Paris Signs of Automne

Do you think a hotdog is a Fall food? The way the French make it, loaded with Emmanthal cheese it could very well be. Since I came to France I've hankered for these cholesterol queens. Called 'La Hotdog Parisienne' according to Jill of Mad about Macarons. She said I must only eat them where is says 'Fait Maison' (made in house). By the way I don't think I quite captured the French hotdog here..

I was passing boulangerie Secco yesterday and noticed a sign, 'Everything made in house'. Ah ha. Then I noticed they have la Hotdog Parisienne. Time to indulge. Let's face it. When isn't it time to indulge in Paris?

Secco's tarte au pomme is one of the best in the city if not the whole planet, so how bad could their hotdog be? Their tarte took top honors in 750 grs Magazine by the way.

Eric Kayser has his Fall fruit tarts out - the unpronounceable quetches et poire.

La Grand Epicerie is big on figs. The sales woman actually wiggled her finger in front of my lense but she wasn't fast enough. Who does that anymore? Gimmeabreak.

Figs are big in the marché right now. That's how you know it's Fall.

Sunday morning I put on my bathing suit with big plans to hit the pool. It's been a long time.

Instead I turned towards the Bastille and walked 10 minutes to the marché. It's been too long. Yet it's always refreshing, like a shot in the arm (whatever that is?).

The Fall moules from Mont St. Michel are back. I got a kilo (4,50) and they threw in a bunch of parsley gratis. The market wine guy from Burgundy sold and opened a bottle of blanc sec (3,50) for me. All I needed was some onions and garlic for my Sunday lunch. Oh and an olive baguette. Pas mal.
 

Naturally I've been thinking about what to do for the November sketch letter. I'm developing the PB Sounding Board. If you want to put in your 2 cents let me know.

Perfect complimentary colors orange and blue. Those market venders could probably paint.

French Girl suggested I paint potiron and pumpkins for a Thanksgiving theme but bells were not going off for me.

Don't these leaves look like they came straight from Vermont? Nothing like em in Paris.

Then French Girl suggested I paint chestnuts (marrons) instead.

My guy showed me how to cut and roast them. All the venders seem like they are my guys in the market.

Of course chestnuts or marrons are also used to make a Mont Blanc. Research materials this weekend for sketching. Hint hint

You can still get a jar of pear(poire) jam watercolor if you subscribe to the Paris Sketch letters before the November letter comes out. i do not plan to be late this time..ahem.

Le Mont Blanc Degustation

Dimanche 24 fevrier Angelina creme de marrons

Mont Blanc tasting on Sunday = an immediate plunge into the shark tank of Parisian cuisine

Oh woe is moi/Ooh la la la la!

Organized by Raids Patisserie expert Louise Chouchard

12 guests - 12+ Mont Blancs to judge including a recent Lenotre pastry graduate, a chocolate consultant, a pastry chef

Let the judging begin!

The beauties parade

We salivate/l'eau a la bouche?

All Paris has shown up for this concours/contest

Angelina -Carette - Gateaux et du Pain -Jean Millet- Laduree- Marletti- Lenotre- Patisserie des Reves- Petite Rose- Sebastien Gaudard- Stohre- Yamazaki

This perfect example (one of my favs) was made by Veronique Ung, recent grad of Lenotre.
Hire her!

The Austrian confectioner, Antoine Rumpelmayer, established Angelina, named after his daughter-in-law, in 1903. For over a century, the Angelina tearoom has established itself as a high point of Parisian gourmet pleasures.
 

Mont Blanc gâteau, in case you were wondering is a cake made in perfection with light whipped cream and chestnut cream vermicelli.
 

An 'extra' Mont Blanc creation created and present by pastry chef William Lamagnere
 

Another extra from Hotel Le Burgundie
 

All the pretty boxes.
 

Let the deconstructing/distruction begin!
 

My illegible notes ahem

We were to judge nez/scent, texture, taste/gout and general overall response with stars **** being the best and * degulase/the worst Ouch

The end.

Results will be on Raids Patisserie in a day or two.

Henceforth give me a plain roasted chestnut outside of Galeries Lafayette.Well at least today.

Angelina - Paris

No matter what I say about not going back to old favorite places in Paris, Angelina is a must-do. They've recently renovated and added a much bigger L-shaped patisserie. A visit is absolutely required + some lingering.

Some of the most beautiful pastries in Paris. To my eyes. They seem to be constantly upping their game - elaborate mille-feuilles, the pastry of the month in October.

Macarons flavored ginger-cointreau called the 'Dita' after hot American burlesque queen, Dita Von Teese in Paris.

Angelina came up with the hot-dog-shapped 'macalon' macaron.

Lovely fruity verrines et tartes. And NO ONE shook their finger at me for taking photographs I might add, though I do try to be discrete and would never use flash.

After browsing the patisserie you can stop in Angelina's dining room.

For heavenly chocolat chaud...

And a chestnuty mont blanc.

You can buy take-away/emporte 'cold' hot chocolate in the shop.

Along with Angelina bougies, confiture, guimauve and pate de marron.

Outside a Paris dog patiently looks for a taxi, after drinking too much hot chocolate (some breeds are NOT chocolate-intolerant and I'm coming back as one of those)...

Watercolor sketch sheets of Angelina cups I painted this summer.

FYI: You may not have been getting your morning email hit of PB because of a change in Blogger's setup. Everything is fixed now. YAY!

Missed posts are here:

Dimanche in the park

Alliance Française de Philadelphie Expo

French Girl's Appartment 2

Musée Marmottan Monet

Stalking Paris Boots

This morning I have to run shoot the New York 2010 Chocolate show - full report tomorrow.

BONJOUR ANGELINA!