The story goes buttery cakes were created in 1755 at the chateau de Commercy. King Stanislaus of Lorraine was to receive Voltaire & Madame de Châtelet. For the occasion, the king asked his cook, Madeleine, to make a special cake. She made shell-shaped cakes adored by the guests. Stanislaus liked them so much he sent some to his daughter Marie, wife of Louis XV. Marie loved the little cakes and named them ‘Madeleine’ after his cook.
I add a ton of Greek yogurt to make it healthy 😂 There are too many tasty small desserts in the supermarché.
Stanislaus of Poland was often called king of Poland but was not so in 1755. He lost his throne twice. At the time of the Madeleine cake he was Duke of Lorraine and Bar thanks to his son- in- law the king of France. He settled at the castle of Lunéville near Nancy where he devoted himself to the arts science and philantropy drawing a number of personalities of the Enlightenment such as Voltaire. His daughter Marie future Queen of France was actually brought up in Sweden after her father had to abdicate the Swedish king Charles XII being his ally rain or shine.
ReplyDeleteYeah I remembered my visit to Nancy - the wonderful family Stanislas gates
DeleteWe haven’t heard from you for several weeks. On vacqnce?
DeleteHope all is well 🙏
I am à sucker for Michel et Augustin’a chocolate mousse, sold at Monoprix. Another dubbed it “creme criminelle” because it so very delicious.
ReplyDeleteOMG I just bought exactly those yesterday at Franprix!
DeleteI put a ton of Greek yogurt in them to make them less lethal, but still very delish! 👍
For me it is Badoit either still or sparkling. Fifteen trips to Paris and we used to drink it at Mon Ami Gabi in Oak Brook IL. Alas they closed. Love your artwork!
DeleteFunny I used to drink Badoit before I moved here. Then you discover so many other mineral waters. Now I love la Salvetat and never looked back.
DeleteI love the pistache yogurt from Carrefour, the thé de verveine from Casino, and the Montbazillac wine also from Carrefour. Whenever I go to France I bought these items plus MIR lavevasaille and Le Chat savon, don't ask me why.
ReplyDeleteWhich pistache yogurt? There are so many brands. Is it Carrefour’s?
DeleteI love croissant Amanda from Paul. Nothing like it in the states. Yummy
DeleteAlmande croissants though I like your name
Delete, ‘ Amanda’ better
Anonymous must be my twin because Badoit with gas is my favorite. I don’t live far from Oakbrook and loved Mon Ami Gabi!!! FUN post Carol.🗼❤️
ReplyDeleteIt’s butter butter and butter for me! For slathering on toast …Bordier, especially the one with toasted buckwheat, Au BonBeuure, salted! And yummy beurre d’échiré and but many more!
ReplyDeleteYes BUTTER is a whole category like French wines with unique regional differences
DeleteWe adored all the French cheeses, especially Epoisse. With a crackly loaf, a bottle of wine chilled in our hotel bathtub, le Notre’s tarte au citron and a box of fraises des bois—heaven.
ReplyDeleteWhen we arrive in France we head to the market ASAP to buy my all time favorite cheese, Maroilles! It is from the north and we lived in Lille. Butter is a must. Usually President but whatever French brand is better than any American butter. We get a fresh baguette, Bonne Maman strawberry or raspberry or quatre saison jam, rillettes de porc, and of course an assortment of chocolate bars, usually Cote d’Or, i love dark, my husband loves milk choc, we love noisettes….and I could go on
ReplyDeleteYummy! I’m meeting you next time you arrive!
DeleteLe bon gout 👏👏👏
My favorite would be the French baguette. The most sublime ham sandwich I have ever eaten was at a truck stop in France on our way down to Spain one year in the 70s.
ReplyDeleteA great food memory ☺️
DeleteWell, that is a hard one. The first thing I used to do was go to Le Flore e’isle and get coffee and a pear gratin, it was the best. BUT they don’t routinely have them any longer, so I’d have to say now maybe good fois gras or duck breast.
ReplyDeleteYes Le Flore changed owners ☹️
DeleteFun post, Carol! If we are staying in the 7th, we go to a cheese shop on r Cler to purchase an assortment of cheeses (Époisses, Beaufort, et al), beurre demi-sel, yogourt, lait frais, and they sell sacs of Poilane Punitions!! Then, off to a green grocer for freshly squeezed oj, clementines, and whatever fruits/legumes looking irresistible. A stop at le traiteur Davoli for slices of ham, or roast beef, salads, any prepared meals that look fabulous. Last but not least, a boulangerie for a seeded baguette and Yes! a sac of chouquettes!
ReplyDeleteI love Le Grand Epicerie for its selection of yogurts and butter. We’ll often buy Bordier butter in assorted flavors (citron, vanille, pimente d’espelette), freeze them, pop into a zip-lock and bring them home. And, always an assortment of Mariage Frères teas…Paris Breakfast is my fave! 😉
chouquettes !
DeleteThank you 👏👏👏
Love your aquarelle of your stash..We can pretty much get a lot here even stores that cater to only imported goods.I love the Bonne Maman aisles:) So big.Fave pastry? Sacristains.From the smallest UExpress..to Intermarchés Super to real markets..I am a food shopper:)The Fromageries..ALL
ReplyDeleteYou have Intermarche & UExpress !!
DeleteNono..differentFrench stores..those were in France:)
DeletePain au chocolat--biting into the flaky croissant and ending up with crumbs everywhere.
ReplyDeleteAux Merveilleux de Fred…
ReplyDeleteButter from Beillevaire in Marais and gavottes from mono prix
ReplyDeleteGA, so sad that Mon Ami Gabi closed in Oakbrook!!! Victim of Covid I think. I live in Glen Ellyn. Suzette’s Creperie in Wheaton is delightful too! Love this post!! Thanks Carol!!!
ReplyDeletewe go on vacation every year new beaumes de venise and they have a new cheese shop that sells hand made butter... just incredible. and i always have to get a jar of Charentais melon jam. and one of quetche as well. Banon cheese of course and a pierre amedieu vacqueyras rose'
ReplyDeleteYou have excellent taste James 👍
DeleteI enjoyed Berthillon’s Nougat Miel ice cream 🍦
FAMILLE SUMEIRE, CHÂTEAU COUSSIN 2021 - cannot beat those Rose wines from Provence - spectaculaire!
ReplyDeleteThank you for my new Amazon shopping list! Can’t wait to try ! Only one question….order now or wait for your next post with more suggestions? It’s obvious! Order twice!
ReplyDeleteJeanette Sclar
I love the wine and the omelets! Also the ice cream and anything bread.
ReplyDeleteI love the Fermière vanilla yogurt. It's so much creamier than yogurt in the U.S. And the light blue clay yogurt pots it comes in are so pretty I pack at least one in my suitcase to take home.
ReplyDeleteI love French butter! I have found it occasionally in the states, not often. Francois Perret has been baking madeleines at the Ritz. I was following him during the Pandemic. He showed followers on Instagram how to make strawberry fraisier, step by step. I haven't eaten it, but would very much like to and also try to make it at home. I love the baguettes and have tried to make them at home here in the states, but it's just not the same :-(
ReplyDeleteSame here except I love all the flavors. I have a collection of the pots in assorted colors…blue, green, red, orange and even one black. I had stop bringing them back in my suitcase as I was running out of room to store them. I now donate the “empties” to the apartment or house we are renting.
ReplyDeleteThe first food I would buy was cheese- Brie & Auvergne. Then a baguette & butter. Then eat.
ReplyDeleteCurious are the pastries at Laduree still up to par? I had such fun drawing for them years back. Will be in Paris in October and look forward to catching up on all; la view, changes, what is what isn't, friends, the new and the old. A bientot, jb
ReplyDeleteThey always get excellent new chefs on board 👍
DeleteCristeaux sel mer if the first thing to run to buy at Mono Prix
ReplyDeleteHopefully La Fermière will continue to put their yummy yogurt into crocks for holidays. I have pink with hearts for Valentines; orange for Halloween; red, green, & white with holiday motifs for December; plain yellow; and plain blue, which was their default design. They’re great for putting votive candles in, cosmetics, toothbrushes, etc. They also make great first drinking cups for toddlers…almost impossible to tip over!
ReplyDeleteOh I didn’t know that! I will follow up on them Dorrance
DeleteMille merci 👍
Pistachio ice cream at the Place des Voges.
ReplyDelete...No mention of Laduree Macarons??!
ReplyDeleteOrangina!
ReplyDeleteOriginally from Algeria! Did you know?
DeleteCreme brûlée pour moi s.v.p.
ReplyDeleteCheese, foie gras, cheese and Butter. I always buy several pounds of Bordier, have it shrink wrapped, freeze it and bring it home. Have a little left from last trip so I can make it last until Sept.
ReplyDeleteI love French mustard, the LU cookies and French butter. Wish I could find them in AZ Lynne
ReplyDeleteThe 2 things I crave are a Jambon-Beurre baguette sandwich with Prince de Paris ham from Caractere de Cochon in the Marais, and the La Laitiere chocolate pots de creme in glass jars in the spectacular yogurt section at the Grand Epicerie in the 7th.
ReplyDeleteOh very good 👍
DeleteI was flirting with la Laitière yesterday…
Grand Epicerie does have the best yogurt section in France/ The World 🌍!
Thé de Pampelmous de Casino - pain au chocolate, et les religieuses au café, bien sur!
ReplyDeleteGrapefruit tea!? That’s a new one on me
DeleteMust try it ☺️
Dark chocolate from any of the shops you took us too last fall. Shall I send you my mailing address???
ReplyDeleteHahahahahaha
DeleteMalheureusement no name 😳
Very few responses mention French chocolate!?
DeleteOdd.. and no I am not sending anything except in PARIS LETTER format ☺️
Would love to see your take on this exhibition! Hair in Paris from the NY times https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/28/arts/design/hair-paris.html?unlocked_article_code=FIF-s6AUl83R6HRWEiMfKEwzCivJvtLt2KyxjOpFI-C45lBWov_TlT0rmuX3XHf4nRs9gZYwjeC25HGNdydpUpUEBpmiZV5hOCd1lwuvPZvsHQFGOdkSK_xXsg8tWh5Js7PABPNudupiVruvehSKAs75VYHh75BxVK5rG9NxZeWlaZwd1d3Bm4lMZTSWEuMXjLRU-e77164HmGnRjybs1lyUe_r9WFyDm4HRZlJwofZgvK1VdhUP1NZx0RzxhP9gUo2SL3nQm_GscbWiZtbPbO4f0_NPKSWq21CNGcmzfQSDEA4GpPg-_YISvEvJyEXD7P9gNB0cyMs&smid=url-share
ReplyDeleteIt’s controversial - only focusing on Caucasien hair, so I’ve resisted visiting it. A much better hair exhibition was offered by the musee Branly
Deletehttp://parisbreakfasts.blogspot.com/2013/02/cheveux-cheris.html
If you highlight the link, you can OPEN IT!
DeleteI might go - it looks interesting Thanks
ReplyDeleteReal unsalted butter, and some of the soft cheeses. The latter only recently discovered, but Yum!
ReplyDeleteLove this post, Carol. My list is far too long. Cheese, butter, cream but also all the fresh produce - and French chocolate. Oh, and pâtisserie ... gosh, it's all so good I could write a book on it!
ReplyDeleteBordier butter (demi-sel, and Beurre aux algues), chocolate -covered sautern-soaked raisins @ da Rosa (rue de Seine)...amen!
ReplyDeleteI see you're still going strong, Carol! I've been absent, again from blogger. For me, it is the bookshops and walking about that are my first thoughts on arriving. But if I had to choose a food it would be la baguette. The Maine coast is as lovely as ever...
ReplyDeletePLEASE let me know when you are arriving 👍
DeleteMatiere grasse! Isigny Ste Mere "Beurre d'Isigny demi-sel" - cheeses (esp double- or triple-creme. Baguettes and good jambon or saucisson/saucisse. Le sandwich jambon beurre or jambon fromage. Thin tart yogurt, plain. Tarte aux quetsches. Really, it's a long list. It stretches from Maine to Strasbourg.
ReplyDeleteYou’re making me so hungry for a sandwiche jambon
DeleteI really enjoy the wine and the omelettes! Also, everything bread and ice cream. Online TEATASTING
ReplyDeleteThe carrot salad....I always buy that. Please share the recipe if you get it. And butter with sea salt crystals in it.
ReplyDelete