Carob “fudge” LOL. Did you ever visit 40 Carrots in the basement of Bloomingdale’s in NYC in the 70’s? Dripped over frozen yogurt… should have been a “Seinfeld” episode.
Glad you enjoyed Denmark. Did you eat RØDGRØD MED FLØDE- or try your best to say it? My Danish dad’s idea of fun was trying to get us to pronounce it. It is very yummy though - red berry pudding, hard not to love!
I'm in Paris right now - just arrived, yep, it's hot. I knew it would be, planned for it mentally and wardrobe-wise and fans in my apartment.
Thank you for talking about the heat, what's being done, what's not being done, and all the links to the various sources (already subscribe to Lindsay per one of your other links once). The final link in your asterisk section with predictions at 50C by the year 2050. That's 122F. Why is no one talking about this?? Like really talking. Americans have no idea. Most people actually don't believe this no AC thing is real. It's so "preposterous" that above 72F that no one just turns on AC is kind of the prevailing mentality. Thanks for sharing all of this, it has really gotten me thinking more.
There are a lot of problems/issues about what is, and isn't, being done. They really need to come up with a comprehensive solution although France often isn't "solution-oriented." The problem is that is *is* happening and is affecting a lot of people. (My neighbor who is a doctor told me all the hospitals are full...and they're not air-conditioned either.) But also, people don't like the idea of AC, citing a bunch of illnesses and maladies that I'd never seen or experienced when living or traveling in countries that use AC.
I was out today doing errands on my bike and people in the streets, in shops, and offices are really suffering. And it's going to get hotter this weekend, and next week...
We walked about 5 km by choice to macaron making class in the 92F heat in the shade. And yes, there’s lots of people suffering on the sidewalks. Our macarons have now melted 🫠 That’s crazy about the hospitals that they’re full and don’t have AC anyway. France can use America as a case study because if there were any serious health concerns related to the use or the overuse of AC, the average American would have already had it!
Thank you for linking to my post, David! I am taking a page from your book next year and trying to skip town to the Nordics in late spring/early summer. Or the whole summer? Or forever?
Salut, David - I just wanted to share my love for apricots with you. We recently have a lovely crop of Blenheim apricots available here - PNW - and a new crop of golden raspberries. So - I decided to combine them for a jam and OMG! It is, as they say, off the hook! Intensely apricot and the raspberries are especially perfumed and slightly tart. Realy, really good,. Used about a kilo and a half of apricots to two little boxes of raspberries, juice of two medium lemmons and about 900 grammes of sugar. Not absolutley certain on all of those weights, but you get the idea. Thank you as always for your news letter.
Those Blenheim apricots are so good, and when i got to the U.S., i try to bring back some dried California Blenheims (I get them from Apricot King https://www.apricotking.com/ )
Fresh apricots are soo delicious. Fortunately they're pretty abundant here in France in the summer
Thanks for yet another great newsletter and always a BIG thanks for your recipes. I made the tarragon vinaigrette with homegrown tarragon for guests and what a hit! I was lucky to get local red currants and made your delicious jam recipe. I had never purchased red currants before but followed the recipe to the letter and it worked perfectly! Made Dave & Kate’s brownies for guests on July 4th and they were just so easy. Used our local Taza chocolate and they turned terrific as well. Keep those recipes coming!
Glad the Tarragon vinaigrette was a hit. I made a batch last week - however the heatwave (our third this summer...so far) has wreaked havoc on our tarragon and it's pretty dried out, in spite of watering it 3x/day. Happy to hear you can get Taza chocolate - they're chocolate is excellent : )
Great newsletter !! Just ordered the great book of chocolate. Your posts make my mouth water. Happy summer David. Thank you for taking my mind off of the sad stuff going on these days.
I’m 74. I have had a hard time discarding our Bon Maman jars over a lifetime of eating the delicious jam. And so we gladly use these jars as glasses at our home. They keep accumulating.
I really enjoyed David’s newsletter for its take on France, food and even healthcare.
I once met the president of Bon Maman and thanked him for using an adhesive on the labels that makes them peel off easily. He said they did it on purpose so people would reuse the jars. I wish all companies would do that!
I never call doctors by their first name in the USA, Saint Martin, or in Italy. Is that something new? My first doctor in Italy was French and she had a lot of American patients as she spoke fluent English. She told me that in the USA I was fine (I lost weight when I moved to Rome from Los Angeles) but by European standards I was fat and should lose 7 kilos. I cracked up. My parents were Caribbean so I'm used to this crazy bluntness but my fellow Americans were appalled. The best part was when she told me not to go on a diet because they don't work and are stressful. I should watch the sweets and keep working out. She moved back to France and I always laugh when I think about that conversation.
If I recall, I think my doctors in the U.S. always referred to me by my first name, rather than "Sir" (aka: Monsieur) which I know is a sign of respect in France, but one I'm still not entirely accustomed to since I like to have a more personalized relationship with my doctors. The bluntness is pretty French - I've had to get used to that. When I met Romain, he would tell me things like the new shirt I bought was "very ugly" and stuff like that. It's so different than in the U.S. where people are more coy, or roundabout.
I will be a very healthy 75 this month and can add to the list you started. You need to find a younger doctor, dentist, lawyer, CPA and hair stylist. Also, a set of younger friends to help you through when your older ones depart too soon. Just a little life lesson.
Gosh gee, David, I do so love these monthly newsletters. Always learn yet another something new and served up with a giggle or two! I adore white chocolate and and have since I was a kid. Every Easter Mom would have to search for a white chocolate bunny for my Easter basket as white chocolate was not a thing back then, but she always managed to find one!! The taste buds are dancing in anticipation of savoring the White Chocolate Ginger Ice Cream.....oh, yummmmmm!!! Stay cool over there!
I don't quite understand why people tell me they don't like white chocolate because "it's not chocolate." It's like saying you don't like white wine because it's not champagne. Milk chocolate isn't technically chocolate either, but it has it's place - and it something I've come around to use more and more.
You never fail to entertain as well as educate! I have two of your cookbooks and when I saw a Zoe Francois post (Zoebakes) that you were giving away your newest Chocolate cookbook, I had to enter her giveaway. And to my great delight, I was a winner! I can’t wait to dive into the recipes! It is the first of yours that I have focusing on dessert. And I might even try the non-chocolate chocolate cake! Thank you for your generosity!
Carob “fudge” LOL. Did you ever visit 40 Carrots in the basement of Bloomingdale’s in NYC in the 70’s? Dripped over frozen yogurt… should have been a “Seinfeld” episode.
Glad you enjoyed Denmark. Did you eat RØDGRØD MED FLØDE- or try your best to say it? My Danish dad’s idea of fun was trying to get us to pronounce it. It is very yummy though - red berry pudding, hard not to love!
The Louisiana Museum is definitely worth the trip. We just returned. The Sophie Calle exhibit was so thought provoking and moving. Humorous too!
Ooh, I'm watching Widow's Bay too! Creepy and funny. Love Matthew Rhys.
I got weirder than I was expecting, but it's quite a show. I loved The Americans, which he was in with his wife, and he's so good in Widow's Bay too.
I'm in Paris right now - just arrived, yep, it's hot. I knew it would be, planned for it mentally and wardrobe-wise and fans in my apartment.
Thank you for talking about the heat, what's being done, what's not being done, and all the links to the various sources (already subscribe to Lindsay per one of your other links once). The final link in your asterisk section with predictions at 50C by the year 2050. That's 122F. Why is no one talking about this?? Like really talking. Americans have no idea. Most people actually don't believe this no AC thing is real. It's so "preposterous" that above 72F that no one just turns on AC is kind of the prevailing mentality. Thanks for sharing all of this, it has really gotten me thinking more.
There are a lot of problems/issues about what is, and isn't, being done. They really need to come up with a comprehensive solution although France often isn't "solution-oriented." The problem is that is *is* happening and is affecting a lot of people. (My neighbor who is a doctor told me all the hospitals are full...and they're not air-conditioned either.) But also, people don't like the idea of AC, citing a bunch of illnesses and maladies that I'd never seen or experienced when living or traveling in countries that use AC.
I was out today doing errands on my bike and people in the streets, in shops, and offices are really suffering. And it's going to get hotter this weekend, and next week...
We walked about 5 km by choice to macaron making class in the 92F heat in the shade. And yes, there’s lots of people suffering on the sidewalks. Our macarons have now melted 🫠 That’s crazy about the hospitals that they’re full and don’t have AC anyway. France can use America as a case study because if there were any serious health concerns related to the use or the overuse of AC, the average American would have already had it!
Thank you for linking to my post, David! I am taking a page from your book next year and trying to skip town to the Nordics in late spring/early summer. Or the whole summer? Or forever?
Highly recommended!
Salut, David - I just wanted to share my love for apricots with you. We recently have a lovely crop of Blenheim apricots available here - PNW - and a new crop of golden raspberries. So - I decided to combine them for a jam and OMG! It is, as they say, off the hook! Intensely apricot and the raspberries are especially perfumed and slightly tart. Realy, really good,. Used about a kilo and a half of apricots to two little boxes of raspberries, juice of two medium lemmons and about 900 grammes of sugar. Not absolutley certain on all of those weights, but you get the idea. Thank you as always for your news letter.
Those Blenheim apricots are so good, and when i got to the U.S., i try to bring back some dried California Blenheims (I get them from Apricot King https://www.apricotking.com/ )
Fresh apricots are soo delicious. Fortunately they're pretty abundant here in France in the summer
Thanks for yet another great newsletter and always a BIG thanks for your recipes. I made the tarragon vinaigrette with homegrown tarragon for guests and what a hit! I was lucky to get local red currants and made your delicious jam recipe. I had never purchased red currants before but followed the recipe to the letter and it worked perfectly! Made Dave & Kate’s brownies for guests on July 4th and they were just so easy. Used our local Taza chocolate and they turned terrific as well. Keep those recipes coming!
Glad the Tarragon vinaigrette was a hit. I made a batch last week - however the heatwave (our third this summer...so far) has wreaked havoc on our tarragon and it's pretty dried out, in spite of watering it 3x/day. Happy to hear you can get Taza chocolate - they're chocolate is excellent : )
Great newsletter !! Just ordered the great book of chocolate. Your posts make my mouth water. Happy summer David. Thank you for taking my mind off of the sad stuff going on these days.
Thanks for ordering the book and hope you enjoy it!
It's so hard for us to diet when gourmet food is our business especially when we are in pastry department
I’m 74. I have had a hard time discarding our Bon Maman jars over a lifetime of eating the delicious jam. And so we gladly use these jars as glasses at our home. They keep accumulating.
I really enjoyed David’s newsletter for its take on France, food and even healthcare.
Thanks.
I once met the president of Bon Maman and thanked him for using an adhesive on the labels that makes them peel off easily. He said they did it on purpose so people would reuse the jars. I wish all companies would do that!
I never call doctors by their first name in the USA, Saint Martin, or in Italy. Is that something new? My first doctor in Italy was French and she had a lot of American patients as she spoke fluent English. She told me that in the USA I was fine (I lost weight when I moved to Rome from Los Angeles) but by European standards I was fat and should lose 7 kilos. I cracked up. My parents were Caribbean so I'm used to this crazy bluntness but my fellow Americans were appalled. The best part was when she told me not to go on a diet because they don't work and are stressful. I should watch the sweets and keep working out. She moved back to France and I always laugh when I think about that conversation.
If I recall, I think my doctors in the U.S. always referred to me by my first name, rather than "Sir" (aka: Monsieur) which I know is a sign of respect in France, but one I'm still not entirely accustomed to since I like to have a more personalized relationship with my doctors. The bluntness is pretty French - I've had to get used to that. When I met Romain, he would tell me things like the new shirt I bought was "very ugly" and stuff like that. It's so different than in the U.S. where people are more coy, or roundabout.
Another great newsletter! Thanks for keeping us updated on what you are doing and where you are going. 😎
I will be a very healthy 75 this month and can add to the list you started. You need to find a younger doctor, dentist, lawyer, CPA and hair stylist. Also, a set of younger friends to help you through when your older ones depart too soon. Just a little life lesson.
Gosh gee, David, I do so love these monthly newsletters. Always learn yet another something new and served up with a giggle or two! I adore white chocolate and and have since I was a kid. Every Easter Mom would have to search for a white chocolate bunny for my Easter basket as white chocolate was not a thing back then, but she always managed to find one!! The taste buds are dancing in anticipation of savoring the White Chocolate Ginger Ice Cream.....oh, yummmmmm!!! Stay cool over there!
I don't quite understand why people tell me they don't like white chocolate because "it's not chocolate." It's like saying you don't like white wine because it's not champagne. Milk chocolate isn't technically chocolate either, but it has it's place - and it something I've come around to use more and more.
As per usual, your writings on any topic, area, or recipe are engrossing! A quick question, how do i get informed of your live talks???
I've posted here in the newsletter and on my website when I have events. I also post them on my Schedule page, which is here:
https://www.davidlebovitz.com/schedule/
You never fail to entertain as well as educate! I have two of your cookbooks and when I saw a Zoe Francois post (Zoebakes) that you were giving away your newest Chocolate cookbook, I had to enter her giveaway. And to my great delight, I was a winner! I can’t wait to dive into the recipes! It is the first of yours that I have focusing on dessert. And I might even try the non-chocolate chocolate cake! Thank you for your generosity!
glad you won the book! Enjoy it : )