Printemps in Paris

 

Printemps 🌸

Arrived in Paris yesterday

Investigating La tarte au citron

 

Some say an apple a day bla bla. If you’re not eating a daily mandarin, why not sub a tarte au citron as a shot of vit C. 

                             Photo and tarte by Molly J Wilk

Bonnie said she was taking Molly J. Wilk’s online citron tarte class in Versailles. A lemon 🍋 seed was planted in my head. 

Bonnie’s beautiful tart is like a clean slate. Are you a meringue person?

I am and I picked this one 

to paint from Maison d’Isabelle at Mutualité-Maubert. 

The divine Molly says its the classic dessert the French prefer to all others. 

Did you know its origins are Quaker? Yep, thank Anglican Puritans in the early 1700s. 

What’s more thank Swiss-Italian chef Gasparini in the town of Meiringen for inventing the meringue topping on tartes. More surprising news - pâtissière, Elizabeth Goodwell in 1806 of Philadelphia (my hometown) came up of with the lemon pie recipe we use today! I’ve been noticing the lemon curd fillings by upper crust of haut pâtissier are creamier and buttery as a top note. The less pricy tarts usually at boulangeries are maybe more citrusy with more zesty bits (my fav). 

This grand, messy, unreal concoction in Galerie Maison Gourmand - I’ve been observing it for months. I went yesterday to get it for research purposes but they are closed on Sundays 😭 

The soft ‘Italian’ meringue topping is a lot like yummy marshmallow whip. Versus ‘French’ meringue, similar to hard shell macarons. 

Still thinking lemon 🍋 yellow, pre-Covid days, there is usually a lovely daffodil fete at the Pantheon to raise money for Cancer and l’Institut Curie. 

Instead if you’re in Paris, pickup daffs for the cure at many florists like I did. Its a win/win. 

This week has been a deep immersion in painting daffs, lemons and lemon tartes. I’m seeing yellow 🍋everywhere. Including the pharmacies, which have at last removed their winter polar bears for yellow bunnies. A good sign Spring is coming non PBers?🍋🐻❤️💋