February 2024

Stories, recipes and more!

The window at the lovely Gingko pâtisserie in Paris

There’s been a whole lotta talk about AI taking over writing for authors. So I asked AI via Copilot/Bing to help me out this month, asking it to:

“Write an introduction to my monthly newsletter for regular readers and subscribers with themes I write about: Food, cooking, baking, and Paris.”

Here’s what it wrote, in what’s called the “Precise” mode:

Hello, dear readers and subscribers!

Welcome to the January edition of my monthly newsletter, where I share with you my passion for food, cooking, baking, and Paris. In this issue, you will find:

-A recipe for a delicious and easy tarte tatin, the classic French upside-down apple pie.

-A review of Le Petit Chou, a cozy and charming bistro in the heart of Montmartre.

-A guide to the best boulangeries in Paris, where you can find the freshest and tastiest bread, croissants, and pastries.

-A personal story of how I fell in love with crêpes, the thin and versatile pancakes that can be filled with anything from cheese to chocolate.

I hope you enjoy reading this newsletter as much as I enjoy writing it. Thank you for your support and feedback. Please feel free to share your thoughts and suggestions with me by replying to this email or leaving a comment on my blog.

Bon appétit and à bientôt!

For the record, I’ve never been to a restaurant called Le Petit Chou. In fact, I couldn’t find one listed in Paris. There is no tarte Tatin recipe in this newsletter. (Sorry, but you can find one from me here - and it made another goof; Tatin should be capitalized as it’s a proper noun).

And I would be lying if I told you there was a story here about how I fell in love with crêpes…but I will let you know that I’m adding it now: It was at a chain restaurant called The Magic Pan, in a shopping mall where I grew up, in American suburbia.

The revolving turntable they used to make crêpes (on the bottom of pans) at The Magic Pan, a chain restaurant that made French-style crêpes popular in the U.S., which was actually founded by Hungarians.

I do have a guide to the best boulangeries in Paris (well…boulangeries and pâtisseries) — but it’s not here in the newsletter, it’s here.

Since it was pretty far off, I asked it again, this time for a response in the “Creative” mode:

Dear Readers and Subscribers,

Welcome to our monthly newsletter! As our regular readers know, this is a space where we explore the delightful world of food, cooking, and baking, all through the lens of our beloved city, Paris.

Each month, we dive into the rich culinary traditions of Paris, uncover hidden gems in the city's food scene, and share delectable recipes that bring a taste of Paris right into your kitchen.

Whether you're a seasoned cook or a food enthusiast, there's something for everyone in our newsletter. So, sit back, grab a croissant, and let's embark on another delicious journey together!

Bon Appétit!

Personally, I don’t find that very creative, especially the second paragraph. It reads like a string of clichés, using phrases like “delightful world of food,” or “rich culinary traditions of Paris.” If someone talked like that in real life, I’d get away from them as fast as possible.

So for better or worse, I’m still going to write my own newsletter and invite you to sit back, grab a croissant, and let’s embark on another delicious journey together!

Unfortunately, I didn’t hit Le Petit Chou, but I did spend some time at two favorite Paris pastry shops (not boulangeries) this month…

Gingko

Sayo Yamagata and Othman El Ouraoui make pastries at their special bakery right next to the park Buttes-Chaumont with people in the neighborhood stopping in for a morning pastry, or a dessert to enjoy at home. They studied traditional French pastry-making and have mastered French techniques, adding multicultural flavors, such as in the Mont Fuji (above, right), a ring of buttery pâte sucrée holding a layer of chestnut cream and cranberries, then capped with matcha green tea and a puff of crème chantilly. The other pastry, Saveur d’Orient, is a dome of mandarin mousse filled with marmalade, rose, and orange flower water, set on a disc of pistachio crunch.

Both were delicious, but my absolute favorite was their incredible Galette des rois, the traditional Epiphany cake in France, with a thick layer of almonds sandwiched in between etherial puff pastry. Almost every bakery in Paris (and in France, for that matter) makes one for the holidays. But this one was the best I’ve had. It was worth biking up the hill for! And somehow, it survived the trip home, which involved a lot of bumpy roads in my bike basket.

Tapisserie

One of my favorite bakeries in Paris, I’m fortunate to live just a short walk away. Last week I spent the morning in their kitchen, learning how they make their pastries, including the fabulous Maple Syrup Tart (above). Maple syrup isn’t used that much in France, but at Tapisserie, they make up for it with an abundance of maple syrup in every tart: one 8-inch (20cm) tart has a whopping 600ml/2 1/4 cups of pure maple syrup in it.

I also had a brightly flavored citrus tart with lemon and candied citron and brought home one of their flouve-flavored choux puffs, filled with cream that’s been infused with anthoxanthum odoratum (Latin for flouve), which doesn’t quite translate. “Sweet vernal grass” is kind of a mouthful, but the flavor is similar to hay, and it’s something I’m happy to put in my mouth, any day.

-David

A few places to find me around the web…

Hot? Or not? The illustration Taste used to accompany my podcast interview with Matt Rodbard, which was a lot of fun. (One friend called me looking “…kind of butch,” which I think was supposed to be a compliment?)

I was immortalized by a colorful rendering of me for the Taste podcast. I’ve been described as colorful before, but in this far-ranging interview, Matt and I talked about the food world, social media, and how things continue to change and evolve… [Listen here.]

I was happy to chat with Bjork Ostrom of Pinch of Yum and Food Blogger Pro about the state of online food media, from blogs to newsletters, and why I made the switch. The producer wrote to me later that she loved my “honesty,” so I guess I revealed a lot! [Listen here.]

I reunited with pal Brad Thomas Parsons in his Last Callnewsletter, reminiscing about my youthful days in San Francisco dive bars (that involved a few slightly risqué incidents), and what music I remember…and still keep on replay. [Read here.]

…and lastly, a blast from the past. My first kitchen in Paris, circa 2008. (The Kitchn)

Links I’m Liking

-A wonderful tribute to the dearly departed Judy Rodgers, chef/owner of Zuni Café, and her iconic cookbook, The Zuni Café Cookbook by Christian Reynoso, which I was quoted in. (Taste)

-A favorite French rum gets a name change, to Planteray (Drinks International)

-The best 67 minutes of last month were spent watching The Bear, season 2, episode 6, with Jamie Lee Curtis — a harrowing tour de force by an incredible actress in the midst of preparing Christmas dinner. I think I spent every scene she was in holding my breath. (Hulu/Disney+ France)

(The scene below, from the episode, gives you a taste. Note that it contains some strong language.)

-Heidi Swanson shares the pros and cons of making the switch to induction. (101 Cookbooks)

-Melissa Clark takes a deep dive into salt, and answers the eternal question: What’s with all those different salts? (NYT/unlocked)

-A million-and-a-half euros’ worth of wine stolen from La Tour d’Argent’s legendary cave in Paris. (BBC)

-Paris Olympics prices reach staggering heights. (NYT/unlocked)

-Why Americans (and the French) are buying a lot less champagne. (Yahoo! Finance)

-French farmers set up roadblocks around Paris to protest excessive bureaucracy, low prices, and low wages. (RFI) This article explains more…

-What the difference between jasmine and basmati rice? (Simply Recipes)

Greener Paris 🌿

The city of Paris has been working hard to make itself greener, ramping up composting programs, installing fabric recycling bins, and discouraging diesel cars. On February 4th, and citizens of the city will vote on whether to allow plus ou moins, more or less, SUVs in the city.

To encourage bicycling, the city has laid down 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) of bike paths, in a city that’s 105 square kilometers (41 square miles), and has an inexpensive electric bike rental program to encourage people to get out of their cars and onto bikes. I love mine.

We made moules-frites (recipe here), from mussels that were in my delivery from Poiscaille.

-Poiscaille offers a weekly, twice-monthly, or monthly delivery of fresh, wild seafood caught in France, purchased directly from the fishermen and women. You can choose which selection of sustainably sourced seafood that you want the day before, which is delivered to a local drop-off spot the next day.

Recent offerings have included scallops, oysters, crabs, clams, dorade, and lieu jaune (pollack). Each delivery is 1 kilo (2.2 pounds) of mixed seafood of your choice. More info and sign-up here.

-If you enjoy bread, most of the time you know it’s just fine to use—and eat—it the following day. Demain bakery in Paris (133 rue Saint Maur, 11th) gathers day-old bread and pastries from 17 local boulangeries and pâtisseries, selling them at reduced prices or transforming them into other pastries in order to reduce food waste and help small businesses.

-In the last few years, a lot of stores have opened in Paris, selling fruits and vegetables, and other staples, from flour to cheeses, from small producers. I love shopping in those stores, which include Miyam, Terroirs d’Avenir, Au Bout du Champ, La Main Verte, Le Pari Local, La Récolte, and Biocoop.

La Ruche qui dit Oui allows you to pick out produce and other foods in advance (meats, dairy products, cheeses, etc.) from local producers, then pick them up at a designated spot in your neighborhood or have delivered to your home.

-Pere Lachaise cemetery is returning to its roots, so to speak, and letting nature take its course by stopping the severe pruning they used to do in an effort to make the grounds more sustainable (which was how the cemetery was originally conceived), as well as cooler in summer months for the 7,000 visitors who come each year. Another bonus: Lots more wildflowers.

-Sail the Seine without adding to the pollution! Green River Cruises offers a greener way to see the sights.

-Get free composting equipment from the City of Paris or use one of the compost bins around town and at the local markets. You can use this form to request a bin in your building, although rumor has it the city may be stopping that program as it’s been met with resistance. If you’re already composting, here’s a map of where you can get free worms from others, who want to share with you.

-Super Flacon has laundry detergent (including unscented—yay!), rinse agent, household cleaners, and dishwashing liquid made without dubious chemicals and sold in returnable glass bottles. Also, delivery in Paris is by bike. You can use this link with a code to get a free liter of laundry detergent with your first order. (Note: That’s an affiliate code, and I’ll also get a liter. You’re welcome just to go to the website separately and sign up, too.)

-Although I haven’t been yet, restaurant Inoveat is the first restaurant in Europe that’s “Cuisine 100% entomophagie,” which means—yup, that insects are on the menu. If anyone’s tried it, let me know in the comments(!)

And a few things we’ve been eating lately…

This Devil’s Food Cake was as much fun to make as it was to eat. Double-layer cakes aren’t a thing in France but this was a big hit with French friends and neighbors…who asked for more. And who can blame them?

Endive and Ham Gratin is something Romain always begs me to make. It’s a great, hearty winter dish that’s popular here in France, for good reason. Caramelizing Belgian endive mellows the bitterness, and ham, cheese, and a bit of Béchamel, add to its lush coziness.

Is there anything better than digging your spoon into your own little pot of dark chocolate and pulling out a light, airy spoonful of mousse au chocolat, and scraping it off the spoon with your teeth? Then licking off every last bite? I don’t think so…

I find myself making this Milk Chocolate-Amaro Ice Cream more times than I do other flavors of ice cream. The creamy chocolate marries well with bitter amaro. A windfall of milk chocolate prompted me to come up with this ice cream. Milk chocolate normally isn’t a fan favorite, nor is it mine, but this flavor zoomed to the top of my all-time faves.

Through the miracle of progress, I’ve been adding videos to my newsletters, including one on How to Make a French Green Salad and Vinaigrette (for paid subscribers) with tips on making the perfect salad dressing, and another on How to Make Vanilla Ice Cream (for paid subscribers, with free preview), with step-by-step instructions for making an ice cream custard base.

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