Frederic Lalos Boulangerie

Monday January 14, 2013 Frederic Lalos
 

Like this running baker boy, I was racing 🏃‍♀️ to the pool when I stopped in my tracks

A big boulangerie with the words plastered on the side, Meilleur Ouvriers De France or MOF. The highest honor France can bestow on a craftsman for his metier. Remember the movie, The Kings of Pastry?
 

Thoughts of the pool evaporated as I peeked inside...

Stacks of fresh baguettes 🥖 tradition resting in the vitrine.
 

Not only has chef Frederic Lalos received the MOF at the young age of 26 but his bread was awarded the 'Label Rouge', a mark of France's highest standards.

More red ribbons adorn Lalos' chocolates. Don't you love the sound of Marbella grilled noisette 'enrobed' in chocolate. I would love a chocolate robe. 

Peering in the other window the vendeuse looked...

just like a Toulouse-Lautrec drawing.

I tore myself away from le leche-vitirine and ran on to the pool. At the pool door I remembered I'd forgotten the essential flip flops. Nothing for it but head back to Frederic Lalos' boulangerie and browse a bit more. The vendeuse was patient. Other clients came and went while I perused everything in the pastry case several times over. With a little smile the vendeuse finally got me my baguette au cereal and a pot of apple compote. I'll have to go back no doubt. Next trip to the pool bien sur!

Some of you requested a CAT OF THE DAY. I saw this while pool-bound. I'll attend the cat show to stock up on the less obvious Paris cat for you! Bonne Journee!

Pain de Sucre & Kings of Pastry!

Tonight 'Kings of Pastry' will be playing on PBS. To get in the right frame of mind immerse in the amazing tartes of Patisserie Pain de Sucre. Last trip I only peered in the window. I didn't go inside. Admittedly I was munching on a tarte citron from Cupcakes Berko across the street.

An act of betrayal and regret I relive daily since.

Pastry chefs Didier Mathray and Nathalie create shapes, flavors, colors and textures unique among Paris' patisseries.

I can't wait to go back and taste these.

Or at least taste the mini versions - 'tentation'/temptation, the perfect name for this tarte framboise.

"Castanea'- Sablé à la farine de chataigne, pulpe de pomme légèrement caramélisée,praliné croustillant, crémeux au marron, biscuit tendre à la châtaigne, mousse à la pulpe de châtaigne, glacage à la noisette.

Pure poetry no?

What looks like a mini version of the Castanea is really a nounours - chocolate-covered marshmallow on a stick.

I have tasted many of Pain de Sucre's caramel macarons.

Do have the right snacks while you watch Tonight's Kings of Pastry.

Bonjour KINGS & Pain de Sucre!

Kings of Pastry 2

Last night I had to eat macarons.  And drink champagne.

At the opening screening of the KINGS OF PASTRY!

Remember I told you about the KINGS OF PASTRY back in August. Well it's here at last.

After the film, filmmakers, Chris Hededus and D. A. Pennebaker took questions. I couldn't resist asking,
"However did you get permission from the French Meilleur Ouvriers de France (or MOF) society to make this film?!" It was not easy.
They had to wait till the very last minute for permission. Even then it was day-by-day up-for-grabs wait to see if they would be invited back the following day to shoot during the 3-day concours. The chance their equipment or even their very presence could disturb the competing chefs or their creations was a major concern. On the last and final day they were given a tiny boxed-area to shoot the film.
C'est comme ca.
Yet in the end the MOF was very pleased to have the competition filmed for posterity. No one had ever attempted it before. After the film we trooped over to nearby Jacques Torres Chocolate for the post-film soiree.



You feel you're inside a giant cocoa bean.
I got to meet the amazing unflappable star and MOF contender of Kings of Pastry, chef Jacquy Pfeiffer sans whites/out of his chef's jacket. Chef Pfeiffer is founder of The French Pastry School in Chicago.


The wives of the MOF contenders are very much heroines in their own right - Mme. Pfeiffer stands by her man.

An MOF winner (at the mere age of 26) Jacques Torres tries to explain why there are no female contenders for the MOF. Jacques is now Dean of pastry at the French Culinary Institute and where there are plenty of female contenders onboard. I drew Jacques 1st business card when he was still head pastry chef at Le Cirque. I used to hang out at his station and get sample nibbles - the good ole days..

Sotha Kuhn, former head chef at Le Cirque was there chatting with FCI Dean, Alain Sailhac.

New York restauranteur, Danny Meyer was there

Three-time contender for the MOF, Stephane Treand was telling me how it really does take 3 tries to get it right. To know exactly where everything you need is to win the race to the finish line. And it is a race against the clock. To be able to express your own unique point of view to win over all the judges. The judges have to eat at least 16 desserts. How do you make yours stand out from the rest?

Chef Jacquy Pfeiffer created this cinematic chocolatey sculpture for the party.

KINGS OF PASTRY will be opening near you soon.

Don't miss the excitement, the thrills, the tears, the laughter. And watch the trailer again

 Don't forget if you in Washington DC, do come have some macarons with me at the opening at the Alliance Francaise svp tomorrow night!

Kings of Pastry

Gerard Mulot Pastry Box, 9" x 11"

Pastry chefs and I have always seen eye to eye.  

They are the 'artistes' in the kitchen, painting with chocolate and sugar.  

They loved having their portraits on their own business cards. They got my food art biz going.

I was thrilled when I received an invite to a screening of KINGS OF PASTRY.The film is about the 3-day competition of carefully selected French pastry chefs, sixteen in total, competing for the much coveted M.O.F. award or Meilleur Ouvriers De France taking place in Lyon.

I was in Maine and missed the screening, but they sent me the video. And is it fun!  The Guardian said,"I never saw so many men sobbing at once" and,"A culinary HURT LOCKER"
You see top pastry artistes pushed to the limit, racing against time and against each other to make their super, fragiles creations. You see top pastry judges of France (PH included!) tasting and grading the contender's art works (16 desserts) and their responses. Full of suspense...catastrophes beaucoup. Even the judges are in tears. If you love French pastry, you MUST see KINGS OF PASTRY 

Top pastry chefs of the highest order are required to make chocolate confectionary sculptures.Made of sugar, these chocolate masterpieces were at the Salon du Chocolat last October. Now I have a better idea of the enormous effort that went into making them. Oh the torture, oh the sleepless nights.

I attended the Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie in Lyon in '94 - words cannot describe the fabulousness. Last June I returned to Lyon for a macaron class. Instead I ate lunch at Paul Bocuse's Brasserie Le Nord.

Chaleureuse/warm indeed.Steeped in the old French tradition of quality and simplicity.You know I had une salade.For my plat, the very traditional cote d'agneau.
Miam-miam
How I wished I had ordered dessert...something like this elaborate chocolate chapeau.
Chapeau TO THE M.O.F. WINNERS

And go see the movie.