business from Regis. (He’s renamed my favorite blend, the sel farandole, to be sel carignole instead.) Any idea?

    • David

    maryn: Unfortunately Régis closed his stand and sold his inventory to the fellow who is there now. He had plans to sell salt online at Tradition Guérande. Thank goodness I stocked up before he left the market!

    Linda: I use a Cuisinart ICE-50 and love it. I make a lot of ice cream and having a self-refrigerating model has really made things easier. For the price, I think it’s hard to beat. A few folks pointed out that the plastic beater was kind of flimsy, but mine lasted a few years before it needed to be replaced. (They do not recommend running it through the washing machine, which may weaken it.) I did buy two extra beaters for it, via the Cuisinart site. Each was only $10 and I can sleep better at night knowing that I have back-ups.

    I’ve made that caramelized white chocolate with store-brand white chocolate and it does tend to be thicken, almost to the point of seizing, but it should continue to caramelize if you keep cooking and spreading it.

    Folks can also read what I wrote about what I look for when buying an Ice Cream Maker.

    • Wanis

    Dear David,

    I’m the latest addition to your legion of fans. What can I say… googled, found you and now can’t get enough of you. What, you’re 50? Hmmm real butter must be a miracle elixir then. ;)

    Am adding myself as a googlegoo fan on FB now. Sighhh… keep on melting us with the visual delights and witty repartee. :D

    • Cynthia in the French Alps

    While I live in France now, I grew up in Southwest Florida, home of the Key Lime Pie. Now that is a tart dessert and I miss it. I can’t make it in France either because there are no key limes. Anyway, thanks for your great recipes. I’m collecting many for future use. I’ve been experimenting with Savoie recipes (since that’s where I live) and have now nicknamed them “French Comfort food” given their ingredients: potatoes, butter, creams, cheeses….. Ooh la la! Cynthia in the French Alps

    • Judy

    Hi David…felt like I got reaquainted with a friend when I saw the article in the Washington Post….I met you when I took a cooking class with Judy Witts…we talked about “cosmetic fillers”……..
    Made your choclate souffle cake for guests..they loved it…the little bit that was left is in the freezer…(it’s still pretty good) and I am treating it like candy…little bits at a time just for me!
    Love reading your blog, recipes etc….and seeing the pictures!

    thanks for the all the info and entertainment!

A

Get David's newsletter sent right to your Inbox!

15987

Sign up for my newsletter and get my FREE guidebook to the best bakeries and pastry shops in Paris...