Are You Thinking Noel/Xmas?

 

Usually after I do a PARIS LETTER run 🏃‍♂️ to la poste 📬 I’m allowed to wonder aimlessly🤸🏾‍♀️ Yesterday I wondered into the Dutch concept store HEMA looking for Halloween stuff. They’re already thinking Xmas🎄/Christmas/Noel & ginger cookies! Somehow I resisted 🫣

Are you already thinking ahead for Xmas holidays? Should I put up Christmas 🎄 letters for ‘Future thinkers’? Do tell PBers 🙏

December Letter and Le Bon Marche Xmas

This month I'm pleased as egg nog punch to report I'm free as a bird regarding the December Paris Sketch Letter!
The letter, completed in late November (miracle of miracles!) is MAILED OUT! 
True, you haven't seen much of Carolg on PB of late. That's because I've been super busy tearing out my hair illustrating a mystery pastry map for J's new book coming out in the Spring.
There's always something...

The map was completed yesterday at long last. I headed over to see BON MARCHÉ'S divine Christmas decorations.

Can you find Carolg?

BEAR came along for the ride.

Bon Marche is enthralled with reindeer and so am I.

Lovely, light and cheerful. Not wildly extravagant but very effective.

Their tree decoration shop on the 2nd floor IS indeed extravagant.

And a joy to experience.

Their fabulous baubles but so worth it.

What is the smart Parisian wearing, browsing in Bon Marche? 
Paris temperatures being in the high 30s so a tad chilly.
*Note tam o'shanter hat, black leggings, backpack and scooter.

BEAR, permanently dressed in cashmere, is ready for Winter and not interested in Bon Marche's dress code. He'd rather gaze at chocolate-covered marshmallow bears. Miam

Outside Bon Marche's Grand Epicerie there's a faux chalet offering hot chocolate, mulled wine, kouglhof and pain d'epice (gingerbread). Free tastes too. Miam miam!

More reindeer in the windows busy working in Santa's Atelier(workshop) doing guess what?

Sorting MAIL!
Is this not a dream come true for someone who spends 1/3 her time at La Poste, 1/3 addressing envelopes and the other 1/3 tasting chocolates and buche de Noel!

They are jumping up and down on the bags of letters to pack them into Santa's bags.

They are checking addresses for mistakes.
Boy did this hit home. Where do I hire these reindeer?

Mailboxes in front so Parisian kids can drop off their wish lists to Santa. The store toy catalog has a tear-out letter plus lovely stickers of French reindeer.

Bon Marche has a Holiday Special on - order a bag and get it personalized with your name or your friend's name on it.

Paris Sketch Letters has a HOLIDAY SPECIAL on for the month of December.

Order a subscription on ETSY and get a watercolor print of a box of macarons with YOUR NAME ON IT!   It's not too late to receive the personalized macaron print in time for the holidays (Hanukkah and Kwanza included). Ready to ship out TODAY! If you want to personally give the 1st letter I can send it to you and the rest to the gift recipient. 

If you're in Paris and mad for reindeer, run to Bon Marche this Sunday at 3 PM. 

The reindeer will be singing Carols on the rez-de-chausee. 24, rue de Sevres 75007

Cheers Carolg

Happy Holiday!

I'm late again!

Dear PBers,

Do have a wonderful holiday

Sending lots of good cheer your way.

And many, many bisous/kisses from Paris.

What Parisians Eat for Noël

It's that time in France for the biggest fete of the year - Noël!
 

The plus luxe products come out of hiding in December and are on offer everywhere and at all price points. The cover of La Parisian had a story - no matter how hard times are, the average French family will spend 175€ on their Christmas repas. WOW!

After almost a year of flirting with Brittany scallops/St.Jacques I finally succumed and bought a kilo on Friday at the marvelous marché Mouton-Duvernet. The vendeur prepared them on the spot ready to pop in the pan.

1 kilo (or 2.2 pounds) equals just 5 scallops, once they're removed from the shells and the mess. Who knew?

French scallops in recipes or menus are referred to as 'les noix' or nut. They are the size of a fat walnut so it makes sense. You'll sometimes see a 'noix' of butter in a recipe. Same thing. A walnut-sized knob of butter is required. 
 

How did I prepare my St.Jacques? Easy peasy. A bit of olive oil plus some butter in a pan. Add a swish of white wine and some chopped garlic smashed into sea salt. Brown a little, then throw in the scallops and sauté for a few minutes on each side till brown and crusty. The taste? Out of the world fresh and briny. What was I waiting for?
 

The above coquilles St. jacques are from Stohrer and cost a bundle but are worth it.

All the big supermarches want you to take advantage of their deals on foie gras

Foie gras in every form and shape.

Monop even has fancy cones of foie gras.

La Ratte potatoes are a holiday specialty. I've no idea what's so special about them. Do tell!

I couldn't resist these walnuts at Monoprix shipped in from Perpignan for the holidays.

The best oysters were for sale yesterday at my Belleville marché. Surprise, surprise.

My latest flirtation is now with magret de canard same as we made at Charlotte Puckette's cooking class. I hope it doesn't take me a year to make this..

Please pronounce that CAN-rr (r as in RER)

The Metro is full of signs advertising champagne deals.
 

Monop has Bordeaux Sauternes and I bet it isn't bad at all (like the olive oil at Franprix). When big companies like Franprix or Monoprix order up huge volume of a product they can name their price and get quality to boot..

 

Haute cuisine patisserie, Pain du Sucre has truffle-infused eggs in their windows. These will Not be on everyone's table.

I'm crazy for the little cooking magazines at the supermarché cash register like Gourmand.

Top TV and restaurant chef Cyril Lignac is the guiding light. These are full of good information on seasonal French foods. The recipes are easy to figure out even if your French is so, so.

The one thing I haven't seen in Paris are Gingerbread men. Pain d'Epice, made with honey. Yes, plenty of it. But no gingery hard, shaped cookies. Should I open a shop and start a new trend? Move over cupcakes and macarons!

What are YOU serving for Christmas dinner?

Paris Büche de Noël

The Büche de Noël or yule log is all over town. Every single patisserie has their version. The variations are endless.

In Pierre Hermé's window the traditional log-style gateau with ripple bark-like chocolate frosting.

The log cake is a reflection of the old Celtic tradition celebrating the Winter Solstice by bringing inside a tree trunk and burning it on the shortest day of the year.

Inside Pierre Hermé yule logs come in all his favorite flavors Ispahan, citron, baked Alaska/omelette Norvege, Infinite vanille.

An Ispahan log from a Herme miniature collection made in Japan in 2008.

Around the corner Gerard Mulot's classic logs line up in the windows.

Across rue de Seine, Arnaud Larhrer has wilder shapes and flavors

Remember in September Relais Desserts had a preview tasting. At the time it all seemed a bit of a stretch to think about Christmas in September. In fact it was the best chance to mini taste many elaborate logs you can only taste now if you buy the whole log.

Secco displays traditional chocolate logs with genoise or sponge cake rolled with chocolate buttercream or ganache inside, not unlike a jellyroll cake really when you think about it.

Little candied mushrooms often sit on top the log. No toadstools.

Some yule logs could pass for kitchen sinks, so much is thrown onto them.

While others at Pain du Sucre are supremely elegant.

I love the look of the mini versions of these Christmas cakes though they are far more simplified inside than the bigger versions. They look like little dolls beds with headboards and pillow.

Cupcake Berko made a Büche that is a bed. Santa's asleep in it.

Patisserie de l'eglise in my neighborhood also has elegant büches.

I picked out their plain chestnut mini büche to taste and paint. Lovely! Will this be my first and last büche for the season? Should I taste more? You tell me ;))