Mille-Feuille!

Jar O' Macarons, watercolor, 9" x 11"

Having a jar packed to the brim with macarons in your vitrine/ window is an essential in any French patisserie.

If your facade looks typically French this is a plus factor. Mille-Feuille has been open just a month but they're hitting their marks again and again.

All the little details of a French patisserie are there, like this ardoise/blackboard are present.

Handwriting/ecriture on the wall is tres correct.

Les porte-etiquettes/little pastry signs are plentiful.

I've read les bon reports on their viennoisserie.

As well as their namesake, the mille-feuille - this one loaded with vanilla beans. They sell the beans as well one by one.

They even have those little Frenchie stickers/auto-collant and pretty boxes.

It's always a delight to see the macarons in the case, freshly made, rather than boxed up and pre-packed. These sell for $1.90 each and come tres pres/very close to the Parisian version. For some reason New York altitude does not encourage the shiny meringue shells you find in Paris.

But the taste and range of flavors is excellent. Chef Olivier Dessyn earned his pastry bones at The Paris Ritz cooking school, The Meurice Hotel and Pierre Herme(!)

Triple Vanilla, Espresso, Pistachio, Rose, Raspberry,Chocolate Praline, Coconut, Chocolate, Passion fruit etc.

I prided myself on getting through last week almost pastry-free (except for les 2 croissants). Then I read about Mille-Feuille and ran out the door to tell you about it this morning. You can find Mille-Feuille in Greenwich Village at 552 LaGuardia Place (Bleecker Street). I suggest you run (literally) home and eat a HUGE salad like this.

New York is overflowing with 'REAL' French patisseries but it's still New York.

BONJOUR MILLE-FEUILLE

A Bit of French Fluff..

It only takes a small bit of fluff or fur to be 'IN' this winter in Paris. And your dog can wear it if you'd rather not...

A fluffy-faux furry-shruggie thing will do... If you insist, it can be orange and from SONIA... But frankly it doesn't matter where you get your fluff. Or who made it... Granted, this kid's snow suit will cost you a bundle and is probably Dior.

Surely you have an old bit of fur to stitch into a hood?

Gerard Darel stitches it on to a bag this season.

Fur-esque boots were the most unusual bit of fluff seen on Paris streets.

A furry shawl collar thing will do it.

The 'Lady-like' look is always in fashion and a fur scarf is just the added touch.

Like this French girl dans le rue.

A fur-jacketed kid with a Burberry mom.

A grown-up furry jacket worn with all grey dans la rue.

October was mille-feuille month What a fluffy dessert that is.

Gerard Mulot does superb fluffy desserts like no one else in Paris.

A real walking-on-all-four-legs bit of French fluff.

M. told me to go to Bon Marche's basement to catch the fluffy peluches/teddy bears.

BEAR never denies himself admiring a bit of French fluff.

Really he's incorrigible.

BONJOUR PARIS FLUFF!

Sadaharu Aoki Macha

Sadaharu Aoki Macha, original watercolor

About a week ago I got a package from KAT in Japan full of Macha green tea goodies - like 2 green square chocolates I could kill for and these little faux green tea cones that are sort of chocolatey and cookies and...and... THANK YOU KAT in Japan. Kat has great recipes on her site - Please visit.

All that Macha tea made me think of Paris pâtisserie Sadaharu Aoki and his green tea goodies like this opera cake.

Here's a green Mille-feuille à la the vert

Eclair Machas lined up like soldiers.

Macha rollades full of a sweet red bean paste.

I spotted these extraterrestrials called the Duomo (after the Florence Duomo?) at Sadaharu Aoki's boutique at Lafayette Gourmet.
My resistance broke down.

A peek inside - a mousse-like outer-igloo with red bean filling inside.  AND don't forget the Matcha macaron stuck onto the side...heaven on earth. I'm having palpitations just describing it to you.

Inside Sadaharu Aoki's shop on 35 rue de Vaugirard, Paris 6è the walls are Mâtcha as well as green tea jam.

Here is the divine Sadaharu Aoki himself, offering me a macaron at the Salon du Chocolat in October - 

a day never to be forgot!

And here, his fabulous box of macarons! 12 to a box. All flavors are labeled on the lid. So kind. 

BONNE JOURNEE