Barbra Austin

This was supposed to be applesauce cake.

Fresh figs rate among my very favorite fruits, and they show up at the best time of year, when summer produce is having its last hurrah and fall’s firmer fruits are showing up.

Generally, when fruit is as beautiful as this collection of late summer jewels, I hesitate to manipulate it in any way.

We almost didn’t order dessert the other night at Bistrot Paul Bert.

One reason I chose this little apartment in Paris is because it has a decent sized oven, as opposed to the table top combination microwave contraptions that seem to be everywhere here. Essentially, I’m living in a kitchen with a bedroom in it. And a living room. And a dining room. And an office.

I figured it was time I did a little baking.

My mother had remarkable restraint when it came to sweets. The woman could eat two tablespoons of ice cream and claim to be satisfied. I say “restraint” but I think she actually didn’t really like anything too rich. Or at least she pretended not to.

This cake was one of her favorite treats.

The idea of a hot drink on a hot afternoon is not always so appealing. The solution? Espresso granita, a.k.a. the easiest thing in the world to make.

Clafouti is clafouti. It’s not a cake, though it’s made from a batter. It’s not a custard, though it’s a bit creamy. It’s not a soufflé, though it puffs up during baking. It is what it is. And when it’s good it’s delicious.

The best thing about old friends is how easy it is to step right back into the old roles, to immediately know how to be with each other.

My French teacher once told me that I could exempt myself from les devoirs by making treats for the class. I did not really take her seriously and, anyway, it is in my best interest to do the homework. But as of Monday morning I had not even looked at chapter 6 of Les Poisons de la Couronne. What I had been reading was David Lebovitz’s new book, which enthusiastically advocates the practice of of bribery-by-sweets.

What better moment to test my dear prof’s offer? And what better reason to try one of the 50 recipes David included in the book?