Red Paris Christmas

This is only a semi-Red PB post dear PBers...

I fell in love with cherries/cerises tree ornaments in lingerie shop Aubade's windows.

Granted Paris puts on some of her best reds for the holidays.

A boucherie is bound to have a red awning plus other trimmings (no pun intended).

Red awning Chocolatier Pralus is sharing decorations with their next door neighbor traiteur. 

Will you be wearing red for the holidays?

In the old days Paris only had 'painted' Christmas decorations in the windows.

Now lights are all the rage.

This is a falafel shop!

Cooking teacher Charlotte says each year the lights get more extravagant. I don't mind a bit. Do you?

Would you believe this is a cheese shop (on rue Montorgueil)?

Of course Paris cafes have over-the-top lights.

This hotel decked every window with bows and boughs of Sapin/pine branches.

Are you tearing around last minute shopping like a maniac?

KEEP CALM AND THINK OF THE EIFFEL TOWER.

Have a WONDERFUL HOLIDAY PBers!

xxxx

What Parisians Eat for Noël

It's that time in France for the biggest fete of the year - Noël!
 

The plus luxe products come out of hiding in December and are on offer everywhere and at all price points. The cover of La Parisian had a story - no matter how hard times are, the average French family will spend 175€ on their Christmas repas. WOW!

After almost a year of flirting with Brittany scallops/St.Jacques I finally succumed and bought a kilo on Friday at the marvelous marché Mouton-Duvernet. The vendeur prepared them on the spot ready to pop in the pan.

1 kilo (or 2.2 pounds) equals just 5 scallops, once they're removed from the shells and the mess. Who knew?

French scallops in recipes or menus are referred to as 'les noix' or nut. They are the size of a fat walnut so it makes sense. You'll sometimes see a 'noix' of butter in a recipe. Same thing. A walnut-sized knob of butter is required. 
 

How did I prepare my St.Jacques? Easy peasy. A bit of olive oil plus some butter in a pan. Add a swish of white wine and some chopped garlic smashed into sea salt. Brown a little, then throw in the scallops and sauté for a few minutes on each side till brown and crusty. The taste? Out of the world fresh and briny. What was I waiting for?
 

The above coquilles St. jacques are from Stohrer and cost a bundle but are worth it.

All the big supermarches want you to take advantage of their deals on foie gras

Foie gras in every form and shape.

Monop even has fancy cones of foie gras.

La Ratte potatoes are a holiday specialty. I've no idea what's so special about them. Do tell!

I couldn't resist these walnuts at Monoprix shipped in from Perpignan for the holidays.

The best oysters were for sale yesterday at my Belleville marché. Surprise, surprise.

My latest flirtation is now with magret de canard same as we made at Charlotte Puckette's cooking class. I hope it doesn't take me a year to make this..

Please pronounce that CAN-rr (r as in RER)

The Metro is full of signs advertising champagne deals.
 

Monop has Bordeaux Sauternes and I bet it isn't bad at all (like the olive oil at Franprix). When big companies like Franprix or Monoprix order up huge volume of a product they can name their price and get quality to boot..

 

Haute cuisine patisserie, Pain du Sucre has truffle-infused eggs in their windows. These will Not be on everyone's table.

I'm crazy for the little cooking magazines at the supermarché cash register like Gourmand.

Top TV and restaurant chef Cyril Lignac is the guiding light. These are full of good information on seasonal French foods. The recipes are easy to figure out even if your French is so, so.

The one thing I haven't seen in Paris are Gingerbread men. Pain d'Epice, made with honey. Yes, plenty of it. But no gingery hard, shaped cookies. Should I open a shop and start a new trend? Move over cupcakes and macarons!

What are YOU serving for Christmas dinner?

Paris Büche de Noël

The Büche de Noël or yule log is all over town. Every single patisserie has their version. The variations are endless.

In Pierre Hermé's window the traditional log-style gateau with ripple bark-like chocolate frosting.

The log cake is a reflection of the old Celtic tradition celebrating the Winter Solstice by bringing inside a tree trunk and burning it on the shortest day of the year.

Inside Pierre Hermé yule logs come in all his favorite flavors Ispahan, citron, baked Alaska/omelette Norvege, Infinite vanille.

An Ispahan log from a Herme miniature collection made in Japan in 2008.

Around the corner Gerard Mulot's classic logs line up in the windows.

Across rue de Seine, Arnaud Larhrer has wilder shapes and flavors

Remember in September Relais Desserts had a preview tasting. At the time it all seemed a bit of a stretch to think about Christmas in September. In fact it was the best chance to mini taste many elaborate logs you can only taste now if you buy the whole log.

Secco displays traditional chocolate logs with genoise or sponge cake rolled with chocolate buttercream or ganache inside, not unlike a jellyroll cake really when you think about it.

Little candied mushrooms often sit on top the log. No toadstools.

Some yule logs could pass for kitchen sinks, so much is thrown onto them.

While others at Pain du Sucre are supremely elegant.

I love the look of the mini versions of these Christmas cakes though they are far more simplified inside than the bigger versions. They look like little dolls beds with headboards and pillow.

Cupcake Berko made a Büche that is a bed. Santa's asleep in it.

Patisserie de l'eglise in my neighborhood also has elegant büches.

I picked out their plain chestnut mini büche to taste and paint. Lovely! Will this be my first and last büche for the season? Should I taste more? You tell me ;))