David Lebovitz's Blog, page 131

Amnesty Cookies

When I was speaking at the Blogher Food Conference last year, one of the organizers was telling us that on the last day of each month, she carries out what she calls E-mail Amnesty Day. On that day, she deletes all her e-mail in her Inbox, then issues an all-points-bulletin to everyone she knows that if there was anything important in there, to e-mail her again. She swore that it drastically reduced her e-mail and any meltdowns one might have trying to answer it all.

I thought that...

Bergamot Marmalade

Like Pistachio Gelato or Polenta Ice Cream, this recipe might fall into the category of "Things You Can't Make" for some of you.

Yes, bergamots aren't something one runs across everyday in the supermarket, or even at greengrocers. But mid-winter, depending on where you live, you just might get lucky and happen across some, as I recently did. Twice! (Although the second time took a bit of moxie.)

There's conflicting information what a bergamot actually is, but it's definitely a m...

Cahors

They say that you know you're holding a glass of wine from Cahors if you can't see your fingers on the other side of the glass through the wine. Which is why the malbec wine from Cahors is nicknamed "black wine".

Peer into a glass of it, and it's easy to see (or should I say 'not see') why.

I didn't know much about the wine, or the region, before my recent visit. I just knew there were allegedly a lot of truffles, foie gras, and duck dishes cooked up in the Lot. So when I was ...

Scoop

For the first five years in Paris, I wouldn't go to Scoop. I'd walk by, scan the selections of hamburgers and "les wraps", and keep going. Even though I was intrigued with the list of house-made ice creams, I'd always reason to myself, "I didn't move to Paris to eat a hamburger."

I was reading recently about a site called My American Market that carries American foods, mostly targeted at expats living in France. There's some hard-to-find baking products, like unsweetened chocolate and ...

German Chocolate Cupcakes

Believe it or not, there's been a spate of cupcake places opening in...of all places—Paris.

I haven't been in to any of them, but I should probably go at some point since I'm not sure if it's just a fad that's going to end soon, or something that might be here to stay. Parisians aren't especially fond of cakes with thick layers of frosting or blue icing, and sugary roses don't have quite the same nostalgic effect here as they do in America.

A lot of people come to Paris and ask me...

Cocoa Powder FAQ: Dutch-process & natural cocoa powder

Here's some of the frequently asked questions people have about cocoa powder, and its use in recipes:

What's the difference between Dutch-process and natural cocoa powder?

Dutch-process cocoa powder is made from cocoa (cacao) beans that have been washed with a potassium solution, to neutralize their acidity. Natural cocoa powder is made from cocoa beans that are simply roasted, then pulverized into a fine powder.

What does Dutching do?

Aside from neutralizing the acidity...

Blog Notes

Dinner at Hidden Kitchen

On May 13, I'll be hosting a dinner at the always-booked Hidden Kitchen in association with the folks at Context Travel. Local food gem Meg Zimbeck will join me, and aside from a super dinner, guests will also get a copy of my upcoming book, Ready For Dessert.

There's just a few spaces left, so if you've been dying to try Hidden Kitchen, or would like to get a closer look at that worrisome bald spot that appears to be growing on the backside of my head, sign...

French Napkins

Last time I was in the states, because I had a few hours to spend strapped in a seat (on an airplane, folks—it wasn't Folsom Street Fair weekend), a friend gave me a stack of magazines which track the comings and going of various celebrities. I know they were meant to be entertaining, but I must've been away too long, because I had no idea who about eighty percent of the people in the magazine were and if Suri Cruise or Ke$ha was strapped in next to me, I wouldn't have any clue to how...

The Black Truffle Extravaganza

When I was in Cahors, I had dinner with a French woman who teaches English. She told me one of the biggest differences between English and French is that in English, we often use a lot of words to mean one thing. And not all of them make sense. I've never really thought about it all that much, but she was right; we do tend to use a lot of expressions and words where one, or a few, might suffice.

"Hang a left", "Hide the sausage", and "Beat the rap" are a few phrases that come to m...

10 Romantic (and Sexy) Things to Do In Paris

For those of you who have The Perfect Scoop, you may already be familiar with my friend Heather Stimmler-Hall, who writes the popular website, Secrets of Paris. She's the one who attempted to seduce her Parisian neighbor with a batch of my ice cream. Not that she needs my assistance (I didn't ask her how it turned out since I'm such a gentleman, and she's the model of discretion). But for the rest of us, I tend to take help whenever—and wherever, I can get it.

Heather is the author of