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Color matching macarons is one of my all-time favorite things to do.
It's a challenge to capture the nuances of framboise (raspberry) macarons.
Or pistachio.
Little paintboxes are my other obsession. I gave many away when I moved to Paris. And I have probably replaced everyone of them by now.
When I saw these pretty boxes in Charvin's window the March letter came together.
Some paintboxes have macaron-shaped color pans, but the quality is mostly kids level.
Still this guy was using them on the bridge near Notre Dame.
This looks like fun doesn't it?
To hustle your watercolors on a bridge in Paris.
Dalloyau has a window full of floating macaron boxes. I almost ended up painting floating macarons raining down on umbrellas for the March Sketch Letter...
In the end the beautiful colors won out.
Did I say we just have 18 days until it's Jour du Macaron?
The 20th of March annually has become the day you can wander from patisserie to patisserie in Paris (and New York too now). You give a donation to charity and receive in return a macaron (if the patisserie is a member of Dessert Relais patisseries and many are in Paris.
These days Jour du Macaron has become WEEK-END du Macaron so you have 3 days of macaron hunting.
March's Sketch letter had to celebrate Paris macarons?
Finding macaron souvenirs to put in the envelopes, on the other hand, was harder than finding hens teeth. Some of you may be lucky enough to get a cow or Brie bookmark from the Salon de l'Agriculture. Or an offer to subscribe to a monthly supply of French cheeses no less!
Bear is counting off the days on the calendar till Jour du Macaron.
Yesterday I went back to the Agriculture Salon spur of the moment for another look..
Like the little paw anxiously waiting to pet the cow, I can't get enough of this country fair in a sophisticated city like Paris.
Naturally there is judging and parading of cows and horses.
Goliath won naturally.
Dress like a cow if you're going to hang with the cows. It's de rigeur.
I passed through the Alsacien goodies so fast with hardly a glance.
Though these crepes made with Alsacienne biere beckoned. Next time.
Terroire is everywhere. French food tastes decidedly different depending where it is grown.
Tiny blueberry(myrtilles) tartelettes...my local boulangere makes these. Is he from the Lorraine?
A stunning wall of golden honeys from Aquitaine.
If you're not going to taste wine sparkling apple juice will do.
Otherwise taste the fine wines of all France at the Salon. Everything is interactive.
Even Mathew McConaughey showed up to offer tastes of Comte cheese from Franche-Comte, Coco's home region.
I decided to get interactive with Le Fromage Fouette Madame Loik of Paysan Breton.
You could taste a 'flight' of flavors, just like wine, from 'nature' (plain), to fig to fine herbes to chevre(goat). Like rich cottage cheese I think..
French kiddies were interacting with I don't know what? I just heard the instructor saying,
'Melangee. mélangee" (Mix it up, mix it up!)
I managed not to get too interactive with any sweets at the salon yesterday like Breton butter cookies. A first for me.
This French girl got a little too interactive with that Jersey cow as she tried to take a Selfie portrait. Suddenly the cow looked up and gave her a tremendously appreciative lick on the chest. She leaped in the air in surprise and I couldn't stop laughing :)
February is Salon de l'Agriculture time.
And the winner is...
You have 10 days to meet this lovely creature.
Or these baby lambs.
I was assured that these sheep
Made this Corsican Tomme Sardanaise. They were standing right beside the cheese so it has to be non?
I went with Solli,a vegetarian opening day to Porte de Versailles Metro #12
We shared many tastes but no jambon..
These tempting Alsacien cheese and ham-covered pretzels were off limits.
We did share a Bretonne crepe. No problem.
And half a dozen oysters(7,50).
Non-stop shucking on the spot.
We each got our own sheep (brebis) ice cream cones (3 euros) - coffee and rose flavors. Utterly delicious.
And champignon de Paris (4,50 kilo) from Marianne of Ile de France. They taste so much better than anything you'll find in stores or the marche.
Having a companion keeps you from making a fool of yourself over Alcasien pain d'epice cookies.
Or buying a whole kuglehoph and wolfing it down.
Temptation beckons everywhere at the Salon. Food from every region in France is here for tasting and buying - a unique opportunity.
Wild horses couldn't keep me from buying Clementine jam from Corsica.
Chunky Clementine confiture. You'd have to go to Corsica to find this. Heaven.
The Salon is nothing if not educational.
We inhaled huge truffles but did not take them home.
This is just Halle1 with all the farm animals.
I'll be going back for a pet or two.
If you're in Paris Don't-miss this event!
