Click Here For Exciting Information About Upcoming Chocolate and Culinary Tours

Add me to your RSS:

Read My FAQs

Archives
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
April 2005

"Best Chef's Food Blog 2006"

"The best food blog in the world"

"Blog Watch 2006"

"Top Ten Food Blogs" by About.com

"Best City Food Blog 2005"

David Lebovitz Archives: August 2007

« July 2007
Main
September 2007 »

Mediterranean Summer

In spite of my reputation for serving guests only the finest cuisine I can muster up, I invited a friend for lunch yesterday and thought I could foist my can of salade Niçoise off on her, and I would be efficient and multitask with trying a recipe from a book I just finished.

Her visit, and my can of...um...salad?....presented me the opportunity to try The Spreadable Tuna Mousse from Mediterranean Summer by David Shalleck.

But then I opened the tin, took a look inside, and..."bleech!"

Ever the optimist, I dumped my fancy feast in my mortar and pestle anyways.

But the bottom looked even worse than the top—which you'll just have to trust me on since I felt uneasy subjecting you to photos of both. It was a real Mediterranean bummer and certainly not Nice...or even niçoise-ian by any definition (unless Nice is full of stinky fish sludge, with chunks of greasy vegetables mixed in.)

Continue reading "Mediterranean Summer" »

Permalink

Marinated Feta Recipe

There's lots of feta-like cheese out there, but only cheese made in Greece is considered true feta nowadays and you can't call it feta anymore unless it was produced there. Like Champagne, which has to be made in Champagne or Brie de Meaux which has to be made is Meaux, it isn't feta unless it's made where it's supposed to be made—in Greece.

Although I'm not much of a font of knowledge about a lot of things, if it's food-related, I'll do in a pinch. If you want to make something that's impressive and incredibly simple to put together, maybe I can help you out there as well. This is a favorite around here and once you make it, you'll be rewarded in the days following with salty chunks of cheese infused in a sublime bath of fruity olive oil scented with summery herbs.

Start with a clean jar of any size and add chunks of feta. I like to keep them large, around 2-inches (6cm) max is good. You can also use rounds of semi-firm chèvre too, and I bought a big chunk of sheep's milk cheese today at my favorite Arab grocer that may or may not have been true feta, but was not-too-dry and I knew would be just perfect.

Continue reading "Marinated Feta Recipe" »

Permalink

Agave-Sweetened Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe

As a cookbook author, whenever you do a cooking demonstration, there's always 'The Question'. It's the one that's the most frequently asked when you're doing classes on a book tour.

For us who write about baking, normally it's, "Can that be frozen?"

Since my freezer is usually so crammed with stuff I can't imagine wedging in a multi-layer cake amongst all the rock-hard frozen madness that I call "my freezer"...except for now, because I came home from the country last weekend and found my freezer door had nudged itself open, or more likely I accidentally left it ajar in my haste to get outta town, and when I came home, my freezer looked like an Antarctic blizzard had happened in there and had to be completely cleaned out...so now there's plenty of room and I can start jamming it full all over again.

(The upside was I found and extricated a long-lost bottle of Polish vodka completely enveloped in a block of ice, which was a more than satisfactory reward for my efforts.)

Anyhow, when you write a book completely devoted to frozen desserts and ice cream you can smugly think to yourself, "Ha! I've nipped that one in the bud."

Of course, all ice cream can be frozen.

But silly me!
Little did I realize something insidious had taken ahold of my fellow Americans.

Yes, something worse than all those little bottles of hand sanitizer dangling from people's belts...

Continue reading "Agave-Sweetened Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe" »

Permalink

Can't...No...Won't Touch This

What are the absolute last words you want to hear when invited to someone's home for a meal?

Well, how about...

"We had some fish that was about to go bad, so we're having it for dinner."

Welcome to my world. A world you thought was all baguettes and chocolate.

Well it now includes dubious fish too.

The rules for hygiene are a little different here than in America. I was pretty shocked to see on my trip to the US in June, little bottles of hand-sanitizer dangling from people's belts and fanny packs, as well as available in supermarkets with towelettes to wipe down the handles on shopping carts. But I'm equally shocked that people think it's okay to leave stock-based preparations on the counter for a day or so, then consume then. (They use stock in science labs to grow bacteria since it's such an inviting medium. Just so you know.)

Although Dorie Greenspan thinks we might need those little bottles of sanitizer around here pretty soon for Vélib' hands, after riding around town for a few weeks, I'm almost inclined to agree with her after riding around for the past few weeks.

Although I've been certified in food sanitation, sometimes I just need to suspend logic around here and just go with the flow. The fish, though, I pushed aside. I'm thrilled to be accepted by the locals, but let's not take this "I'm so French" thing too far...

Continue reading "Can't...No...Won't Touch This" »

Permalink

Tinkering

New Server

It's niçoise-ish salad days around here since we've made the long-awaited and much-needed move to a larger server. The site should be loading much faster than it was before on the dinky server I've been limping along with. Hence we called it a day.

However all was not without a glitch and you may have encountered some error messages recently. Sorry about that, but it should all be fixed by now including the search engine. If you don't hear from me for a while, that means my web master has tied my hands behind my back to prevent me from tinkering with the site any more.

And now if you leave a comment it should 'take' much quicker and there's no need to hit the button twice or three times then see it get published multiple times and think, "What the heck?" So there's no need think around here anymore.

I mean, there's no need to hit the Send button more than once. Thinking is still okay.

Les Images

My images are being hosted on my Flickr page, which seems to be doing a good job of making the photos accessible and if you want to see them, as well as lots more, you can visit my Flickr page where I'm constantly adding lots of photos.

It's my addiction, believe me.

Continue reading "Tinkering" »

Permalink

Baguettes

As you probably have guessed by now, I'm quite different from the other Parisians. Aside from my less-than-stellar command of the language and a rather bizarre desire not to walk right into others on the sidewalk, I don't buy that many baguettes.

It's not that I don't like them. (Baguettes, I mean—although I like Parisians too...except when they walk right into you.) It's just that we eat so much bread around here and I have a preference for heartier, more rustic breads, often loaves riddled with seeds, and heavy with les multigrains. And lately Apollonia Poilâne has been spearheading efforts to wean Parisians off baguettes too, although from the looks of things, she's not having much of an impact: Locals still line up before lunch and then return before dinner for their fresh, crackly baguette at their local boulangerie.

Did you know the word 'baguette' means 'stick' or 'wand' in French and if you want chopsticks in an Asian restaurant, you ask for "les baguettes, s'il vous plaît"? And I can't tell you how many dinners I've been to where the discussion about which bakery, and where, has a better baguette caused nearly violent disagreement. There's even a contest with a Grand Prix in Paris to come up with a winner every year.

Continue reading "Baguettes" »

Permalink

Links 'n Logs

Super tips on asking strangers permission to snap their photo.

Oh, la vache is right!

Let your homemade ice cream rest in Sweet Bliss.

International Travel Boo-Boos.

Drink wine through a straw?

Mastering perfect popcorn.

My new, favorite place to see Parisians in Birkenstocks.

I guess it's not so hidden anymore.

Paris goes Wi-Fi!

le Smart car is en route to America.

Ever wonder how 'shrooms are grown?

Oops...how many days ago was that?

Finalmente, there is good coffee in Paris, at Caldo Freddo.

Yum!—Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey.

Can someone send him a one-way ticket?

Permalink

Respect Your Elderberries (Elderberry Syrup Recipe)

During the summer, like everyone else in Paris, I get outta town for a long break. Even though this year was cold and dreary (although on a bright note, I finally got my Vélib' bike pass), Paris just peters-out; stores close and the markets are virtually empty. So I visit friends who live in the country in nearby in the Seine-et-Marne, a region a little over an hour from grey Paree.

You probably know about the famous cheese from there, Brie de Meaux, which is sold in big, gooey rounds at most of the markets in the area. There's a big one on Sunday mornings in Coulommiers, but I prefer the smaller but better market on Saturdays, in the town of Provins, which features actual producteurs, the folks who grow and sell their own fruits and légumes.

When I asked one of the local producteurs why they didn't bring their beautiful produce to Paris, he told me, "I don't like Parisians."
So I guess that explains this.

Ouch!...

Continue reading "Respect Your Elderberries (Elderberry Syrup Recipe)" »

Permalink

salade nicoise

Ah, la salade niçoise...

One of the classics of French cooking and one of my favorite things to dig into sitting on the terrace of a café, dreaming idling away the afternoon by the sparkling Mediterranean. But really, who wouldn't want to dig into a big, fresh salad bursting forth with the flavors of the sunny French Riviera, no matter where you live?

There's always much controversy about the salade niçoise regarding what's authentic and what's not.

Does one use fresh or canned tuna?

Is there a bed of lettuce underneath or does one leave it out?

Are there olives in it?

Boiled potatoes or rice?

Should it be mixed or composed?

And although I'm not convinced about artichokes, there's folks out there who swear by them.

I'm not really sure if there's a definitive answer as to what's correct.

But I'm pretty sure about one thing.

This ain't it...

Permalink

10 Insanely Delicious Things You Shouldn't Miss in Paris

If I had 5 centimes for every time someone asked me that question, I'd have...well...a couple of euros.
(Or about 44¢, at the rate the dollar is plunging.)

Still, I get this question frequently asked and while I'm usually organized (Can you say pastry chef?) with everything listed in the Category box to your left, I still kinda have to point folks there.

And...hey, did you know that we're coming up my 500th post here on the blog?

I was thinking of having some kind of contest with really cool prizes, like an all-expense paid trip to Tahiti...but then I thought some of you might balk at shelling out money on a nice trip for me. And to be honest, the thought of relaxing somewhere on the beach being surrounded by oily, lithe, tanned bodies with the scent of vanilla lingering in the air while listening to the sound of the surf isn't exactly paradise compared to all the treats I have access to below.

Now is it?

So since I'm here in Paris, in lieu of paradise, and here's my list of Ten Great Things To Eat in Paris. Not all the ideas are new or radical nor are they in any particular order of preference. Some I've mentioned before and others are new. I'm not sending you in search of wasabi-carrot-pistachio-veal verrines topped with fennel-durian marshmallows or raw sesame-crusted tuna towers with filo triangles served on square plates with a dusting of dried porcini powder and a scribble of sauce in the corner. Instead, these are some tried-and-true places and things that I like to eat around town and confidently recommend to all visitors.

And seriously, you shouldn't miss them if you come.

1. Arabesque Macarons at Pierre Hermé

I love les macarons and although I still think the classic ones at Ladurée are tops in town, Over at Pierre Hermé, he's always experimenting with unusual flavor combinations so you never quite know what you'll find here. But if you happen to be there and see pastel-orange cookies the color of apricot with a soft, creamy filling oozing out, hiding a nugget of crackly almond croquant covered with fine pieces of pistachio dust, I urge you to try one.

Although each time I go in, the amount of filling seems to be increasing to the point of excess, I can't resist popping one in my mouth. And in fact, when I go in now, my favorite saleswoman there instinctively hands me one over the counter.

(And people ask me why I live here all the time as well...)

One tip: The shop on the rue Bonaparte is usually mobbed and it's difficult to see anything or linger. Head over to the Pierre Hermé shop at 185, rue Vaugirard, which is much more spacious. And while you're there, stop in at des Gâteaux & du Pain at 63, boulevard Pasteur; the pastries and breads are drop-dead gorgeous there as well.

Continue reading "10 Insanely Delicious Things You Shouldn't Miss in Paris" »

Permalink

Devil's Food Cake Recipe

Whenever an American friend in Paris has a birthday, I invariably offer to make the cake for the big fête. Not that there's a lack of great bakeries in Paris, but Americans always seem to crave the same thing: a big, tall, all-American chocolate cake with an overabundance of swirls and swoops of chocolate frosting.

And who am I to deny them?

And what better to make than a dark, moist Devil's Food Cake with thick, shiny ganache swirled all over the top and smoothed around the sides?

This Devil's Food Cake is a happy compromise between those richer, flourless kind of chocolate cakes which would be too intense and inelegant stacked one on top of the other, and those jumbo, three-tiered extravaganzas which might shock a few folks around here with its all-American excess.

(Although the Rice Krispy Treats I made a couple of weeks ago were quite a hit. I tried to explain their cultural appeal to my Parisian friends, but decided just to them do the ambassador work themselves. I'm willing to let someone else carry the cross-cultural mantle around here for a while.)

This one has the heft and smoothness of a larger cake without scaring anyone anyway, and will appease everyone with it's on-the-spot dark chocolate flavor. It's delicate crumb is perfect when paired with a scoop of homemade ice cream or a pour of super-cold crème anglaise, but it's also sturdy enough to weather a trip across the Paris, since if you remember, I don't have very good luck carrying cakes on the métro amongst devil-may-care Parisians.

Continue reading "Devil's Food Cake Recipe" »

Permalink

But I Do Have Tomatoes

Most larger buildings in Paris have a concierge.

But before you think that I live somewhere that's all fancy and stuff, it's basically another name for the gardienne, normally a woman who takes care of things like delivering the mail and making sure repairs get handled. But even more importantly, she ensures that not even the slightest infraction of the rules or smallest detail of gossip gets by her, and at my friend's apartment in the 5th, theirs has a one-way mirror on her front door...so be careful who you drag home.

In French, there's an expression; 'faire la gardienne', which means to 'make like the gardienne'—'to gossip'.

Continue reading "But I Do Have Tomatoes" »

Permalink

Exhibit B

...and just in case you want to know what happens if you leave a chocolate birthday cake you made in the sun by accident...

Permalink

Exhibit A

One baking question that I'm frequently asked—

"Is sifting really necessary?"

For those of you who'd like to know the answer...

Permalink

« July 2007
Main
September 2007 »

Photo courtesy of
Christopher Hirsheimer

	Subscribe to Receive Periodic Email Updates from David
	enter your email address
	subscribe    unsubscribe

Latest Entries...

		Patric Chocolate Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker for $19.99! Goat Cheese Custards with Strawberries in Red Wine Syrup Teo Gelato I'm Twittering... My Food Photography Gear The Pâtisseries of Paris: A Paris Pastry Guide My Killer App Candied Peanut Recipe WTF x 3 (or 2+1) Vegetarian Restaurants in Paris