Europain 2014

Sunday I headed out to convention center Villepinte Nord to visit Europain 2014.

It's a huge bread/boulangerie show I've been meaning to visit for ages. It did not disappoint. These are famous Eric Kayser's breads. People are crazy for his baguette Monge.

And here is Eric Kayser! He certainly doesn't look like he eats a lot of bread...just another skinny French person who can get away with eating whatever they want and not pay the piper. Grumble, Crumble.
 

Hall 4 and 5 were filled with aromas of baking bread...enough to make you swoon right on the spot.
 

You're not just inhaling. There's tons of endless samples.
 

Crispy undecorated eclair shells filled with lemon cream...the shells were the crunchiest I've tasted. Simply Yum.
 

A multitude of bread baking machinery demonstrating their skills.
 

And all the charming accoutrements like wrappers, metal boxes, bags.
 

These are not fruit juice samples, but coulis, those decorative dribbles on your dessert plate - thick and intense.

 

Most Paris boulangeries serve ice cream. Isn't Paris WONDERFUL.
 

Doodly-doodly-do
 

Spring has arrived early this year. The ice cream trucks were out last night.
 

There is a lot a bread at Europain..
 

And bread demonstrators.
 

Sugar sculpture demonstrators too. These guys are artistes.
 

A huge array of display baskets
 

Quite elegant bread racks.
 

A lot like the 17th century balconies on Ile Saint Louis.
 

Interesting display of the variety of grains. I love grainy bread, but the French prefer their grains on the outside as a decorative element. Few grains get to make it inside.
 

But I found wonderful grain crackers at Europain! They're from Norway!! SIGDAL Bakeri. Please Galeries Lafayette, Grand Epicerie and Naturalia Listen up.

Remember a few years ago I had a mad love affair with the French cracker. I was ready to move to Paris for a cracker. It's true. I even attempted to make them myself and you know me and baking don't get along. Well I fell out of love with ze French cracker, even my own home-grown version. They are just too darn hard. Break-your-teeth hard. But these Norwegian crackers are not hard or too thick. They are rather delicate. Perfect at Apero time. Perfect for all-time snacking in fact. I want to find this cracker in France. Do I have to move to Norway to have a ready supply? This would not be good for Paris Breakfasts and I would miss the Seine...If anyone out there knows someone at Galeries Lafayette...? There are plenty of grains too btw...Bear loves them too.