September 2009 archives

[This policy has been updated and is valid as of March 2010.]

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me, **David Lebovitz**. I don’t accept any form of cash advertising or paid topic insertions except in the sidebars, between posts, and areas where it is clearly marked or evident. Some of the links in the posts are Amazon links. (See below.)

Nothing is any of the posts on the blog has been placed there because payment exchanged hands. There are no sponsored posts on this site. Zip.



**Newsletter**

Readers who subscribe to my [newsletter](http://ymlp.com/signup.php?id=guejyjqgmge) will only receive messages generated by me. To subscribe, readers can sign themselves up for it. Due to anti-spam measures, I am unable to add e-mail addresses to that list, so if you are getting the newsletter it’s because you went through a double opt-in system to receive it. The list of subscribers is never shared or sold. Newsletters are sent out intermittently throughout the year and I do not send unsolicited e-mails or newsletters: at the end of each is an opt-out feature if readers wish to discontinue receiving it.



**Products Featured**

I infrequently accept products, services, travel, and event tickets from companies and organizations as long as the topic pertains to the blog, or is aligned with my personal beliefs. I sincerely believe in small businesses and food producers and will often feature them, or items that they produce, in an effort to assist them in becoming more widely known. This, to me, is an honest gesture to give these companies and establishments more exposure.

Because I live abroad, and many products aren’t easily available, I will have American products sent to me by companies, which I make every effort to evaluate honestly and share with readers. There is never any monetary compensation involved and I make it clear to the company that I don’t promise to mention the product, or give it a positive review, on this site or in my books.



**Restaurant Reviews**

In the restaurant reviews on the site, I’ve paid for my meal. In cases where the meal was complimentary, I mention in the post that I was invited by the host. I sometimes get complimentary items from restaurants because I was a pastry chef and have many friends and associates in the industry. (Which is common practice amongst people in the restaurant business.) Whether I receive anything or not has no influence on what I write about.

The restaurant “reviews” on the site are intended for informational purposes since many visitors come to Paris and want to know where to go. For that reason, I rarely mention places in a negative light, simply because I like to believe that everyone in the restaurant business is doing the best they can. Not all succeed, but those who do, I am happy to pass along my experiences when dining there.

Generally speaking, I don’t monitor when restaurants or other establishments move, change hours, and experience personnel shifts and changes. As possible, I do update posts, but I do provide phone numbers and advise calling restaurants and shops for the most recent information.



**Cookbooks & Recipe Attribution**

I will occasionally write about a cookbook, or adapt a recipe from one. If the book is not already in my collection, on occasion, I’ll receive a review copy from the author or publisher, which is common practice. I don’t review all the books I receive nor do I promise placement or a positive review in exchange for the book.

I follow the attribution guidelines which I wrote about at [Food Blog Alliance](http://foodblogalliance.com/2009/04/recipe-attribution.php), which are standard throughout the cookbook industry and amongst food writers.



**Amazon**

I don’t accept monetary compensation from individual advertisers for their products to appear in my blog posts. I am a cookbook author and make my income from sales of [my books](http://www.davidlebovitz.com/books/) and will, on occasion, provide links to them, as well as other books available on [Amazon](http://www.amazon.com) and other booksellers. On purchases made through Amazon and other online booksellers, I receive a small commission.

Other Amazon affiliate links exist because I get inquiries about the availability of products, and Amazon and its affiliates carry a wide ranges of books, gourmet foods, and cookware that are easily available, often internationally. I personally shop at Amazon and find it to be easy-to-use and reliable. I believe in supporting local businesses as well. But because it’s not always possible to mention that in posts, I assume that readers know best the shopping options available to them in their particular geographical region.



**Ad Networks**

At the time of writing, I am a member of the [Martha's Circle](http://www.marthastewart.com/marthas-circle), the Martha Stewart ad network, which I chose because I they seem to be in line with my personal philosophy about cooking and food. Because ads are automatically fed by the network, I don’t monitor the ads that appear there. I do not allow ads with sound or flash animation that exceeds to parameters of the ad space and if those appear, it’s by accident, and I contact the network to have them removed immediately. I am also part of the [PlateFull](http://www.platefull.com/) network, which features food-related products. For editorial reasons, I prefer to keep a “hands off” policy with the ads, unless something is blatantly offensive.

Similarly, I use [Google AdSense](http://www.google.com/services/adsense_tour/index.html), a third-party ad system, which is keyword-based and reacts automatically to the content which is presented on the site. I have no say over the ads that appear and like the ad network mentioned above, for editorial reasons, I like to keep a hands-off policy with those ads.

I can’t monitor all the ads since many are regionally-based and I don’t see the same ones that you might see. So if you find an **AdSense** ad offensive, click on the “Ads by Google” link adjacent to the ads (not on the ads themselves), and you can register your complaint directly with Google.




**Advertising**

I do not accept text-link ads, or goods or services in exchange for links or content placement. Messages requesting any of those will be deleted.

One-third of my readers are from outside the United States and I appreciate their understanding when I find life outside of the borders of my home country perplexing. While I welcome diverse opinions and comments on the blog, I do not allow personal attacks in the comments and will delete anything I deem inappropriate.

Any links to commercial sites in the comments, unless related to the post, will be edited or deleted as well.

I strongly believe in honesty of relationship, personal integrity, and trust with readers. I don’t recommend products, whether given to me as gifts or that I’ve purchased, if they’re not something that I would personally purchase and use myself.

The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely mine. I will only endorse products or services that I believe, based on my expertise, are worthy of such endorsement and not because I’ve received cash in exchange for the endorsement. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider.

Trust with readers is my most important asset and I strive to only recommend products, restaurants, hotels, and travel experiences with my reader’s interest in mind. Maintaining a blog has many facets, including costs associated with web hosting and design, and a considerable amount of time is spent writing content and responding to readers. It’s my intention to share my stories in a humorous manner, not intended to offend, but to highlight cultural differences, entertain, and for informational purposes only.

Last week, when I spoke at the Blogher Food conference, positioned on stage between Ree and Elise, I was sure during the moments when I was going on and on, everyone was biding their time, waiting for me to shut my trap, so they could get back to listening to the other two.

Then I made an announcement that seemed to grab a bit of attention: I said that there were about forty-one blog posts started on my computer, which seemed to get quite the reaction from more than a few of the couple of hundred bloggers in the room. A good portion of those posts will never see the light of anyone else’s computer screen. But inspiration strikes me at odd times, and I’ll just start hammering away when I think of something to write about. I’m certain I’ll get back to it a day or two later, only to never get back to it at all. And now, my desktop is littered with half-written posts and other illiterate detritus.

When I did a reading in Paris a few months back, someone asked me a good question about what are some of the things I’d miss about Paris if I moved away. Which actually made the to the finish line and became a post.

Continue Reading Nopalito & Contigo…

The search ended abruptly Friday night at Nopa.

It’s one of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco, and my pal Matt and I decided to have a boy’s night out while the planets were aligned and we were both in town at the same time. Even before I saw a menu, I knew I wanted the burger and after a plate of incredibly tasty Padrón peppers (which, if you haven’t tried, you should hop on a plane to try right now—and that’s coming from someone that dislikes peppers, almost across-the-board) and a couple of Sidecars (Matt’s with rum, mine with Armagnac), my burger finally landed. And ho-boy, what a beauty*.

Continue Reading Nopa: The Burger That Knocks It Out of the Ballpark…

The one thing I crave almost every day is a good burger. Oddly, I rarely ate burgers when I lived in the states. But for some reason nowadays, I just can’t get enough. Go figure.

So we went to Serpentine, whose burger was exalted in the virtual world, as well as in print. For some reason, as soon as we sat down, I was craving a cocktail. I haven’t had a cocktail in ages since aside from Mojitos, Parisians don’t drink mixed drinks.

(I once made Cosmopolitans for my friends and they barely got halfway through the first one without becoming close to falling-down drunk. And when you live in a rooftop apartment, having inebriated people milling around your place—or worse, stepping out on the roof for a smoke, is not really a good thing.)

Continue Reading Burger #1…

If you’re looking for a simple scoop of chocolate ice cream…or vanilla…or strawberry…you’re not going to find it at Humphrey Slocombe in San Francisco.

Okay, you might see one of them nestled somewhere amongst the wacky flavors on the ever-changing list. But you’ll have a better chance of finding Fumé (smoked) ice cream, Chocolate passion fruit, and cinnamon brittle. There’s a decidedly non-kosher Boccalone proscuitto ice cream, as well as Ancho coffee, Jesus juice sorbet (you don’t want to know…), Balsamic caramel, and Secret breakfast, a mixture of milk and sweetened breakfast cereal.

Continue Reading Humphrey Slocombe Ice Cream…

During the next couple of weeks, I’ll be in the San Francisco Bay Area doing a few events at bookstores and chocolate shops.

Stop by if you’re in the neighborhood(s)—!

September 24: Charles Chocolates: 6-7pm.

September 25: Fog City News: Noon-2pm. San Francisco.

September 26: Blogher Conference, San Francisco.

September 28: Omnivore Books: 6 to 7pm. San Francisco.

There’s a limited number of each of my book available at each venue. If you wish to reserve or purchase one in advance, or if you have any questions regarding the events or availability, please contact the venues themselves, using the links provided.

A number of you who don’t live in the area had asked me about signed copies of my books. If you wish to order one (or more!) and have it sent to you, contact the folks at Omnivore Books, who are happy to send out personalized copies.

Big thanks to Poco Dolce chocolate in San Francisco for providing treats for the event at Omnivore Books, and to Valrhona for providing chocolate samples at Fog City News.

When I was taking pastry classes at Ecole Lenôtre years ago, they had a shop at the school filled with all sorts of great professional baking equipment. Aside from the room where the croissants were freshly-baked (and handed out) every hour, it was my favorite place at the school.

PIled up on the shelf was also a stack of slender books: The A-Z of French Food. I flipped though it and was impressed by how much was in this comprehensive little guide, so I bought one. Since then, I’ve used it countless times, and it’s the book that I inevitably reach for first when I have any questions about French dishes, ingredients, or cooking terms, from the normal, to the obscure.

In fact, I wished I’d had it the week before, when I was sitting in a restaurant and the waiter proudly presented me with a big, steaming cassolette, piled high with tripe. And there I was, thinking that I’d soon be digging into cassoulet, the classic Gascon dish of beans and duck confit. Quelle déception!*

Continue Reading The A-Z Guide to French Food…

Earlier this week, I woke up in a small town, smelling of something. It wasn’t anything bad. In fact, it was pretty good: sweet, caramel-like, and roasted, with a vague, but lingering aftermath of alcohol following it. It wasn’t something I was used to, but I’d tasted so many Cognacs this week in the town of Cognac, that it was literally wafting out my pores. And I’m not complaining.

Three days in the region is barely enough time to scratch the surface of this well-known brandy, which honestly, I didn’t know all that much about when I was invited to the annual Cognac auction, where bottles worth thousand of euros are bid on by a few lucky (and loaded) individuals.

But the first thing I learned about Cognac, is that it all starts in the barrels at the tonnellerie, or cooperage, where the barrels are made. As I touched on in my post about fresh shelling beans, and several people left their own thoughts in the comments, we’re often unaware of what actually goes in to producing the food—and beverages, that we feed ourselves.

For example, I had no idea that it takes three years, minimum, just to make each barrel that’s used for aging.

Continue Reading The Coopers of Cognac…