Zazie
My friend Agnes and I met for breakfast at Zazie in the Cole Valley neighborhood of San Francsico. I really like the bohemian-style atmosphere of the place. The staff was very friendly, too. It was...
View ArticleThe Monk’s Kettle
For my husband’s birthday, I took him to The Monk’s Kettle in San Francisco. My husband is a beer fan and I had heard about this new restaurant that pairs beer and local, seasonal foods. When we...
View ArticleLe Jardin du Quai
I was very fortunate on my last trip to Provence to discover Le Jardin du Quai in the lovely village of Isle-sur-la-Sorge. The restaurant itself is in an old restored mansion across from the train...
View ArticlePatisserie Jouvaud
This patisserie in the town of Carpentras in Provence is a fantastic discovery. On my last trip, I had the pleasure to meet Pierre Jouvaud who is actively involved in managing this third-generation...
View ArticleFabulous French Wines from Chateauneuf du Pape
I just received my new shipment of wines from Cave de Verges des Papes in Chateauneuf du Pape. I tasted all of these wines when I was at my friend’s cave back in February. They are superb and I...
View ArticleLe Rove
This small, round, white goat’s milk cheese is named after the Rove breed of goats, believed to be one of the oldest breeds of goats in France. It is sold when it is only 2-3 days old. It is prized...
View ArticleLa Grande Epicerie au Bon Marche
This upscale gourmet shop in Paris is definitely worth a browse. Here you will find a huge array of fresh vegetables and fruits, olive oils, cheeses, meats, seafood, condiments, wines, spices,...
View ArticleRue Cler
Rue Cler is perhaps my favorite Market Street in Paris. It has a food market everyday and the street has wonderful cheese shops, charcuteries, butcher shops, olive oil shops, restaurants, bars,...
View ArticleMarche Raspail
Marche Raspail is a wonderful open air food market in the 6th Arrondissement that is open three times a week. This marketplace is filled with produce vendors, charcuterie stands, eggs, salts, meats,...
View ArticleFauchon
If you love fine upscale food that is exquisitely packaged, you won’t want to miss Fauchon. They have wonderful preserves and jams, mustards, teas, coffees, chocolates and wines. They ship worldwide,...
View ArticlePotato Gratin
Ingredients 3 pounds potatoes (You can use russets or a yellow waxy potato, such as Yukon Gold). 1 quart whole milk Freshly grated nutmeg Sea salt to taste 2 T butter 1 c heavy cream 2 c freshly grated...
View ArticleMashed Yukon Gold Potatoes with Mushrooms and Braised Leeks
This is one of my favorite side dishes. I have always loved soft, braised leeks, and they are plentiful right now in our Bay Area farmers markets. They are a perfect addition to mashed Yukon gold...
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Crepes Suzette
We make Crepes Suzette every year for dessert for our New Year’s Eve dinner. They are pretty easy to do. The secret is to make the crepes and the orange butter ahead of time. Ingredients For the...
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Burnt Sugar Caramelized Banana Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream
Growing up in the South, we had homemade ice cream almost every Sunday afternoon in the summertime. Our ice cream had a very simple base of cream, whole milk and sugar. We did not use eggs in it,...
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Fresh French Prune Clafoutis
Fresh French prunes are so delightful – in fact, they can be as sweet as candy. They can be difficult to find, but Glashoff Farms had some this morning at the San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers Market....
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Double Chocolate Ice Cream with Salted Toasted Pecans
With autumn at our door, I’m trying to savor one last moment of summer with this double chocolate ice cream with salted toasted pecans. In this dish, I used my favorite Askinosie chocolate – made in...
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Homemade Cardamom Ice Cream Affogato
There is just something about the flavor of cardamom that makes a super pairing with espresso. This ice cream is very simple to make. It is made in the same style in which we made ice cream when I...
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Salted Caramel Ice Cream with Dark Chocolate and Toasted Almonds
Growing up in the South, we had homemade ice cream often in the summertime. Our ice cream had a very simple base of cream, milk and sugar. We did not use eggs in it, and we did not cook it. We...
View ArticleDark Chocolate Tarts
These individually-sized tarts are dense and rich. They really showcase the chocolate so use the best chocolate you can find. My chocolate of choice is Askinosie’s 70% chocolate from beans sourced in...
View ArticleSummer Fruit and Almond Tart
It is the perfect time of year to make this easy and delicious summer tart. You can use any kind of ripe fruit. Mix the fruits or choose just one. I used yellow nectarines, blueberries and...
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