A Fork And A Suitcase

You have been woken up by pigeons cooing outside your window, the street cleaning truck is humming in the distance, and the smell of coffee is emanating from the apartment next door.  A slow stroll through a cobblestoned street by Saint Germain des Pres lets you experience the magic of Paris waking up.  Minutes later you are slowly sipping coffee at Les Deux Magots. You sit on one of the ivory and green chairs and watch the world go by.  You take your time.  Later you will spent the morning marveling at the Water Lilies at Musee de L'Orangerie and follow that with a walk through the Tuileries Garden.  You sit on one of the green metal chairs by the large pond or walk under the hundreds of trees while small children scoot by on their four-wheelers.  Maybe you grab a sandwich from a park vendor, or skip lunch altogether since you will most definitely overindulge at dinner.  So, what to do now? You feel like a snack, but nothing too filling.   How a...

I can't hide the fact that I have a pastry obsession. It might seem that I would eat just about anything that is made of a tart shell, cream and sugar, but  I am actually very picky about the pastry that I focus on.  While the creations need to be sublime in taste, it is also essential for them to be visually appealing.  Enter Claire Damon, a rare female pastry chef at the helm of a top patisserie in Paris, and one who can hold her own among the giants in the male dominated pastry field.  Damon, who trained under Pierre Herme, opened her own boutique in 2006, and in a very short period of time became a highly regarded figure on the Parisian pastry scene. The pastries and cakes created by Claire Damon are works of art, some are almost too beautiful to sink a fork into --  almost.  Her boutiques are very chic, and a touch intimidating.  There are usually about ten or so different pastries available each day; all are seasonal, refined, and elegant. H...