Read The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World's Most Glorious - and Perplexing - City for Free Online

sure everything’s gone after you flush: a failed batch of grass-green mint chip ice cream hadn’t quite made it down when a friend who came by. Upon exiting the bathroom, he suggested that I might want to see a doctor.
    And is the bedroom off limits?
Pas du tout!
Because these days, there’s not as much activity going on in there as I’d hoped, so I’ve turned it into a full-on
glacière.
My bedroom started multitasking when I was writing a book on ice cream and found myself churning out batches of ice cream and sorbet all day long—and sometimes into the night, which I’m sure made the neighbors downstairs wonder what I was up to.
    I had three machines that I was rotating batches through, and each made a terrible racket. So into the bedroom they all went, which was such a great solution that that’s where they now all stay. The only difficulty is explaining to my cleaners why there’s toffee stuck to my sheets. When I tell them I’m rippling ice cream, I get quite a few funny looks. Although the French have a reputation for bedroom antics, I think I have them beat.
ILE FLOTTANTE
FLOATING ISLAND
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
    I don’t recommend flushing meringue down the toilet, especially if you live on the top floor where the water pressure may be less than optimal. I speak from experience since I tried it with a batch when I was testing this recipe, and the fluffy egg mass refused to budge for a couple of days. In frustration, I finally took a knife to it, and the meringue disappeared once and for all.
    But I got it right with this version and it’s so good, you won’t want to throw any of it away.
    Crème anglaise
    4 large egg yolks
    1½ cups (375 ml) whole milk
    ¼ cup (50 g) sugar
    1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
    Meringue
    4 large egg whites, at room temperature Pinch of salt
    ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar, optional
    6 tablespoons (75 g) sugar
    Caramel sauce
    1 cup (200 g) sugar
    ¾ cup(180 ml) water
    Toasted sliced almonds or chopped pistachios
For the crème anglaise, make an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice and a bit of water. Nest a smaller metal bowl inside it to hold the crème anglaise. Set a mesh strainer over the top.
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Heat the milk, ¼ cup (50 g) sugar, and vanilla bean in a saucepan. Once warm, very gradually pour the milk into the yolks, whisking constantly. Scrape the mixture back into the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until the custard begins to thicken and leaves a clean trail when you run your finger across the spatula.
Immediately pour the custard through the strainer into the chilled bowl. Pluck out the vanilla bean and add it to the custard, then stir gently until cool. Refrigerate until ready to use.
For the meringue, preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Very lightly oil a 2-quart (2-L) loaf pan. Set the loaf pan inside a shallow roasting pan.
Start whipping the egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed or by hand. Add the salt and cream of tartar (if using) and beat until the mixture is frothy. Increase the whipping speed to high and when the whites start to hold their shape, add the 6 tablespoons of sugar one spoonful at a time. Once you’ve added all the sugar, beat for a few minutes, until the meringue is stiff and shiny.
Spread the meringue into the prepared loaf pan, being careful not to create any air pockets, and smooth the top with a damp spatula. Add enough warm water to come three-fourths of the way up the sides of the roasting pan.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the meringue from the water bath and cool on a wire rack.
To make the caramel, spread 1 cup sugar in an even layer in a heavy-bottomed skillet. Cook over medium heat until the sugar begins to liquefy at the edges. Use a heatproof utensil to stir the sugar slightly to prevent the edges from burning.
As the sugar melts and begins to caramelize, stir gently (which maycause the sugar