I’ve been here about a day and a half, and am slowly acclimating to being on the other half of the world, which is a pretty exciting feeling. Each morning I wake up – a little too early…but after waking up at 2am this morning, I’m pretty sure that tonight’s the night I get a good night’s sleep. Today some of the local chefs gave…
One of my great joys in life in in-room coffee. Hotels do a lot of head-scratching things, like inventing ‘turn-down service.’ Aside from a free piece of chocolate, does anyone like or want someone rummaging through their room while they’re out at dinner? Or the “hotel channel”, which shows and glorifies the splendors of your hotel, which is kind of silly since you’re already there….
Yes, Switzerland has a reputation for neutrality, but the food in Switzerland is often an international mix. There are some wonderful local specialties but a good number of other dishes are influenced by its neighbors; namely Germany, Italy, and France. So it seems only fitting that the most wonderful department store in the country is named Globus, because its name seem to incorporate a philosophy…
Since I arrived in Paris a while back, a number of food tendances have slipped into our vocabulary. From appetizers served in Chinese-style spoons, to the alarming addition of adding sugar to savory hors d’oeuvres, I’ve learned to become diplomatic when faced with a plate lined with white porcelain spoons with a dollop of minted pea puree topped with a touch of crème fraîche and…
Ever since I featured a macaron recipe a few years back, readers inquired have about Macarons by Pierre Hermé, the book where the recipe was adapted from. At the time, the book was only available in French. But when I was in New York recently, browsing through the cookbook collection at Kitchen Arts and Letters, I honed in on the English-version of the book, which…
When I started working at Chez Panisse, there was something called crème anglaise on the menu…and my job was to make it. Of course, I had no idea what crème anglaise was – other than something with a funny name that I got in trouble for pronouncing wrong on several occasions. But I pretended I knew what it was when everyone was talking about making…
Whenever I go to New York City, I am always delighted to spend some time with my friend Erin McKenna, owner and head baker at Erin McKenna Bakery, one of the sweetest places in Manhattan. On this visit, we had a nice chat, then headed to the kitchen where she taught me how to make gluten-free doughnuts (recipe included) and create the signature frosting…
In Paris, a city full of spectacular pastry shops, it really takes something major to grab me by the shoulders and shake me to attention. It’s not that I don’t appreciate the other ones, but when you see something as jaw-dropping as the pastries at Café Pouchkine, you can’t help but stop and stand at full attention.
I haven’t visited Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams in Ohio, but I’ve heard Jeni Bauer’s ice cream was sensational. Because I can’t get everywhere – no matter how hard I try – her ice cream came to me in the form of her book, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home. When Jeni’s book was released, we had a nice interchange via e-mail about ice cream making,…
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