Melodies Graphiques!

C'est la rentree! R U ready? U will need an apple for the teacher (organic/bio svp) Chocolate pencils are a must-have from Patrick Roger. How do U say 'pencil sharpener' in French?

A lovely Eiffel tower pencil box - check

Lacy notes for teach when U'd rather stay bed - check.

Longer lacy notes for more elaborate excuses - check.

Postcards to send to yourself - check.

Quill pen + l'encre for handwritten notes to your boyfriend - check.

Lovely rubberstamps to decorate your envelopes - check.

Little felt mats to blot your pen points - check.

You can get all these essential back-2-school goodies at Melodies Graphiques on 10, Rue du Pont Louis-Philippe 75004, a unique calligraphie shop in the Marais.

For all chocolates - Patrick Roger.

Bonjour La Rentree!

Jean-Paul Goude/Paris!

I bought this book 'cause I love the cover. Paris graphics are terrific.

 No one does it better in Paris than Jean-Paul Goude

© Photo de Jean-Paul Goude pour Galeries LafayetteThis morning surfing around a link took me to a Galeries Lafayette page full of Goude..

© Photo de Jean-Paul Goude pour Galeries Lafayette © Photo de Jean-Paul Goude pour Galeries Lafayette © Photo de Jean-Paul Goude pour Galeries Lafayette

It's impossible to take a Metro without meeting up with Goude enroute.

© Photo de Jean-Paul Goude pour Galeries Lafayette
© Photo de Jean-Paul Goude pour Galeries Lafayette

© Photo de Jean-Paul Goude pour Galeries Lafayette © Photo de Jean-Paul Goude pour Galeries Lafayette © Photo de Jean-Paul Goude pour Galeries Lafayette

© Photo de Jean-Paul Goude pour Galeries Lafayette!

BONJOUR J-P GOUDE/PARIS!

Ice Cream at Tiffanys

End of Summer Tiffanys has the right idea.
Their windows are filled with plain old-fashioned ice cream cones with fancy names - very cool.

What'll you have?

Cravin' Rum Raisin, Belle of the Ballberry, Rococo Cocoa, Diamond Dish Delish, Metro Melon, Schlumberry or Fifth Avenue Freeze?

Behind me I heard a woman say,
"Nice ice!"

Her kid said,
"Mom, can I get an ice cream?"

In Paris you find dixie cups that cost a menthe.
  You also find plain old ice cream cones on most blocks like this giant poster. Parisians adore ice cream.

A sky-high cone at Tiffanys.

And a wall of sprinkles.

What flavor would you like?

I'll take chocolate bien sur!

More sprinkles piled high.

I'll take the 'ROCK'-y road please...

During hurricane Irene I nervously wolfed down dixie cups.

I couldn't find these.

During the holiday weekend I'll be thinking about baguette ice cream.

BONNE HOLIDAY WEEKEND PBers!

Financiers

The other day Rosanne asked me,
"What is a financier? I bought a 'financier' thinking it was a madeleine since it was oval shaped. Pas de tout. 
Normalement a true financier is shaped like a mini gold brick.
All of about 3" long, full of luscious browned butter(beurre noissete). Plus almond powder and baked in rectangular pans.

I don't know why they had to change the design?

The little tea cakes were first made in a pastry shop near the Place de Bourse 75002 - i.e. the Wall Street of Paris.

I've never seen pans this shape, yet the recipe is in their book.

The financier can come in many flavors. Mariage Freres serves a mean Matcha cake (on the left) at tea time.

 Pierre Herme only makes big rectangular cakes. He says,

“Les cakes me replongent toujours dans des souvenirs d’enfance. D’apparence parfois simple, ils se révèlent à la découpe, moelleux, denses et souvent truffés de surprises savoureuses et croquantes.”

'Cake always takes me backto childhood memories. The appearence is simple, they reveal themselves in the cutting,soft , dense, often filled wiht surprises savory and crusty-crunchy'.

You can watch one of many financier demos at L'Atelier des Chefs.

The best possible info on the best financier in Paris is at Le Figaro naturalement and their list of Paris' 10 best. A la prochaine/next time I'll taste test and give you the lowdown PBers.

Yesterday I went looking for other financiers to taste but Bouchon has none and Financier Pastries was sold out except for a minis pack and I don't trust myself to eat just one.

I might as well just buy a pound of butter and start munching.

BONJOUR FINANCIERS!