Luxeat

iCook risotto with black truffles

Risotto with black truffles is a very simple and a royal dish at the same time where  plain risotto marries perfectly with intensive flavor of truffles. It is also very easy to make. In fact, my biggest work was to go to "Maison de la Truffe" (19 place de la Madeleine,Paris) and  to buy a black truffle as the trattoria close to me haven't received these "treasures" yet :).

Sormani- its all about truffles

Sormani(4,Rue du General-Lanrezac,75017) is one of the best Italian in Paris (if not the best) and a living proof that Italian cooking simplicity and French cuisine sophistication can cohabitate.
Also, Sormani is all about truffles like, for example, "lasagne a la truffe noire et au foie gras" or pizza with black truffles. Pascal Fayet, the chef and the owner is very nice in person , he is always there and  very warm with the guests.

The "reportage" from Pierre Herme

The Pierre Herme's fetish of the moment is nothing else but... vanilla... " J'aime la vanille pour la pureté de son goût!",-writes Herme about his "Infiniment Vanille" pastry line. (Only available from 14th to 26th of November)

Ladurée

  Nowhere in the world you can have better cakes than in France...I love cakes  and the French "pâtisserie" is something of another level... What is amazing  ,that at least in Paris, you can buy a fantastic cake  from a "boulangerie" on almost every corner!

And then there are these  exclusive "power bakeries"  where the cakes and other pastries are often more similar to pieces of art than cakes...Ladurée  is one of them and is one of the oldest and with the greatest traditions.  Even if Ladurée's name is often associated with its famous macarons, you will basically find all kind of pastries in its beautifully decorated tea salons.Some of my favorite flavors of Ladurée macarons are "rose petal" and "liquorice" (black macaron). All you have to do is enjoy this heaven!

By the way, since the November 10th, you can order pastries on their site www.laduree.fr,but i think they deliver only to the region of Paris...  (The images of "blackcurrant-violet religieuses" and Ladurée store in Champs-Elysees ).

 

Guess : wood or cake?

 

"La buche de Noel" by Philippe  Starck and Lenotre pastry chefs. I bet it doesn't taste like wood!

Magnolia Cupcakes

To be honest, i have always had "something personal" against cupcakes. For me, a cupcake is rather a boring dessert that is made of dry cake and "too sweet" ,even vulgar frosting.

The nonsense of Del Posto

Del Posto , the new celebrity chef's Mario Batali venture that was rewarded with two Michelin stars as soon as it opened it doors, is simply.. absurd.

Nobu

Some of my favorite dishes in Nobu .The menus are similar in all the Nobu locations, but i like the one on 57th street (NY) because of it ambiance.The images - yellowtail tartar with caviar; yellowtail sashimi with japapeno and black cod with miso resepctively.

Nello's, New York

Nello's (696 Madison avenue ,@62 street)- so chic, so Upper East side and so beloved by the celebrities and... "ageless" elderly...  Without question,this pretentious Upper East side Italian is overrated, overrpriced and overcrowded....
In Nello's simple pasta(very mediocre) can go for more than $40, the service is horrible and the music is so load you begin to feel you are in Nikki Beach in St Tropez. (The  music was introduced not so long time ago.) I guess, the glamourous crowd that is usually lining up around the lunch time is not against :)
(the image of Bellini in Nello's)

Potato purée by Joel Robuchon

The Joel Robuchon potato purée with white truffles. (from the dinner in Four Seasons two days ago).

You just can't resist to this legendary yet simple dish. Because of considerable amount of butter (250g for 1Kg of potatoes) and precise recipe execution ( I've seen how Joel Robuchon makes it on French TV. The precision is almost scientific :)), this purée is melting in your mouth...