Les Bonbons

Someone commented on the pigment store post saying, "You must feel like a kid in a candy store". You know what they say about people who work in the candy store or bakery...after a while they can't look at the candy much less eat it. Color is a different story, and I'm often surprised and inspired by the color combinations people pull off the shelves and put together... With all my running around to fancy, deluxe chocolate shops last May in Paris, M. said I MUST not miss a charming confiserie up the street on #6, rue Brea, 75006. Les Bonbons is only slightly larger than my closet...Small as Les Bonbons is, it's famous for it's vast selection of bonbons à l'Anciennes (old fashioned candies) from all regions of France. Plus they have confitures (preserves), miels (honey), pain d'epice (ginger cake) and gateaux (cakes) and chocolat (chocolate) of course. Most pf their products are fabrication artisanale, i.e.made in small factories with less than 50 workers.Les Bonbons' shelves are lined with too numerous to count apothecary jars. Note the ROSE labels everywhere* I loved the look of these toothpaste-like tubes filled with crème de marron, a traditional recipe of chestnuts, vanilla, sugar and water from the Ardèche, but I didn't buy any... This shop is like a musée de confisierie (candy museum) for all the variety offered. I've seen these yellow tins at Dean & Deluca. Sometimes the outer packaging seems like it might be more interesting than the candy inside...decisions, decisions. I did finally choose these innocent looking foil-wrapped sardines. They're in fact filled with rich, dark chocolate ganache and just one sardine goes a long way on the satisfaction scale.Now here's the mystery in most Paris chocolate shops - giant tins of many varieties of thé (tea). The French take it for granted that thé et chocolat are a natural pair as an afternoon snack? More to come on this.