“Séb and I explored the beautiful neighborhood of l'Île Saint-Louis, eating savory crêpes made of buckwheat and filled with creamy goat cheese, crunchy arugula, and juicy tomatoes at one of the cafés, me doing my best to savor the textures. Lunch was followed by the famed Berthillon sorbets and ice creams, the latter of which we ate on the banks of the Seine, Séb drooling over the richness of the flavors. Considering they had over seventy parfums, we'd both found it hard to settle on one. Séb, the adventurer, took café au whisky with another scoop of tiramisu. I'd ended up taking abricot and framboise, always loving how apricot mixed with raspberries, and wanting something cool on this scorcher of a day.” ParisIce CreamFlavorsCrepes Book:Sophie Valroux's Paris Stars Source: Sophie Valroux's Paris Stars
“The following day, the scent Garrance has created is soon dispersed through the restaurant via an electric diffuser---the aromas of citrus, coconut, and ginger hitting me in waves. Ravenous, I set to making a roasted red pepper and garlic hummus, incorporating the urfa biber to see if it really makes a difference. I dip my finger into the dark purplish-brown flakes to taste, and I'm blown away by the earthiness of the flavors. I smack my lips, tasting undertones of raisins, chocolate, and maybe a little coffee. Even though I've made a crudité platter with some pan-seared padron peppers sprinkled with sea salt and homemade garlic-infused naan, I can't help shoving spoonfuls of the hummus into my eager mouth.” CookingFlavorsScentsRestaurantAtmosphericEarthyHummus Book:The Spice Master at Bistro Exotique Source: The Spice Master at Bistro Exotique
“Back in the kitchen, we tested her idea with the cocoa-balsamic drizzle. When I bit into the fig, a sweetness should have hit my tongue first, followed by the heat of the chipotle pepper... It should've been sweet and hot. Sour and bitter. The flavors combined like a Kama Sutra of great sex.” FlavorsFigsPepperFoodgasm Book:Sophie Valroux's Paris Stars Source: Sophie Valroux's Paris Stars