We have a new President now, Mr. François Holland, and his tone is gentle.  It is hard to know yet whether this indicates the tone of his presidency, but I would say that everyone has high hopes. Not necessarily for gentleness, but for getting us out of the merde-ness. During the campaign he was criticized [...]

Since I can remember, my favorite croissant is to be had from Patisserie Jean Millet, 103 rue St. Dominique, Paris 7.  Denis Rufel, the “chef d’orchestre” at this diminutive little spot, was one of my teachers when I was a cooking student. Round, fast, and intense, he would come teach us in the evenings after [...]

We are not experiencing a “froid de canard,” or duck cold here in France (“froid de canard” is used to describe extremely cold temperatures). We are experiencing, instead, the icy depths of Siberia.  At least that is what the weather people are telling us, as they describe the trajectory of weather, which has swept its [...]

We all thought that winter was going to ignore us this year but, no, it’s here.  Snappy cold, hoarfrost lending lace to everything, from the roses to the windshield. The market in Le Neubourg this morning was a study in chill.  Our first stop is always the same — le Fournil d’Eugenie on rue Dupont [...]

  This Thursday will find us doing what many a Norman does at this unique time of year, when herring run by the thousands in the English channel – sitting down to a meal of this delicate, tender fish. We’ll have our Thanksgiving on another day, but we’ll celebrate nonetheless, for herring to the Norman [...]