Whenever I’m near the Louvre, I always head to the Rue Saint-Honore to visit one of the best chocolate shops in Paris—and actually in all of France: Michel Cluizel. You can’t go wrong with any of the distinctive products sold at Michel Cluizel, as they’re been crafted by world-class artisans drawing on nearly 70 years of chocolate-making expertise. Continue Reading →
Paris is a top destination for cooks of all stripes, from amateurs looking to improve the dishes they serve to family and friends right up to professional chefs seeking top-notch instruction and unparalleled kitchen experience. There’s a Parisian destination that’s a favorite among bakers and pastry chefs—Mora, a culinary supply store founded in 1814. This large shop in the Les Halles district is crammed top to bottom with more than 5,000 items (all of which also can be purchased online) to meet just about every culinary need. And many Parisians and tourists do, indeed, head to Mora for all of their cooking needs. But Mora is absolute heaven on earth for pastry chefs and bread makers, offering more specialty items for these cooks than any other shop in the City of Light—and quite possibly in the entire world. Continue Reading →
Paris is the heart of France’s chocolate industry—and sheer heaven for chocolate lovers. There are many boutiques run by world-class chocolatiers throughout the City of Light that should not be missed by sweets connoisseurs. One of my favorites is the Left Bank shop run by master chocolatier Christian Constant. Constant’s signature chocolate products are those that blend unusual flavors with dark, milk and white chocolate, including such essences as orange blossom, jasmine, cardamom, ylang-ylang blossoms, rose-scented geranium and verbena flowers. And both locals and visitors alike rave over Constant’s chocolate and banana tart (called the Sonia Rykiel) and his the dark-chocolate ganache tarte. Délicieux! Continue Reading →