Made In France expo, MIF

Every November I get excited about the 3-day MADE IN FRANCE EXPO. I went yesterday’s 

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Even with days of steady rain and gloom

Parisians showed up in troves to partake of all the new products and taste everything possible.

I headed to the gastronomie section. The COMTÉ cheese was heavenly. I had many tastes of aged Comté but the lengthy chats between vender and clients sent me on my way empty-handed.

No problem at the ISIGNY STE MERE stand.

This hunk of butter was made onsite. Just a bit of churning of cream + salt. Voila. Yum NYC was never like this.

I came home with lait cru Camembert and some Mimolette

Time to stock up on French lentille direct from the producteur of the Loire.

As many flavored mustards as jams!

Madeleines made by BISCUITERIE JEANNETTE since 1850. So many flavors. So many tastes.

There is always honey at French fairs.

Les sandwiches line...I didn't wait

OPINEL wooden-handled knives of reknown from the Savoie region. Originally the working man's knife their esteem has grown. Picasso used one as a sculpting tool.

An amusing range of made-to-order bowties

Witty bags amd carryalls from MARON BOUILLIE.

La creme de la creme of copper pots, MAUVIEL1830 offered breaks on their wares.

T-shirt representing the World cup winnong team.

I looked at all the shoes of course. I'm still hunting the right shoe...

So many unusual French products to discover every year. A Mont St. Michel light fixture from ATELIER SAINT EVROULT from Normandy

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Paris may not have brilliant Fall folliage colors like New England and the East Coast, but there are plenty of monuments. Plenty of rain too. Pitter, patter on my window...Thank you for reading Parisbreakfast. If you'd like to receive Parisbreakfast watercolors, letters and maps in your mailbox 📮, look in my Etsy shop. 

Cheers Carolg and Bear 🐻

Furoshiki Paris, Hotel de Ville

Paris has these extraordinary magical exhibitions that can last just 4 days or 1 week like the DIOR JEWELS. Drop everything and run or miss out the FUROSHIKI PARIS expos at HOTEL DE VILLE  on for a mere 4 days this week.

I'm so glad I didn't miss it (many thanks to @caroline.mignot showing it in her STORIES on Instagram)

Why you need to get on instagram PBers!

Inside the big tent a veritable wonderland of wrapped packages and gifts. 

Fukoshiki is the art of wrapping (in time for Noël which we're gearing up for, since there is no Thanksgiving).

A brief animated video explained the Japanese tradition of wrapping, whether a gift or a dozen eggs or something enormous like CHRISTO wrapping the Pont Neuf!

Both Japanese and French artists participated. AGNES B. Wrapped a package with postal stamps patterns. YUM

Artist YAYOI KUSAMA using her wonderful famous dots.

Wrapping a laptop.

The staff matched the wall pattern. The exhibit was designed by TSUYOSHI TANE.

In the back an atelier where you could try your hand at wrapping with assitents and videos.

I didn't know I already loved Fukushiko. It shows up all the time in surimono woodblock still life prints.

I kept thinking Coco would love this exhibit with her indigo wrapped bandanas and turbins. I didn't know her yet. At a brunch Coco set out this coaster of a petit rat painting at my place setting. So Coco. So Japanese.

I’m Carol Gillott, an artist living in Paris. Every month I send out beautifully illustrated letters that capture the true Parisian experience. Sign up to receive these whimsical treasures in the mail.

Thanks for reading PB ❤️

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Remembering Coco Jobard

I talked about my extraordinary friend, ‘Food Designer’ COCO JOBARD many times. Sadly we lost Coco last weekend. A French tribute is here: Coco Jobard - La prêtresse de stylisme culinaire s'est éteinte ce week-end.

The last time we met,

Coco invited me to a feast 

At Benoit CASTEL’s 

New boulangerie in the 20th arrondissement.

It was always a celebration 🎉 when Coco was there.

All the chefs adored Coco ❤️

We met October 2013 when I drooled over her fabulous necklace at a Petrossian caviar tasting. I tried to make a copy with penny candy 🍬 for the opening of the Salon du Chocolat a few weeks later. I wanted to look like Coco. Endlessly chic.

Shortly after Coco invited me to one of many Sunday feasts.

I took pictures of everything in sight. All of Coco's treasures. Her necklaces hanging on the wall. Her spice collection.

Bear was always invited.

Both Coco and her cat Willis loved Bear.

Coco was a brilliant tastemaker. Her approach to food and food styling was unique.

She did many books with Pierre Hermé, not just perfecting and writing all the recipes for the homemaker but setting up the still lifes in one tiny corner of her appartment.

Coco was a magician and inspirational in so many ways.

I remember how she said, “We broke 200 Pierre Hermé macarons to get the right look for his cover”. In total Coco styled, tested and wrote over 80 cookbooks. And she had another she was hoping to do when we last met.

Coco loved pointing out overlooked details of Parisian beauty.

She loved showing me 'le vrai Paris’ like visiting to LE VIEUX BELLEVILLE.We had to sing old French songs for our supper.

Another adventure to a sausage-making dinner, tasting the treasures of her home region, Franche-Comté.

When I had a fractured ankle Coco showed up 

With 6 of my favorite little cups/ mini-pots crème glacée Lait d'amande, griottes of Picard almond ice cream (her faborite too).

Coco loved showing me around her neighborhood known as 'la compagne à Paris' in the 20th (and dressed like Colette’s(her real name was Colette, Claudine at School)

Her generosity and warmth was boundless.

I always loved her shoes. There was much talk with my recent walking obsession about having the right shoes when we last met.

She wrote me,"YOUPI, I found the right shoes at Le Vieux Campeur!" I responded I couldn't find this brand called YOUPI! 

Coco laughed. She always wanted me to speak French. 

"YOUPI means Hooray in French!"

A sweet video of Coco in her wonderful kitchen.

Here are some past posts on dear Coco. 

Do visit her superb blog to see her work. Link above.

Xxxx❤️

• Brunch with Coco Jobard
• • • • Le Vieux Belleville
      • • • • Lunch with Coco Jobard