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  • Crescent-shaped pastry in a baking croissants class: L'Abeille Française
    Cuisine,  Food & Travel,  Paris

    Baking Croissants at La Cuisine Paris

    How much more Parisian can you get than baking croissants in Paris? Well, perhaps Discovering the Secrets of Macarons would do it but I think it’s a pretty close race. Having already mastered macarons, I decided it was time to move on to the buttery, golden viennoiseries – pastries. So on a hot, sunny day in May, I made my way to the charming French cooking school, La Cuisine Paris, to attend their ‘Le Croissant and Breakfast Pastries‘ class. Tucked in behind Paris’ stunning Hôtel de Ville – City Hall –  on la Rive Droite – the Right Bank – of the Seine, La Cuisine Paris offers a wonderful selection…

  • École Ritz Escoffier Sweet Classics Course Cakes: L'Abeille Française
    Cuisine,  Food & Travel,  Paris

    Baking Sweet French Classics at the Ritz

    After enjoying a light lunch on the patio of the Ritz’s Bar Vendôme, I was kindly guided down the elegant, toile-adorned staircase to the kitchens of the École Ritz Escoffier. I was on my way to attend their ‘Sweet Classics’ baking class. Earlier in the year, as I was planning this trip to Paris, I had discovered that the Hôtel Ritz had just re-opened after an extensive four-year renovation. Always on the look out for new French baking and cooking class opportunities, I began to wonder whether they might not offer some. Happily, a quick look at their website confirmed that indeed they do. So, of course, I had to…

  • Le Cordon Bleu Chef Frédéric Hoël piping macarons: L'Abeille Française
    Cuisine,  Food & Travel,  Paris

    Discovering the Secrets of Macarons

    While planning a recent visit to Paris I was looking for a more unique way to experience an authentic piece of that wonderful city – one that would help satisfy my interest in French cuisine. That got me wondering if Le Cordon Bleu, the world-renowned culinary arts school founded in 1895 by journalist and culinary magazine publisher Marthe Distel, offered classes to amateurs. A quick search of their website confirmed that indeed they do. Delving a little deeper, I discovered that one of the courses offered is called ‘Les secrets des Macarons‘ – The Secrets of Macarons.  It seemed to me that one could not get much more Parisian than to bake macarons,…