Jour du Macaron 2013

Mercredi 20 Mars Jour du Macaron 2013

Yesterday was the day we wait for all year - JOUR DU MACARON !
Started by patissier Pierre Hermé 7 years ago as a grand gesture to both share his fabulous macarons with the city of Paris and give a generous donation to a charity. Now all the pastry chefs of the organization Relais Desserts have joined in world wide and Jour du Macaron is an annual event everywhere you can find Relais members. And there are so many flavors to choose from!

Now that is an event I would most definitely want to attend. Next year?  Thanks so much for you posts. It is an honour to experience Paris through you and your shoes.

Whoops! These are ballerines from PrettyBallerinas.com...but just as pretty as macarons and easy to mix up don't you think?

Oh why didn't I try Pierre Herme's flavor of the month 'Celeste'/fruit de la passion, rhubarbe et fraises? Ah the best laid plans of macaron hunters...

Jean-Paul Hévin had pretty terrific flavors too. I must admit I'm saving my cache of macs to paint and I haven't tasted any yet!?
 

Patisseries I visited yesterday:

1. Pierre Hermé (5 different boutiques - 1 macaron each)

2. Jean-Paul Hévin

3. Sadaharu Aoki

4. Arnaud Larher (2x) 

5. Dalloyau

6. Laurent Duchêne

I was in the recovery ward last night.
 

Wouldn't you be?
 

But worth every moment of racing around.

The deserving charity this year is Vaincre la mucoviscidose/cystic fibrosis - a worthy cause.
 

 

Something new this year - an adorable Spring green tablier/apron you could buy for 10 euro donation that went totally to Vaincre la mucoviscidose. I bought one.

And there's a contest - take your pictures wearing the tablier, send it in to the Relais Desserts facebook page and pray you get enough votes to win a day of tasting in Pierre Herme's atelier.

 

No wonder Leche-vitrine/'licking the window' was invented by the French. What haven't they invented? Bear doesn't mess around with hanging outside looking in. He jumps into the fray and likes to get up close and personal to the macarons.

MERCI JOUR du MACARON!
 

Jour du Macaron 2012

 20 mars, Jour du Macaron.

Bear is the first one to show up at Pierre Herme Opera!

 Personne/nobody...

10:00am the key is in the lock...Ta-Da!

 Bear bones up on  Pierre Herme macaron flavors.

 What to choose?

Caramel..passion fruit...carrote/orange/canelle...infiniment chocolat...peche/abricot/safron...Americano pamplemousse...infiniment jasmin...figue + foie gras...vinaigre+balsamique...MON DIEU!

 A twirling macaron tree entices. Outside a sign for the new movie on Marie Antoinette, Les Adieu A La Reine opens today (a must-see)

 Enfin Jill Colonna/Mad About Macarons shows up.

 You give a donation  to Autistes sans frontieres and

 You get a macaron/Un don, Un macaron.

 Let the trick or treating macarons begin. We're off and running. Next to Galeries Lafayette sous sol Pierre Herme for another macaron.

 *New Alert! Angelina has opened a branch on premiere etage at Galeries Lafayette! woo woo

 Pierre Herme/Galeries Lafayette premiere etage is not so crazy-busy as Bear was expecting based on last year. But it's Tuesday, not Dimanche, so Parisians are working or l'ecole. Dommage..

 Clever Jill suggests we take the walkway through to Galeries Lafayette Gourmand for more macaron hunting.

 At Sadaharu Aoki counter we get another mac each. I fall victim to a silly pink macaron keychain. Jill already has hundreds of these so does not succumb.

 Nearby at the Jean-Paul Hevin stand they are giving away THREE MACARONS for one donation! woo woo

 I suggest we hop on #8 Metro to Ecole Militaire to J-P Hevin's La Motte Picquet shop. We're greedy.

 Back on Metro Ligne #1 to Concord to J-P Hevin's 231 St. Honore shop.

 Doodly-doodly-do.

Bear is happy as a clam.

We race on to nearby Pierre Herme 4,rue Cambon for another. Jill has to go home. Her real life is calling. I carry on trick or treating.

 Off to Pierre Herme 72, rue Bonaparte for a Mogador macaron MIAM! Bear and I made a few more hits on the macaron route till exhaustion did us in. BTW we did not eat a single macaron. Good things come to those who wait.

 The Pierre Herme map.

Total haul macarons=approx. 18.

I ate a few at gouter/4:30 yesterday.

Bear's delicious Jour du Marcaron 2012 haul. 
Writing this post caused me to eat macarons. The poster on the wall was a gift-with-purchase edition limité des Macarons Pierre Herme Paris I couldn't resist. I will redecorate at home with the new macaron poster.

MERCI JOUR DU MACARON 2012!
xoxoBear

More Paris To-Dos

 More last minute Paris to-dos PBers!

Any other suggestions are welcome.

 Of course I will be attending Jour du Macarons Tuesday 20 March.

 With Queen of Scots macarons by my side, Jill Colonna I can not go wrong.

 We'll grab a bite at Printemps new popup cafe Paco Rabanne par Hediard.

 Of course it will be a salade break between macaron scouting.

 I have a cooking class lined up with Meeting The French (Chef Marthe) I'm excited about. Sample menu:

Mediterranean zucchini

Chicken with two vinegars

Grape pickers' cake

 After all the eating I'll need to climb some stairs! I've never been to Franck et Fils 80, rue de Passy 75016 but this looks perfect. Thanks Paris Chronicles for mentioning their inhouse Harcourt Photo Studio on the 2nd fl (10 €).

 Marie says I mustn't miss salon de The at Maison Boissier either. 184 ave. Victor Hugo 76016

 Have you heard about Guerlain's newest perf La Petite Robe Noire? There's an expo at 68 av des Champs Elysees I want to catch of French graphic designers.

 I'd love to get to see YSL's studio at Foundation Pierre Berge but this is not an easy one to catch - 5 av Marceau 75016...

 I'll be staying in BOBO 11th arrondissement after a night at Fr Girl's (for some essential sleuthing). I wanted to get to know a new area in Paris. Any suggestions?

 I know La Patisserie by Cyril Lignac has opened nearby - 24, rue Paul Bert - more stairs on the agenda bien sur.

 I've been meaning to go to La Cocotte for ages, also nearby - 5, rue Paul Bert 75011

 In London, I'll be taking tea at Peggy Porschen's Parlour 116 Ebury st, Belgravia this week!

My dance card is filling up but any suggestions are most welcome. I see some of you are into Cara Black's Paris mysteries. Would this make good Kindle reading on the trip over?
Do tell all PBers.

Thank You Steve

I drew this on the subway yesterday...
I was coming home from the Soho Apple store - a last gasp effort to figure out the iTouch. I was lucky a kind Apple nerd helped show me the way.
Tomorrow I'll be taking this class...

This morning I couldn't stop reading about Steve Job's life...
Please listen to this video = it's completely inspiring.

THANK YOU STEVE!