When I learned that my fellow sweet toothed dessert blogger, Brian Jaeger, and I share not only the same passion but the same birthday, two things were very clear.  There would be a celebratory meal.  And there would be many desserts.

To add even more sweetness to the table, my friend and baking guru Nick Malgieri happened to be in town visiting.  So off the three of us went, on the train to Hägendorf for a pilgrimage to Reto and Anni Lampart’s restaurant.

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As I have just passed another anniversary here in Zürich (4 years !), I’ll try not to go on and on about how much I am still in love with this city – during the hot, sunny summers, in the rain, in the snow, in the winter, spring, summer and fall…  But it’s true.  10 years with my husband and it’s like we just met, and 4 years in Zürich and it’s like I just moved here.  I never tire of the picturesque views of the mountains overlooking the lake (my reaction is still to grab my camera); and my eyes still grow wider when I turn the corner of a favorite charming street in the old town.

Best of all, while continuously rediscovering the same pleasures, there is so much to discover for the first time.  There is always something new and different here, be it a music festival, an art exhibit or a funny local holiday.  Or my favorite (but of course), while less frequent, are the sweet happenings.  Ladurée coming to town, Switzerland’s first Salon du Chocolat and a nougat shop, to name three delicious highlights.  And now here’s where you’ll most likely find me … at the new and most certainly improved Café Milchbar, which just (re)opened its doors on June 23rd.

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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 >>

It probably begins about three weeks before my arrival to New York City. The emails start coming in at a more rapid pace, and a recurring theme is unmistakable. What do I want for dinner ?

My parents count down the days to my arrival, as do I.  And they want to know…  Any special places I want to go to ? Any reservations to be made in advance ?  But to their disappointment, each time, I don’t really have a list of the hottest restaurants of the moment that I want to go to, that they would need to call as soon as they wake up one month prior to the day for dinner reservations.

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It was several years ago when I stumbled on a short film online that was getting quite a buzz amongst Paris lovers and pastry lovers alike.  It was a masterful montage, gorgeous images of colorful pastries in Paris, as well as famous monuments and everyday objects there they appeared to mimic.  I watched with a huge grin from start to finish.  Then I watched it again.  And again.  (Some of you may recall hearing about it on my Paris pastry quiz.)  I can not tell you how many times I ended up watching that inspiring, delicious, feel-good film, but I can say it was the beginning of a wonderful friendship with its creator, graphic designer Susan Hochbaum.  And the discovery of what is now one of my favorite desserts in Paris.

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I love vintage food packaging (especially sweet, of course), kitchenware, tins, signs, molds…   One of my many collections is, surprise surprise, old kugelhopf molds.  I find myself still thinking about one in particular that I saw in Paris last year.  While many people may walk in to the new Meert shop and head straight for the gaufres (more on those below), I found myself ogling the inedible displays just as much as those signature waffles – and tempting chocolates and pâtes de fruit.  There’s Denis Wozny below, holding a gorgeous copper kugelhopf mold from the 17th century, with fabulous antique Meert labels behind glass on the wall.  (Of course I asked, but no, it’s not for sale.)

This beautiful, sweet boutique in Paris’ Marais neighborhood is simply a jewel of a shop, and worth spending time in to appreciate the finer historical details of la Maison Mère Meert.  Be sure to say bonjour to Denis – and merci for filling his car with gaufres every morning in Lille before driving to work in Paris.

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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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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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