Tomato Tarte Tatin starter was so gorgeous on the eye that everyone who came to our Mirabeau lunch was already talking about it before they even sat down. It combines all the delicious flavours of Provence in a super-concentrated way

The six of us were gathered around the island in Stephanie Villegas’ kitchen wearing olive green Laurel aprons. It was time for our group to stop the banter and pay attention to the chef; otherwise, we might not eat lunch. We were at Atelier Laurel for a hands-on cooking class …

The Great Sugar Rush In the 17th century, Britain, France and other colonial powers established vast sugar plantations in the Americas. Sugar went from an expensive luxury to a commodity available to all in a couple of centuries. The dessert menu blossomed as chefs and cooks accidentally or deliberately created …

I think that apricots are one fruit that signals the arrival of summer in Provence. Stonefruit apricot or the Latin name Prunus sect. Armeniaca, are related to plums. The fruit grows on a small tree, about the same size as an olive tree. While it’s not unusual to see apricot …

While growing up, French people are immersed in the art of entertaining. It’s a central pillar of French culture, differently than we’re used to in the US. For the French, entertaining isn’t something they have to learn as much as it is just the way things are; this is why …

While in Provence last fall, I began reading L’appart: The Delights and Disasters of Making My Paris Home. Why read about Paris ex-pat experiences while living in the South of France? I wanted to read this book for several reasons, starting with the fact that I love David Lebovitz’s culinary …

Combining apples, cinnamon sugar and puff pastry sound like the makings for a delicious pie. The recipe calls for apples rolled in puff pastry into the shape of roses. It is not difficult to prepare, and the presentation is beautiful. This dessert was part of a vegetarian menu that I …

The Seaward family settled in Provence after touring the world for 15 months. In July 2019, Richard Seaward launched – Aix Walking Tours – inspired by some of the city walks that they enjoyed during their global journey. After a fast-paced career, Richard chose to slow-it-down and focus on small-group …

There is something je ne sais quoi about a classic French Apple Tart, actually that is not true. I know exactly what it is about this French dessert that is so attractive. The fruit is always perfectly cut, and artfully arranged. However, the key to a French fruit tart, in my view, is the effect of the glaze – the dessert sparkles.

I would be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn’t like the sweet aroma of baked apples, cinnamon and sugar. This Apple Crumble is easy to make for dessert.