It's just after eleven on a Sunday morning and a long line of clued-up locals curls from the door of la boulangerie. The smell of fresh bread teases on the footpath. Our tour guide Phyllis joins the queue and soon emerges with a traditional baguette, known as une tradi. She explains that there has been a renaissance in authentic, hand-shaped baguettes in France over the past few years and that une tradi can only be made from four ingredients: flour, salt, yeast and water. It takes longer to make a traditional baguette so it will cost you slightly more, but you are guaranteed the real thing. Phyllis cuts the ...
A Paris Food Tour with Context Travel
This morning I took a quick tour through the scribbled notebooks of my recent trip to Paris. By the time I had finished, I not only felt incredibly hungry but I also realised just how many wonderful tastes and pleasures I have yet to bring you. For those of you who are reading Delicious Days, you may have already discovered my day dipped in chocolate, featuring a Chocolate Walk with Context Travel. The acclaimed tour company has revolutionised day tours in cities across the world with their small group 'walking seminars' aimed at the intellectually curious traveller. Tours are led by ...
French Cheese Tips & Etiquette
When my mind turns to Paris, I can think of nothing more enjoyable that unwrapping an oozing slice of perfectly-ripe cheese, slathering it on a fresh baguette, baked bien cuit with a crackling crust, and pouring a glass of red wine. For cheese enthusiasts like me, it represents pure joie de vivre. Fromageriesare sprinkled in every quarter of the city and stopping to buy a cheese or two for dinner is a part of everyday life. Step inside and you'll find a mind-boggling array of seasonal delights from tiny logs of soft, creamy chèvre to giant wheels of farmhouse Saint-Nectaire. Often, you'll bump into big bowls of thick, ...