David Lebovitz
David Lebovitz has been a professional cook and baker for most of his life; he spent nearly thirteen years at Chez Panisse until he left the restaurant business in 1999 to write books. He moved to Paris in 2003 and turned his website into a phenomenally popular blog. He is the author of numerous cookbooks, including My Paris Kitchen, The Perfect Scoop, Ready for Dessert, and The Great Book of Chocolate, and two memoirs, The Sweet Life in Paris, and L'Appart. He was named one of the top five pastry chefs in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Chronicle. David has also been featured in Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Milk Street, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, Saveur, Travel + Leisure, Better Homes and Gardens, People, and more.
Fig-Olive Tapenade
Serve with pita toasts or crackers, or smear it on grilled chicken breast or tuna steaks for a main course.
Fresh Ginger Cake
This is the most often requested recipe in my repertoire, and I've passed it on to many, many people. It appears so often on Bay Area menus (sometimes called Dave's ginger cake, which, I admit, amuses and flatters me) that I sometimes think I'm responsible for too much of a good thing. Then I order it, taste it, and decide not to worry: This simple cake is wonderful.