Saturday, February 18, 2017

Boulanger de la Tour, Cake au Citron

A new boulangerie opened, Boulanger de la Tour/ la Tour d'Argent 19 quai de la Tournelle, 75005
Just think. You can eat the same baguettes as guests at Tour d'Argent are eating..
This lemon cake looked divine, 'le Week-end'. Perfect gift for a visit. When JEFFREY BAILEY invited us to Chez Kate B and B in St.Maur we couldn't resist taking a cake. St. Maur des Fosses is a short15 minute ride on RER A from Nation. A darling, cosy place to escape from the hubub of Paris yet still very close to the center.
Both Jeffrey (American) and his wife Catherine (French) are artists
So oodles of art decorates their B and B. Much more fun than a sterile hotel in paris.
Bear was delighted.
Catherine made us a trés French lunch - omlette with sautéd zuccini, onions, potatoes.
Four beaten eggs thrown on top, browned a bit and turn.
Served with beets, green apple, fennel and haricot vert salad.
At last the scrumptous cake! Very light. Much lighter than a pound cake and not too sweet. Perfection.
Ages ago I bought this interior preparatory sketch from Jeffrey. Givenchy's salon no less.
Lately I've been hanging out at the Paris Opera dreaming of painting the gold grandeur.
So with a little arm-twisting, Jeffrey gave me a mini lesson in painting gold effects. Much practice is required to tackle the Opera Garnier.
Catherine gives evening classes in her studio. Note all the champagne glasses on the shelf. I asked if that was for after class? Non, non. We drink champagne all through the class. OK!!
Living the 'Champange life' would be dining at  La Tour d'Argent now and then. You could also buy their baguettes across the street. Or have your very own cake au cirtron watercolor with Paris letters on ETSY. You'll find chez Kate B and B easily on Google.
 Bisous, bisous from Bear

33 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:02 PM

    The B&B looks like a fantastic tip, and your art, of course, remains superb and inviting.

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  2. Your pastry paintings are making me want to go out and buy a crunchy , delicious treat for myself.

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  3. i love the garnier opera not just for theater and love 19th c european opera house lobbies--especially the garnier: grand stairs, balconies and landings everywhere, so Napoleon III's crowd could 'see & be seen'. i used 2 tell my design students: only Americans think a stair is there to get u to next floor; spend some time in Paris & watch them 'work a staircase'; it's well worth some of your vacation time.

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    Replies
    1. I am completely nuts for Opera Garnier!! I Have to attend something to see the space filled with people for sure! A very different experience.

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  4. What a delightful blog!!!

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  5. love the B&B u showed us. i'd love martinique better if everything wasn't served à la créole; like the taste mais le ventre dit: non!

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  6. You have that cake au citron down pat..I love it..the bump..the colors..and seeing the interior..makes me KNOW it is delicious.
    What a pretty B&B..Très "top"!

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  7. Bonjour,
    Je passe souvent vous visiter mais reste silencieuse... Aujourd'hui, et c'est peut-être l'odeur du cake au citron, je m'autorise un petit mot !
    De très jolies photos pour accompagner ce petit billet. Je suis d'accord avec vous, il est tellement plus adorable de louer un B&B plutôt qu'une chambre d'hôtel !
    J'y aperçois une peinture de Lisbonne... Je viens d'achever une peinture de Lisbonne avec ce même point de vue ! Vous pouvez la voir sur mon blog en ce moment.
    Merci pour ce joli partage.
    Gros bisous

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    Replies
    1. I would LOVE to visit Lisbon!!!
      This year I am bound within the hexagon...
      I will come look soon
      Mille merci martine

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  8. How fun was this invite..the bakery looks so tasty I would bring those muffins home too..

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    1. Oh those are MADELEINES Lynn.
      Hmm...not good. Not getting the training.

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  9. Ann in Dallas11:36 AM

    Again, you make my morning coffee a pleasure! Wow I NEED that cake! I believe a trip back to Paris is about to happen!. I must find Boulanger de la Tour this summer! I have a photo of my parents having dinner at la Tour d'Argent in 1959

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  10. Hey Carol! I'm very impressed by your blog- it seems to have grown so much since my last visit. It's fun to see photos of our B&B, and already comments about it! Our web site: www.chezkate94.com

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for the link to CHEZ KATE Jeffrey!!
      Love your turquoise shutter!

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  11. Etiennette12:36 PM

    Pouvez sentir les arômes?

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    1. Oui Etiennette

      Beurre beurre beurre! :))

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  12. Kathy H1:19 PM

    WOW- would love to make that cake...scrumptious looking!!!

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    1. Hmmm...I think you'll have to cme to France for the butter and the flour Kathy.
      Nobody does it better!

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  13. Jane G1:28 PM

    OMG. I could eat the screen. I actually prefer good bread (avec beaucoup de beurre) to cake.

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    1. Believe me you would eat the cake Jane if it was sitting in front of you.
      "Oh I think I'll have some baguette instead".
      No Way! Haha

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  14. Fred S1:32 PM

    Love your blog today. A suggestion for another great boulangerie and then a neat Bed and Breakfast with art classes. You had to have had a ball.

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  15. Sally V1:35 PM

    Carol, "Living the 'Champange life' would be dining at La Tour d'Argent now and then. "
    I have never seen that photo!!! Thank you

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    Replies
    1. Their skyline photo...not mine.
      I wish

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    2. I can't wait to try that cake - it's at the top of my "to-do" list, a perfect breakfast (when I'm not eating the madeleines from Mamy". I love the over the top beauty of Opera Garnier - so classic.

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  16. Your cake au citron looks delicious. I would love to be on the receiving end of that hostess gift! Looks like a grand time!

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  17. your blog is amazing, I like it

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  18. love this post on visiting Catherine and Jeffrey.
    Oooh la la--to drink champagne all through an art class.
    I might start believing I could make art! ;)
    Oh, and the lemon cake you brought--it looked so yummy.

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    Replies
    1. I know!
      How come we never had Champers in art class in the US!?
      Another good reasong to move to France.

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  19. On one of my trips to Paris I connected with the Chef Habilleuse -Head Dressser- at the Garnier. (We had met when she was touring with the company that was dancing at Brooklyn Academy of Music.) She took my friend and I on a 'real' backstage tour. She delivered a pressed shirt to the conductor dressing room and we were there with her. We even saw the chorus dressing room as well as the ballet company rehearsal room which is on a rake as is the stage. (The dancers have to rehearse on a stage with a slope to be able to compensate for that slope.) At the last we walked across the stage and then went for a cuppa tea in the tiny crew break area. An afternoon I'll never forget.
    After that I took the English language tour which took me to the public areas and that was fantastic, too. I recommend it.

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    1. OMG! You were so lucky Roseann!!! Oh to be in your shoes...I did do the Eng tour...it was good but not like yours of course. Will report soon..
      Mille merci

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  20. Maybe I could do an art class if you got to drink champagne throughout the class!?! That cake looks tasty.

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  21. fun post... great to see a friend's Paris B&B!

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  22. I see now that I have been taking the wrong kind painting classes...pas de vin! This will be remedied!

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