October 31, 2011
Visiting Stratford and Toronto: Recommendations?
Maple leaves photographed by William Warby.
I am writing to you from Canada, where I am spending two weeks at the Stratford Chefs School outside of Toronto: I've been invited as their Gastronomic Writer In Residence (I know, right?), and I'll be devoting my time to working with the students on various assignments to hone their food writing skills.
I will also be hosting a few public lectures and events in Stratford and Toronto; please see the ...
"Visiting Stratford and Toronto: Recommendations?" continues »
September 7, 2011
Corsica Highlights
As those of you who subscribe to the free C&Z newsletter already know, Maxence and I have just come back from Corsica -- the French island that's floating in the Mediterranean between France and Italy, just above Sardinia -- where we spent an altogether enthralling vacation with my sister and brother-in-law.
It was our first time there after years and years of thinking we absolutely must go, and although our expectations were as lofty as the a...
"Corsica Highlights" continues »
May 4, 2010
Japan Highlights
In the late eighties, my aunt took a trip to Japan and got me a pair of round-toed flats with a red flower pattern, and a little buckle to the side. I was nine, and these were the prettiest shoes I had ever owned. This, and the captivating tales she also brought back were likely the sparks that ignited my interest in all things Japanese: it seemed like she had visited another, mysterious planet, and I burned to go there myself some day.
It has...
"Japan Highlights" continues »
September 15, 2008
Croatia Highlights
My body has been back from our Croatian getaway for a few days, but my spirit is still very much there, on a deserted pebble beach, reading in the late afternoon light, twiddling my toes, and examining the possibility of going back in for one last dip.
My mind refuses to believe that, in the morning, we will not be feeding part of our breakfast to the wild kittens that roam everywhere; that our toughest decision today will not be whether to wa...
"Croatia Highlights" continues »
August 25, 2008
Croatia: Got Recommendations?
An alleyway in the old city of Korčula, photographed by Tona & Yo
Maxence and I are about to leave for a vacation in Croatia; the plan is to drive down the Dalmatian coast from Split to Dubrovnik, and chill for a few days on the island of Korčula.
If you've been to Croatia before and have food or drink recommendations to share -- specialties we should try, restaurants we must visit, ingredients we can bring back -- I would very much like to he...
"Croatia: Got Recommendations?" continues »
April 8, 2008
Amsterdam Highlights
Our trip started in the most inauspicious of ways.
We could have taken the time, as we usually do, to drop by the bakery on our way to the Gare du Nord, where a train was to take us to Amsterdam in just! four! hours!, but no. Instead, we chose to get ten extra minutes of sleep, and thus found ourselves on the Thalys train at lunchtime, pushed towards the voiture-bar -- the car where they sell drinks and snacks -- by the complaint of our stomac...
"Amsterdam Highlights" continues »
March 6, 2008
What I brought back from Oz
It is a universal truth that, however hard you try to clear the table before you take a trip somewhere, you will come home to several pressing deadlines. Add to that the general vertigo of readjusting to your own continent, time zone, hemisphere, language, driving side, and opposing season -- the latter is probably the most disorienting --, and an entire week may slip by before you find your footing and report back on said trip.
Let me first e...
"What I brought back from Oz" continues »
February 17, 2008
What should I bring back from Oz?
As those of you who subscribe to the C&Z newsletter already know, I am just about to fly off to Australia for the Perth Writers' Festival. I will be spending time in Perth and Albany -- that's it for this trip, but I'll be back! -- and participating in four fun events (detailed list here) with fellow writers.
I hope to have a little time to explore both cities and I am wondering, excitedly: besides Vegemite, what edibles should I be sure to tast...
"What should I bring back from Oz?" continues »
August 16, 2007
Le Jardin d'Alain Passard
[Alain Passard's Garden]
The photo set that illustrates this post may be viewed as a slideshow.
I have never dined at Alain Passard's restaurant. The closest I ever got to it was my lunch at La Végétable, but that doesn't really count -- the proximity of the escalators and the neon lighting cancel out the stars.
It's not that I don't want to go, I do, but L'Arpège is one of those restaurants I've read so much about -- Passard's love of veget...
"Le Jardin d'Alain Passard" continues »
July 24, 2007
Brussels Highlights
Let me start this post by declaring my love for the Northern European high-speed train network: Northern European high-speed train network, I love you.
Really, can anyone think of anything more enthusing than the fact that London's Borough Market, Amsterdam's rijsttafels, and Strasbourg's flammekueche are just a couple of hours away from Paris, and that the trip to get there does not involve taking off your belt, your shoes, and the filling in...
"Brussels Highlights" continues »
August 22, 2006
Barcelona Favorites
Our dinner at El Bulli last week was bookended by a few days in Barcelona. This was our first time in the city, and we had a splendid time strolling around, admiring the architecture, dodging pickpockets, and wondering where to eat next.
Our diet over those few days was mostly composed of tapas and pintxos, eaten at casual restaurants. If you are unfamiliar with pintxos (pin-tchos), they are the little morsels of food, plopped on a slice of b...
"Barcelona Favorites" continues »
August 18, 2006
Dinner at El Bulli
I remember reading about El Bulli four or five years ago in the French newspaper Le Monde. I remember the yearning, and I remember the pang that followed closely: considering the small number of guests that the restaurant could accommodate each season, the dream seemed out of reach. But a few years later, I learned from a well-informed friend that getting a reservation was a bit like playing the lottery: the odds were low, but it didn't cost mu...
"Dinner at El Bulli" continues »
July 20, 2006
US Roadtrip Highlights, A Directory
As a post-scriptum to the notes from my roadtrip across the US, I have put together a list of the restaurants we enjoyed (plus a handful of non food-related stores/services), should you find yourself in the areas we visited.
~Florida~
--Miami
Jerry's Famous Deli
Huge diner-type deli -- breakfast served all day.
1450 Collins Avenue - (305) 532-8030
Puerto Sagua
Old Cuban diner in South Beach.
700 Collins Avenue - (305) 673-1115
Versailles
C...
"US Roadtrip Highlights, A Directory" continues »
July 18, 2006
US Roadtrip Highlights, Part II
[You may want to read Part I first.]
Before I proceed with the second installment of notes from my roadtrip, I would like to respond to a question posted by Robin: how did we choose our food stops? The overall theme for this vacation was "improvisation" -- no planned route, no schedule, just us, a car blissfully equipped with cruise control, and a Michelin road atlas -- and this made it difficult to visit any of the fancier, reservations-neede...
"US Roadtrip Highlights, Part II" continues »
July 14, 2006
US Roadtrip Highlights, Part I
Maxence and I are back from our roadtrip across the US -- still a bit jetlagged, but extremely pleased with how it went. 4,952 miles driven in 17 days through 7 states: in order of appearance, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. Stupendous landscapes, extremely kind people along the way (except for that one tattooed psycho in a pick-up truck, but that was fun in retrospect), fabulous roadfood, a...
"US Roadtrip Highlights, Part I" continues »
November 14, 2005
Jambon de la Vallée des Aldudes
[Ham from the Aldudes Valley]
In the galaxy of first-class hams, this one most definitely deserves its place. It is made by 60 producers in the beautiful valley of Les Aldudes in the Pays Basque, from a specific breed of pig called le porc basque.
This pig, which sports a pretty pink and black outfit, almost didn't make it through the twentieth century: from 140,000 individuals in 1929, the headcount had dwindled down to a dramatic twenty by ...
"Jambon de la Vallée des Aldudes" continues »
November 11, 2005
Ossau-Iraty
When I was a wee little girl I was sent to colonies de vacances (the French equivalent of summer camp, except it can be at any season) once or twice a year during school breaks. Both my parents worked and us kids had way more vacations than they did, so partir en colo was a good way for us to breathe fresh air and make new friends instead of staying in the city. To be truthful I didn't like it that much -- I was always a bit of an individualist...
November 9, 2005
Piment d'Espelette
Leaving Bayonne, we drove down the Atlantic coast to see Biarritz and Saint-Jean-de-Luz. We stayed in this fair beach city for the night and had a really nice dinner at a modern-Basque restaurant called Olatua -- an excellent cod with txorizo and a mighty fine gâteau basque.
In the morning we left and crossed the Spanish border to visit San Sebastián, in the Spanish Basque country. The road to get there was magnificent, offering heart-...
"Piment d'Espelette" continues »
November 7, 2005
Chocolat de Bayonne
It is a little-known fact that Bayonne was the first chocolate-making city in France. In the 17th century, a wave of Jewish immigrants settled there, fleeing the Spanish and Portuguese inquisition and bringing the savoir-faire as a prized possession in their luggage. Local artisans quickly learned how to make the magic happen with those mysterious beans from the New World, and developped the production themselves. One century later, they create...
"Chocolat de Bayonne" continues »
November 4, 2005
South-West Roadtrip
If there's one thing that should be said about the South-West of France, it's that you shouldn't go if you're on a diet. Wonderful specialties and artisanal products abound, begging you to take a bite -- or two or three just to make sure. As we drove and walked around, taking in the spectacular landscapes, enjoying the sunshine and the quiet, the lack of crowds and the friendly service (the reward for travelling off-season), I kept my eyes peel...
"South-West Roadtrip" continues »
September 12, 2005
Le Potager du Roi
When Louisa brought me peaches and zucchini from Le Potager du Roi in Versailles, her birthday gift was really twofold -- delicious produce to enjoy now, and the promise of a fascinating new place to discover later. And so it is that on a bright and sunny day last week, my parents and I took a little trip to Versailles, snubbed the castle and walked straight on to the Potager.
Le Potager du Roi -- the King's Vegetable Garden -- was built by Je...
"Le Potager du Roi" continues »
July 8, 2005
Food and the City: Food Shopping
Besides eating out at restaurants, what is the other capital dimension through which to explore a city and its food scene? Food shopping! Show me your grocery stores, and I'll try to guess how you eat at home when no one's looking, how you cook and how you feed your friends.
As in all other respects, New York did not disappoint. I loved the hyper-luxurious Dean & Deluca in Soho (rarely have I seen such a beautiful -- and insanely pricey -- st...
"Food and the City: Food Shopping" continues »
July 5, 2005
Food and the City: Only in NY
When I left for NYC armed with a highly enthusing list of suggestions, recommendations and must-eats, I was determined to make the culinary most of my stay. But in a city such as this, it can certainly be an overwhelming mission statement: where do you start, what do you choose, where do you go? As often in the trickier situations of life, forethought and discernment are key. A mental list was drawn in which I gathered my priorities, and among ...
"Food and the City: Only in NY" continues »
July 4, 2005
Food and the City: Ethnic Restaurants
And let me open this week's program with more food memories from my trip to New York City, introducing a handful of ethnic restaurants. (Apologies for the not-so-great picture, I only had my phone with me when I encountered this arepa!)
Dim-sum @ Golden Bridge
I will start with a sore disappointment and just get it out of the way. Maxence and I love dim-sum, the kind that comes on a cart wheeled around by little ladies through a loud ballroom...
"Food and the City: Ethnic Restaurants" continues »
June 30, 2005
Food and the City: Upscale Restaurants
During my stint in NYC, I had the occasion to dine at a few restaurants that I would qualify as upscale -- Jean Georges, Blue Hill and Babbo -- a very pleasant experience I will now gladly relate.
Jean Georges
The first in this series was Jean Georges, to which I went for lunch. I was very excited about it, having heard a lot about the Alsatian chef, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, whose innovative cuisine mixes French and Asian influences. We wer...
"Food and the City: Upscale Restaurants" continues »
June 29, 2005
Food and the City: Midscale and Lunch Restaurants
Now that my sweet NYC memories are safely tucked away (leave it to me to put dessert first, always!), we have quite a bit of savory ground to cover, and I will start with a little batch of midscale/lunch places: 'Ino, Freemans, Pearl Oyster Bar and Teany (see end of post for coordinates).
'Ino
On Friday night I stepped out of the plane, a bit dizzy from the voyage but excited and more importantly, hungry -- it's nice of the airline to provide...
"Food and the City: Midscale and Lunch Restaurants" continues »
June 27, 2005
Food and the City: All Things Sweet
In my mind, one of the most defining (and endearing) features of American cuisine is its shameless, over-the-top sweet tooth: giant chunky cookies with a tender heart, proud muffins that could feed a family of four, voluptuous cakes slathered with frosting, life buoy sized doughnuts, velvety ice-cream loaded with goodies... I love them all, and I was determined to use my vacation in NYC to get a taste of some of my favorites -- the keyword here...
"Food and the City: All Things Sweet" continues »
June 25, 2005
Food and the City: Intro
[Photography by Maxence]
What is it with a city that makes you fall head-over-heels for it? Is it the energy that it glows with, is it the sunshine, is it the fabulous food, the designer boutiques, the million little streets just a few blocks from the skyscrapers, the feeling of being in a movie, the meeting of like-minded friends, the walking, the walking, or maybe the walking?
Most certainly a combination of all those quality ingredients, m...
"Food and the City: Intro" continues »
June 17, 2005
Off to New York City!
Well, this is it! All packed and excited and ready to go, with my print-out of the C&Z readers' guide to NYC, a tasty snack for the plane (Amanda Hesser's good advice was not lost on this girl) and dreams of skylines and designer stores and art collections and brownstones and marquees (and bialys and cupcakes).
And if you are in NYC this Sunday (June 19), do join us in the bar area at Otto around 5pm -- we will be there, drinking Italian wine ...
"Off to New York City!" continues »
June 7, 2005
NYC: Readers' Guide and Get-Together!
Two weeks ago, I posted about my impending trip to NYC, and asked for your advice and suggestions. Little did I know how overwhelming the response would be! Dozens upon dozens of recommendations for restaurants, stores, bars, sights, etc.
Such a wealth of knowledge could not go uncompiled, so I worked on putting together a little C&Z Readers' Guide to NYC for your perusal and enjoyement. I hope it is as useful to you -- NYers and non-NYers alik...
"NYC: Readers' Guide and Get-Together!" continues »
May 24, 2005
New York, New York!
Photography by cmiper
Well, it looks like Maxence and I will be spending a few days in New York City this June -- my excitement can barely be contained. I have long wanted to return to this city, which I visited just once when I was 15.
Ten years later, I have read a lot more books and articles and restaurant reviews and blogs, I have seen a lot more movies (not to mention episodes of Sex and the City), and I feel I have an infinity of things...
"New York, New York!" continues »
September 7, 2004
Chez Christine Ferber
Maxence and I are spending a few blissful and brightly sunny days, hidden out in my parents' vacation house in the Vosges mountains. Today, we took a happy little daytrip to Alsace, the region just on the other side of the mountain, famous for its wines, its storks, and little houses with pointy roofs and exposed beams.
Amongst other fabulous things, what we did today was go on a pilgrimage to Niedermorschwihr, the Alsacian village where Chris...
"Chez Christine Ferber" continues »
July 30, 2004
Un Week-end à Marseille (Part II)
[Continued from Part I]
Later in the afternoon, we accidently drove to Aix-en-Provence. Accidently? Um, yes. We were in fact headed someplace else, took the wrong highway, and found ourselves driving in the direction of the Capital of Calissons. Unfazed and quick to see the finger of Someone Above in this, we said okay, let's go! In Aix-en-Provence, I could have bought some Calissons of course, but that was really just too obvious, so I bought...
"Un Week-end à Marseille (Part II)" continues »
July 26, 2004
Un Week-end à Marseille (Part I)
I had long wanted to visit Marseille, so I was very happy for the occasion to spend a week-end there recently with Maxence.
Marseille is a port city in Provence, and it is in fact the second biggest city in France. My grandmother lived there for a couple of years during World War II, and we have a few family pictures from that period. I remember one in particular, black and white with frilled edges, which shows my grandmother at my age, walki...
"Un Week-end à Marseille (Part I)" continues »
July 20, 2004
Le Marché de Gérardmer
The house my parents own in the Vosges (a mountain range in the East of France, if you haven't been following this blog as closely as you should) is located outside a small town called La Bresse. When we're there on vacation, part of the food shopping is conducted in La Bresse itself -- at the grocery store for basics, and at a charcuterie and two different bakeries (one makes really excellent bread, the other has delicious cakes and brioches) ...
"Le Marché de Gérardmer" continues »
June 30, 2004
Un Week-End en Bourgogne
[A Week-End in Burgundy]
June this year was The Month Of Weddings for us : we were invited to three of them, three week-ends in a row, three differents couples (we checked).
The first of them, two weeks ago, was held in the bride's beautiful family house in Bourgogne, South-East of Paris. This was the perfect occasion for us to take a mini-tour around this region, famous for its gastronomy and wines.
We rented a car to get to the wedding, a...
"Un Week-End en Bourgogne" continues »
May 19, 2004
Eating Out in Madrid
On Saturday, after walking around Madrid and engaging in a little healthy food shopping, we went home for a much-deserved nap, and didn't go out again until 9 pm, for a pre-dinner drink.
In Spain, people eat late. And I do mean late : we Parisians have a tendency to be late diners as well, but they take the concept to a whole new level. As we drove into the city it was 9:30 pm, going on 10, and the restaurants were all empty, with a waiter or...
"Eating Out in Madrid" continues »
May 18, 2004
Food Shopping in Madrid
Maxence and I spent just spent a lovely week-end in Madrid, visiting friends of ours who live just outside of the city with their two little girls. We were lucky enough to arrive just as the weather was changing from drab to splendid, making it possible to enjoy the big garden, the pool (okay, the sight of the pool, the water was far too cold for me), and the barbecue.
On Saturday, after a long walk around the city center and a delicious turro...
"Food Shopping in Madrid" continues »
January 19, 2004
The Travelling Gourmande in London
And here we are, back from a fabulous week-end in London! Our friends Zoe and Richard (wonderful and kind and funny and smart) had invited us to stay at their house in Lightwater (lovely and bright and cosy and welcoming). We spent two fun-filled days together, walking and shopping, talking and joking, eating and drinking, and just generally having a grand time. And! and! and! I got to meet a food blog friend in real life!
Here is an account,...
"The Travelling Gourmande in London" continues »
November 25, 2003
The Victoria Food Market
On the last Saturday of our Seychelles vacation, we were on the island of Mahé, the largest and most populated of the archipelago (ooh, a good 150 km2 and 70,000 inhabitants!), which holds the small capital city, Victoria. Only a handful of streets, but still, it’s the biggest in the country. It has a daily food market, and Saturday mornings are the busiest, so that’s the moment we chose to visit.
This is a covered market mostly, h...
"The Victoria Food Market" continues »
November 24, 2003
Eating Our Way Through The Seychelles
Well, well, well. Even the best things come to an end, and here we are, back in Paris! This was a fantastic vacation: a perfect mix of discovering the islands, their breathtaking landscapes and incredible fauna and flora, snorkeling, resting on perfect beaches, and enjoying the delicious local food.
There is definitely something to be said about extremely fresh seafood, prepared with care, eaten in the company of the love of your life, while s...
"Eating Our Way Through The Seychelles" continues »
November 14, 2003
Off Somewhere Sunny!
Maxence and I are leaving tonight for ten days of well deserved vacation in the Seychelles islands. The plan is to lie on the beach, sleep till noon, read under coconut trees, swim in lagoons, walk in the natural parks, search for geckos, scuba dive, marvel at the multicolored fish, and sip on drinks with chunks of exotic fruit perched on the rim of the glass.
I probably won't be posting until we get back, but I heard that the Seychelles serve...
"Off Somewhere Sunny!" continues »