Thanks to everyone for tuning into my live video with Yotam Ottolenghi!

It was great fun to connect with Yotam and discuss everything from cooking and baking inspiration, to favorite kitchen tools and tips, as well as two “weekend friendly” recipes; Yotam Ottolenghi’s Baked Feta-Dill Frittata and my Croissants aux amandes, almond-filled croissants.

I’ll be posting the recipe for them this week - stay tuned!

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When Kate Leahy was in Paris recently, I was happy to have a chat with her in my kitchen for my podcast. A former restaurant cook, Kate seamlessly pivoted to food writing, collaborating on books with a variety of chefs, bakers, and sommeliers, and has also penned several books on her own.

Kate co-authored La Buvette with Camille Fourmont, the owner of the charming La Buvette wine bar in Paris, and most recently, My Egypt with chef-restaurateur Michael Mina.

She also co-wrote Lavash, which explores the world of Armenian flatbreads; Cookie Love with Mindy Segal; Burma Superstar, featuring recipes from San Francisco’s legendary Burmese restaurant; and A16 Food+Wine, from one of the best Italian restaurants in America.

While Kate was in Paris working on a project with me, in between baking together and hitting the town, attending chocolate tastings, and checking out the $15 ham & cheese sandwich at the Ritz Hotel’s Le Comptoir bakery (see below), we talked about writing cookbooks in this podcast.

A lot goes into writing a cookbook, especially when she’s collaborating with a chef and travels to places such as Egypt and Armenia to research and cull recipes. We discussed how she chooses what projects to work on, which chefs and sommeliers to work with, what are the most rewarding parts of writing cookbooks…and what are the most difficult. (And no, working with me wasn’t one of the latter…hopefully!😉)

Our chat also touched on the subject of the world of cookbooks today, what makes a good cookbook, and what direction cookbooks are going in. Other topics include how the world of food writing has changed with the internet and recipes on social media, where recipe sharing has pivoted to what Alicia Kennedy has called the test kitchen-ifcation of food media, as people vie for attention in a changing landscape.

Enjoy the podcast!

-David

* Follow Kate Leahy on Instagram.

* Visit Kate Leahy’s website.

* Check out Kate Leahy’s books.

* Listen to Kate’s podcast with Kristin Donnelly, Molly Stevens, and Andrea Nguyen — Everything Cookbooks. (My episode with them is here.)

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[Thanks to audio engineer Justin Golden for working his magic, and his editing talents, on my podcasts.]

I’ve known Lindsey Tramuta almost as long as I’ve been in Paris. We live in the same arrondissement (go 11th!) and I occasionally see her out and about, when she’s not busy writing books, or magazines and newspaper articles, which are featured in such publications as The New York Times, Bon Appétit, and Condé Nast Traveler.

I arrived in Paris quite unprepared, not speaking French not knowing what to expect. Lindsey moved to France the opposite way (and in my opinion, the right way), with a background in French literature, studying in France, and having a boyfriend, who is now her husband. Even so, the move still presented some challenges.

I thought it would be fun to talk to Lindsey about her journey—what motivated her to make the move (and how she answers the eternal question from visitors: Is it permanent?), what she loves about the city and living in France, as well as some of the downsides of living one’s life abroad.

In Lindsey’s first book, The New Paris, she chronicled the last decade in Paris, during while time the city’s food scene had lost some of its some of its luster, and showcased a new generation of young, engaged Parisians who changed the landscape, rebooting Paris’ reputation as a thriving, world-class gastronomic destination, that continues to evolve.

In The New Parisienne, Lindsey tackles the perception of the Parisian woman, profiling pastry chefs, creators, artists, activists, and even the mayor of city, who have changed the image of the French woman (rather than adhering to the stereotype), and who continue to shape the city today.

Lindsey also just finished The Eater Guide to Paris, focusing on the bistros, wine bars, pastry shops, cafés, and cocktail bars in the city, which will be released in the spring of 2025. In addition to writing books and articles, Lindsey is the host of her own podcast, The New Paris podcast, and writes the newsletter, The New Paris Dispatch.

We had a great time talking about our lives in Paris, including what’s changed in the city since we arrived, if Paris really is a good place to live, what are some of the difficulties of living here (#paperwork), what are some of the cultural differences one must navigate, our thoughts on the French healthcare system, and why we’ve both ultimately chose to call Paris our home.

I hope you enjoy our chat!

-David

Lindsey Tramuta

* Lindsey’s website: Lindseytramuta.com

* Instagram

* The New Paris Podcast

* Lindsey’s Books

* Paris Tours (customized Paris tours)

* Subscribe and read The New Paris Dispatch newsletter

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A few years ago, I visited several Pineau des Charentes producers in a region of France known as the Charente, where Cognac is made. Legend has it that it was originally made by accident when a Cognac producer centuries ago added fresh grape to a barrel of eau-de-vie (a clear distillation of grapes), intended to be aged for Cognac. He let it rest, and age, anyways, and thus, Pineau des Charentes was made.

Nowadays Pineau des Charentes comes in white, red, and rosé varieties, with the rosé version aging the shortest, to some of the reds and whites being aged a decade or more, although most Pineau des Charentes is aged for about 12-18 months before it’s bottled.

It’s one of my favorite French apéritifs, which I wrote about in my book Drinking French. During my travels for the book, doing research, and diving deeper into the world of French spirits, I was fortunate to meet various producers, and it was gratifying to see what care they took

Amy married into a Cognac-making family and I met her on a visit to the region when I was visiting

I sort of made a gaffe when I was in the region prior to visiting Amy and her husband Jean, by slipping a cube of ice into my glass of Pineau des Charentes, which shocked a few of the people around me. Amy later showed me an ad from years ago that said “Osez!” (“Dare!”) and pictured a glass of Pineau des Charentes with ice is in.

Nowadays, they’re upping the “cool” factor of Pineau des Charentes by showing bartenders putting ice into Pineau des Charentes, which is a great way to enjoy it, but well-chilled, without glaçons is good fine, too.

I love Pineau des Charentes and am particularly fond of the apéritif made by Jean-Luc Pasquet, which has a unique freshness that makes it brighter than other Pineaus, and their apéritif infused with raspberries from their garden, is wonderful sipped in the summer, with or without ice. Although I always put a cube or two in mine : )

They are also making a rosé Pineau des Charentes which is giving other rosé-based French apéritifs a run for their money.

Amy was recently elected to be the president of the Comité National du Pineau des Charentes

We talked about what is Pineau des Charentes, how it relates to the Cognac-making region of France, how to drink it, and what makes it so special. While not as well-known as other French apéritifs (98% of the Cognac production is exported from France, whereas only 20% of the Pineau des Charentes is exported) and we agree that it deserves to be better-known.

I hope you enjoy my chat wtih Amy about this uniquely French apéritif!

-David

You can find Jean-Luc Pasquet Pineau des Charentes on Wine Searcher.

Follow Jean-Luc Pasquet on Instagram.

Visit the Jean-Luc Pasquet website.

Try this Fall-friendly Harvest Spritz Cocktail, made with Pineau des Charentes.

If anyone knows the cuisine of Nice, it’s Rosa Jackson, owner of Les Petits Farcis for over twenty years. Located in the sunny south of France, Niçoise cooking is known for its freshness and Mediterranean flavors, using ingredients that range from local olive oil and anchovies to vibrant vegetables, such as tomatoes, Swiss chard, and zucchini (and zucchini flowers), as well as fresh goat cheeses and fragrant basil.

Rosa is the author of Niçoise: Market-Inspired Cooking from France's Sunniest City, with recipes that’ll entice you: Pan bagnat sandwiches packed with fresh, crisp vegetables; soupe au pistou, a lively vegetable soup for summer swirled with basil pistou; caramelized orange cake; a foolproof lemon soufflé; and a lemon tart accented with olive oil.

During our chat in my kitchen in Paris, Rosa and I discussed the cuisine of the sunny city she lives in, including the controversies surrounding the salade Niçoise (and the, um…less-than-enthusiastic local reaction to the Larousse version) and how to make a proper Pan bagnat, a sandwich that’s so esteemed in the region that there are official guidelines about what can, and can’t, go into the sandwich.

Enjoy the chat!

- David

* Visit Rosa at her website Rosajackson.com

* Follow Rosa on Instagram

* Subscribe to Rosa Jackson’s newsletter

* Visit Rosa’s cooking school in Nice, Les Petits Farcis

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Can I tell you how much fun it’s been getting to know Jane Bertch over the years? I’m not exactly sure how we met, but it may have been when I was leading tours and brought our guests for a day-long market tour and cooking class at La Cuisine, her cooking school in Paris. Everyone enjoyed the day very much, including me, and over the years, we’ve shared stories about relationships, and some of the quirks involved in cross-cultural connections, working and living in France, and, of course, we’ve shared several glasses of wine and a number of delicious meals together.

Jane has succeeded in building a life, and a career, in Paris, in spite of the hurdles of running a business, including navigating les voisins (neighbors), strikes, a pandemic that closed the country’s borders, an ash cloud that stranded travelers (and brought business to a halt) for weeks, and turbulent gilets jaunes demonstrations, while welcoming guests from around the world to her French cooking school.

I’m thrilled about her new book, The French Ingredient: Making a Life in Paris One Lesson at a Time, which recounts her life in Paris, from working in banking, to realizing her dream of opening a cooking school overlooking the Seine, which comes out this Tuesday, and is available for pre-order here:

In this podcast, we talk about a range of things that Jane learned along the way, and in her book, she discusses cultivating friendships and business relationships in France (versus the way things are done in America), French table manners (don’t pour your own wine!) and why people won’t eat any treats that you bring to the office,

I hope you enjoy the podcast..and her book, The French Ingredient!

-David

* Follow La Cuisine on Instagram and Facebook

* Sign up for the La Cuisine newsletter with Paris tips, favorite addresses, and news on what’s happening in Paris.

* Check out La Cuisine in Paris Cooking School (website)

* Get The French Ingredient

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I remember when Deb Perelman, aka: Smitten Kitchen, came on the scene in 2006. A few of us had been blogging for a couple of years, doing our thing—when suddenly, a fresh new voice came out of the blue (and out of New York), that segued perfectly to the new way we eat, and cook—less rules, more fun, and how we write about food.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve been following her blog for years and cooking from her books. Decades later, her blog remains one of the most popular food destinations on the internet and each of her books has topped the NYT best-seller list upon its release.

Her recipes are accessible and well-tested, and the entertaining stories that accompany them have made Deb a trusted voice to those of us who follow her. I’ve been fortunate to count her as a friend and she’s just as delightful in person as she is in print and online.

Blogging, and the food media (online and in print) have changed so much over the years, and in this podcast, Deb and I discuss those changes, and how we’ve adapted, as well as her favorite foods (and her least favorite foods), where she gets inspiration, how she tests recipes, eating out vs. eating in, and more.

I hope you enjoy listening to our chat!

-David

* Visit Smitten Kitchen.com

* Check out Deb’s best-selling cookbooks here.

* Listen to her new podcast, The Recipe, with Kenji López-Alt

* Sign up for Deb’s weekly newsletter.

* Follow Smitten Kitchen on Instagram.

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The first time I went to Win Son bakery and café in Brooklyn, I wasn’t sure what to expect. It’s billed as a Taiwanese-American bakery, and I’m not too familiar with Taiwanese baked goods. I ordered a few things off the menu that sounded good, and after I brought them to the table, I started tasting my way around the tray, and everything I ate blew me away. Everything was delicious.

The bakery and menu items take cues from familiar favorites, such as chocolate chip cookies and donuts, but I was delighted at how brilliantly they incorporated mochi, candied red beans, red rice, and scallions, along with raclette cheese, heritage bacon, and mortadella. It was the best of both (or many) worlds.

I was especially drawn to the Fan tuan, rice rolls filled with eggs, bacon, and a crispy cruller in the middle. It was a great combination, and I could easily give up baguettes and croissants for breakfast if I lived closer.

[And yes, they have a cookbook!]

Another favorite is the egg and cheese scallion pancake breakfast sandwich, which is yet another great argument for combining the best of two culinary cultures, American and Taiwanese. Adam Robertsdeclared it was the best breakfast sandwich of his life and the best thing he ate in 2023.

Since meeting him, I’ve gotten to know Trigg, the co-owner and chef of Win Son, and count him as a friend. It was a pleasure to sit with him in the bakery (pardon any background noise in the podcast). He’s fortunate to have pastry chef Danielle Spencer in the kitchen, who is a treasure, and is responsible for the delicious pastries, along with her staff.

In the kitchen attached to the café, the savory breakfast items are made mostly to order, including the scallion breakfast sandwiches and the Fan tuan rolls. Below, you can watch Trigg making the pancakes and another team member rolling up the rice rolls.

Enjoy the podcast!

-David

Win Son Bakery and Café164 Graham Ave.Brooklyn, NY

A few videos from the bakery and café with Trigg…

And here’s a YouTube video of Trigg assembling the ingredients for the Fan tuan:

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Before I left for Tel Aviv this summer, I rounded up advice from friends who are chefs, cookbook authors, and seasoned eaters about where to eat. I’ve lived in food-centric cities most of my life, but Tel Aviv is in a class by itself. There are so many good places to eat, it’s hard to whittle it down to just a few.

And if you’re there, and ask anyone where they think you should go, be prepared for a lengthy discussion that will result in a strongly opinionated list of suggestions. And if others are around, expect them to interrupt with their own thoughts. People there love to talk about eating, but even better, they really love to eat.

When I ran my list of go-to places by my friend Amit Aaronsohn who lives in Tel Aviv and is a food writer, television and radio host, as well as tour guide, he cocked his head…nixed a few and replaced them with his own suggestions.

Having too many places to eat on your agenda isn’t necessarily a good thing when you’ve got limited time, and when I mentioned my dilemma to another food writer in Tel Aviv, she replied, “If Amit says to go somewhere—go there.”

(I’ll be posting a list of places I ate in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in a newsletter post shortly.)

When I suggested to Amit that we meet up at Shlomo & Sons on a tip from a friend who told me it was her favorite place for falafel (which was on the other end of the city), Amit said to me, “You don’t need to go that far for good falafel here,” and suggested Al Kalha in Jaffa, the historic old quarter of Tel Aviv, where he lives.

Al Kalha doesn’t look like much from the outside, or when you walk in, so I wasn’t expecting much and let Amit take the reins for ordering. But when the food started coming out, in true Middle Eastern style, our table was loaded with food, including just-fried, warm falafels stuffed with onions and sumac and an astounding bowl of warm hummus topped with pita croutons, almonds, and meltingly tender chunks of juicy beef*.

During our meal, while recording the podcast, owner Ahmed Kahtab (shown above, with me and Amit) came by to see how we were doing and pulled up a chair. He explained that during the pandemic, when his hummus shop went on hiatus, he decided to transform the entire menu and feature dishes from his family’s long history in Jordan and other regions. He talked for a few minutes during the podcast, and while my Hebrew and Arabic skills are pretty non-existent, it was wonderful to meet him and learn about his food, thanks to Amit’s translation skills. (And thanks to Justin Golden for his expertise in editing this episode, as well as my others.)

Eating with Amit at Al Kalha was really a highlight of my trip, and I hope you enjoy listening in!

-David

Amit Aaronsohn does travel planning and leads private culinary tours. You can DM him via his Instagram page.

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A FEW NOTES:

-Substack is now offering a new transcript service, which is still in BETA, so you can read the podcast/interview instead of listening to it. I’m using it for the first time here and according to them, once a podcast post is published, an “…episode details tab and transcript tab will appear on the post.” So there should be an option there to read the transcript for those interested near the top of the page, where it says “Transcript.”

I did take a look at the transcription, and it’s definitely still in the BETA stage😉, so it doesn’t read smoothly. But they’re still working on it, and hopefully, it’ll improve as things move along.

*While the recipe they serve at Al Kalha is a family secret, I’ve found recipes for Hummus with beef here, here, here, and here. There’s a recipe for Hummus with Spiced Lamb on my website.

I didn’t expect to be as captivated as I was by The New French Wine: Redefining the World’s Greatest Wine Culture. It’s an immense two-volume book spanning nearly 850 pages, exploring the lush vineyards and wine regions of France with profiles of 800 producers and notes on around 7,000 wines. I’m no wine expert, but as soon as I started reading the first page, I was hooked.

Living in, and writing about, France, it’s often a challenge to explain the intricacies of life here. In the subtitle of his book, wine writer Jon Bonné acknowledges the greatness of the past and present French wine world, while noting the more unfortunate changes that took place in France and in the French wine industry. It’s a complicated knot of bureaucracy, outdated rules, and a push for higher production (with the help of questionable additives and pesticides), which are coming home to roost as environmental and economic challenges have made making wine more compliqué.

What drew me into the book was how Jon, who lives part-time in France, deeply understands the country. In his write-up of The New French Wine in the New York Times, wine writer Eric Asimov sums it up:

Mr. Bonné argues, essentially, that in order to understand French wine, you need to understand French culture. “C’est compliqué,” he writes. There are contradictions and inconsistencies which the French are forever trying to reconcile as they both yearn for order and resist it. This is a terrific book not only about wine but about France.

It’s not a reference book, but something better: an opinionated, thought-provoking work that uses wine as a vehicle for cultural history.

One needs to understand the past in order to move toward the future, which Jon does so well in his book, with lots of background information based on his deep knowledge of France and French wine, and he highlights a new, younger generation of winemakers who are jumping into the family business, forging new paths, and making wines that are redefining the world of French wine.

I was delighted to invite Jon over when he was in Paris recently to talk about his book, France, and French wine, and he brought a unique white wine from Bordeaux that he picked up on the way over that reflected the changes in the French wine world. (It’s sold in a Burgundy bottle!) I was happy to sit—and sip—with Jon, and hope you enjoy our chat.

-David

* Visit Jon at his website: JonBonné.com

* Follow Jon Bonné on Instagram and Twitter

* Get The New French Wine: Redefining the World’s Greatest Wine Culture