On a recent weekend getaway with my husband to a small Alpine village in Switzerland’s southeastern region of Graubünden, I realized three things:
1. You can never take enough photos of flower boxes, old stone water fountains and crooked timber houses
2. I am obsessed with the way the Swiss keep their wood
3. You could spend a lifetime trying to visit every picturesque village in Switzerland

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One of my favorite streets in Paris is rue de Buci in the 6th arrondissement.  I’ve been making a detour there since 1999, when as a student, I would always get a grilled, flattened panini from my panini guy at his little stand, as well as magazines and fun paper accessories at Buci News.  (Both stops are still obligatory whenever I’m in Paris – and the panini is still from the same guy.)  There was another “must” on that street about which I waxed poetic on the blog back in 2008: a certain palmier, or elephant ear, at Bonbonnière de Buci.  I still remember the day a few years ago when I stood, frozen, in front of an empty storefront in disbelief that this little gem of a pâtisserie had closed.

But my palmier is back !  Reborn, in the very same spot, thanks to The Smiths Bakery, a new sweet shop that just opened mid-May.

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To some people, Sicily conjures up images of endless citrus groves and fields of olive trees, blood oranges and golden olive oil galore.  To others, it may be all about the wines (especially dessert wines and fortified ones like Marsala) and the abundance of fresh fish.  To me, as you know, it’s all about the sweets.  I already plan on returning one day to experience those other delicacies too – notably the wines and the island’s king of fish, swordfish… when I’m not 6 months pregnant ! (How’s that for a surprise – and total disclosure ?!)  Thankfully though, gelati, granite and marzipan are not on any lists of foods to avoid.

And Sicily is truly a heavenly place for us sweet lovers.  Let’s put it this way, ice cream sandwiches (literally, ice cream in a sandwich) are a way of life; and brioche dipped in sweet, icy granita is common for breakfast.

And so, without further ado, the highlights of my sweet discoveries in Sicily… Read the rest of this story >>

Recognizable by its signature snail logo, the Slow Food organization is all about understanding more about the food we eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices impact the rest of the world.  Pretty much, everything that is lost with fast food !  While Slow Food Switzerland has been around since 1993, we just had our first ever Slow Food Market (Il Salone del Buon Gusto / Le Salon du Bon Goût) in Zürich, where local and regional producers connected directly with the public. Taste, discover, discuss and buy.  I had the pleasure of listening to Slow Food founder Carlo Petrini speak (in German, Italian and French !) about the concept of “Retour à la Nature“; the Terra Madre network of food communities, defined by place of origin; as well as how that all meshes with the values of Swiss artisans and consumers.  “Slow Food unites the pleasure of food with responsibility, sustainability and harmony with nature.”

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Sweet Zürich tours go west !

I have taken my sweet tooth to Geneva, to reveal addresses of the city’s most passionate artisans, who share their craft with us, whether that’s baking and decorating seasonal cakes, or perfecting a ganache and adding some rather nontraditional ingredients to it.  We discover Carouge, the neighborhood south of Geneva’s old town, with a rich history and an Italian flair, and a charm all its own.

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A friend and I hopped on the train for a Swiss adventure in the canton of Jura, about two hours northwest from Zürich, to track down the region’s famous Toétché (also known as Gâteau à la Crème Jurassien) and Gâteau du Cloître (tête de moine cheese tart with chives).   Sitting overlooking the Doubs River in the medieval town of St. Ursanne, gazing quizzically at the bridge beside us (that happened to be the inspiration for the illustrator of the Lord of the Rings book), eating trout from the water below us, we paged through brochures and maps to determine our afternoon (foodie) destination.

“I got it !”  A farm specializing in ice cream… with 450 flavors ?!  I dropped my fork and called them immediately.  On a Monday afternoon in July, they weren’t exactly in high production mode – or at all.  Nor were there crowds of people requesting a visit – or any at all.  Blaise Barth couldn’t possibly understand why I wanted to come, “It’s just a farm. It’s not very interesting.” Fast forward to 5 hours later when he was driving us back into town after a laughter-filled afternoon spent together, and me assuring him… “See, told ya it was super interesting !”

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I recently professed my love (again) for Zürich and before that, for one of my favorite regions in France, Alsace (by the German border).  There’s yet another region in France that holds a spot near and dear to my heart, and that’s the Pays Basque (on the very opposite end of the country by the Spanish border).  While living in Clermont-Ferrand (in the Auvergne) from 2001 to 2002, I spent a week in the French Basque country and was beyond charmed by a culture, cuisine, landscape and language (Euskara) all its own.  Ten years later, I finally returned with my husband and parents, overjoyed to share it all with them.  I returned to the villages I have been thinking about all these years, and brought my taste memories back to life.

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Before we know it, nary a chocolate bunny ear will be found in the shops around town.  Easter accessories will soon make way for other spring-like decorations, and it will be a whole year until Lindt’s famous gold-wrapped chocolate bunnies take over the supermarkets again here in Zürich.   Hand-painted Easter eggs are no longer at the markets either, with their intricate designs and impressive handicraft.  But what you do see – 365 days of the year – are bright, colorful eggs.

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As much as I love discovering new restaurants and the thrill of hanging with the chef and being behind-the-scenes, I don’t want to spend all my time in the kitchen.  I also want to get outside and explore.  To me, that means visiting the town – taking a stroll on Main Street, which oftentimes is the only street around.  That’s the way to get a feel for what the locals do during the day, where they hang out, how they dress, the dialect they use amongst themselves and of course,… what they eat.

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Château d’Oex’s International Hot Air Balloon festival is rapidly approaching, and some of you may be making  plans to head that way.  Going for the weekend is a wonderful excuse to visit the beautiful region of Gruyère, especially the charming, medieval village of the same name – even if spelled differently (Gruyères).  You’ll take 200 photos of the most photogenic hot air balloons, rising high against a backdrop of the breathtaking Swiss Alps, their colors easy to spot against the clean blanket of pure white snow. Then perhaps you’ll visit Gruyères- its storybook château and one pedestrian street, and then stop in a café for a hot chocolate, as well as the region’s famously rich double cream and meringues.  But you must be saying to yourself now… isn’t the region more well known for… cheese?!

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