bien elevee

 A little French paw clutches the patisserie counter in anticipation. I wondered
Mom, how come my 1st sandwich cookie was an Oreo?

Not a framboise macaron..?

I've no remembrances of things (madeleine) past.

I cut my eye-tooth on home-made, rock, hard oatmeal cookies.

I never made religieuses with the aid of a kid's cookbook. Thanks Mom for letting me place raisin 'buttons' on the gingerbread men. C'est comme ca.

My marshmallows were not exotically flavored delicate affairs like these pastel guimauves.

Mine came in a puffy bag and I popped them one-by-one into my mouth without thinking. I enjoyed roasting them over the stove on a fork, especially when you were out of the house Mom. How I never burnt down the house is amazing.

Claes Oldenburg got it right.

Our cakes are clutzy

Everything is so darn big.

No wonder we go nuts over delicate Paris pastries?

When we grew up eating this?

Where was our early taste-bud training?

French kids learn to become little locavores early, cooking what's in season.

Mom, I'm a bit miffed. A bit deprived.

I have a lot of catching up to do. And it's such hard work.

I'd like to send you all bites of everything I have to taste to catch up. The next best thing is, Paris patisserie guide. I met the editor at BEA last month. She was telling me what hard work it was, having Paris pastry chefs drop off new cakes everyday to taste. It took heavy arm twisting to get those chefs to divulge their secret recipes. Pastry isn't all fun and games you know.

Pictures in this book are almost better than the real thing in fact, so take a bite.

bien elevee = qui a reçu une bonne éducation.

BONJOUR PASTRY EDUCATION!