Welcome May! I spent much of last month in New York, doing some appearances, working on projects, and catching up with friends and family. It was a lot of fun and I ate well, including some good, crusty bread from Bien Cuit, as well as sipping some great cocktails: We drink so much wine in France, it's nice to indulge in the lovely spirits and liquors that are made in America, and aren't readily available in France. (Even though the French are big consumers of whiskey.)

I'm particularly fond of whiskey and spent an afternoon at Breuckelen Distilling, where they've been making whiskey and gin since 2010, which prompted me to make a new cocktail (to me) called The Chin Up, just below, whose recipe I shared in that post.

I met up with my family in New York City for Easter and I thought these Olive Oil Muffins were one of the best things I've eaten in a long time. I adapted the recipe to make them in a "home-sized" batch. If you have a chance, I urge you to give them a try. Since it's almost summer, they'd be delicious served as small cakes (or shortcakes) with strawberries, cherry compote, plums or peaches.

I ended the month of April by heading to Philadelphia for two days to...um...eat. I returned to Zahav for a spectacular meal. (Chef/owner Michael Solomonov's book, Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking just won "Cookbook of the Year" by the James Beard Foundation.) I also hit his casual Federal Donuts and while they were out of glazed donuts by late afternoon, the Za'atar Fried Chicken was probably the best fried chicken I've ever had.

We had some traditional, and non-traditional, dim sum at Bing Bing, and a brilliantly creative vegan dinner at Vedge. I also loved my pastrami sandwich, which rivaled anything in New York, at Hershel's East Side Deli in the Reading Terminal Market, a great place to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon, eating.

Some favorite places in New York:

-Biang: Chinese hand-torn noodles and dumplings with a bit of heat.

-Long Island Bar: Outstanding burgers and Boulevardiers at this classic bar.

-Grand Army: The bread & butter course is outstanding. Great cocktails and oysters at happy hour for just $1/each.

-Roman's: Italian-influenced cooking in a friendly, hip space.

-Fonda: Always a favorite. Terrific Mexican cuisine and superb margaritas.

-Wildair: Truly fresh, creative foods and a stunning natural wine list.

I post pictures a lot of places where I eat on Instagram, including photos of many of the places listed, and "snaps" at Snapchat. Follow me for frequent updates and addresses.

I'm heading to a few more places this month while racing toward a book deadline. My plate is certainly full! : )

-My friend Elise sells her food blog, Simply Recipes - one of the first, and one of the best! (Will Write for Food)

-Want to get there yourself? 5 Things All Big-Traffic Bloggers Do. (Blogher)

-The New York Times closes shop in Paris. (New York Times)

-Hillary Clinton gets her (ice cream) licks in. (Elle)

-10 Signs you've been in Paris too long. Two spoilers: You're wearing too much black, and you refuse to go to other bakeries than your favorites. (The Culture Trip)

-A reader sent me a link to his gorgeous - and fascinating - collection of French menus from the 60s -80s. (Flickr)

-Think you don't have time to say "Yes"? Shonda Rhimes brilliantly talks about what happened during My Year of Saying Yes to Everything (TED/Video)

Some recent recipes and posts on my blog...

-Yee-ha! I hit a great bbq in New York City.

-These easy Olive Oil Muffins were a huge hit!

-Like your cocktails with a bit of a bitter edge? The Chin Up uses artichoke liqueur, cucumbers and gin to liven up your happy hour(s).

-Need something new for your grill this summer? Try this Korean-style Bulgogi Chicken.

-Honey ice cream goes with everything, from summer berries to peaches, plums, and fresh apricots...

A bientôt! (See you soon!)
- dl