David Lebovitz's Blog, page 126

July 8, 2010

Cherries in Red Wine Syrup



cherry compote





Where did the time go? I wanted to get one quick cherry recipe in before the season ended because I'm always scouting for ways to extend the unfairly short fresh cherry season. Plus I had some red wine leftover from another cooking project, a bulging sack of ripe cherries that the vendors were practically begging me to take off their hands (I know...it was kind of freaking me out, too), and a desire to make them last as long as I can.



So here's how they ended up: in a compote that's i...

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Published on July 08, 2010 10:05

July 6, 2010

Caramelized White Chocolate Cakes



white chocolate cakes





Laura Adrian is half of the team behind Hidden Kitchen, a private supper club in Paris that she hosts in Paris with her partner Braden. With a little help from am adorable Boston Terrier that pops his head into the action every once in a while.



Laura worked for one of my favorite bean-to-bar chocolate makers in America, Theo chocolate in Seattle, before moving to Paris. Due to word-of-mouth, and because of the innovative yet familiar cooking, their supper club is deservedly booked...

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Published on July 06, 2010 16:46

July 3, 2010

Djerba



Tunisian yogurt





The sky in North Africa isn't clear blue. It's subdued and hazy. One might say it's laiteuse; blue with a touch of milk, or yogurt. Unlike the beaches of the Pacific, you're not stunned by the sky as much as you are aware that it's relentlessly bearing down on you. The heat can be intense and unlike Paris, where folks scramble to sit in any patch of sunshine that they can find even during the unfiltered heat of summer, in Tunisia, one is always fleeing the heat.





Tunisian crêpe creme caramel





Often that will ...

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Published on July 03, 2010 09:55

June 30, 2010

Chicken Mango Slaw



Chicken-Mango Slaw





During the summer months, when the temperature in Paris shoots up to nearly unbelievable heights, it turns my up-on-the-rooftop apartment into a furnace, and many nights dinner will be enjoyed on the roof, overlooking the city, watching the rest of it cool down after a broiling day. Somehow, my apartment doesn't enjoy the same cool-down period, perhaps its the price I pay for being closer to the sky? Because the roof is quite pitched, I'm always careful about not having a glass of wine w...

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Published on June 30, 2010 19:52

June 28, 2010

Merce and the Muse, and Mary



brocolli salad straws





One of the curious things that's happening right now in the Paris food scene is a spate of what I consider 'anglo'-style cafés opening up in various smaller neighborhoods. There are a few that have been around for a while. But in the past year, casual restaurants that sell leafy salads, made with just-cooked fresh vegetables and greens, house made soups, hand-held desserts like individual carrot cakes and les muffins, fresh fruit juices, and coffee made with care and attention, have...

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Published on June 28, 2010 15:53

June 26, 2010

Les Jars

jars



I hope for your sake that you're nothing like me. If you are, you've probably saved every single glass jar that's ever crossed your path. (Don't even get me started on reusable plastic containers, which merit a whole separate post.) Once something lands in my apartment, it's there for the duration. Someone once attempted to give me a smackdown for advising my favorite people in the world, my readers, to cover their cookie dough in plastic wrap.



But little did she know that I've been...

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Published on June 26, 2010 06:38

June 23, 2010

Almond Cake



almond cake





Seeing as I don't get out as much as I'd like to, I've never really thought about what would be my "desert island" cake. Or should I say "dessert island" cake? As in, what is the one cake that I would want with me if I couldn't have any other kind. Chocolate figures largely into the equation, but as much as I love Chocolate Orbit Cake or a custard-filled Coconut Cake, I'd have to say that this Almond Cake would be the one that I would choose to sustain me through thick and thin.



We...

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Published on June 23, 2010 13:53

June 14, 2010

Cookware Shops in Paris

dehillerin copper



Paris is a mecca for cooks, and folks come here from around the world to stock up on French and specialty cookware. Many of the shops are clustered around the Les Halles area, where for many years restaurateurs shopped at the giant market there for produce and other comestibles, as well as professional kitchenware. Although the market is gone, many of those stores exist and you can make a day of shopping in the various stores.





tartrings a.simon





One caveat is to check prices before leaving...

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Published on June 14, 2010 15:45

June 12, 2010

Should I Move to France? (28 Questions to Ask Yourself)



Just the other day, I saw a tweet from Jennifer, asking her the question that many of us who live here get from time-to-time, "Should I Move to France?"





Paris rooftops





It's pretty hard to decide to make such a life-changing move, for many people. Moving to a foreign country isn't easy, but it does have it's rewards. So I put together this quiz to help people make that all-important decision...







1. You're working as a guard in a museum filled with priceless treasures. The alarm in the museum...

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Published on June 12, 2010 15:23

June 9, 2010

Tasting Rome: Gelato, Pasta and the Market



porchetta





Whenever I go to a foreign city, within a few hours of getting oriented, I invariably find myself mentally preparing my move there. I walk around the streets, admiring all the shops and interesting people speaking beautiful languages, and looking up at the apartments with curving iron railings and linens hanging out to dry I image myself being a part of it all and making a new life for myself there.





rome





It happened when I moved to San Francisco, and I remember arriving and thinking...

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Published on June 09, 2010 09:17