As much a part of the French look as a striped sailor’s shirt or foulard (scarf), the baguette is something of a fashion accessory in Paris, tucked under an arm, poking out of a shopping bag, or sharing a bicycle basket with a posie of flowers and the weekend newspaper. Given this, we decided to … Read more
A Paris food tour of the fashionable Haute Marais neighbourhood, where artisanal food producers are creating innovative products, gives us a taste of ‘the Bobo palate’, the French capital’s ‘bourgeois-bohemians’, and the gourmet foods and specialty food shops currently on trend in the French capital. We’ve long believed that exploring the food of a destination … Read more
What makes shopping in Paris special is its specialty stores. Sure it has wonderful markets, well-stocked supermarkets, and elegant department stores with fabulous food halls, but the best produce is always to be found at the shops that specialise in a particular produce. But we still need to buy the essentials so below is a Paris … Read more
Céret’s scenic Saturday markets are one of the highlights of a visit to the French Catalan village – people come from far and wide to browse the markets – and as our last weekend in Céret was the first time the place had really experienced fine spring weather, the whole village was simply buzzing. We … Read more
This classic Toulouse cassoulet recipe makes a hearty stew of haricot beans, pork, sausages, and duck confit, one of countless versions of cassoulet. I made this in Ceret in Southern France, including making it one evening for a Toulouse-born local we invited for dinner. Although I almost didn’t pull it off as the Catalan butcher … Read more