Skip to content

Valrhona Chocolate School

Aside from the massive safe in the Banque de France, probably the toughest place to get in to in France is the Ecole de Grand Chocolat Valrhona in the little town of Tain l’Hermitage. Admission to the professional cooking program I attended is by invitation only, and several times of the year, pastry chefs and chocolatiers from all over the world come to Valrhona to…

781 Shares

Continue reading...

Why Stealing is Wrong

Well, I wouldn’t say it was exactly stealing. But last time I was in the states, I was going through one of my frighteningly-full storage lockers (there’s your glimpse into the glamorous life of international living…) and while rifling through cookbooks, I came across my own personal book of handwritten recipes, a fat mess of pages, stained with butter, eggs, almond paste, and lord-knows what…

0 Shares

Continue reading...

Showgirl Cupcakes

(I recent met Bryce Corbett, who wrote A Town Like Paris, a book about his life in Paris, where he found the girl of his dreams. Since he’s a terrific writer, I asked him to do a guest post, which included our visit behind-the-scenes at one of Paris’ most exciting attractions. -David) There are many fringe benefits to being married to a Paris showgirl. Great…

4 Shares

Continue reading...

Triple Chocolate Scotcheroos

Some people, when they travel, they look for hotels with amenities like spas or room service. Others look for hotels near restaurants or local attractions. Me? I look for ones near supermarkets. And on my recent trip through the states, my traveling companion was shocked that I’d managed to pack 3 empty suitcase into one larger one, the limit of our collective baggage allowance. Not to…

261 Shares

Continue reading...

Food Bloggers on Columbus Isle, the Bahamas

On my vacation, I loved posting updates about what I was doing, but I’m sure you can understand that I wasn’t all that keen on sitting in my room slouched over my laptop. Yes, I love and missed you all. However every relationship has its limits. And there was something more important standing between you and I: But on the 9+ hour plane ride home,…

0 Shares

Continue reading...

French Train Mix

A lot of people love to travel. I am not quite one of them. Sure I love wandering through exotic markets, exploring restaurants in new cities, and sitting under an umbrella on the beach. But the hard part for me to deal with is getting there. I know that travel used to be romantic and fun, but it’s not anymore. And people like the woman…

1 Shares

Continue reading...

Braised Short Ribs Recipe

When I was in the states last year, I was in a coffee shop and for some reason, I got into a conversation with some local folks, who asked what I was doing in their city. I’m not sure how they knew I wasn’t from around there, but I can only assume it was my French je ne sais quoi, which is always a sure…

903 Shares

Continue reading...

89 random things about me

Over on Facebook, there’s been a thing going around called 25 random things about me. Inspired by Pim posting hers, I thought I’d do the same. Except I got carried away, editing and adding a few more. 1. When I started my blog, I wished I have done it anonymously so I could really say what I wanted to say. Now I’m glad I didn’t,…

1 Shares

Continue reading...

Why and When To Use (or Not Use) Corn Syrup

A subject, and and ingredient, comes up frequently when talking about baking and candy making. And that’s about using corn syrup in recipes. I use it judiciously when it will make a discernible difference in a recipe. For those of you who are regular readers of the site and my books, you’ll notice almost all of the time, I rarely use pre-packaged or convenience foods in my…

238 Shares

Continue reading...

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...