Impérial chocolat au Château de Fontainebleau

 

Chocolate-covered madeleines are so hard to paint 🎨 

Yesterday I went to opening day of Imperial Chocolat 🍫 

Maison de la Chantilly, Ines de la Fressange,

Tuesday was whipped cream tasting day at MAISON DE LA CHANTILLY

Gorgeous little mouthfuls of just the right amount of Chantilly whipped cream gathered from special French cows (FYI they do not reside at Chateau Chantilly but rather mid-France. Each one was personally interviewed and selected).

Their soft caramels made with Chantilly cream are 2-die-for I kid you not.

The Chef was on hand to fill your little cookie cone.

Not just any whipped cream can call it self 'crème Chantilly' by the way. There are rules just like Champagne. It is strictly regulated and requires a minimum of 30% fat. Who knew?

They have real Fontainebleaux and Pavlovas (I had to taste one). My first.

On Maison de la Chantilly's website they offer strawberry soup. I'm going back!

Strawberries make you think of shortcake. Red, white and blue July 4th coming up this Saturday.

The best, newest place to get your 4th outfit is Ines de la Fressange's shop on 24, rue de Grenelle 75007

Once an old bronze fixtures factory, the black- painted display cases are original and stunning

As is all the merchandise.

This is her concept store with something for everyone and their maison.

It's hard not to love her casual taste and superb eye.

Fressange's ebullient spirit is ever present.

I loved ❤️ everything in her store.

Especially the bits and pieces on her inspo board. Ines as a petite fille?

Fun, fun, fun! A don't miss shop with prices in all ranges.

Who knew there would be a Fourth of July Street Food festival in Paris?

I fell for cerises/fraises 🍓earrings in a shop window on rue Saint Louis en L'Ile. Cerises 🍒 are cute too.

This weekend I'll be painting strawberries at Chateau du Petit Thouars Independence day celebration.
Any PBers who show up will get the latest July Cherry 🍒 Sketch Letter  free. Y'all come.

🍒

I’m Carol Gillott, an artist living in Paris. Every month I send out beautifully illustrated letters that capture the true Parisian experience. 

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Thanks for reading PB 🍓

☕️ If you’d like to support my work, you can buy me a KO-FI here  ☕️  ❤️ Thank you so much! 🤸🏾‍♀️🎉🥂

Frederic Cassel Fontainebleau

'Last night I dreamed I went back to Manderly again.l

Ok it was Frederic Cassel Fontainebleau on Saturday. It's been too long. I was wondering what's in the Winter collection.

Winter or Summer at Cassel, I noticed they sprinkle the base of many pastries with contrasting flavor/textures like chopped pistachio or chocolate chips.

This fabulous gown with sparkles on the hem on quai Voltaire reminded me of the pastries at FC.
 

Winter pastry collections there must have a Baba au Rhum. This one you douse with a mini bottle of Saint James. Tres fun.
 

Galette du roi come in 4 different flavors with a Napoleonic favor/feve inside.
 

The savory starters at Cassel are every bit as pretty as the sweets.
 

Who wants lobster rolls when you can have these?
 

Mouth watering no?
 

I learned to love vanilla at Frederic Cassel when he handed me two pods/beans to paint.
 

Vanilla is pricey and wasteful. You use a pod ONE TIME and then toss it or so I thought. In fact you can reuse the pods over and over to infuse anything you like even if you've used the seeds inside. My pods take a daily dip in o hot chocolate every morning. They seem to last forever. I'll never use extract again.
 

The cupids are Cassel's logo. I drew them over and over too...mignon.
 

Chef at Salon du Chocolat last October.

 

You might be wondering what's inside this greeny winter delight named 'Frisson' or thrill.

 

Compote of four red fruits inside lemon mousse trimmed with caramelized coconut. Miam. When you work in a patisserie office you get to rest your laptop on jars of caramel au beurre sale.
Miam miam.