A Fork And A Suitcase

Pierre Poilane started his baking business in 1932, creating beautiful and large loaves of sourdough bread using stone-ground flour, natural fermentation, and a wood-fired oven.  Lionel Poilane began working at his father's bakery when he was just fourteen years old, and eventually took over the business by 1970.  Focusing on quality and the same true and tried ingredients and baking techniques, Poilane expanded the business. Many years ago, I sat in my pajamas and watched my favorite Sunday morning show on TV.   In this particular segment, Dorie Greenspan, a bonafide baking authority, was interviewing Lionel Poilane in the basement of his shop on rue du Cherche-Midi.  He was showing her how to make his famous punition cookies. They stood there, in a dimly lit room; the fingers of his right hand were gently mixing in flour, eggs, and sugar.  The movements of his hand were slow, confident, and clearly, well practiced.  True love for the art for...

Hugo & Victor, a wonderful boutique on the busy Boulevard Raspail, has consistently been in my top five pastry/chocolate places in Paris.  They treat their pastries like Tiffany cares for their most prized diamonds; protected in a glass display case on a wall. Hugues Poquet, formerly the pastry chef at the renowned and three-Michelin-starred Guy Savoy, opened Hugo & Victor in 2010.  I have written about quite a few Parisian patisseries, so what is so special about this boutique?  Well, for once, they make an effort to use 1/3 less sugar than other patisseries, they grow some of the produce used in their pastries and chocolates, and they only use natural ingredients in their chocolates.  The resulting product is not only gorgeous but also delicious, a fine balance which is quite difficult to accomplish.  Without naming names, I have been to shops in Paris where the pastries were very beautiful but the taste was beyond subpar.  O...

I think so far, I have covered plenty of pastries, and other great food options in Paris.  Today I am going to write about Le Dome, one of our favorite fish restaurants in Paris.  While I know, that Le Dome, for some, might not be at the top of the list, there is just something about this place that we find comforting.  We have been dining at this brasserie for many years, have celebrated some special occasions there, and created some lovely memories there with friends and family.  Each visit was special, the food delicious and the service excellent. Le Dome has been around since 1898 when it was renowned as an intellectual gathering place for the artists, (Hemingway, Sartre, Beauvoir, Miller, etc) living on the Left Bank of Paris. The wonderfully rich Art Deco setting of bright colors, leather seats, inlaid wood panels, stained glass, domed lamps, helps to create a mood of a time long gone. We began our evening with a delicious soup,...