Quel est le meilleur tarte citron de Paris ?

Paris' Citron Tartes, 9" x 11 1/2"

It was my mission last trip to seek out the best tarte citron in Paris.
 Couldn't I hold my own competition(cours)?

I'd complained previously about how the surface of a citron tart must be flat as a pancake. And it must not be desecrated w/ bits of zest and other drifting paraphrenalia.

I decided to leave the door open to all entries this go-round.
No restrictions required! Since I was to be chief judge and jury, I felt it only fair to be open-minded to all comers.

So wherever I went I gathered research, mostly photos for further study.In some cases the actual tarte citron was acquired...

Here's a list of the contestents who made it ringside at my hotel:Carton
Gerard Mulot
Le Delice
Pain se Sucre
Pierre Herme
Sadaharu AokiThe results of this arduous endeavor to come later this week!

P.S.Here's a fun video (merci Chocolate & Zucchini) of Le Figaro experts tasting Paris' croissants.

P.S.S. For other aspiring Paris missionaries there's a terrific list of the best patisseries in each arrondissement fresh out on US stands of ELLE A TABLE. It's the December issue FYI !

Gerard Mulot's Pink Lunchbox...

Gerard Mulot's Pink Box, original watercolor, 9" x 11 1/2"

It's not everyday you get a top Parisien pastry chef reading

your blog!

Back in September I complained bitterly of a divine dessert getting smooshed because it was boxed badly. But LOOK! Here is the new lunchbox-style pastry box, the excellent Gerard Mulot (pronounced J-rard Moo-Low) has come up with!?

The old pink box was damn pretty too. But things had a way of traveling around inside that particular pink box enroute to your hotel room and ending up in critical condition :(

Here the sadly smooshed Mulot chocolate thingie. Many commented they wouldn't mind eating it anyway. But for still life painting, "that pony don't ride" to quote a certain infamous Dr...

Because I generally depart New York on Sundays and arrive Monday morning in Paris, it's important to know that Gerard Mulot is one of the few top patisseries open on Mondays. And at 6:30 am!

What else would make the perfect breakfast in Paris than a tarte Citron?

Here is the tarte, safe and sound back in my hotel room and totally intact too! Now to get out my diving gear and plunge into this lemony pool. More on tarte Citrons later...

Merci M. Mulot

Au Petit Bonheur la Chance

Au Petit Bonheur la Chance, watercolor
Linda Dannenberg gave me the name of her favorite secret Parisien haunt for antique kitchen and old school treasures - Au Petit Bonheur La Chance.

I went the day I arrived, a Monday, when most Paris shops are closed. Au Petit is in the Marais 13, rue St. Paul around the corner from Aux Désirs de Manon.

 It's a tiny shop, but jam-packed with kitchen goodies and old school supplies.

You will want everything. And I had no problem photographing everything in sight. I only bought a tiny box of jam labels. Not that I'll ever make home-made preserves. I had big plans to return and buy more.

They have a huge collection of cafe au lait bowls and tins.

Remember Cuisinophilie, where I found the little blue milk jug. That's a shoe box compared to Au Petit Bonheur La Chance, which by the way means, the little happiness of random luck.

Because I love French handwriting I took a picture of their doorway. I just forgot to read it.
"Open everyday except Monday - Tuesday"

I returned on Tuesday. They were closed of course.

Do you have art hanging in your kitchen? 
It's ART MONTH at apartment therapy: the kitchen. They've done a very nice interview on Paris Breakfasts and my food art.
Please take a look.

BIG MERCI !

Are those piles of tins all yours?

Hediard Tea Tins, original watercolor, 9" x 11"
Marie-Noëlle said yesterday... Are those piles of tins all yours? Very impressive, indeed! How many bags and suitcases do you need when you fly home?!?
I always travel with a very small suitcase but in this case I bought miniature Hediard tea tins, so no problem...
I didn't attempt to bring home this tea tin sign outside BETJEMAN AND BARTON on 23, boulevard Malesherbes, 75008 Paris. Nice though.

You could buy a BETJEMAN AND BARTON tins at the the 3-day Le Festival de The

All these tea tins were for sale in the Lafayette Gourmet tea department. It's the norm to pick you choice of loose tea and then have it bagged or buy a beautiful (coffret) tin to store your tea leaves.

At the Paris chocolate show there were tea sellers.

Check out the interesting teapot Tea & Cie. has made out of this egg-yolk-yellow tin online. Sadly, I did not bring this home.

Another chocolate shop, this time in Reims with a wall of tea tins. There's no way these tins will fit in my suitcase.

But you can always find a small silver tea spoon to fit in your suitcase. I did..from Mariage Freres for all of 10 euros :)

Bergdorf's Vintage Tea Shop

Vintage Tea Cups, original watercolor

It started with a rosebud...and I was thinking PINK again.

Plus browsing in Bergdorf's Vintage Tea Shop on the 7th floor helped, and I mean strictly browsing.

I fell in love again with all these pretty vintage china tea cups. Haviland, Limoges, Lord knows what?

Many one of a kind tea cups and saucers and some sets too.

 

Even some BLUE china! Did it all start with last year's Xmas windows at Bergdorf's? I fell in love ❤️ with this window of piled blue crockery.

My name is Carol and I'm a CUPaholic...and I'm not talking soccer teams here.

 

An Old Chestnut (pun intended)

Yesterday I marched into La Maison du Chocolat fully intending to shell out  $4-5 bucks for just one marron glace (chestnut). I decided in the name of research I'd must try one of these.

And a very special chestnut it is too - a Marron Glace / glazed, candied chestnut takes 4 days to prepare, two spent soaking in a syrupy sugar solution. I saw these in Reims in October but resisted temptation.
I was also informed that there were none left at La Maison!
SOLD OUT.

They were sitting politely on the front counter at La Maison during Christmas, but I procrastinated. I thought too sweet, I'll pass. But their Marrons are not too sweet (ont la particularité d'être très peu sucrés). The Marron glace I saw all over the shop were just "dummies". I felt like a crash test dummie. The French are completely nuts (no pun intended) about chestnuts. They do a whole slew of "faux" chestnuts for autumn. The windows were full of them. This marzipan version was sitting in Patrick Roger's window.

I compulsively took pictures of every chestnut that fell across my path (no pun intended). And I passed up every one. These were part of La Mere de Famille's Fall display. All edible.

Marrons are the fruit of Le châtaigner tree and here's a little movie on them. "Chatain" is also the name of chestnut hair color...like blondinette /brunette. The meat is quite nutricious too. Just don't eat too many. Elle peut provoquer des gaz intestinaux si on en fait une grosse consommation. My New Year's resolution - I will not pass up any French chestnuts that come my way in 2007 next Fall. An old chestnut" is a subject/joke which has been repeated so many times that it isn't funny any more.

Jean-Paul Hévin, Blue Boxes

Jean-Paul Hevin blue Tins, original watercolor, 9" x 11"

I fall in love easily with containers. Whether a tea tin, a glass teapot, a green pastry box or a cocoa pod holding beans inside. And blue milk jugs and tea cups count too don't they? I'm easily smitten...

Jean-Paul Hevin had this beautiful silver plate tin you could fill with whatever you like. I got the blue tin version of this, first time filled with chocolate powder and last trip filled with chocolate macarons.

The French love boite metal (tin boxes) too. There were many at the October Paris chocolate show.
 

They had an exhibit of old miniature chocolate tins too - here cacao.

These Cemoi cacao tins must be from the 30's.

 Chocolat Menier tins from before the turn of the century - even a dollhouse size tin here. And another mouse. What's not to love about tins? They've always have nice surprises for us.

Glass Teapot...

Gallerie Lafayette Glass Teapot, original watercolor, 9" x 11"

When I visited Paris in October I had no intention of buying a clear glass teapot...

I drink only hot chocolate so I remembered my folly yesterday. I saw this glass teapot at The Tea Box in Takishimaya, my favorite New York browsing store...

I spotted these enticing teapots in the Gallerie Lafayette Gourmet tea department.

Who could resist? Only 15 Eruos. And perfect for painting still lifes I told myself. And I'm always interested in painting glass...

These round glass teapots were on display at the October 3-day Le Festival de The.

I ended up buying loose tea with whole rose buds for my glass teapot at Lafayette. The idea is you watch "the "agony of the leaves" as they unfurl while brewing in hot water. I left my glass teapot in the hotel room for housekeeping to enjoy.

And I'm back to drinking my hot chcolate :)