Award-winning food writer and born-and-raised Parisian Clotilde Dusoulier is here to show you the ropes.

The mastermind behind the food blog Chocolate & Zucchini and the author of several acclaimed cookbooks, Dusoulier invites all cooks (in all levels!) inside her kitchen.

“My signature style is this: simple, approachable recipes with a creative twist that will make you want to rush into the kitchen and try them out on your friends and family,” writes Dusoulier on her website.

“I am French, so my cooking is influenced by this amazing culinary heritage,” she explains, “and I live in Paris, which gives me lots of opportunities to give you an insider’s look at the vibrant food scene, the wonderful food shops lining the market streets around me, and the brilliant chefs who exercise their craft in my favorite restaurants.”

Her recipes include anything from starters to mouth watering desserts, with the promise to demystify—as well as simplify—French cooking. “My ambition is not just to share recipes,” she writes, “it’s to teach and inspire, so you can grow as a cook, develop your repertoire, and eventually learn to cook without recipes at all. I am not just passionate about food and cooking: I am also fascinated by the stories behind the food, and you’ll see my posts are full of those, too.”

Her blog might be the closest thing to dining in Paris, at least for now.

The post Clotilde Dusoulier Demystifies French Cooking appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Did you know, for instance, that the Basque Country is the home of the most Michelin-starred restaurants per capita of any region on Earth? It’s true, as the Basque Country features 19 restaurants with a combined total of 28 stars in a region with just over 3 million inhabitants.

Some of the world’s most famous chefs and restaurants, such as Juan Mari Arzak and his namesake restaurant and Karlos Arguiñano have reinvented Basque food for a new generation, using its high-quality raw materials to make astonishing dishes.

Basque Cuisine features a relatively even mix of meat and seafood when it comes to protein. Bordering the Bay of Biscay, plenty of delicious seafoods like cod and eel are pulled from the waters.

The Basques also have a proud tradition of raising high-quality meat using sustainable agriculture and free-range methods to make some of Europe’s highest-quality beef and pork products.

Don’t sleep on Basque agriculture, either! Basque wine, known as txakoli, is gaining popularity as a slightly sparkling, light white variety that pairs great with seafood. Other products, such as mushrooms and spinach, are also produced with great success here.

So, if you are a foodie, you might want to start planning a trip to the Basque Country as soon as possible to experience all of the marvelous food that it has to offer!

The post The Basque Country is the World’s Most Underrated Foodie Destination appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

La Fontaine de Belleville

The interior of the cafe is actually perfectly preserved from the 20s when this location was a bistro. Today La Fontaine de Belleville offers not only the best coffee in town, but also quite an impressive food menu.

Shakespeare And Company

Get ready to check out one of the most iconic cafe shops in Paris. It is part of the legendary bookstore Shakespeare and Company, commonly visited by locals and tourists as well.

Cafe Marlette

Marlette is one of the best coffee spots in Paris. It also offers a food menu that is ideal for brunch. If you love organic ingredients, you should head to Cafe Marlette. Aside from the great coffee, you’ll see that the food is also very affordable and always fresh.

Cafe de L’Industrie

The interior of this place is so gorgeous that you’ll want to come over and over again. Let’s not forget about the perfect coffee! Cafe de L’Industrie welcomes everyone who wants to enjoy a relaxed, comfy atmosphere while sipping on their drink.

The post Best Coffee Spots In Paris appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Award-winning food writer and born-and-raised Parisian Clotilde Dusoulier is here to show you the ropes.

The mastermind behind the food blog Chocolate & Zucchini and the author of several acclaimed cookbooks, Dusoulier invites all cooks (in all levels!) inside her kitchen.

“My signature style is this: simple, approachable recipes with a creative twist that will make you want to rush into the kitchen and try them out on your friends and family,” writes Dusoulier on her website.

“I am French, so my cooking is influenced by this amazing culinary heritage,” she explains, “and I live in Paris, which gives me lots of opportunities to give you an insider’s look at the vibrant food scene, the wonderful food shops lining the market streets around me, and the brilliant chefs who exercise their craft in my favorite restaurants.”

Her recipes include anything from starters to mouth watering desserts, with the promise to demystify—as well as simplify—French cooking. “My ambition is not just to share recipes,” she writes, “it’s to teach and inspire, so you can grow as a cook, develop your repertoire, and eventually learn to cook without recipes at all. I am not just passionate about food and cooking: I am also fascinated by the stories behind the food, and you’ll see my posts are full of those, too.”

Her blog might be the closest thing to dining in Paris, at least for now.

The post Clotilde Dusoulier Demystifies French Cooking appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Did you know, for instance, that the Basque Country is the home of the most Michelin-starred restaurants per capita of any region on Earth? It’s true, as the Basque Country features 19 restaurants with a combined total of 28 stars in a region with just over 3 million inhabitants.

Some of the world’s most famous chefs and restaurants, such as Juan Mari Arzak and his namesake restaurant and Karlos Arguiñano have reinvented Basque food for a new generation, using its high-quality raw materials to make astonishing dishes.

Basque Cuisine features a relatively even mix of meat and seafood when it comes to protein. Bordering the Bay of Biscay, plenty of delicious seafoods like cod and eel are pulled from the waters.

The Basques also have a proud tradition of raising high-quality meat using sustainable agriculture and free-range methods to make some of Europe’s highest-quality beef and pork products.

Don’t sleep on Basque agriculture, either! Basque wine, known as txakoli, is gaining popularity as a slightly sparkling, light white variety that pairs great with seafood. Other products, such as mushrooms and spinach, are also produced with great success here.

So, if you are a foodie, you might want to start planning a trip to the Basque Country as soon as possible to experience all of the marvelous food that it has to offer!

The post The Basque Country is the World’s Most Underrated Foodie Destination appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

La Fontaine de Belleville

The interior of the cafe is actually perfectly preserved from the 20s when this location was a bistro. Today La Fontaine de Belleville offers not only the best coffee in town, but also quite an impressive food menu.

Shakespeare And Company

Get ready to check out one of the most iconic cafe shops in Paris. It is part of the legendary bookstore Shakespeare and Company, commonly visited by locals and tourists as well.

Cafe Marlette

Marlette is one of the best coffee spots in Paris. It also offers a food menu that is ideal for brunch. If you love organic ingredients, you should head to Cafe Marlette. Aside from the great coffee, you’ll see that the food is also very affordable and always fresh.

Cafe de L’Industrie

The interior of this place is so gorgeous that you’ll want to come over and over again. Let’s not forget about the perfect coffee! Cafe de L’Industrie welcomes everyone who wants to enjoy a relaxed, comfy atmosphere while sipping on their drink.

The post Best Coffee Spots In Paris appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.