From market-fresh recipes to behind-the-scenes stories from the stalls, these newsletters truly capture the magic of markets.
When I’m not at the market, I dream about being at the market and to satisfy my market cravings, I read stories from people who have recently been to the market. Over the years, I have been on the hunt for media that are somewhat related to markets. Now I am starting a series with recommendations for things to read, watch, and listen to. First up is a list of six newsletters for market lovers that you should subscribe to.
Each of these travel- and food-themed newsletters will set the mood for your next market trip. Occasionally, they go into detail about specific markets as well. One common theme you’ll notice is that most of them are about France. France has been my favourite destination for years and I am lucky enough to be able to visit a few times every year.
These publications are also a source of travel and culinary inspiration. The beautiful destinations they cover, combined with delightful recipe ideas, will surely help you plan your next food adventure. So, if you’re a market lover like me, or if you simply enjoy a good read about food and culture, then these newsletters are not to be missed!
1. Forever in France by Elizabeth Bard
I’m almost certain that my love for France started when I read Bard’s first book, Lunch in Paris, for the first time, over 10 years ago. The story of her moving to Paris, falling in love and starting a new life mixed with meaningful recipes is the ultimate comfort read, equally perfect for daydreaming and cooking.
Elizabeth Bard launched her Substack newsletter in autumn of 2023. Similarly to her wonderful books, you can read personal stories mixed with recipes with a focus on seasonal ingredients. She often reports from what is in season at her local market in Arles in the South of France
2. David Lebovitz’s Newsletter
Documenting his life, travels and food adventures in France and around the world, the iconic cookbook author’s newsletter is the perfect monthly read. Lebovitz loves a good market, be it his regular food market in Paris or a fun flea market in Brittany.
3. Emily in France by Emily Monaco
Emily is an American writer living in Paris, also referred to as “that cheese girl”. Personally that was enough for me to hit subscribe to her Substack and her weekly newsletters do not disappoint. They always come with a healthy dose of cheese recommendations, often found at markets around France. Emily’s Paris restaurant recommendations are top notch. But my favourite parts of her newsletters might be the “What I’m writing” & “What I’m reading” sections with links to her own work and other articles on the web. She always puts me on the article du jour!
🧀 A mini interview with Emily Monaco 🧀
Please tell us about a market you love!
I have so many markets I love, from the Marché Saint-Martin, where I once ran food tours and still have a soft spot for the gregarious fruit and veg man, to the marché Maubert, home to a cheese ager who makes his own Brie de Meaux-style cheese with the milk of Salers cows. Outside of Paris, I fell hard for the market in Roissy-en-Brie (not in the least because the cheesemonger there gave out free samples with abandon – I think they reached the double-digits), and outside of France, I loved the covered Kuromon market in Osaka, where I dug into a wealth of street food specialties including butter- and soy-seasoned scallops cooked to order.
But the one that’s nearest and dearest to my heart has got to be the Marché Saint-Quentin in Paris, home to the excellent Fromagerie Gautier, an excellent artisanal charcutier, a fishmonger who wears a captain’s cap, an indoor Wallace Fountain, and a cash-only bar with very generous pours of four-euro wine. It’s no fancier than any other, but it’s my local market, which means that I’m cultivating relationships with the vendors there, and that makes it special to me!
What do you love buying at this market or something memorable you bought there?
So many things. I get a lot of fruit and veg there (including jalapeños, which are very difficult to find in Paris), but perhaps the most memorable is a truffled gouda from Normandy that was really just exceptional.
4. Elizabeth’s Newsletter by Elizabeth Minchilli
This newsletter finally takes us out of France to sunny Italy. Elizabeth’s been writing about Italy for a very long time. She’s the author of 9 books, she started blogging before it was cool and she also leads some food tours in Italy that are on my bucket list. Her Substack newsletter, where she shares recipes and her life in Italy (summers in Umbria, winter in Rome – doesn’t it sound fabulous?!), has over 39,000(!!) subscribers and once you join them, you won’t be surprised why. She has a super captivating storytelling style that you can enjoy in her videos on Instagram and TikTok, so make sure to check those out as well!
🌹 Mini interview with Elizabeth Minchilli 🌹
Please tell us about a market you love!
The first thing I do when I arrive in a city is find out where the market is and go to it. But if I had to pick a favourite market it would probably be the one I go to most often. The farmer’s market that takes place ever Saturday and Sunday on Via San Teodoro in Rome is the place I buy my weekly groceries. It has almost everything I need and is 100% local. I buy produce of course, but also meat, cheese, bread and even fish. The baked goods are fantastic, there are local stands selling nuts, grains and flours as well as pasta. There is even a local flower grower.
What do you love buying at this market or something memorable you bought there?
I can never resist a big bouquet of locally grown roses.
Click here to read and subscribe to Elizabeth’s newsletter.
5. The Good Life in France by Janine March
Aaand we’re back in France! When it comes to books, creative non-fiction is my favourite genre, and I devoured all three of Janine Marsh’s books about her good life in France, including regular trips to the market. Janine’s weekly newsletters give little glimpses into her life in a Northern French village with returning characters such as the bread man or her nonagenarian neighbour Claudette, trips to the market and other regions of France, and links to some of the articles on her website that are super helpful for fellow Francophiles! She also publishes a quarterly magazine that I keep coming back to for planning my trips to France.
🦪 A mini interview with Janine 🦪
Please tell us about a market you love!
The Friday morning market in Caen spills out of Place Saint-Sauveur, the oldest square in the city, and into the roads around. About 250 traders sell everything foodie and almost everything else. Local honey, butter, cider, calvados (apple brandy) and garlic. There’s even ginger, saffron and yuzus, grown less than an hour from the city. Of course, Norman cheeses are there in abundance. Camembert, affectionately known as God’s feet by the locals, Pont-L’Evêque, Livarot and Neufchâtel. It’s probably the oldest market in Caen – though the date for when it started isn’t known. It’s an impressively beautiful, irresistibly scrumptious market – enough to make me want to move to Caen!
What is something memorable that you bought at this market?
I stopped in my tracks at the sight of chocolate bread at a cake stall in the market. “Would you like to try” the stall holder asked me, smiling as I sighed with happiness. An elderly lady nodded approvingly and told me that she never buys any food at a supermarket, only at the markets. I have to tell you – chocolate bread is divine!
Janine is the author of four book: My Good Life in France: In Pursuit of the Rural Dream, My Four Seasons in France: A Year of the Good Life and Toujours la France: Living the Dream in Rural France all available as ebook, print & audio. Her new book How to be French – a celebration of the French lifestyle and art de vivre, is out now.
Click here to subscribe to The Good Life in France newsletter!
6. Dishes to Delight by Bre Graham
Originally from Sydney, Bre is a food writer who has been living in London for twelve years. Her first cookbook, Table For Two: Recipes For The Ones You Love was published exactly a year ago featuring no-nonsense recipes that are (mostly) quick and easy to prepare, look good and taste divine! Her cookbook is perhaps the one I made the most recipes from, and there are still a few on my to-cook list waiting for the perfect opportunity! I love receiving her newsletters every Sunday evening when I’m usually winding down on the couch after dinner. It includes an essay, a curated collection of good things to cook, do and buy, plus a dream menu plan for your week ahead.
Click here to subscribe to Dishes to Delight!
