Sunday, March 13, 2022

Vanilla Diorama, Paris Vanille map

 


This past week has been a daily contest of immersion in news of Ukraine vs. the world of French vanille (pronounce that Van-knee). 
Vanilla
is queen in Paris. It’s available in teas, marshmallows, ice cream, pastries, creamy desserts, cosmetics and perfumes. There’s a wonderful back story to the new 2021 Dior perfume, Vanilla Diorama
Evidently designer Christian Dior had a secret favorite dessert created for him by the chef at Maxim’s. But no one knows what it looked like or it’s ingredients. 
Long-time Dior perfumer François Demachy, chose top Michelin pastry chef Julian Dugourd to imagine and create this sublime, velvety dessert using Vanilla from Norohy, white Valrhona chocolate, and orange marmelade. Et voila. 
I found this top grade vanilla bean on BHV’s 4th gourmet floor today. (€18 for 3 beans) Their site will tell you A to Z about vanilla in English and more. 
Along with vanilla orchids lasting just one morning per season, the process of picking the green beans, sun-drying, sweating (at night) can take 6 to 8 months. Very labor intensive. 
My ‘lunch’ after a dip in the pool 🏊 
Aux Deux Caneles
 sells only Canelés. 
Vanilla
is the top note in these crunchy little bronzed pastries. 
Such a cute little shop in the Marais with a mini cafe.
Saturday I paid a visit to Paris’ secret shop for rare blends of spices and condiments. 
Have you been to Épices Roellinger on rue Sainte-Anne? Their collection of vanilla beans on offer covers every source possible. 
They
have a treasure chest full of spices and a model pirate 🏴‍☠️ ship. 
I don’t think I ever ate or even liked flan until I moved to Paris.
Or other rich, creamy foods for that matter. Boy did that change living surrounded by la créme de la créme all the time. I was excited to find last year’s best flan in Ile de France was close to my house. 
Boulangerie Paris & Co
is very proud of their winning 🏆 flan. But the individual portion was too big for one person and too pricey(5.90€). Prices rise when you win🏅 top prizes. Their eclair vanille was very nice.
 
So many adventures when chasing after vanille in Paris.
The choices for vanilla yogurt are endless. This is a much loved product by the French. The best yogurt for me was La Fermiere They infuse their milk with whole vanilla beans. La Fermiere doesn’t mess around. No vanillin for them/‘arôme natural de vanille’. *Look for tiny black dots of vanilla bean. It pays to read the label.
The Paris vanilla map 🗺 will go to la poste 📮 on Monday. It is waiting for you in my Etsy shop
 ❤️ I saw today Hotel de Ville has Ukraine’s flags flying ❤️
                      🇺🇦🌻❤️🇺🇦🌻❤️🌻🇺🇦❤️🌻🇺🇦❤️

16 comments:

  1. Love your map, love the spice shop. Still can't eat pastries, but love the idea of them! And so sad, so horrible, the latest news...

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  2. Thanks for the cute little bonus watercolor of a flan in the last mailing - it looked good enough to eat.

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  3. Hotel de Ville was by my friend Jerry's apartment when I was visiting France. I loved going by it almost every day. I'm glad they have the flag. And LOVE the painting!

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  4. I’m with you Carol. I was never a “vanilla person”, until I visited France. Their vanilla pastries are sublime…vanille macarons, vanille éclairs, millefeuille, crème brûlée…sigh! Your map is fab! ❤️

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  5. Yup me too…I took Vanilla forgranted.
    Never again. Now I’m addicted.
    Besides they are an anti-depressant! 🤸‍♂️

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  6. On Va Deguster did a Flan program yesterday!

    Pleins feux sur l’un des desserts les plus anciens de la cuisine française : le Flan ! Ses origines, ses cousinages dans le monde entier et sa recette parfaite ! On vous raconte et on cuisine le flan !

    https://www.franceinter.fr/emissions/on-va-deguster/on-va-deguster-du-dimanche-13-mars-2022

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  7. I love anything custardy so vanilla is a hit with me!

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  8. You have really educated me on vanilla. My daughter's sister en law is from Brazil and she brings flan to every family gathering.
    Thanks for your closing photo.

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  9. NormaJean7:25 AM

    Yum!!!!♥

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  10. Carol - Now I want to smell it! Beautiful post.

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  11. It has the loveliest scent Sally
    No wonder they use it in perfume. Supposedly it is stronger as a fragrance than a flavor!

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  12. I,m team vanilla and now I want to bake:) Lovely map!

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  13. Of course you are on team Vanille Nana
    Most probably the Captain of the equipe/team :))
    I wish I could send you some of these lovely Madagascar beans and see what you do with them!

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  14. Foodwalker5:57 PM

    I swear I could smell Vanilla just looking at your map!
    xxx

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  15. Did you know that M. Dior was quite the gourmand, and after his death, a limited edition cookbook of his favorite recipes was published? Even better, the cookbook is now available online!

    https://diorpress.com/la_cuisine_cousu-main/


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  16. Anonymous7:30 AM

    Satiny, supple vanilla beans are très chere, but can be washed, dried and put into a container of caster sugar after steeping in milk for crème caramel or other dessert, so you get extra milage by making your own vanilla sugar.

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