“Voilà Vegan,” written by an American expat patissière in Paris, is a new cookbook on plant-based deserts. The author, Amanda Bankert (a Le Cordon Bleu-trained pastry chef) has taken up the challenge —some might say quixotic—of convincing Parisians that vegan pastries (sans butter and eggs) are as tasty as traditional French patisseries. “When I was studying pastry at Le Cordon Bleu, flaxseed eggs and aqua-faba were not included on the syllabus.” says Bankert. “Yet, in a country that reveres butter and cream, my little vegan bakery is frequently included in lists of Paris’ top pastry destinations.” Continue reading “Voilà, a new vegan cookbook”
Jazz Pianist Lenore Raphael Swings into Paris
One of the things we love about Paris is the opportunity to hear so many top jazz performers. Lenore Raphael, who jazz critics have compared to Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans and even Thelonious Monk, will be in town playing her brand of modern swinging jazz (April 10, 2024) at the Cercle Suedois. Performing with Lenore is bassist Hilliard Greene who was music director for Little Jimmy Scott and joining them is top guitarists Wayne Wilkinson. Considered by many as one of great Steinway artists, she has performed at some of the world’s top jazz venues and festivals such as The London Jazz Festival, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Ronnie Scott’s (London) and the Blue Note. Continue reading “Jazz Pianist Lenore Raphael Swings into Paris”
Roger Cohen’s Meditations on Life and Politics
“An Affirming Flame: Meditations on Life and Politics” is journalist Roger Cohen’s new book bringing together some of his best columns. The lengthy introductory essay —almost a mini-book in itself—is an insightful and somber reflection on the multi-interrelated crises urgently confronting America and the world today. Continue reading “Roger Cohen’s Meditations on Life and Politics”
Ruby & Loulabelle’s Cannes Couch
The Festival de Cannes will soon be reported (May 16-27, 2023) by 4000 international journalists from around the planet. Among them is reporter Ruby Boukabou who is teaming up with Louise Prichard (of Loulabelle FrancoFiles podcast) to take you behind the scenes of the renowned film festival with stories, reels, interviews, news updates and more. Continue reading “Ruby & Loulabelle’s Cannes Couch”
J’Veux du Soleil
A new French documentary film “J’Veux du Soleil ” (I Want the Sun), directed by Gilles Perret and Francois Ruffin, looks at the rural discontent fueling the Gilet Jaune (Yellow Vests) movement. Continue reading “J’Veux du Soleil”
The Gardener of Eden
A mysterious beachcomber, in “The Gardener of Eden,” appears one day on the coastal bluffs near the small town of Carverville, a place whose best days are long behind it. Who is he, and why has he returned after nearly forty years? The book is Paris-based author David Downie’s haunting, luminous novel set in a mythical Pacific Coast locale somewhere in Northern California. Continue reading “The Gardener of Eden”
The Invisible Killer
A new book by pollution scientist Dr Gary Fuller “The Invisible Killer, the rising global threat of air pollution… and how we can fight back” examines air pollution past and present while revealing the global magnitude of the pollution problem from London to Beijing to Los Angeles. Continue reading “The Invisible Killer”
Folk Artist Gregory Alan Isakov World Tour
Americana Folk artist Gregory Alan Isakov seems to plant seeds wherever he plays. He is currently on a world tour from Paris to London to Sydney playing songs from his fourth full-length album “Evening Machines.” Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Isakov now calls Colorado, USA home. It’s there where he farms, sells vegetable seeds and crops, and writes magical music and lyrics that are enchanting sold out crowds across the globe. Continue reading “Folk Artist Gregory Alan Isakov World Tour”
RiverBlue
The documentary film River Blue asks the question “Can fashion save the planet?” The film follows river conservationist Mark Angelo as he chronicles some of world’s most polluted rivers. Along the way we discover the dark secret of the fashion industry while seeing some of the toxic side effects of textile production and jean manufacturing. Traveling from tanneries along rivers in India, to some of the largest jean manufacturing factories in China Angelo guides us on a journey through the environmental effects of toxic fashions. Continue reading “RiverBlue”