Jour du Tarte au Citron

Premier jour dans Paris!

Researche du tarte au citron meringuee or not.

Le tarte au citron au Fauchon squared!

Why do I live in a city where tarte citron does not lurk on every street corner? :(

C'est pas juste/it's not fair..pas de toute

Enough with leche-vitrine-time to stop the browsing and plunge in!

Oh Cafe Pouchkine - how often I've dreamt of you. I have gazed at you so many times, you temptress.

Quelle surprise! You are a little bit like a trifle. Your creme citron dedans is surrounded by a thin layer of sponge. And on top a decorative meringue, a little toasted, pleasently gooey like a baked Alaska.

You are worth the dreams but I must leave room pour les autres tartes.

Dans le vitrine - une belle piece montee macaron citron.

Dans le rue - une tarte au citron car de poste bien sur.

Brasserie Tarte au Citron.

The proud owner doesn't mind a bit as he drinks his tarte au citron biere.

Even Parisien workers are decked out in tarte au citron!

The shop vitrines may be full of color including tarte citron.

Mais les Parisiens, comme habitude, are decked out in noir, gris, beige comme toujours.

I make it over to Gerard Mulot in the 6th. Raids-Patisserie says he has the best citron tarte au meringuee.

Le Figaro says Mulot has the best tarte fraise. I buy both and French Girl and I gobble them down almost forgeting to take a picture. Were they wonderful? BIEN SUR!
Bear and I are very happy to be in Paris.

We're en retard - un petit de Jet Lag..ahem

but we are racing out as soon as we post and take a wretched shower with that horrid French shower thingie that gets water everywhere :(

Vite! Vite! Vite!
BONJOUR PBers!!

How Much Is That Macaron?

Box O' Macarons, 9" x 11"

Another obsession is the porte-etiquette - the little price signs you'll see on glass counters and scattered in windows of Parisien patisseries.

You can dream all you want about Paris, but it's nice to know what things cost.

 I always include them in the shot? Price tags are ever present. Parisiens like to know how much things costs just as much as we do. The price list is always front and center in a boulangerie. It's the law. Unlike some upscale US pastry joints who insist you ask, "How much?" Based on the premise if you have to ask, you can't afford it. The French are not so snobby.

These little sign posts tell you it's OK to waltz in and actually buy something. The same does not necessarily apply to Cartier or Hermes.

Some signs give you much more information than just the price. Ingredients in detail. 

Name cards of gateaux can be quite poetic, or not. Dalloyau calls this cake "Mogador". Is it really a reference to Essaouira Bay in Morocco? It remains a mystery. Do you know the answer?
I'd rather shop for macarons in Paris than shoes. Trying to deceifer hand-written signs is part of the fun is it not?

I'd rather read pastry signs than a book. So much food for thought.

Fauchon boxes decide the price. Fauchon wins many a round when it come to creativitie so they get away with a lot. Here the box decides le prix.

Gerard Mulot is using 'new math' with these vertical macarons sold by the meter no less. Get out your rulers.

In addition (no pun intended) Mulot tells us upfront in the window the price for his towering cones of macarons. Try not to fall out of your chair gasping for air.This macaron tower is reasonable, though I didn't buy it. No time. You must pre-order this charmer 48 hrs ahead. All for a mere 41 Euros. It won't feed a ballroom full of hungry wedding guests.
BONS REVES des MACARONS!

How Much is that Macaron in the Window?

Piece Montee,watercolor, 9" x 711"

My obsessions is la porte-etiquette - little price signs on the pastry counters and scattered in shop windows.

I always include them in a photo. You can dream all you want about Paris, but it's nice to know what things cost. These little signposts tell you it's OK to walze in a Paris patisserie and buy something. The same does not apply to Cartiers or Hermes. Some signs will give you more information than the price. Ingredients and whathave you. Sometimes you wish there was less. TMIGateaux names can be quite poetic, or not. Dalloyau calls this cake "Mogador". Can it be a reference to an island in Essaouira bay in Morocco? It remains a mystery. Do tell if you know the answer.I'd rather shop for macarons in Paris than shoes any day. Reading the hand-written signs is part of the fun. Plus your mathematic skills become quite enhanced in the process. Who knew?I hope you all learned your lessons well when we touched on this subject earlier. Fauchon has their own rules of pricing - they make it up as they go along. Granted Fauchon is so creative they can get away with a lot. Who hasn't heard of 'New Math'? Gerard Mulot is using 'new math' with these vertical macarons sold by the meter. Get out your rulers please.In addition (no pun intended) Mulot lets us know in the window the price for his towering cones of macarons. Try not to fall out of your chair gasping and screaming.This macaron tower is quite cheap, though I didn't buy it. No time. 48 hours is required to order this charmer. All for the paltry sum of 41€. Granted it will not feed a ballroom full of hungry wedding guests.
BONNES REVES des MACARONS!

Big Merci

French Croquembouche, original watercolor

A BIG MERCI for making the the SUMMER GARDEN PARTY SALE a huge success and helping to get me back to Paris in October.

I'm celebrating the end of the Summer sale with a melange of croquembouche..

The French have a propensity for height - they seem to love stacked cakes. i.e. The wedding cake known as the croquembouche (pronounced crow-come-bush) meaning ''to crack, crunch or crumble in the mouth''. I saw this sign hanging on patisserie Gerard Mulot's door - to prove he is a member of the French pastry guild or some such thing. Like he needs to prove anything!? I love the stacked something or other the server is holding.
"Pink" loves stacked things too and to prove it, she sent me this photo of her croquembouche birthday cake, hoping to persuade me to do another watercolor. Croquembouche like this one. Towers of macarons instead of the traditional pile of choux-filled carmelized profiteroles.A pretty wedding cake of macarons. In my opinion Gerard Mulot is the master of these towers of power. His Fall version on a base of fall fruits and leaves, with the occasional bird pecking at the macarons - Poetic. A favorite example of "French stackery" is this pile of crockery on a porceleine gateau in a shop window.But my all time favorite is this poster I kept seeing in the Metro. Don't even ask me what it was for. I just LOVE the stacked shapes and colors - this could be my wedding gateau.
BONNE JOURNEE