Remembering Coco Jobard

I talked about my extraordinary friend, ‘Food Designer’ COCO JOBARD many times. Sadly we lost Coco last weekend. A French tribute is here: Coco Jobard - La prêtresse de stylisme culinaire s'est éteinte ce week-end.

The last time we met,

Coco invited me to a feast 

At Benoit CASTEL’s 

New boulangerie in the 20th arrondissement.

It was always a celebration 🎉 when Coco was there.

All the chefs adored Coco ❤️

We met October 2013 when I drooled over her fabulous necklace at a Petrossian caviar tasting. I tried to make a copy with penny candy 🍬 for the opening of the Salon du Chocolat a few weeks later. I wanted to look like Coco. Endlessly chic.

Shortly after Coco invited me to one of many Sunday feasts.

I took pictures of everything in sight. All of Coco's treasures. Her necklaces hanging on the wall. Her spice collection.

Bear was always invited.

Both Coco and her cat Willis loved Bear.

Coco was a brilliant tastemaker. Her approach to food and food styling was unique.

She did many books with Pierre Hermé, not just perfecting and writing all the recipes for the homemaker but setting up the still lifes in one tiny corner of her appartment.

Coco was a magician and inspirational in so many ways.

I remember how she said, “We broke 200 Pierre Hermé macarons to get the right look for his cover”. In total Coco styled, tested and wrote over 80 cookbooks. And she had another she was hoping to do when we last met.

Coco loved pointing out overlooked details of Parisian beauty.

She loved showing me 'le vrai Paris’ like visiting to LE VIEUX BELLEVILLE.We had to sing old French songs for our supper.

Another adventure to a sausage-making dinner, tasting the treasures of her home region, Franche-Comté.

When I had a fractured ankle Coco showed up 

With 6 of my favorite little cups/ mini-pots crème glacée Lait d'amande, griottes of Picard almond ice cream (her faborite too).

Coco loved showing me around her neighborhood known as 'la compagne à Paris' in the 20th (and dressed like Colette’s(her real name was Colette, Claudine at School)

Her generosity and warmth was boundless.

I always loved her shoes. There was much talk with my recent walking obsession about having the right shoes when we last met.

She wrote me,"YOUPI, I found the right shoes at Le Vieux Campeur!" I responded I couldn't find this brand called YOUPI! 

Coco laughed. She always wanted me to speak French. 

"YOUPI means Hooray in French!"

A sweet video of Coco in her wonderful kitchen.

Here are some past posts on dear Coco. 

Do visit her superb blog to see her work. Link above.

Xxxx❤️

• Brunch with Coco Jobard
• • • • Le Vieux Belleville
      • • • • Lunch with Coco Jobard

I ❤️ Charlotte Puckette et Coco Jobard

A valentine to Charlotte Puckette and Coco Jobard!

On Thursday morning Charlotte lets me tag along to Little India in the 10th. They are celebrating Valentines with pizazz.

Bangles of mad colors

Match the exotic greens at Cash and Carry 11-15 rue Cail 75010

A small store front reveals a huge emporium of endless goodies.

Always on the lookout for new cooking tools, Charlotte tests a spice grinder. I'm feeling lost, like I've fallen down the rabbit hole upside down.

Still I manage to walk out with a haul of 2 pounds of Australian almonds, 1 pound of preserved ginger from Thailand, star aniseed (which Charlotte says is good to throw in Chicken bone broth - her recipe is up here), turmeric powder. 

I see a man hacking open fresh coconuts for two Indian women and rush off to fetch one. I misread the price thinking each is 3,80. The two woman come over to tell me the coconuts are just 1,50 for THREE. Still I only get one hacked in half. How will I ever get through one coconut in a week?

By now we're starving and traipse down the opposite end of rue Cail to Krishna Bhavan, given the seal of approval by Patricia Wells.

Why does one always order more than you can possible eat in Indian restaurants? 

By the time we leave every seat is taken and others are waiting in line.

The same afternoon I'm off to 37, rue des Martyrs to meet Coco at the new boutique, Mesdemoiselles Madeleines

Just madeleines. Minis, classic all with French girls names.

Flavored and

Wearing little hats full of crème.

In 4 flavors - framboise, citron, chocolat, caramel au beurre sale.

We dissect a caramel madeleine.

And swoon. Steve is the owner of this new shop.

Afterwards Coco takes Bear for a coffee.

Bear falls instantly in love with a rue des Martyrs polar bear.

Happy Valentines Charlotte, Coco and all PBers!

♥ ♥ ♥

Paris Pink

Sunday was the perfect day to ride your pink scooter and wear PINK.

Or sit on the curb and eat Berthillon strawberry/fraise ice cream 🍦 

Big clunky pink baskets/running shoes are not only OK to wear in Paris, they're de rigueur. 

I'll take these Robert Clergerie pink flats for 370€.

The perfect Spring outfit for Paris - a pink Barbie Chanel suit.

Or drapey frock on rue de Cherche Midi at Maja. You choose.

I chose a strawberry macaron at Pierre Hermé but they knew I was thinking pink and gave me Infiniment rose...

Coco Jobard is thinking pink roses when she bakes macarons.

Everyone is thinking pink roses at marché d'Aligre. Mother's day is next weekend in Paris.

 Aimée Leduc gave me a private mystery tour of Ile Saint-Louis on Saturday.

A door opened and we quickly snuck into a private courtyard full of pink hydrangeas(?). More to come on our jaunt.

Pink fluffy powder puffs from perfumeur Caron on Avenue Montaigne. 

The peonies have at last come in

Why not a pink tea at Dalloyau?  

If you're into stationary or first edition French stamps le Carée d'Encre is ze place at 13bis rue de Mathurins 75009

Pink chaise with a perfect green cushion.

Delicate pink cheeks are essentials (at EW). 

I spent Sunday roaming in Paris with Susan Abbott's sketchbook group. More to come on that, but it doesn't hurt to have a pink cover on your sketchbook - easier to find if you leave it behind in Diwali or a restaurant. Yes I did.