Nice, France’s 5th largest city, was not always part of l’hexagone but rather part of Italy until 1860, when it was ceded to France under the Treaty of Turin. As a result, the local cuisine evolved from Italian and French culinary influences. Mediterranean ingredients such as almonds, olives, olive oil, …

A little more than a year ago, I had a nice e-chat with my friend Romain, who writes The Food Trotter. He had just moved from Paris to Lyon and told me of some of the local specialities, one being the iconic Lyonnaise Tarte aux Prâlines Roses (Pink Praline Tart). …

Author, chef, and journalist Susan Herrmann Loomis shares her recipe (below) for a delicious lemon tart. One of the recipes in her cookbook Plat du Jour: French Dinners Made Easy, this French classic tarte au citron is the perfect balance of sweet and sour. The recipe is straightforward, and the …

As you know, I am a big fan of traditional foods. One of my favourites is the Tarte Tatin, an upside-down apple tart. While there are many upside-down tarts and cakes in French cuisine (tartes renversées, gateaux renversés), the Tatin is made with apples. The Tarte Tatin was created (by …

Today’s recipe combines one of my recipes and one by my friend Inger, who writes The Art of Natural Living. She posted a pear frangipane tart sometime before Christmas, and I had been tasked with finding a Christmas dessert with a 1999 Château d’Yquem Sauternes (thanks, Lee!). Such a problem …

I love this tart, it might seem daunting but I’ve broken it down into three parts so open a bottle of rosé and have fun with it. You’ll be really happy with the results, I promise! I’ve made the pastry, but feel free to buy it, there are some amazing …

This chocolate and pear tart is a perfect dessert for autumn. Chocolate and pears are a magnificent marriage of flavour and texture. Also for this dessert, I created a leaf design with raspberry coulis and caramel on a white plate (using squeeze bottles) and then blended the colours with a …

One of my favourite desserts is seasonal fruit tarts (tartes aux fruits). These tarts also make nice afternoon treats. So, I make them all year with local, in-season produce. In California, you find puff pastry sheets at most grocery stores (Ralphs, Gelson’s) and at French supermarkets like Carrefour or Intermarché. …

There are a few things that you might regret in life, but visiting Vancouver, British Columbia, would never be one of those things. Spending a week in this beautiful city on Canada’s west coast was a dream made possible by good friends who insisted we needed a getaway. They were …

Almost indescribable, the scent of a fig tree full of almost ripe fruit is a fragrance that is both sweet and earthy, it’s summer in Provence. The scent is distinctive, almost arresting in the open air, however, in a closed space can be overwhelming. And, you can eat too many! …