David Lebovitz podcast

It’s been hotter than heck in Paris, and we’re in the midst of our third heatwave. One way our friends in Italy beat the heat (and get their coffee fix) is to make affogato, a dish of ice cream “drowned” in espresso, with liquor sometimes added, giving it an extra kick. I met Margot Lecarpentier when writing my book, Drinking French . Margot is the owner and head bartender of Combat , one of my fa...

Subscribe to my newsletter to get posts, recipes, videos, and more, sent right to your inbox! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidlebovitz.substack.com/subscribe

I met Carlos Moreno when he was delivering taco kits during the pandemic, when we all wanted to eat “out,” but were stuck eating in. Prior to that period Mexican food wasn’t well represented in Paris. (A lesser-known fact is that France tried to colonize Mexico twice in the mid-1800s.) I loved Carlos’ food and we had a few nice conversations on the sidewalk when he made his deliveries. Since then...

As someone who is passionate about cookbooks, I’m always up for talking about them with other cookbook collectors. I know there are lots of cookbook collectors out there, but one who really stands out is Jenna Helwig , who writes the Cookbookery Collective newsletter , which she describes as: …a hub for the cookbook community—authors, eaters, cooks, editors, publicists, publishers, agents, and asp...

It’s no secret that one of my favorite places in Paris is G. Detou . In fact, I depend on it so much, for everything from chocolate to vanilla—and lots, lots more. I’ve been quoted as saying that if G. Detou didn’t exist, I couldn’t live in Paris. It’s got everything I need. Owner Benoît Bourloton is a busy man, spending his days keeping the shop well-stocked with a wide variety of French chocolat...

When I told Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen that I was doing a complete revision of The Great Book of Chocolate , which included adding new recipes, she insisted that I include her Chocolate-Olive Oil Spread. For those who follow Deb know that when she says something is delicious and worth making, you not only listen, but in my case, you spread the word. No pun intended. As luck would have it, Deb...

One of my favorite parts about writing my chocolate book was getting to explore, and share, the world of chocolate. Chocolate is a pretty wonderful ingredient all by itself. But I wanted to feature friends in the chocolate world, so I culled recipes from bakers, pastry chefs, chocolatiers, cookbook authors, and even bartenders for the book. For the revision of The Great Book of Chocolate , I compl...

Few people know, or write about, Paris as well as Elaine Sciolino . With an extensive background in journalism, Elaine was the Paris bureau chief for the New York Times and remains a contributing writer. She has also written four books on Paris and French culture. Her book, The Only Street in Paris , put her neighborhood on the map, portraying the various merchants, food sellers, and restaurants t...

Since 2015, Lauren Collins, staff writer for the New Yorker, has called Paris home. The author of When in French: Love in a Second Language , Lauren moved from Switzerland to France with her French husband and continues to write for the New Yorker, following in their tradition (which includes writers such as A. J. Liebling, Anthony Bourdain, Calvin Trillin, John McPhee, and Adam Gopnick) of outsta...

Matt Kepnes, aka, Nomadic Matt , is one of the original bloggers, who I remember fondly from the early days of blogging. He started his travel blog, Nomadic Matt , in 2008 and has since turned it into a website with comprehensive information about all things travel. I’ve followed him around the globe—online, not in person. (Unfortunately!) I was happy to cross paths with him in Paris on his recent...

You may know Cécilia Jourdan from her wildly popular social media account Hello French which has close to 1.6 million followers on Instagram , and I wasn’t kidding when I said at the beginning of our podcast chat that I was very excited to finally meet her. (I’m a fan.) Cécilia has done an amazing job bringing the French language, and many aspects of French culture, to the English-speaking world....

Tahini has gotten a lot of press in the last few years, and the delicious sesame paste has become a staple in many of our pantries. Many cultures have embraced the borderless sesame seed in some form or another, including Japanese gomashio and furikake , hummus from the Middle East, Italian Reginelle cookies, and even in burgers . In her new book, Rachel Simons explores all the possibilities and g...

It may sound cliché, but I suspect for most of you, Dorie Greenspan needs no introduction. Dorie is an accomplished baker, whose books range from an oversize volume of never-fail cookie recipes, Dorie’s Cookies , to translating the recipes of master Parisian pastry chef Pierre Hermé, making them accessible to home bakers in Desserts by Pierre Hermé . And when Julia Child launched her TV show, Baki...

Living in France, it’s hard to overestimate the prevalence and importance of wine. Not only is it a marker and reflection of the place where it’s made, but it’s an integral part of French culture and cuisine. It’s a natural pairing with meals and accompanies almost every gathering with friends and family. I like wine, but like most people in France, I’m an amateur. I know what I like and what I do...

Thanks to everyone for tuning into my live video with Yotam Ottolenghi ! It was great fun to connect with Yotam and discuss everything from cooking and baking inspiration, to favorite kitchen tools and tips, as well as two “weekend friendly” recipes; Yotam Ottolenghi’s Baked Feta-Dill Frittata and my Croissants aux amandes, almond-filled croissants. I’ll be posting the recipe for them this week -...

When Kate Leahy was in Paris recently, I was happy to have a chat with her in my kitchen for my podcast. A former restaurant cook, Kate seamlessly pivoted to food writing, collaborating on books with a variety of chefs, bakers, and sommeliers, and has also penned several books on her own. Kate co-authored La Buvette with Camille Fourmont, the owner of the charming La Buvette wine bar in Paris, and...

I’ve known Lindsey Tramuta almost as long as I’ve been in Paris. We live in the same arrondissement (go 11th!) and I occasionally see her out and about, when she’s not busy writing books, or magazines and newspaper articles, which are featured in such publications as The New York Times, Bon Appétit, and Condé Nast Traveler. I arrived in Paris quite unprepared, not speaking French not knowing what...

A few years ago, I visited several Pineau des Charentes producers in a region of France known as the Charente, where Cognac is made. Legend has it that it was originally made by accident when a Cognac producer centuries ago added fresh grape to a barrel of eau-de-vie (a clear distillation of grapes), intended to be aged for Cognac. He let it rest, and age, anyways, and thus, Pineau des Charentes w...

If anyone knows the cuisine of Nice, it’s Rosa Jackson , owner of Les Petits Farcis for over twenty years. Located in the sunny south of France, Niçoise cooking is known for its freshness and Mediterranean flavors, using ingredients that range from local olive oil and anchovies to vibrant vegetables, such as tomatoes, Swiss chard, and zucchini (and zucchini flowers), as well as fresh goat cheeses...

Can I tell you how much fun it’s been getting to know Jane Bertch over the years? I’m not exactly sure how we met, but it may have been when I was leading tours and brought our guests for a day-long market tour and cooking class at La Cuisine, her cooking school in Paris. Everyone enjoyed the day very much, including me, and over the years, we’ve shared stories about relationships, and some of the...

I remember when Deb Perelman, aka: Smitten Kitchen , came on the scene in 2006. A few of us had been blogging for a couple of years, doing our thing—when suddenly, a fresh new voice came out of the blue (and out of New York), that segued perfectly to the new way we eat, and cook—less rules, more fun, and how we write about food. If you’re anything like me, you’ve been following her blog for years...

The first time I went to Win Son bakery and café in Brooklyn, I wasn’t sure what to expect. It’s billed as a Taiwanese-American bakery, and I’m not too familiar with Taiwanese baked goods. I ordered a few things off the menu that sounded good, and after I brought them to the table, I started tasting my way around the tray, and everything I ate blew me away. Everything was delicious. The bakery and...

Before I left for Tel Aviv this summer, I rounded up advice from friends who are chefs, cookbook authors, and seasoned eaters about where to eat. I’ve lived in food-centric cities most of my life, but Tel Aviv is in a class by itself. There are so many good places to eat, it’s hard to whittle it down to just a few. And if you’re there, and ask anyone where they think you should go, be prepared for...

I didn’t expect to be as captivated as I was by The New French Wine: Redefining the World’s Greatest Wine Culture . It’s an immense two-volume book spanning nearly 850 pages, exploring the lush vineyards and wine regions of France with profiles of 800 producers and notes on around 7,000 wines. I’m no wine expert, but as soon as I started reading the first page, I was hooked. Living in, and writing...

When it comes to style, I don’t think anyone is eager to copy what I wear every day, although I do know that some people covet some of the dishes and cookware that I pick up at flea markets in France. Fortunately, we have Ajiri Aki in Paris, who founded Madame de la Maison , a fabulous online resource for carefully curated French antiques and linens. (Warning: You’ll want to order everything she h...