Craziness prevails in the world, but the good news is that we can turn off the television, and go for a walk to a market or wine (or cocktail) bar, and take a break from it all. In doing so, it's easier to see the good in the world that's around us. If you go into your local shop, café, or restaurant, you'll see how nice most people are in everyday situations, and you realize why human interaction is so important.

One of the lovely things about Paris (and elsewhere where greenmarkets exist) are the open-air markets. You can talk to neighbors and vendors, and slow down to appreciate the beautiful lettuces, greens, tangerines, strawberries, and fresh herbs, that we can bring home and continue to find pleasure in.

In the past, I've traveled to controversial places to see what kinds of foods they have, and then am surprised by the blowback. But food is something that we all share, and what unites us. That's why it's important to travel: To see and experience a different view of the world. It's also important to keep an open mind, even if there's something that you don't agree with. Online and offline, so many people seem to be in the bully or "attack" mode – looking for something to challenge or debate. Can't we have civil discussions anymore? Needless to say, some of our leaders, and candidates for leadership, aren't offering up good examples of this.

While I let everyone else duke it out, I'm continuing to enjoy the last of the winter greens and purple salad leaves, like the chicorée above (which looks similar to radicchio but is more bitter) and watercress - which I made into watercress soup. Those sturdy greens make a great winter salad as well, with hunks of a good, tangy blue cheese. Soon those greens (and purples) will be gone from the markets, making way for tender spring fruits and vegetables.

A few strawberries seem to be peeking out at the market stalls, and there are already stalks of rhubarb tied up in bundles. Soon we'll be on to cherries and a full-on cavalcade of strawberries, the best in France being the squat Mara des bois strawberries, and the famed Gariguettes. In fact, I often mix the two to make a batch of Strawberry Rhubarb Jam. But nothing is better than the tiny fraises des bois, if you don't mind me turning into a berry bully : )

I'm rounding the corner, closing in on a book deadline - yikes! - with a first-draft of my manuscript due next month. So I'm spending plenty of time in April in front of my computer, as well as hitting the markets and even making an appearance next week in New York. (More info just below.)

If you're in town, see you there.

Mark your calendars: From April 3 through April 17th, the e-book edition of My Paris Kitchen will be on special sale for just $1.99. The various formats it'll be available on will be iBooks, Amazon Kindle, Nook, and more. You can go to Bookbub during those dates to find the right one for your device.

Note that this promotion is only available in the United States. If you live abroad, you can often access overseas sites using a VPN such as Hola extension for the Chrome browser (with reservations), Tunnel Bear or Witopia.

Some favorite recent recipes and posts...

-A guided video visit to a cheese shop in Paris with a French fromager - merci Jérôme!

-Thoughts about My Favorite Knife brought up some stories about San Francisco, my missed meeting with Barbra Streisand, and some interesting discussions from readers in the comments.

-Yup, I do play favorites. I updated my post on American Baking in Paris, and the post on My Favorite Scale.

-I tackled Man'oushe, the amazing flatbread I discovered in Lebanon - that's easy to make at home.

-A lucky break from a French chef friend yielded me a beef brisket in Paris, so I made Homemade Corned Beef, an Irish-American pot-au-feu?

-I visited a wonderful Syrian bakery in Brooklyn, Mansoura, where I had some of the best Middle Eastern pastries I've ever had in my life. I almost overdosed on pistachios, but c'est pas possible...

A bientôt! (See you soon!)