Cinnamon Hill, Cinnamon Bear

Cinnamon goes into my hot chocolate every morning but finding good cinnamon is tough. And finding any cinnamon at all in Paris is really tough.

Yesterday bear and I set out on a hunter-gathers jaunt for cinnamon with a stop off at the pool first.

Then to nearby Patisserie Viennoise on 8, rue de l'Ecole de Medcine 75006

They've been showing off their almond torte with cannelle/cinnamon for days and we've been flirting with it post-pool for days.

 

At last pass me the CINNAMON bébé.

 

Hmmm...it could have more cinnamon in my humble opinion. Bear is not an eater of crusts either.

 

Frenchie To Go has been getting rave reviews for their American-style cinnamon buns.

 

And let me tell you

 

This is the REAL thing.

 

Walnuts and all...a perfect amalgam of caramelized heaven with just the right amount of sweetness.

 

A perfect balance. But do not go with a friend who does not eat gluten. You need absolute silence when you bite into this baby. No chattering allowed.

Eat all the burgers you want in Paris. When I'm homesick (so far never) I'm heading back to Frenchie.

 

At the Salon de l'Agriculture there was plenty of cinnamon. More than you'll see anywhere else in Paris.

 

And in the most diverse forms like these hunks of bark from the West Indies.

Otherwise head to Alsace or any Alsatian bakery for les etoiles  - one the best cinnamon cookies in all of France (usually found only at Christmas in Paris). Is it the proximity of Germany that influences Alsatian pastry?

In a Paris supermarket look high and low but forget about finding cinnamon cookies.

 

The same goes at the multi-plex of yogurt flavors. Nil, nix, nada, niente, non. NO CINNAMON yogurt.

 

"Pas aujourd'hui" they told me at Berthillon when we asked for cannelle/cinnamon glace, but there's hope in them thar hills. They change ice cream flavors everyday and someday we may hit it lucky.

 

Big surprise. French frozen food magnet Picard has a wonderful thin little cinnamon cookie/biscuit called 'feuillets a la cannelle' perfect for teatime. Is there an Alsatian in the kitchen at Picard?

 The best thing you can do is bring your own supply to Paris. And the place to get it is from the UK company, Cinnamon Hill. They have a lovely grater especially and only for cinnamon as I found out when I tried to use it for nutmeg..a no no. Honestly I thought I was getting good stuff at Kalustian, New York but no way. Cinnamon Hill's Ceylon and Saigon sticks have a more delicate flavor yet an intensity. It lifts anything you add it to including my daily cup of hot chockie. Yesterday Bear and I had a cinnamon fest chez nounours/marshmallow bears. By the way Speculous has a mere .02 % cinnamon - Quelle disappointment. Well that's the lowdown on Paris and cinnamon. Find some other reason to visit and bring along your own supply. Or go to Frenchie-To-Go for the bun of the century (4,50€).

Bon Week-end PBers.

La Poste, la pont, la Tabouleh, Jour du Macaron 2014

I've been MIA (missing in action) on PB. So here's a day in the life of yours truly. I got up late today at 5:21 am. I rush to address and fill envelopes so I can leave the house by 7 am for the piscine.

This doesn't happen now I've become a post mistress. I usually race into the pool at 7:50 with just 20-30 minutes to move my arms and legs around. I hang out by the side where a couple of older French gals yak away/bavarde (loudly) sneaking in a petite French leçon while I'm moving the limbs.

Then off to La Poste to drop your Paris letters into l'Etranger slot.

I'm having an unrequited love affair with La Poste. La Poste is not thrilled to see me.

I go inside and ask for 'timbre outre-mere' (overseas stamps).

I should be saying 'la Monde'.

They respond "Ou/where?"

Me: Etats unis, Australie, Canada etc.

They say: quatre-vingt-quinze

I say "Cinquante(50) svp"

They respeat,"Non, quatre-vingt-quinze" (.95 centimes)

Moi:"non j'ai besoine de 50 timbres!"

They duck under the desk and try to evaporate. 50 stamps is an outlandish amount of stamps to buy at La Poste. They would rather you leave immediately. They don't like counting them out.

I feel like T.S.Elliot's Alfred J. Prufrock.

"I am living my life out in coffee spoons postage stamps".

I thought I would finally be whooping it up in the Ile Saint Louis' little restaurants. My $$$ goes to La Poste instead.

Petite dej' at Printemps' Hugo et Victor tea salon = 13 stamps

A new Dior lipstick (what was I thinking?) = 32 stamps

Across the street from La Poste is the fabulous BU, a kind of French IKEA. 45 rue de Cardinal Lemoine 75005

They have all kinds of French gourmet treasures at bargain prices.

I bought an Alain Milliat nectar Abricot for a mere 3€.

Plus they have art supplies, lamps, umbrellas, you name it.

Time to head across the bridge and go to Thursday marché Bastille. I have become an 'island girl'.

There is nothing better than living by La Seine. It reminds me of summer nights I sat on Nantucket beach after waitressing at The Sandpiper (as a college student) watching the tide flow in eons ago. The water puts you in a calm state of mind like meditation.

No, I do not eat Berthillon ice cream everyday for those who asked.

I've discovered the best tabouleh on the planet at Marché Bastille. Thursdays and Sundays.

Today is the annual Jour du Macaron! I 'borrowed' this fabulous photo by top Paris pastry photographer, Laurent Fau from Coco's blog. The photo was styled by Coco. I want Coco's job.

Coco came to tea. Bear fell instantly in love. Being French he is not the least bit faithful. It's true he has a wondering eye.
*Please subscribe to Coco's blog.
You don't need to know French. Her beautiful pictures tell the story. I have no idea what she's saying most of the time but I love getting her daily in my inbox. You will too.

Off I go on bus #87 from Bastille to St.Sulpice and stop in at Pierre Herme, 67 rue Bonaparte. He's the man who brilliantly started Macaron charity Day in the first place.

One don (donation) = one macaron.

I got 'satiné' - cream cheese, compote d'Orange et fruit de la Passion, a new flavor. Miam

Then to Arnaud Larher on 93 rue de Seine, 75006. By the way only members of Dessert Relais are participating in Jour du Macaron. The big news is it's been extended through Sunday. So if you're arriving tomorrow in Paris you can still taste macarons like crazy for a small donation.

At Arnaud Larher they let you make as many donations as you like to a very good cause, Mucoviscidose. You get a macaron each time. Here's my fab haul. Fortunately my concierge was by the door when I got home and I gave them to her.

*To all expats with concierges, Easter is coming. Get ready to give your concierge some nice Easter chocolates. It doesn't hurts.

At Larher you can pick up the latest Free issue of Desserts by Relais Desserts pastry chefs. It's in English/French and always gorgeous.

On to more ordinary things like Chinese ravioli soupe at Chez Shen yesterday. We meet up to eat soup, talk shop, compare notes and basically goof around. We discovered ice cream for 1€ a boule/dip (at Flunch near Metro Rambuteau). Naturally we overdid it and got TWO boules. Next time we will stick with a single dip.

There have been requests to see more Bear. I'll try to let him out of the house more often. Indulge yourself and get a taste of Paris letters in your mailbox.  Why not?

Omnivore World Tour 2014

Last Sunday was the beginning of the annual 3-day food fest at Mutualité-Maubert - the Omnivore World Tour.

 

Upstairs attendees eagerly awaited multiple cooking demos and the samples on offer.

 

While downstairs master classes with master chefs like Jean-Francois Piege went on sharing lots of secrets if your French was up to it. Mine was not.

 

Renown Pierre Gagnaire on Monday demo'd on the big screen.

 

Beautiful displays of perfect mini vegetables were for viewing only.

 

 

But plenty of tastes of my favorite fruit juice in France from Alain Milliat, so intensely fruity, real fruits have a hard time competing. I lurve their nectar fraise. Do try it next visit.

 

Endless species of French potatoes

 

Would go perfectly with the famous Bordier beurre.

 

Bread, butter and salt. The great trifecta.

 

Kalios is the new hot Greek olive oil and olives sanctioned by Paris top chefs being produced by two French guys in Greece.

 

Inhale the perfumey saffron from Iran.

 

Mini verrines of gingered creme fraiche and fruit.

 

I didn't realize I was tasting raw fish until it was too late...doodly-doodly-do.

That's what happens at these free-for-all degustations.

 

But raw oysters I'll taste whenever. Miam!

 

Miniature boxes of chunky Malden salt from the UK so you can bring your own salt (BYOS) next restaurant outing.

 

Black lemons! For cooking not eating on the spot.

 

I love French lentilles and you could actually by these Red Label Loire vallee lentils. Two sacs went into my bag.

 

Fromages d'Italie was again this year dishing out wonderful BIG tastes of Italian cheeses.

 

You forget how much you miss the strong flavors of Parmigiano and Gorgonzola

 

Big sandwiches from Le Verre Vole. I had to laugh - a blogger busy piling exotic caviar on little toasts spilt it all over her fancy camera. .