Thursday, April 06, 2023

Paris Loves Pistachios

 

Do you love pistachios? I’m nuts 🌰 about anything pistachio-flavored.

After my encounter with Princesse Pistache last week, I went looking for more pistachio desserts. Anything in this flavor 🙏 Luckily Paris loves 💚 Pistache too.


I painted 🎨 Princesse Pastiche over and over 

To get that special shade of green

How can a nut so intensely ‘Kelly’ green 

Become so subtle and pale when it is baked?

Eons ago I struggled with capturing Paris 
Macarons pistache. Another elusive and variable shade of green.

Like with most things I found myself “falling down the rabbit hole” of total pistache immersion.

Near my post office, Lebanese Glacier Bältis specializes in ice cream covered in éclats or brisures/broken bits of pistache. I went in only to browse. I did not leave empty-handed

The past few nights I made several nocturnal visits to Gelateria Amorino 5 minutes from my house. They are open till 10 pm. (Berthillon is closed for Easter).

Their pistache ice cream rates up there with Pozzetto, Grome, and Berthillon.

I meant to paint it, but it melted and had to be eaten immédiatement 🤤 I got the single macaron at Amorino too👍

You can not think about pistachios & Paris without searching out Du pain et des idées’ (8th best bakery on Trip Advisor)famous twirly Escargot Pistache Chocolat. Instead I went the other side of Paris looking for a croissant 🥐 pistache. I found the last one at Boulangerie Emanuel Martin. *If you go hunting in the afternoon, the chances of finding morning viennoisseries are slim. I was holding my breath the couple in front of me did not grab it.

I wish I had made it to Maison du Chocolat for their éclair Pistache. 

Solli and I started dreaming about attending the Festival of Pistache in September in Bronte, Sicily. Will you Will you come too?
We haven’t discussed how healthy pistachios are. A daily handful (30-50 grams) supplies
 fiber, iron and magnesium and offers more than 30 different vitamins, minerals including vitamin E. 
Listen to BBC Michael Mosley of Just One Thing on snacking nuts instead of chocolate. 
*Tip: if you buy pistachios whose shell is closed or barely split, it means that the fruit was harvested when it was not ripe.
Pistachios, considered the queen of nuts, go back 3000 years. They were adored by the Queen of Sheba.
For Pistachio HQ in Paris, you most go to La Pistacherie at Pont d’Alma. 
This is heaven 
For pistachio lovers 💚
Nuts (really they are seeds or drups) of every origin, from Iran and Bronte and in every form, truffled-flavored or golden shelled. I fell hard for the nutty nougat in those Aladdin’s chest of drawers.
Ta da! My haul from La Pistacherie 🤸🏾‍♀️ Lots of still life material (what’s left of it 😂 ). Are you nutz 🌰 about Pistachios? Paris is the right place for you. 
Restaurant Loulou in musee des Arts Décoratif (MAD) has a renown savory spaghetti with pistache pesto sauce. We have to wait till they reopen in May after renovations 🙏
*Is there another, favorite  single ingredient in Paris you’d like me to research 🔬? Do tell.
Are these Luxembourg chairs
a deep pistachio color? 
You can receive Parisbreakfast letters & watercolors in your mailbox 📬, do look in my Etsy shop 🎁 
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37 comments:

  1. Anonymous5:26 AM

    BEAUTIFUL watercolors 😍 Have you run out of green paint yet?? Lars

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    1. Anonymous5:27 AM

      Aww…but it’s about mixing up shades of green + yellows, rather than finding one tube of green paint with watercolor.

      Delete
  2. Anonymous5:28 AM

    I d on’t know why those bright green nuggets don’t translate into bright green pastries. Prob diluted by the white sugar/flour/milk? Dorra

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    1. Anonymous5:30 AM

      I was thinking the same thing! How do they come up with that odd faded kaki shade of green from Pistachios??

      Delete
  3. Ohhh! What an excellent pistachio haul. Loved this exploration of pistachios. Thanks for sharing it all, I should eat them a bit more often! I’d be walking to that gelateria every night too if I could 😋

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    1. Anonymous12:51 PM

      We will go next time yr in Paris Kirra 👍

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    2. Yum!

      Delete
  4. Anonymous5:36 AM

    I love pistachio ice cream, it is my all times favourite. And my home-made pesto with pistachio, basilicum, garlic, olive oil and Parmesan cheese is decadent! Love your pistachio immersion
    Next maybe raspberries. They are very French too. Have a nice Easter.

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    1. Anonymous7:36 AM

      Raspberries is a good idea…as soon as they are in season👍
      Your pistache pesto sounds divine 💚💚💚
      Pistache ice cream is my fav flavor too Yum

      Delete
  5. OK! Pistachio ice cream for Easter! Beautiful post!

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    1. Anonymous12:52 PM

      Very good idea. Or any other day too..

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  6. Fantastic array of images --celebrating pistachio

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    1. Anonymous7:36 AM

      Pistache celebration 🎉 OUI LouLou 🤸🏾‍♀️

      Delete
  7. Oh, what joy, Carol! I love that color and flavor and it looks like you've nailed all the best places in Paris for us all to find it! Magnifique!

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  8. Bonnie L8:59 AM

    Yes! I’m definitely NUTZ about pistachios! Your haul from La Pistacherie is extraordinary…I’m green with jealousy! I remember going there with you. The shop is a treat for all your senses.

    Love this post, Carol. And, your watercolors are gorgeous! ❤️

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    1. Anonymous12:51 PM

      Ahh…thanks so much. Green can be a difficult color in watercolor but this was FUN !

      Delete
  9. Bonnie L9:02 AM

    Ooohh…could strawberries be your next obsession?? I love what Paris patisseries do with strawberries! 🍓

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    1. Anonymous12:50 PM

      Strawberries “are alway a good idea” 💋❤️

      Delete
  10. I love pistachios! Did you know that a serving per day will help lower bad cholesterol and blood pressure. Not too few or too many. I buy a one serving pack each morning, which I think is 1 or 1 1/2 oz. My bloodwork at the dr has proven it to be true.

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    1. Anonymous12:49 PM

      Really! That’s terrific How clever to have single packs like that 🤸🏾‍♀️🎉

      Delete
  11. Anonymous11:14 AM

    Gorgeous, scrumptious, creative and informative post. Un grand merci, Carol.

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  12. Anonymous11:32 AM

    Love pistachios! I would adore pistachio pesto. Need to try and make it. Also love pistachio ice cream. Everything thing looks so delicious and I'm craving pistachios now.-Suzanne P.

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    1. Anonymous12:48 PM

      They are scrumptious! 💚

      Delete
  13. Love pistachios and have added La Pistacherie to my growing list of must dos. That spaghetti looks delicious, might have to add that also. Just bought a bag of pistachios yesterday to put in my son-in-laws Easter basket, a tradition.

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    1. Anonymous3:15 PM

      What a nice Easter tradition Suki ! Have a lovely weekend 🎉

      Delete
  14. Harriett9:49 PM

    I’ve long been an advocate of using pistachios in place of boring pine nuts in cooking. A handful of chopped pistachios in a salad or topping a pasta are the perfect finishing touch.

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  15. Anonymous10:04 PM

    I am so enjoying your Paris Breakfasts post on Pistachios!!!! As a suggestion, I hope you are able to have a similar post about my favorite "Marons/Chestnuts?" I so miss that here in the U.S. there is no Marons Glace' Jeanette

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    1. Anonymous12:09 AM

      It’s not the season for marons…Christmas/New years

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    2. Anonymous12:10 AM

      Okay, I'll be patient. I adore your Art & Gourmet Spirit, Dear Carol!!

      Delete
  16. Anonymous11:31 AM

    What a beautiful, beautiful post. I am green with envy of your obvious talents!

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  17. Anonymous5:11 PM

    What a wonderful post. Amazing the diversity of pistachio you found! Thank you for the tour. Have you done pomegranate yet?

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  18. Vikki Hine4:04 AM

    Love it as usual. Love that a Parisienne shop can focus on one product and succeed! Like the whiskey shop or pistache. Thank you 🙏

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    1. Anonymous11:07 AM

      That whiskey shop in Odeon is terrific 👍

      Delete
  19. Vikki Hine4:04 AM

    And finally I am able to post as my name and not anonymous- thank you again!

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  20. Anonymous8:25 AM

    Wonderful ! I am also a BIG FAN ! Remember when they were dyed red ????

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