Jewish Food in France

A couple years ago, my friend Joan Nathan, a Washington, D.C.-based food writer and author, called and said she was coming to France, doing research for a new book. I snapped to attention, not just because I love Joan but also because I loved the topic: Jewish food in France. Joan was looking for cooks, stories, recipes, family lore, historical documents--anything that would help her piece

David Hockney's iPaintings

You still have time to see “David Hockney: Fleurs Fraîches,” an exhibit of images (flowers, places and people) created by the British artist on his iPhone and iPad.  It's at the Fondation Pierre Bergé - Yves Saint Laurent in Paris until Jan 30th. With “Brushes” and other apps, Hockney used his thumbs and fingers to create full-color images directly on the device’s screen, modifying the hues and

I Love Paris When It....

Isn't this great? This Paris Snow Globe print by artist Clare Owen is $20 plus shipping from her shop on Etsy. For more about Clare, see her website  and blog.

Shangri-Ooh-La-La!

The Shangri-La Hotel Paris opens today, marking the Hong Kong-based hotelier’s European debut. As elegant as one would expect, the 16th-arrondissement hotel sits between the Place des Etats-Unis, the Place d’Iéna and the Trocadero--in the 110-year-old palais of Prince Roland Bonaparte, grand nephew of Napoleon. It’s walking distance from the Arc de Triomphe, across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower

Fanfare for Modern French Food

When famed Parisian patissier Pierre Hermé went looking for someone to write his cookbook, Desserts by Pierre Hermé, he chose Dorie Greenspan. When it came time to do his next book, Chocolate Desserts, he asked Dorie again. 
When top New York chef Daniel Boulud signed his book contract, he called on Dorie to help with the writing. 
And when the legendary Julia Child needed someone to pen the

Eiffel Tower and Fountain, Paris, France

Eau-La-La!

This new water fountain in a Paris park dispenses still and sparkling water...it's a novelty and a convenience but also an attempt to wean the French off plastic bottles. (The French are #8 worldwide in terms of bottled water consumption, generating 262,000 tons of plastic waste last year.) As you'll see in this video, the fountain, known as la pétillante (“the bubbly” ), has made quite the

The Beneath the Eiffel Tower, Paris, France

Win a Trip for Four to Paris

The women's clothing company Talbots is sponsoring a contest inspired by one-time Paris resident Ernest Hemingway and his bet to colleagues that he could pen a complete story in just six words. The Tales of Denim contest challenges you to tell a tale about your favorite jeans in, you guessed it, just six words. For details and to enter, go to Talbots.com (but hurry because the deadline is Sept.

Remembrance of Breakfasts Past

I've known the photographer and painter Carol Gillott for many years and have always loved her work.  When we first met in New York, she was a was doing a lot of portraits of chefs, which found their way into top food magazines and onto many restaurant walls. A passionate Francophile, Carol now travels to Paris three or four  times a year and is always always painting, her

Irving Penn's Les Petits Metiers

Legendary American photographer Irving Penn who passed away in 2009 aged 92, shot a striking series of portraits of workers in mid 20th-century France, London and New York. They're currently on view in Paris at the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson, through July 25th.  The show is called Les Petits Métiers (Small Trades). You can see more images at the Fondation's website or on Le Monde's blog. 

Your Parisian Pied a Terre?

Theo Dawson is looking to sublet his great Paris studio apartment in July and August, on a weekly or monthly basis, while he spends time at home in Provence. Located on the Rue Saint Antoine (in the Marais, in the 4th, between Bastille and St Paul Métro stations), it's 42 square meters (450 square feet), on the fifth floor - no lift - with a balcony and three large windows. Theo writes: "It has a

Parisian Metro Makeover

Beginning today, four Parisian metro stations (St. Lazare, Champs Elysees Clemenceau, Concorde and Opera) have been decked out with Ikea couches, lamps and other decor; the installation runs until March 24th. Swedish meatballs not included.
To see more photos, click here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/48256835@N04/sets/72157623468498147/
To watch a video of the Paris installation, click here.
To

Google Scores on Super Bowl Sunday

Google broke with its longstanding tradition of not advertising its search engine on national television when it ran this attention-grabbing and yet understated 60-second spot during the Super Bowl on Sunday Feb 7th. The Super Bowl is the most-watched TV event of the year (stats for this year put the number at 106.5 million viewers) with 30-second commercials selling for upwards of $3 million.

Room with a View

Designed by chef Gilles Stassart and artist Laurent Grasso, this stunning glass box sits atop the 1937 Palais de Tokyo in Paris, which became a contemporary art museum in 2002. Called Art Home or Nomiya, it's an experimental restaurant serving prix fixe meals by reservation only. It's a cooking school, for adults and kids. It's a gourmet shop. And it's also a showroom for the newest Electrolux

Feel The Love

Jynell St. James is a Melbourne-based artist and designer who creates small highly graphic posters and sells them through the online retailer Etsy. (If you don't know Etsy, it's great fun--check it out here.) Jynell says France is her "favorite place in the whole world" and you'll see many French-inspired designs in her collection. This poster, called Paris City of Love, is available 8" x 10" (

Kinder, Gentler French Food

What's the big trend in Parisian restaurants these days? Bistros, of course, run by top chefs who are cooking great food and serving it in a casual atmosphere at reasonable prices. Christian Constant, former chef of the Crillon, is one example: with two Michelin stars, he left the ritzy hotel and now runs four of his own bistros, all of them small and relatively inexpensive, on the same Parisian

Man Shops Globe, Starting With France

Keith Johnson has the job everyone wants. He travels the world for the American retailer Anthropologie, buying beautiful antiques, art, decor and textiles for the stores to sell or use as display. He also commissions original pieces or finds the perfect one-of-a-kind for the company to knock off. Keith travels half the year, scouring antique fairs, flea markets, artists' ateliers, tiny shops,

Tour d'Argent Cellar Sale

The landmark Parisian restaurant La Tour d'Argent, which dates back to 1582, is cleaning out its 450,000-bottle wine cellar, considered one of the best in the world. The Associated Press says the Michelin three-star is putting 18,000 bottles up for auction in December and that the event "has captured the imagination of French wine lovers." Tour d'Argent is selling mostly wine but also some very

The Perfect Parisian Bistro?

Mark Bittman suggests some he likes in today's New York Times. To read the article, click here.

Photo by Julien Goldstein for the NY Times.