Haven’t had time to whip up an Easter cake?

Paris . . . right now

Paris is a city of clichés, which is why it is so refreshing to find a guide book that avoids them and instead takes readers to insider addresses, hip new eating venues and trailblazing producers of food, wine, pastries, coffee, beer, fashion and design.

Journalist Lindsey Tramuta has lived in the city for a decade, writing about French life and culture for a variety of publications, as well as her blog, Lost in Cheeseland, so she is well equipped to present the modern face of the city.

In The New Paris: The People, Places & Ideas Fueling a Movement (published by Abrams on April 18th, £18.99), she teams up with photographer Charissa Fay to put a spotlight on what's hot in Paris right now, and celebrates the city's diversity and creativity.

Easter baking

So, you haven’t had time to whip up a stunning simnel cake . . . never mind, there will be cakes from Camerino Bakery for sale at Eatyard on Saturday, April 15th, noon to 6pm). Caryna Camerino, owner of the Capel Street business, will be doing an Easter cake decorating demo, as well as talking to Slow Food Dublin’s Dee Laffan about her Jewish heritage and sharing how to make challah bread. She will also have some challah for sale at the pop-up shop.

Smashing sale

The annual sale at Rosemarie Durr pottery and Andrew Ludick ceramics in Castlecomer Discovery Park in Co Kilkenny takes place this weekend, with "a great selection of seconds reduced to clear as well as discounts up to 50 per cent across the ranges", according to Durr. Opening hours are Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday and bank holiday Monday, noon-5pm.

Smoking hot salmon

Frank Hederman has been smoking salmon in Co Cork for 35 years, and his is among the best in the business, and until April 30th there is a spring promotion at frankhederman.com which offers a trio of unsliced salmon – cold smoked, hot smoked, and hot smoked with mildly hot Kashmiri chilli flakes – for €61.50. The weight of each piece is not less than 300g, and there are also spring offers on the hot smoked only, and on a combination of Irish wild and organic smoked salmon.