This holiday season I visited Christmas markets in the Alsace region of France. Besides a few extra pounds of weight, I brought back a deeper understanding of Alsatian markets, food, and culture. I look forward to sharing my impressions in two parts. This one is…
“Simple food is the best food,” says David Tanis. Making the dough for an onion and bacon tart, he stirs dry yeast into water with chopsticks. Why not use a wooden spoon? It’ll be less sticky without the broad surface–a simple but useful tip. As…
There’s a familiar rhythm to the ramp-up to all holidays in Paris. For example, well before Valentine’s Day more lavish than usual displays of chocolates and macarons start appearing in store windows. As Bastille Day approaches in July, a profusion of tricolor flags emerge from…
Saint-Rémy-de-Provence stands out as one of the most picturesque towns in Provence. It’s of intermediate size by south-of-France standards–smaller than Arles and Avignon but larger than Eygalières and Fontvieille. Nestled between the Durance and the Rhône rivers, it’s in the Alpilles region where olive trees…
Best known for ski slopes, hiking trails, psychedelic fall foliage, and the Trapp Family Lodge, Stowe Vermont has another temptation to offer visitors: a rollicking farmers’ market. When the market began in 1993 it consisted of a dozen vendors–predominantly farmers selling organic produce to a…
Summer ended with a bang. There was a party, a wedding, and–no, thank goodness, not a funeral–but a quiet retreat to Martha’s Vineyard. Now I’m settling back into Cambridge, Massachusetts. The French have a term for this transition: la rentrée. It’s the re-entry, or return,…
It’s one thing to shop at farmers’ markets as a regular customer, and another to shop as a chef. Occasionally I see chefs at markets. They might be recognizable as a celebrity or from the tell-tale white jacket. I pay close attention to which stalls they…
It wasn’t long ago that iceberg lettuce was the main or only option at grocery stores for salad greens. (“Green” is deceptive since most iceberg lettuce leaves are sickly white or pale lime in color.) Nowadays it’s common to find produce shelves brimming with spring mixes,…
Sweet juicy strawberries and cherries, freshly picked from local fields, still tingle in my mouth. Mistral winds still prickle goosebumps on my arms. The songs of les cigales (cicadas), still ring in my ears. Such are the vivid memories of my recent trip to Provence. Since photos communicate the variety…
There are certain sights that I’ve come to expect when visiting Paris, especially in springtime. Leafy cathedrals of allées. Hedges dotted with cream and pink blooms. Even under grey skies, a riot of cheerful blooms in the Tuileries, Luxembourg Gardens, and other parks throughout the city. At…