The Paper, dessins d'Israel Sylvestre, Paris map, Jour du macaron, Spring?

Bear is happily back home, king of the Manor, guarding that French watercolor paper you're curious about.

It seems to still exist at Arches (in Arches). Perhaps you'll have better luck procuring some than I did. Contact information is below. I bought my supply 5 years ago at NY Central (closed now) when they stopped distributing it to the US.

It has been sitting in Louise's closet. Time to bring it home.

Plus a chance for a couple of missed Nathan's hotdogs. Food has such a nostalgic pull.

Still I prefer the view coming up out of the Paris Metro than the NY subway even if skies are grey.

And I discovered something worthy at Picard's Hello America promotion - very good stuff.

Last week an exhibit of drawings by 17th century artist, Israel Sylvestre opened at the Louvre.

He's renown for his splendid perspective views of Versailles and vaux le Vicomte.

I especially  love his tiny figures of everyday life. French families relaxing and at play just as they do every weekend along the Seine.

I thought I'd adopt those playful figures for the March macaron map

But after sleeping on it, less figures and more shops looked better to me. Paris maps went in to the mail today!

Colorful March macarons are such a cheerful harbinger of Spring

I couldn't resist the macaron hunt today, first at Pierre Hermé at 72 rue Bonaparte.

Then over to patisserie Arnaud Lahrer on 93 rue de Seine.

I hope macarons never go away. The colors, the flavors are too joyous.

Yesterday we had inches of snow in Paris. And today pink flowers are in the garden!

Please, please leave your comments for all to enjoy on the blog. I'll happily answer them there. It will be much appreciated. Thank you for reading Parisbreakfast. If you enjoyed this newsletter, forward to a friend. Receive a Paris letter or map in your mailbox + souvenirs at ETSY.

Hello Spring!

Prepping for Jour du Macarons and the March Macaron Map

Now I know why top pastry chef, Pierre Hermé created Jour du Macaron back in 2005 on the 20th of the month of March.

We're been having non-stop drizzle, grey, gloomy skies. I learned from Jill of Teatime In Paris, it's called 'les giboulées de mars' (rain storms of March).

Hermé must have decided we need our spirits lifted. Have you ever tasted his Montebello? Pistachio and raspberry jam. Just the sound of it makes me feel better. And the colors are celestial no?

I love two-color stripey macarons from Jean-Paul Hévin in Galeries Lafayette.

Rainbow uplifting colors from Arnaud Larher 93, rue de Seine.

Thanks to Relais Dessert world-wide pastry chefs you too can participate in Jour du Macaron, unless you live in Antarctica.

Paris is macaron Mecca. You'll find the names and addresses of all the chefs participating this year on their site .

1 don (donation) = 1 macaron. You can go to as many patisseries as you like. No one is counting.

And event has been extended to include the 19th, so if you hit Galeries Lafayette  there are 5 possible macarons waiting for you.

Last year Relais Desserts raised 50,000€ for charity Vaincre la Mucoviscidose (cystic fibrosis).

You'll want to start preparing immediately. Only 13 days to get ready. Study the flavors.

Practice

Standing in line patiently.

I got a look at Pierre Hermé's special 2016 brochure hot off the presses.

This is what your macaron will look like. I've been practicing this week.

Part of the fun is collecting the pretty macaron flavor brochures.

Last year your could buy an adorable carryall for just a fiver. It's going to a very good cause.

The year before citron vert tabliers (aprons)

In 2013 I bought this bonus wall chart of Hermé's. I refer to it daily...

Along with tasting macaron like mad I've been drawing Hermé this week like mad. I thought I'd have him clutching a king-size macaron.

I settled for the same size you'll get March 20th.
There is a new bonus watercolor for letter subscribers and renewers on Etsy. Especially nice if you can't make it to Paris for Jour du Macaron. Today we had about 20 minutes of sun. Hooray!
PS My maps are now on Bonjour Paris.
Take a look and please subscribe!
BONJOUR PARIS!

Relais Desserts - Les Buches de Noel 2015

It's that time of the year, early September

When we must taste the best, new Christmas Bûche de Noël at RELAIS DESSERTS.

Septembers are extra tough, PBers.
Isn't this a witty idea - turning the log on its side so you get a chocolate cake? Then pop on top an elf or two et voila from ever-witty, Frederic Cassel of Fontainebleau and president of the Relais Desserts pastry chefs organization.

This years Buche tasting was in a grand hall at Pavillon Cambon. 47 rue Cambon.

A lovely Christmas buche by Sebastien Bouillet of Lyon called 'l'Avalanche'. (I used to have a friend who called me 'Avalanche...hmm). (Mousse au chocolat blanc, huile d'olive, biscuit fondant, croustillant grandija).

The big, big difference at this year's tasting was, instead of choosing just 5 buche to taste, you could taste ALL 26! There were sample slices just beside the whole cake and they were replenished liberally. Plus you remembered exactly which cake you were tasting unlike last year's tastings.

All the chefs were tasting as well. Top chefs Pierre Herme and Arnaud Larher are obviously in a state of deep introspection.

Herme's buche I thought was a double entendre or visual pun - a chocolate log within a more realistic log. (Biscuit au chocolat imbibe au sirop chocolat, ganache et crème Chantilly au chocolat noir Pure Origin Bresil, Plantation Paineiras).

Wrong! It was an artistic reference to an artwork called 'Spacio' by Luce de Giuseppe Penone, shown in a London gallery.

'Pamplemousse Rosa' by Claire Damon was pretty and delicate in pink with pink grapefruit and rose flavored mousse.

Damon of Des Gateaux et du Pain is the first woman member of Relais Desserts. Hooray!

This cerise beauty was irresistible by Bernard Besse and called 'Coeur de Rubis'. (Crème souflee a la vanilla de Tahiti parsemee de cerises Amarena, mouse de chocolat et fine feuille craquante de chocolat noir).

An adorable choo-choo by Laurent Le Daniel. (Crème mousseline au praline, noisettes grilles et caramelisees, mousse au chocolat epice et de gingimbre fraichement etc.).

More cherries! And definitely a visual/verbal pun. Hooray! Aurelien Trottier's Bouche de Noel (bouche(mouth) instead of buche) A kiss to end your Christmas dinner. (Creameux framboise et cerise, une nougatine craquante aux amandes et une mousse de chocolat noir).

This buche from Dalloyau has a wave down the middle representing la Seine.

Pascal Lac's beautiful orange 'Buche Manon'. I will be here through Sunday(dimanche) copying out these ingredients. Sorry, you will just have to come to Paris for Christmas and taste these yourself. I can think of far worse things to do for Xmas, so why not PBers?

Jean-Paul Hevin can be depended upon to come up with a devilishly creative chocolate solution for his buche.Voila!

A very chocolaty buche with Fall leaves as a nice touch by Eric Vergne.

Consisting of raspberries, chocolate mousse, cassis, Sacher torte crunchy cake base, plus vanilla cream and nuts from Burgundy. What more could you ask for ?

Very dear to my heart was this mailbox (not full of Paris sketch letters and maps malheureusement) but still quite adorable snowmen (and women I hope hidden within the box?) by Maelig Georelin.

Chef Alban Guilmet happily posed with his tres charmant buche of orange, passion fruit and mango with a bit of hazelnut cream. Yum yum.

A sneak look back in la cuisine at Pavillon Cambon - they were supremely organized. Everything went off without a hitch.

50,000€ raised from JOUR DU MACARONS DAY for cystic fibrosis (l’association Vaincre la Mucoviscidose).

Another very well-deserved Hooray!

Best chef of 2015 went to Christophe Adams, eclair king of Genie d'Eclair.

Naturalement I tasted all 26 buches.

'I had to go to rehab' yeah, yeah, yeah.