[2] Thousands of recipes (actually, 100,000!) are available at a touch.
[3] The base unit can be topped with steaming baskets.
[4] Our first Thermomix meal started with avgolemono soup, Greek chicken broth thickened with eggs and lemon juice.
[5] We served the soup with potato and rosemary focaccia, warm from the oven. Note that while Thermomix mixed and kneaded the dough, the baking phase requires an oven.
[6] The main course: baked fish with shrimp, vegetables, and basmati rice. And cleanup for all three dishes was a snap.
Let’s address the elephant in the kitchen: $1,699 is a lot of money for an appliance.
But if you have the money, Thermomix 7 is an amazing piece of technology that can transform how you cook, and bring excitement to the variety and complexity of meals you put on the table.
If you’re already a super-cook with all the skills, equipment, know-how, and time to turn out dazzling meals, Thermomix may not be the must-have for you (although if anyone gifts you one, you’ll love cooking with it).
Rather, it’s for someone who wants to turn out impressive meals but needs some help with any or every aspect, from deciding what to cook to a step-by-step interactive guide to making the recipes. In sum:
If you’re looking for an easier, time-saving way to cook more interesting food, then yes!
If you want to become a better cook, yes again!
If your preferences are for simple grilled proteins and steamed veggies, probably not.
We do just fine with everyday and fancy cooking. But we were so amazed when we saw a demonstration of the Thermomix 7 that we asked to try one to use at home.
It did not disappoint.
WHAT YOU GET FOR THE MONEY
The Thermomix 7 (TM7 for short) isn’t just an appliance; it’s essentially 20+ kitchen tools consolidated into one smart device.
It weighs, chops, blends, cooks, steams, kneads, emulsifies, and more—all guided by a large touchscreen that includes thousands of recipes you can easily tailor to your preferences*. The website notes 100,000 recipes in the Cookidoo app, so whatever your eating preferences, there is likely a lifetime of choices.
Think of TM7 as replacing your food processor, blender, mixer, steamer, slow cooker, sous vide machine, and kitchen scale, while serving as a cooking coach.
It is not an oven. You still need one of those for baking and roasting‡.
SAVE TIME, SPACE & MENTAL ENERGY
Here’s where TM7 earns its keep. The guided cooking feature walks you through recipes step-by-step, adjusting temperatures and times automatically.
You’re not juggling multiple pots, timers, and recipes (whether analog or digital).
For busy people, this isn’t just convenience—it’s the difference between cooking an exciting meal versus something humdrum (or worse**, takeout).
The prep work alone saves hours weekly. Chopping onions in 4 seconds? Kneading bread dough while you help with homework? The Thermomix handles the tedious parts while you focus on everything else demanding your attention.
Plus, the app lets you do your planning wherever you happen to be (photo #7).
THE MATH THAT MATTERS
Consider this calculation: If the TM7 helps you cook at home just three extra times per week instead of ordering delivery or dining out, you’re saving at least $60-$90† weekly. That’s $3,120-4,680 annually: The device pays for itself in 5-7 months—and lasts for years.
Add in the reduction in food waste (precise portions, less guesswork), the elimination of needing other appliances, and the health benefits of home cooking, and the financial picture shifts considerably.
Yes, It’s Plastic—But There’s More To The Story
The all-plastic construction is admittedly surprising at this price point. However, plastic has become the way of the world…and this isn’t just any plastic.
The bowl and components are made from high-quality, food-safe materials designed for durability and easy cleaning.
And the real investment isn’t in the housing material, it’s in the precision technology inside.
There’s the heating element that maintains exact temperatures, the powerful yet largely quiet*** motor, the integrated scale accurate to the gram, and the software that receives regular updates with new recipes and features.
The recipes are very interesting and expanded what we would normally make as an “everyday” recipe. The first week alone, our choices ranged from ratatouille and lemon souffle and the dinner shown in photos #4, #5, and #6.
Who Can Benefit Most From Thermomix 7?
TM7 makes sense if you:
Have limited time but want to serve more interesting homemade meals.
Enjoy cooking but not the cleanup of multiple appliances.
Feel challenged by the task of cooking but want to eat better.
Want to expand your culinary repertoire with guidance.
Have a small kitchen where counter space is precious.
TM7 doesn’t just make cooking easier; it makes good cooking at home actually happen for people who would otherwise default to convenience food or the same old, same old.
NEXT STEPS
Is Thermomix for you?
If you already cook all the time and are happy with the way things are, you may not have a burning need for cookware consolidation and guidance.
If you rarely cook at all, no appliance will change that (unless you really want to change).
But if you want to upgrade your cooking game, take the next step. You can:
And you can start right here: Watch this quick video that will let you drill down with other videos.
[7] Use the app to plan meals wherever and whenever.
ABOUT VORWERK
Vorwerk, the creator of Thermomix, is a family-owned company founded in 1883 and headquartered in Wuppertal, Germany. It is a trusted manufacturer in the premium kitchen appliance market and a substantial international business, with a reported revenue of €3.2 billion in 2024 more than 9,300 employees.
The original Thermomix, launched in 1971, is the company’s most popular product, and is sold worldwide.
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*The integrated online platform and app, Cookidoo®, is what provides thousands of recipes and the step-by-step instructions that seamlessly guide you through the entire cooking process—automatically adjusting the cook time, temperature, and speed for each step (we loved this!). You can save recipes, organize meal schedules, even order groceries. You receive a complimentary three-month all-access subscription to Cookidoo; then the fee is $65/year. The TM7 can perform its cooking functions without Cookidoo, but subscribing enhances your experience with access to a wide range of recipes, meal planning, and renowned guided cooking functionality.
**For us, regular takeout has a downside: We’ll order things that are less good for us than the quick home meal of throwing chicken and veggies in the air fryer. Restaurant and takeout foods tend to be higher in calories, sodium, saturated fat, and added sugars compared to home-cooked meals. Restaurants often use more oil, butter, and salt to make food taste good, and portion sizes are typically larger than what you’d serve yourself at home. Many takeout options are also lower in vegetables and fiber. If you’re eating takeout multiple times per week, these factors can add up and potentially contribute over time to—need we say it—weight gain, high blood pressure, and other health issues. And, it costs more and can dump a lot of packaging into the landfill.
Yes, we appreciate the benefits of takeout: a big savings in time and energy. We appreciate the convenience of ordering in sushi or tandoori chicken when we don’t want to go out. For people who just don’t enjoy cooking: We understand, but how about trying a meal kit service, like Blue Apron, HelloFresh, Sunbasket, and a host of others? They deliver boxes with pre-portioned ingredients and recipe cards so you can cook meals at home without having to plan menus or shop for groceries.
**The motor is pretty quiet at low and medium speeds.
†This is a guesstimate, depending on what kind of food you order, for how many people, and how to factor in the cost of whatever ingredients you would have used to cook a meal at home. But no matter what your personal equation is, you can see that you’ll be saving money.
‡The terms “baking” and “roasting” are often used interchangeably, and both terms work fine in casual conversation. In practice, both techniques use dry heat in an oven, but there are distinctions. The temperature distinction is probably the most reliable guideline. If you’re cooking something at 425°F to get it nicely browned and crispy, you’re probably roasting. If you’re cooking at 350°F and concerned about even heat distribution for something to rise or set properly, you’re probably baking.
Roasting typically refers to cooking at higher temperatures (usually 400°F and above) and is traditionally associated with cooking whole foods or larger pieces: roasted chicken, roasted vegetables, roast beef, etc. The goal is often to develop a browned, caramelized exterior while keeping the interior moist. Roasting is usually done uncovered to promote browning and crisping.
Baking generally refers to cooking at moderate temperatures for foods that start with a batter or dough that needs to set and rise: like bread, cakes, casseroles, cookies, pastries and pies. The process transforms the structure of the food as it cooks.
November 23rd is National Espresso Day, and our Gift Of The Day is ROK Coffee’s manual espresso machine, designed by the London-based company ROK Kitchen Tools.
We love ours, although it wasn’t designed with us in mind.
It was designed for outdoor enthusiasts—hikers and campers—and travelers who must have their espresso. This easily portable machine—no electricity required—is the way they can have their espresso fix no matter where they are.
Designed for durability and ease of use on the road, the ROK Presso Smartshot is a lighter, more compact version, less expensive, and (we think) much more attractive version of the ROK Classic model, which is intended for more sophisticated users.
[4] Lift the arms, then bring them down.
So why do we—the opposite of this target market—love our ROK PRESSO SMARTSHOT?
In our tiny kitchen, its small footprint allows us to pull an espresso whenever we like.
When we’re done making our cup and turn the machine sideways, we only need a tad more than four inches of space. It doesn’t get more compact than that! (The horizontal dimension is seven inches.)
So, if you or those on your gift list are in the first group—the outdoors and traveling folk—you know why they need a ROK.
If you’re in the second group—espresso lovers with limited counter space—it’s a welcome addition to your kitchen.
Here’s what it’s done for us:
For espresso enthusiasts facing space constraints or outlet limitations (we have both), the ROK EspressoGC Classic PLUS offers an elegant solution that doesn’t compromise on quality.
This manually operated espresso maker not only proves that a good cup of espresso doesn’t require electricity or extensive counter space—it’s fun to use.
With all the fancy espresso machines on the market, many might assume manual operation means inferior results. The ROK turns this notion on its head.
The machine uses a dual-arm lever system that allows you to control pressure application with remarkable precision. This hands-on approach actually gives you more control over the extraction process than many automatic machines, letting you adjust pressure throughout the shot to bring out the best in your beans.
The physical feedback you get through the levers teaches you to feel when you’re hitting that sweet spot of extraction. And in 25 seconds, ecco fatto*, crema and all.
The ROK’s die-cast aluminum construction feels substantial and well-weighted.
Its compact footprint makes it ideal for small kitchens, RVs, or work spaces without dedicated coffee stations.
The brewing chamber accommodates a standard double shot basket, and hot water pre-heats the chamber and helps to maintain optimal temperature throughout extraction.
The machine’s design channels your manual force efficiently, allowing most users to generate the 9 bars of pressure needed for authentic espresso.
It’s totally quiet.
The ROK does require a water heater and, if you want your beans ground right before brewing, a separate grinder (the company makes a version that is also portable and electricity-free).
THE EXPERIENCE
There’s something deeply satisfying about the ritual of pulling a shot from the ROK.
You heat water separately (we’re used both our kettle and the microwave—and prefer the speed of the latter), grind your beans, tamp, and then smoothly press down on those distinctive arms.
The process took us a few cups to perfect, until we developed an intuitive feel for timing and pressure to create the crema.
, and pulling consistent shots requires practice. However, for the espresso lover who values craftsmanship, portability, and the meditative process of manual brewing, these aren’t drawbacks—they’re features. The ROK EspressoGC Classic PLUS transforms espresso-making from a button press into an engaging craft, delivering exceptional coffee wherever you have access to hot water.
Here’s something special for National Espresso Day, November 23rd, below:
It’s a coffee paean to “The Great Wave off Kanagawa,” a woodblock print that what has been called “possibly the most reproduced print or image* in the history of all art” (excluding stamps, in which case Arnold Machin’s etched profile of Queen Elizabeth II, created for British postage stamps, is the winner).
“The Great Wave off Kanagawa,” is certainly a contender for the “most famous artwork in Japanese history” (photo #6, below).
The print depicts three boats moving through a storm-tossed sea, with a large, cresting wave forming a spiral in the center over the boats, and Mount Fuji in the background.
“The Great Wave off Kanagawa,” often called “The Great Wave” for short, was created in 1831 by Japanese ukiyo-e** artist Katsushika Hokusai. It’s a wood-block print, his most famous work, and is the first in his series, “Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji.”
It has influenced Western artists and musicians, including Claude Debussy, Claude Monet, and Vincent van Gogh, as well as inspiring wave-centric works by other Japanese artists.
[8] The original wood-block prints were pulled in the 1830s. You can easily find modern paper reproductions online.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art owns one of the earliest original impressions of “The Great Wave,” a polychrome woodblock print, ca. 1830–32, off the original keyblock, with object number JP1847 and credit line “H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929” Met collection entry.
The Art Institute Of Chicago currently owns three later impressions—“all later impressions‡ than the first state of the design,” per the Art Institute.
Scholars estimate that roughly 8,000 impressions that were printed in the 1830s, only about 100 early “original” impressions are thought to survive today.
FOR NATIONAL ESPRESSO DAY, WE PRESENT… [9] Mashup art combining classical Japanese woodblock prints with modern elements has become quite popular among contemporary digital artists and illustrators. Treat yourself to a print of this one, by Faissal Thomas, for less than $20. Head to Printler.
The iconic artwork has been reproduced on everything from espresso cups to home goods to clothing to…not a surprise…wall art.
The image depicts a creative adaptation of Hokusai’s “Great Wave,” transforming the iconic wave into a frothy coffee wave inside a mug. This specific adaptation is credited to Faissal Thomas, available through various art print and merchandise platforms.
*The Mona Lisa and The Last Supper vie in the painting category.ç
**Ukiyo-e (pronounced oo-KEE-yoh-eh) is a genre of Japanese art that flourished from the 17th through the 19th centuries. It’s most famous for its woodblock prints, but it also includes paintings. “Ukiyo” literally translates to “floating world,” and “e” means picture or painting. Thus, ukiyo-e means “pictures of the floating world.”
†The original Japanese title printed on the block is “Kanagawa oki nami ura,” which translates literally as “Under the Wave off Kanagawa.” “The Great Wave off Kanagawa” is just the widely used English nickname for that same print.
‡The 8,000 figure is an estimate, based on how long a keyblock could survive before wearing out and needing repair or replacement. The British Museum notes that “experts have estimated that this might represent around 8,000 prints” and that no exact production records survive. As the wood blocks wore down, the printer kept using them until they failed, so the same 1830s commercial run produced a spectrum from very early to very late states. Once new/replacement blocks were cut (e.g., for the light blue and yellow areas in very late prints), those impressions are still usually considered part of the original 19th‑century commercial production, but they’re visually distinct “late impressions” within that broad run.
Thus, the estimated ~8,000 Edo‑period impressions encompass both ends of the spectrum—from early, high‑quality pulls like the Met’s to later, more worn or modified impressions such as those at the Art Institute of Chicago. The Edo Period (also known as the Tokugawa Period) was a significant era in Japanese history that lasted from 1603 to 1868.
The Adagio Teas Advent Calendar is a tea lover’s delight: a delightful concept. For tea enthusiasts who love exploring new flavors, this calendar offers the perfect way to count down to the holidays.
Each day reveals a different tea flavor behind one of 24 doors (photo #5), turning a daily tea ritual into a voyage of discovery experience.
The calendar opens like a large book (it’s 8.5″ x 12.75″ x 2″), revealing 24 windowed compartments inside—each concealing a different tea to discover.
The cover of the book hosts none other than the Nutcracker himself; but unlike in the ballet*, here he holds a cup of tea to savor.
The Advent Calendar comes handsomely packaged with festive Nutcracker artwork on the cover. Open it like a book to reveal 24 doors inside, each concealing a different tea flavor to discover.
And there are three options:
Tea bags
Loose tea
Decaf loose tea
Each of the 24 individual packets contains enough tea for an 8-ounce cup.
The teas are gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and vegan-friendly.
And may we point out, it’s also a calorie-free, better-for-you gift for those who avoid caloric sweeteners.
We recommend this gift for the person who likes to explore different flavors (i.e., not for someone who only drinks English Breafast).
The teas in each collection can be seen by scrolling down on the order page, and we’ve included a chart of two of the three varieties below. So…
While the Advent countdown begins on November 30th, it doesn’t matter when the tasting begins.
Simply start whenever it arrives. The joy is in the daily ritual and surprise, not the specific dates.
Adagio Teas’ Advent Calendar transforms a beloved holiday tradition into a flavorful journey. It’s a thoughtful gift that keeps giving throughout the season—perfect for the tea lover on your list.
[5] Open the book: What teas are hiding behind those 24 doors?
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*The original tale on which The Nutcracker Suite ballet is based was written by E.T.A. Hoffmann (Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann) and published in 1816. The story is titled “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” (in German, Nussknacker und Mausekönig). But here’s something few of those who have seen the ballet know: The Nutcracker is actually the nephew and namesake Herr Nathaniel (or Nathanael) Drosselmeier, the clockmaker/inventor who gives his goddaughter Marie the nutcracker. The nutcracker is actually young Drosselmeier, transformed by a curse as relayed in “The Hard Nut” (German: Die harte Nuss), a story-within-the-story told by Drosselmeier. By the end of the tale, through Marie’s love, his human form is restored and he is the “prince” of the magical kingdom in the tale. This backstory does not exist in the ballet; he’s commonly just “the Nutcracker” who is restored to “the Prince.”
[2] If you’re ordering for yourself and don’t need the gift tin, your tuiles come in a brown bag. The chocolate flavor, shown here, mixes cocoa powder with the standard almonds, butter, sugar, and flour. This makes the cookie a darker, bronzed color and gives it a chocolate flavor profile.
Way back in 2007, THE NIBBLE wrote enthusiastically about Minnie Beasley’s cookies: buttery, lacy almond toffee cookies. They won a gold medal as “best cookie” at the Fancy Food Show the following year and we have been pleased to watch them grow over the years—still a small, artisan brand making each cookie by hand.
This means that you, too, can know the joy of Minnie Beasley’s Almond Lace Cookies*, thanks to her great-nephew Harmon Beasley Canon and his son Jackson, who has taken over the business.
And keeping up with the times, Aunt Minnie’s original recipe is also available in:
Chocolate
Gluten-free
Maple Pecan
The cookies have an almost toffee-like consistency: crunchy and buttery with a pronounced almond flavor. They strike that perfect balance between delicate and substantial, sweet and sophisticated.
Lace cookies are a Southern specialty, named for the French tuile baked to create a lacy pattern.
Lady Bird Johnson was known for her recipe. Different bakers made them in different ways, and the warm cookies can be molded into different shapes. But whatever the style, the cookies are a delicate gourmet confection, a special treat.
How Aunt Minnie’s Cookies, A Family Treat, Went Commercial
Great Aunt Minnie, a Southern lady herself, lived with Harmon Canon’s family during his boyhood in Memphis and he grew up watching her make the cookies for family and friends.
After she passed, Harmon took on the mantle, and was encouraged by friends and family to make them available to the public. A 6-person artisanal bakery was born, the cookies selling out as fast as the team could make them.
They are now being produced by the fourth generation, Harmon’s son Jackson.
Each individually handmade cookie requires a labor-intensive baking process, a commitment to craft that you can taste in every bite.
When Minnie Beasley’s pliable cookies come out of the oven, they’re wrapped around dowel rods, creating crispy cylinders when cooled.
And then, they’re packaged and sent to you.
GET YOUR COOKIES!
We’re as enthusiastic about these wonderful cookies as we were back in 2007.
Each handmade batch sells out quickly, so head to the website and stake a claim to yours:
Don’t forget yourself! Whether you’re enjoying one with a cup of coffee or serving them at an elegant gathering, these cookies elevate any moment into something special.
We’ve got more to say below about the history of tuiles, but first, for your consideration:
Not all tuiles are lacy (see photos #4 and #5). The delicate “lace” effect is created through “baking chemistry.”
Lace cookies get their name from their delicate and lace-like appearance when the sugar bubbles and creates tiny little gaps in the cookies.
The magic is in the proportions: Lace cookies require a high ratio of butter to flour, with just a small amount of flour (or sometimes ground oats).
The low flour content means there’s minimal structure to hold the dough together, so it spreads extremely thin during baking. The sugar caramelizes and bubbles vigorously in the oven, and as those bubbles form and pop, they create the characteristic openwork pattern.
The result is an ultra-thin, crispy cookie with an intricate pattern of gaps throughout.
THE HISTORY OF TUILE COOKIES
The French word tuile (pronounced tweel) refers to the curved, terracotta roof tiles that are ubiquitous atop homes in Provence and the Mediterranean basin.
The tuile cookie got its name from its curved shape, mimicking the curved roof tiles.
It’s baked as a flat disc and then, while still hot and malleable, draped over a curved surface (traditionally a rolling pin or wine bottle) to set into an arch. When arranged in rows on a platter, these delicate cookies line up like a the tiled rooftop.
While someone first draped warm dough over a rolling pin, there is no single known “inventor” of the cookie. It evolved in the 17th century or later, once refined sugar became more accessible to the French middle and upper classes.
The Tuiles Of Southern France
Because its shape is modeled after Provençal roof tiles (photo above), the tuile cookie is linked to the southn of France. These tuiles are typically the tuiles aux amandes (tweels-ohs-ah-mand), almond tuiles.
Crisp, lacy, and golden, they’re made with slivered almonds to simulate the rough texture of the clay tiles.
Because the hot-from-the-oven cookies can be molded into different shapes—cups, spirals, cones, etc.—the roof tile shape began to take on different forms in other regions.
[9] The famed roof tiles of Provence (Abacus Photo).
The Tuiles Of Northern France
Just as well-known are the tuiles of Northern France, particularly in the styles of the towns of Beauvais and Amiens in the Picardy* region.
Tuiles de Beauvais: This town has a famous history of ceramic and tile manufacturing. In a clever bit of culinary marketing, local chocolatiers and pastry chefs created a sweet version to honor the town’s industry. Unlike the lacy almond versions of the South, Northern tuiles, like Tuiles d’Amiens) are often richer and slightly thicker, sometimes incorporating chocolate and orange.
The Normandy region, famous for its butter, is credited with perfecting the rich batter used in the classic almond tuile.
The Evolution of “Petits Fours Secs”
In French baking, the tuile falls under the category of petits fours secs, small dry oven cakes. Their evolution:
17th-18th Centuries: Sugar becomes more available; egg-white based biscuits like macarons and meringues gain popularity. The tuile likely began as a way to use up egg whites left over from making rich custards or ice creams, which use only the yolks.
19th Century: The rise of haute cuisine, heralded by the great chefs Marie-Antoine Carême and Auguste Escoffier, formalized the role of the tuile. It moved from a simple country snack to a refined garnish served alongside desserts like mousse, panna cotta, and sorbet to provide a textural crunch.
Tuile Dentelle (Crêpe Dentelle): In 1886, Marie-Catherine Cornic of Quimper, Brittany, France, got distracted and left one crêpe on the heat for too long. Instead of throwing it away, she decided to roll it up tightly to see if it was still edible. The rolling process, combined with the crispiness, created a light, flaky biscuit that became the Crêpe Dentelle (lace crêpe, as it was made from crêpe batter).
20th Century: In 1920, a large commercial brand, Gavottes, was launched and remains the major supermarket brand today.
Cigarettes Russes: In the 1920s, Pierre Delacre of the Delacre company in Brussels, Belgium, launched the “Cigarette Russe” as a refined biscuit (cookie) to serve with both tea and Champagne. He named them after papirosy, a specific type of Russian cigarette popular at the time. Unlike modern cigarettes, these had a very long, hollow cardboard mouthpiece to hold the tobacco away from the mouth. The hollow, tubular cookie perfectly resembled this shape. Note that they not a Russian recipe, as believed by some people because of the name.
Pepperidge Farm Pirouette: In 1955 Margaret Rudkin, founder of Pepperidge Farm, launched the Pirouette. It was a rolled hollow cookie, inspired by the Belgian Cigarette Russe and intended as a light, crispy garnish for ice cream or mousse, or to be served with coffee. One variety was lined with chocolate.
Caprice Crispy Wafer Rolls: In 1978, Caprice, a shelf-stable, cream-filled wafer roll, was introduced by the Greek company Papadopoulos. The initial variety was filled with cocoa and hazelnut cream. It took another 15 years or more for major U.S. brands to introduce filled versions.
Filled Rolls In The U.S.: These began to appear on American grocery shelves in the 1990s. Pirouline (not related to Pepperidge Farm’s Pirouette), a brand known for a cocoa stripe in its dough, introduced their Crème de Pirouline, filled with chocolate hazelnut, in 1993 (and subsequently, additional flavors). Pepperidge Farm followed, discontinuing their hollow and lined varieties and replacing them with the crème-filled versions (French Vanilla, Chocolate Hazelnut, etc.) that remain on the sheves today.
What’s Next?
Savory tuilles have long been made by fine chefs, filled with whipped goat cheese, truffle cream, and the like.
Might they become commercialized as “wine wafers,” e.g. Parmesan/herb or a pesto cream? Perhaps some artisan brand will launch them to the broader public.
Fusion flavors are already part of our everyday cuisine. We nominate Asian variants of the filled rolled wafer—not only popular flavors (black sesame, green tea, red bean…) but those that use coconut milk and rice flour, creating a harder, snappier roll than the buttery French version.
Stay tuned.
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*Picardy is a historical region of northern France, stretching north from the suburbs of Paris and vineyards of Champagne to the beaches of the Bay of Somme on the English Channel. The regional capital, Amiens, is a university city known for its Gothic cathedral, the floating gardens on its canals and Maison de Jules Verne, the famous adventure novelist’s 19th-century home, which is now a museum.
†A tuile is a cookie, made of batter and baked. A cannoli is a pastry, made of dough and fried in oil.
[10] An assortment of tuiles, just for starters (Abacus Photo).
