We have Antonin Carême to thank for exquisite French pastry.
In my recent studies comparing American pastries with.
...French pastry,
I discovered there is a serious lack of gloss, glitz & l'abricotage at home.
L'abricotage is that generous application of apricot jam syrup.
Parisien patisseries fling it about with abandon. This New York tart lacks shine and sparkle.
A dusting of powdered sugar can do in a pinch.
Gerard Mulot's beauty combines powdered sugar AND l'abricotage.
Elaborate Parisien desserts are no accident.
When there is such a long tradition. Check out Cooking For Kings,The Life of the First Celebrity Chef, Antonin Carême (it could say pastry chef par excellance). 
Merci M. Carême. 
Why you'll find divine fantasies in every Paris pastry vitrine. Bonne Mercredi!
Oh Carol, my "to-read" list is so long and unachievable, and it's just gotten longer. That book Cooking for Kings sounds so interesting, and the photos here are divine.
ReplyDeleteThose raspberry tarts look JUST like the raspberry cheesecake I recently made, on the blog :)
ReplyDeleteThey are so beautiful I don't know how anyone could cut into one. But I'd do it anyway. :) And you are right. The American made ones look rather bland!
ReplyDeleteClever juxta-positioning. Looks like an art exhibition looking at the difference between 2 artists. Cheers to shiny pâtisseries, Carol! The French certainly know their stuff. Just back from Scotland and totally agree with you!
ReplyDeleteI once read that the reason behind the beauty so common in Italy is that the Italians are a visual, rather than a written, culture, and that it is more important to fare una bella figura than anything else. This seemed to make sense, but the French who have always, and evidently, continue to produce, beautiful objets d'art, have a rich written tradition also. Perhaps it's this attention to detail, regardless of metier, that makes life there so intolerably attractive to the rest of us? Beautiful photos, by the way.
ReplyDeleteWondrous things abound here, and I bet they taste at least as good as they look! :-)
ReplyDelete@ Johnny:
What you write about Italians not having a "written culture" almost made my heart stop! Who said that?
That person should start educating herself/himself by taking Italian Literature 101!
"Consider your origins: you were not made to live as brutes, but to follow virtue and knowledge."
Dante Alighieri
The origin of the species of pastries is a fascinating subject..
ReplyDeleteA nice distraction from actually
taking a bite.
Je suis d'accord. Vive l'abricotage!!!!
ReplyDeleteD'accord!
ReplyDeleteThe photos are great, Carol - the pastries look so tempting!
ReplyDeleteYUMMMM... Nobody does it better then Paris..They ARE almost to pretty to cut into...:)
ReplyDeleteall these strawberries, its spring!!
ReplyDeleteMerci, M. Careme! Merci, Carolg! Here's to more beaux gateaux in 2012!
ReplyDeleteThe Parisienne desserts look so tantalizing!! Now I'm craving a trip to Paris just to sit in their cafes and enjoy these delights :)
ReplyDelete