Galette des Chefs, Sebastien Gaudard

 

Thank you for all the kind words of concern. It's been a tough week. This morning I heard a quote from one of the lost artists , Jean Cabut, "My dad said, when I was 15, if one could earn a living by drawing everyone would do it". I need to draw and I'm grateful for all the support so I can stay in Paris and draw even "in the worst of times".

Yesterday Solli and I went to the annual charity event held at Saint Germain by the chefs of l'Escoffier. Top Paris chefs donate galette des rois cakes:le Moulin de la Vierge, Potel et Chabot, Hélène Darroze, la Grande Epicerie, Saint Clair le Traiteur, Pierre Hermé, la Maison Kayser, le George V, Michel Rostang, les Bistronome, Poilâne, le Plaza Athénée, Thierry Burlot, Bakery, William Ledeuil, la pâtisserie Jean Millet, la Closerie des Lilas et Clerardin, Fauchon.

Caterers Potel et Chabot make a huge and wonderfully almondy galette every ear so all can taste a slice for 2 euros.

Elegant family-sized galettes were going like hot cakes. I saw people carrying 2-3 bags of different name pastry chefs, all funds going to, L'Association des POIC.

The galette chefs show up for a group picture plus oysters and champagne. A lovely break in a tough week.

This week Le Figaro did their tasting to choose the best Parisian galette and I've been trying to taste as many on the list as possible. I suggested to Solli we head over to Sebastien Gaudard's new tea salon to try the winner.

1, rue des Pyramides 75001 near rue de Rivoli and lesTuileries.

It's an exquisite boutique.

So pretty.

Naturally we thought we'd try a few other pastries...

Not easy.

The tea salon doesn't open till noon. No café would have us so the Tuileries gardens became our picnic spot.

The pigeons did very well indeed. There's a lot of crust/pate feuilletee on a galette, especially an individual galette which you need to eat with your hands. You take one bite and your entire front is covered with big chunks of crust.

The crows were sad not to share in the feast.

Solli went on her way and I thought I'd just check out Angelina's galette since they made the tail-end of Le Figaro's list.

It's nice when the almond paste is not just sitting on the bottom in a thin layer but threaded throughout. These are a mouthful. I mostly took one bite of the almond paste and could not eat the rest. The pastry is the same as on a mille feuille (thousand leaves). Just too, too much.

Still I'm so enticed by these glossy disks. They are hard to resist. I keep thinking the next one will be the one. I end up with crumbs, crumbs, crumbs all over myself.

I could easily end up looking like Jeff Koons "Galette" lady if this doesn't stop. Fortunately there is the distraction of the little feves or favors that go inside the galette. At Angelina you can buy them separately (24 euros) and completely skip the cake. Who knew there is a museum for fabophiles in Blain. Maybe a very good idea at this point...

Jeff Koons at Versailles

Not by Jeff,watercolor , 5.5" x 7.5

More dogs, not French this time exactly...

...but by US pop art giant Jeff Koons on exhibit at Versailles

This really works in my opinion. I love the contrast of scale and all the shiny reflections of the surrounding Rococo reflective surfaces on Balloon Dog.
"Moon" (1995-2000) in Louis XIV's legendary Galerie des Glaces. I haven't decided on one...Hmmm There are 15 major Koons, one per room, occuping key spaces throughout the palace, all lent by a French collector.

Not by Koons and very appropriate.

"Rabbit", but on a pedestal that blends in to it's environment better than Moon.

"Michael Jackson and Bubbles" (1998) is a Rococo piece, but I'm not convinced it fits in.
 

At first this huge vase of flowers did not immediately say "Koons" to me

But then a closer look - could it be anything else?

The question is, does it fit into the gilded chamber of the late Queen Marie Antoinette's apartment?

Upon entry - this balloony pretzel-like piece.

You have until December 14th to catch the Koons exhibit at Versailles. Some purists cannot wait for it to leave and have already marched, protested and demonstrated outside the palace gates. C'est la vie.

"Hanging Heart" is done in high chromium stainless steel, weighs over 3,500 pounds and is almost 9' tall.

But doesn't it remind you of this tiny tin-foil covered chocolate heart?