I've been working on my fraises/strawberries all week = an ongoing WIP/work in progress
The French Gariguettes in the marché go for about 5€ a 500 gr box (or 1 pound) and these babies are BIG and SWEET!
Honestly some are almost the size of a small pomme/apple. Eat two and you're full. No need to store them in the fridge either. They'll last for a few days too.
With the bounty of berries, gâteaux Fraisiers show up in all Parisian patisseries like crazy.
Louis XIV sent off to South America Amedee Francois Frezier, a French military engineer, mathematician, spy, explorer who is best remembered for bringing back 5 varieties of strawberries.
True there are now at least 600 kinds of berries to put in your tarte/gateau.
But what's with the red Vichy checkerboard on top? De rigeur for most Fraisiers and very pretty but I'd love to know the whys and where for...
Yesterday, Ascention Day in France and a major holiday was not the day to go looking for a good fraisier.
It was slim pickings all around but I made do. By the way, it must be genetic how the French can wrap up these delicate cakes in a bit of paper and Scotch tape and they arrive home completely intact.
Don't even think of requesting a box in some small patisseries either. HA!
Intact yes. Inspiring? Non...
Today was different. We waltzed into L'Éclair de Genie (we wanted to see the stone cave/labo downstairs where the workers create 1,500 eclairs each weekend). We fell hard for the fraisier éclair in a big way. Absolutely fabulous so a definite candidate for an OFD entry.
What to wear whilst eating your Fraisier gâteau? A strawberry pink dress of course.
Plus the essential jeans jacket bien sur.
And do sit on a complimentary green cafe chaise/chair while you're at it?
Happy Mom's Day All!
... love the dress with jeans jacket ... also love strawberries .. you've given me some ideas for tomorrow .... happy weekend
ReplyDeletedelicious top to bottom~
ReplyDeleteI am always tempted to get some chairs like that when I see them..they were right outside our pretty door at La Ferme De La Huppe in Provence:)
ReplyDeleteI liked seeing my WN travel kit and journal on it..we create such romantic images in our heads:)
Love your palette..et les belles fraises:)
Strawberry spinach salad with poppy seed dressing is on le menu for MD here..
Hope you go to Giverny with Louise:)
I found this today in the online version of the NYTimes (in case you missed it):
ReplyDeletehttp://rendezvous.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/10/if-you-knew-then-what-you-know-now/?src=recg
Steve
I HAVE JUST CAME BACK FROM A VISIT TO PARIS
ReplyDeleteI WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR RECOMENDATION TO SEE THE EXHEBITION OF TAMARA DE LEMPICA
I ENJOYED IT A LOT
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR GREAT TIPPS ABOUT PARIS
WHICH HELPED ME TO ENRICH MY STAY
I AM ALLREADY PLANING FOR THE NEXT TIME
HAVE A NICE WEEKEND FULL OF ALL KIND OF PARIS GOODIES
HT
I love this post because it is very very interesting.Thanks you very much for shearing this article
ReplyDeleteBerry good fruity read. Love your painting, Carol. Makes it look as if you've wiped it with strawberry juice and it smells so sweet. You're full after 2 strobs? Honestly, you must stop this pastry diet. It's killing me!
ReplyDeleteNow I just need to remind my kids that I'd rather like a fraisier éclair for Mother's Day, or perhaps that Vichy check... Hm.
LOVE the painting -- then your subject "doesn't take a bad photo" -- or painting -- unless it's one of those nasty bits with the mold. I don't think those exist in Paris.
ReplyDeleteOh, my -- everything about this is yum, including the eclair!
Thank you for making me smile and
ReplyDeletepainting so much sweetness into my day.
BF
p.s. that little pink dress is to die for!!!
OMG!!!!
ReplyDeleteU r killing me!!!
Linda
Delicious post. See you had to buy a little morsel to experiment with the color - ya, right! Happy day to you.
ReplyDeletei never get enough of seeing you painting~ these strawberries are a delight ! Delicious watercolors. Yum.
ReplyDeleteI do love my strawberries. Those cakes with berries tucked inside look fabulous. Too bad I'm not eating all the sweets--I'd love that. I'll have a bowl of fresh berries instead--good for anti-inflammation, you know. All berries. Lovely watercolor berries, Carol! Thanks so much for the Wayne Thiebaud clip--loved that!!
ReplyDeleteI love the reds of the strawberries sitting on top of your watercolors, very cute :)
ReplyDeleteMmmm, love all those fraises - the real ones and your painted ones.
ReplyDeleteI'm loving your adventures with Cara Black, too. Who knows, maybe you and Bear will make a cameo appearance in her next novel??? Perhaps Aimee will notice a woman and her small striped friend at a cafe or ....
Your paintings of those fraise are gorgeous and just transport me away to another place where I can partake to heart's content and never gain an ounce. (sigh)
ReplyDeleteHope for Mom's Day sweet Bear will take you on a special journey to do just that.
Natalia
Oh my. French ladies and their love for red.
ReplyDeleteThis is a juicy, delicious page.
Lee
The pastries are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteIs the food organic or do they spray like here?
Lynne
I don't know..these weren't BIO
DeleteBut I don't think they go hog wild with the sprays like the US
Looks yummy and very pretty!
ReplyDeleteThe desserts are lovely, but your very first photo of washes is sans doubt the BEST!!!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous strawberries and mention of Cara Black all in one post! Do you know if Cara will be doing any readings in Paris in the next few weeks? I saw her at Shakespeare & Co. a few years ago.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteCara goes back tomorrow...
Maybe another post on her soon
Gorgeous strawberries, gorgeous post, gorgeous fraisiers. And I'd never heard of Frezier before. I love learning things on PB.
ReplyDelete