French Girl’s Apartment

Yesterday Bethany said...I love your blog. 

Its absolutely sensational and the highlight of my days!! I was wondering if you could do a post on the typical French girls apartment. In the movies it always looks very thrown together, simple and chic. I know you must have insight on this!!!! That would be fantastic.

(This is a repost from 2010)

At first I thought no. But after careful reconsideration, I decided yes! I should show you that French girls are not so casual. In fact the opposite.This is the lovely clear entryway where I was allowed to drop my bag 💼 on arrival.

Fr. Girl's Apartment

Yesterday Bethany said...I love your blog.

Its absolutely sensational and the highlight of my days!! 

I was wondering if you could do a post on the typical French girls apartment. In the movies it always looks very thrown together, simple and chic. I know you must have insight on this!!!! That would be fantastic.

At first I thought no. But after careful reconsideration, I decided yes! I should show you that French girls are not so "thrown together" or casual. In fact quite the opposite. Especially now you've seen what a hopeless slob I am. The contrast is riveting. This is the entry way where I was to drop my bag upon arrival.

Chocolate Show #2

What you missed on Friday, Saturday and Sunday...
I know you'd wanna know - dark bark from Pure Dark...

More big tastes...from E.Guittard chocolate providers to chefs and sold only at the show to the public.
Maison Boissier was there from France...
Loads of bonbons...
Chocolate antiques...

Of course a chocolate fountain from Lily O'brien...

That chocolate tea I was telling you about - one of many...

Delicious chocolate from Italy - De Bondt with things embedded in it...

Straight up plain chocolate from El Rey...

Fair Trade chocolate from Equal Exchange Co-Op - here they explain about chocolate...

I liked this concept - Organic, raw, no sugar, vegan, no gluten, no soy. But chocolate is included!

You got to chat directly with the chocolate makers...

And drink chocolatey things too that made your head spin and see...

Large haunted chocolate houses made by culinary students...

Finally there was a box of the 10 best chocolates in the show - a first I think. Y'all come next year.

Munch..munch...munch...

BONJOUR NOVEMBER!!!

Salon du Chocolat 2009 Fashions

Last Friday I was watching another défilé/line/parade of chocolate fashions at Salon du Chocolat.We were seated at the foot of the stage. Boy did we have to fight to get there. What a view we got!This year's theme was Operatic. This fabulously dangerous gown was by Nestlé France SA, Coralie Robert. Inspired by the Nutcracker with a Tchaikovski-sweepy fish tail.I LOVED this one and yelled out,

"You ROCK MICHAEL JACKSON!"
She is wearing a military jacket on one shoulder! Doesn't that make it an homage to MJ? And whose life was more operatic? This gorge model is about toss some chockies out to the audience.

None fell on us :(

This contraption was by designers, Marithé + François Girbaud with Chocolats Pralus. I wish she'd kept it closed. I don't want to think what opera this is. I just want to scream

DUCK! Here come the chocolates!

This chocolaty number was designed by Herve Leger and with the help of French chocolatier Jean-Paul Hevin. At least it's highly edible. But the chocolate leggings I do not get.

No clue who or what but fun.

La Maison du Chocolat's homage to Bizet's Carmen made sense.

The king of caramels, Le Roux Quiberon made this odd feathery creation. Sadly no caramels were thrown at us... Chocolatier Michel Cluizel et Jean Doucet in AÏDA

Enough with these chocolate fashions! Let's sink our teeth into some real chocolate! Well ok virtually...

Belgian Chocolatier Pierre Marcolini was at the Salon for the first time. They were quite generous with free tastes, considering his chockies are some of the most expensive in the world.

The little red hearts off to the far left are out of this world. They did not make it to the second day I can assure you-miam-miam

More reports to come on the 2009 Paris Salon du Chocolat, but get ready for New York's Chocolate Show coming up next week starting October 30.
I wish French chocolatiers would visit the New York chocolate fashions -

They do NOT have to be brown dresses for Gawd's sake. Where is the whimsy? Lighten up Frenchies.

New York Chocolate Show fashions ROCK!

I can't wait to see this year's show :)
BONJOUR CHOCOLAT FASHIONS!

The Friture Diet

I made it safely home in one piece.

Though I wish I could say the same for the chocolate booty I brought back with me.

THE EURO DIET turned out to be a resounding SUCCESS! YAY!

Though the scale tells a different tale. So a new diet begins.

I know I said I would bring back a variety of "friture" or April First chocolate fish to do a tasting or a "flight" comparing quality, texture etc. But why not instead, allow myself just ONE chocolate fish per diem until I return to Paris in 6 months in October.

160 chocolate fish are required for this experiment.

I am 9 fish short

I only brought back 151 little fishies. Amazing isn't it? I'm getting better at numbers. I just don't want to lose the new restraint I gained from The Euro Diet. Qui sait? Worth a try, non? I'll keep you posted.

Meanwhile there is other Paris booty I want to share with you - at least visually - intense tablettes from Jean-Paul Hevin. This is the first time I've brought back macarons - I forgot they were there.... Something else I forgot lurking in the fridge. Quelle tragedie! A Pierre Herme Ispahan I never got to taste... Something always goes wrong on a trip. Another mishap - a broken chocolate chicken from Marquise de Sevigne. At least this mishap I could bring home. On AirFrance coming home, I sat next to Berliner Jochen, visiting New York for the 1st time. He gave me a chocolate ladybug (marienkäfer). It brings good luck, so I'm saving it. Danke Jochen I'm back to paying bills, back to painting, back to New York's sunny blue skies. But I miss Paris' grey, overcast skies and streets full of silly small dogs and the shop windows full of amazing desserts and, and, and...

Chocolate Friday at Denise Acabo

It's that time again - CHOCOLATE FRIDAY!

I think it's time Paris gave up the Eiffel Tower as it's iconic symbol and gave the French chocolate bar (or tablette) it's due.

Plus France is famous for it's "naked" bars of quality like these by Gerard Mulot.

The plethora of choices in any candy shop is jaw-dropping, like here at Denise Acabo's on rue Fountain.

This wall of beautiful bars is in Galerie Lafayette Gourmet and it IS an art gallery of different brands and flavors and grades of cocoa.

What you do not expect, is to see the same wall of chocolate bars.

At your local supermarche!?

Endless choices..endless flavors...fruity to spicy...endless percentages...endless origins...bla bla bla

The French have as vast a varieties of chocolate bars.

As we have row upon row of breakfast cereals.

Maybe this IS breakfast for the French?

Chocolate for breakfast?

It is medicinal isn't it? Like a daily vitamin? Sounds good to me 

But however do you make a choice? It must be a lifelong commitment of trial & error and tasting. And then finally finding the bar you can commit to for the rest of your days.

Choosing a mate has to be easier than finding your chocolate bar of choice in France. I'd rather choose a chocolate bar thank you very much.

If you have any personal favorites 

PLEASE SHARE THEM!

Now let's choose a French chocolate ice cream we can stick with.