Fall Desserts

The Fall desserts are out in Paris and the nuts are back...ahem

Along with (Spring 2014) fashion collections showing all over town, Fall haute cuisine patisserie is out in force.

Coing or quince tartes at Gerard Mulot goes with seasonal fruits.

Pierre Herme is deeply into coffee beans with infiniment café in 21 variations until 20 october.

Here's a few.

Dalloyau takes the classic chocolate and nutty route.

Even chess pieces are in play. Chess is a wintery game isn't it?

Noisette paired with a creamy millefeuille from Frederic Cassel Fontainebleau.

Fauchon plays well with eclairs making this one into a double decker religieuse.

And another éclair into a Paris-Brest

Gold leafed nuts or hazelnuts spell FALL!

Or put gold leaf on chocolate leaves to make a point at Frederic Cassel

Hugo et Victor are always seasonal and fruity. A witty grape slice

HetV's seasonal fruity tarte

A main course that looks like dessert to me at Fauchon.

The vendeuse at Jean-Paul Hevin said these potatoes are available year round but they look like winter to me.  Maybe an Irish Winter?
If you're coming to Paris get ready to eat chocolate, cream, baba au rhum, nuts, and caramel.
Au revoir les Fraises et Framboises

C'est comme ca.

The Paris Gourmet - Trish Deseine

All August and September I've been sitting like a hen on a golden yellow egg waiting impatiently for it to hatch. I've been dying to share with you Trish Deseine's THE PARIS GOURMET just out on Tuesday. True, I missed the pub date because I couldn't figure out how to present this absolutely essential foodie guide to Paris. I couldn't figure out what to draw.

These 208 pages are filled with useful information I've decided to give you bite-size posts on various and sundry. One post will not to do it. Just this little paragraph on Belleville, where I'm living at the moment has opened so many doors for me.

La Fete du Manger Local

Last weekend was the Fete de MANGER LOCAL on the quai de la Seine by pont d'Alma = more eating!

Loads of producteurs/farmers etc. from the Ile de France department onboard to share their bounty. 

It was a perfect day for picnicking, bright and sunny.

 

PLEASE TASTE the delicious home-made jams. 

Made by the ice cream lady.

I ate the very fraise/strawberry. It could not have been more berry. 

Why do I want everything I see at these special marches especially if it has cherries in it.

Nutty breads for your cherry jam.

Or you could go the ham route.

I got a big bottle of apple-pear juice for 3 euros.

Fruit juices come bubbly or flat. 

The mushroom lady, Marianne, a champignonnier

I got a 1/2 kilos of champignon de Paris.

It's Fall so there must be a French squirrel.

Why didn't I get fresh cresson instead of the cherry tomatoes. Did you know you can go picking fruit and veg on local farms around Paris? I sat down for a munch and noticed a free-range mushroom lurking but decided to let it be. Don't miss the pop-up gastronomic markets in Paris. Loads of tastes and loads of fun.

What I ate at Relais Desserts Noel 2013

Yesterday was the grand tasting of Christmas buche de Noel for 2013 by the Relais Desserts at Hotel Le Royal Monceau.

24 top pastry chefs of France offered a sneak preview of what's to come in December!
 

President of the Relais Desserts, Frederic Cassel, Fontainebleau was of course onboard to greet and meet.
 

His buche de Noel 'Etienne le Renne' is full of hazelnut and pistachio ice cream...miam
 

Arnaud Larher's 'Buche Louise' is a cheese cake inside with passion fruit and a strawberry coating.
 

'Del Lago' by Jean-Philippe Darcis of Bruxelles is...crunchy hazelnuts, cocoa from Del Lago plus, plus.
 

I loved the concept of Joel Baud's 'Blanche Neige' (Snow White) with a squiggle of blood in the snow unless I'm mistaken - mousse of white chocolate, red currents, coulis of framboise.
 

Jean-Paul Hevin can be depended upon to surprise - a chocolate cage encasing dark chocolate and passion fruit - 'Best of Passion'

I loved the crazy textures of this buche though the chef preferred I shoot it from the side...

Another mad creation, this one by Dalloyau's Yann Brys called 'Blanc et Merveilles' with meringue and bergamot, milk chocolate of Madagascar and macaron crunch on the sides.

So pretty, Laurent Duchene's 'Forest Noir' looks appropriately like a sled and full of gelee de griottes plus cremeux chocolat noir.

Silhouettes! My favorite graphic, line Richard Seve's buche. Inside - chocolat gianduja and baba au rhum with yellow raisins.
 

This Mondrian looking buche is called 'Puits Rouge' by Jeff Oberweis of Luxemburg and full of red fruits.

Well it's impossible to show every Relais Desserts buche much as I'd like to...

But not to be missed Pierre Herme's witty take off on the original classic chocolate log was intensely chocolatey with mousse, ganache and biscuit macaron all chocolate all the way.

The gentleman behind the red buche is Herme's photographer, Laurent Fau, creator of all those lush photos in his books, newsletter and little brochures that come inside the macaron boxes. Don't forget that all the Relais Desserts pastry chefs generously participate in the annual charity event, Jour du Macaron, created by Pierre Herme.
 

You might well wonder how we got to taste all these delightful creations? I've been starving myself for weeks (unsuccessfully) in preparation for this event ticking off the days on the calendar.
 

The waiters took our orders and then returned with plates to taste.
 

Clever Frederic Cassel served his delish hazelnut ice cream in a little glass bowl, while the others were served up in slices. It would have been nice to have little flags identifying each but that's perhaps too much to ask...

My date, candy man, Georges Marques of Le Bonbon au Palais. Naturally we shared bites of this and that.
 

As did everyone else including these fashion editors.
 

Awards were handed out to the best pastry book of the year, the best chef (Christophe Michelek). Then we downed pink Champagne and savory snacks.

Last but not least exquisite mini Paris-Brests filled with pistachio cream and Ispahan creamy 'puffs' all designed from Hotel Royale Monceau. You can imagine I'm in major recovery today but well prepared for the coming Christmas season.

Big Merci to Relais Desserts!