Vivian Swift Gardens of Awe and Folly - Jardins d'Orient - Institute du Monde Arabe

I was told to avoid greens like the plague. It is one of the hardest colors to paint with. 

Vivian Swift has filled her new garden book only with greens. 

Gardens of Awe and Folly focuses on 9 gardens worldwide including Long Island.

I never visited the lovely Square du Vert-Galant featured in Vivian Swift's book till today. It's hidden on the very tip of the isle de Cité in the middle of the Seine.

You can get there via Metro 9 Pont Neuf. You can also catch the Bateaux Vedettes du Pont Neuf  there and cruise up and down the Seine. A must-do at least once in your life. Check.

I brought along Vivian’s exquisite garden book.

In New York they would call this quiet corner garden a 'pocket park'. Paris has at least 600+ parks and I have the app to prove it, PARK LIFE. Every new Paris mayor feels duty-bound to create more parks. Jacques Chirac took old forgotten parks, refurbished them and renamed them, like my favorite, Square Marie Trintignant. Past Mayor Delanoë created 79 acres of new green spaces. We can thank current mayor Anne Hidaldo for removing the wretched 'love locks' on Paris bridges which may be equal to creating 100 new parks for the peace of mind it gives us.

Speaking of peace of mind, this morning I read in the NYTimes, 'How walking in nature changes the brain'. "A walk in the park may soothe the mind and, in the process, change the workings of our brains in ways that improve our mental health...etc., etc." If you can't get out to stroll in nature in L.I., Rio, Edinburgh, London, Key West etc. try Vivian's Garden book. It should have almost the same effect.

Today is the first day of Institute du Monde Arabe's spectacular new exhibit (both indoors and out).

JARDINS D'ORIENT de l'Alambra au Taj Mahal will be the hot ticket this summer in my opinion. If you're a mad gardener head here, not the Louvre. Even if you're not a garden nut, you'll be endlessly delighted.

The two floor indoor exhibit are infused with bird song

Plus bird designs incorporated into rugs, fabrics, Persian and Indian miniatures.

The background sound of trickling water fountains will give the little brain cells a nice rest too.

'Oriental gardens have rigorously straight and geometric lines

Shaped by water - the canals that convey the water and the large basins that serve as reservoirs.

The tradition dates back to Achaemenian Persia (c.600-530 BCE)'.

'Water is the core element in an Oriental garden...water is allowed to flow naturally and quietly; the trickling water enhances the garden's relaxed atmosphere'. I feel relaxed already just reading that.

'Certain plants are emblematic of Oriental gardens: citrus, cypress, vines, roses...a garden must stimulate all the senses'. I'm quoting from excellent wall plaques, happily in English plus French. Hooray. And they are NOT placed at toe-level so you don't have to squat to read them (like at some French fashion exhibits...Grrrr).

Shall we venture outside to the real gardens? The bookstore on the ground level has perfect Oriental gifts if you're so inclined.

Fabulous gardens outside were designed by Michel Péna, somewhat like a flat desert environment.

I recommend getting a light lunch available at the kiosk

Relax, stretch back in lounge chairs provided. "Luxe, calm, volupte" Only a peacock is missing.

Here's a peek at a hidden garden (18th c) behind my house. Private garden tours actually come in to see this. And here's a lovely green: pistachio ice cream I ate in the JARDINS D'ORIENTS garden.

Fou de Patisserie 45 rue Montorgueil 75002

I swore no FINANCIERS would pass my lips for at least a week. Ha!

On Friday while strolling down rue Montorgueil temptation beckoned. A new concept shop - the brain child of exquisite pastry magazine, FOU DE PATISSERIE has just opened at 45, rue Montorgueil, 75002.

Teatime in Paris! - Almond Financier Teacakes with Jill Colonna

Last Thursday I had a house call from TEATIME IN PARIS cookbook author, Jill Colonna of Mad About Macarons fame.

It's not because I painted her Paris pastry map endpapers, but I love ❤️ this cookbook.

Jill knows all the little tips and secrets to making baking easy for idiots like moi. I can't even ice a cake, though I can paint one and eat it.

I will be making almond financiers while Jill gives instructions. 

1st things first. 

Weigh out the ingredients on my balance (scale).

Only a few days later I spotted this adorable ladybug balance in Pylones window. 

Drool.

Next make the 'beurre noisette' (burnt butter). 

A few days ago I overheard French girls chatting in Galeries Lafayette by the Liberté pastry counter, 

"Oh you must taste my financiers! You brown the butter first. Then they're divine, best ever!"

I reported back to Jill only to find out we were going to do the same thing. The recipe is on page 31.

Jill said when the butter begins to 'chirp' it's done. 

Who knew?

I had big plans to add in apricot jam, honey, raspberries, lemon zest, you name it into the financiers. Hmm..

I feel if you happen to have a French whip among your kitchen equipment you should use it. When in France as they say.

Jill said a plain old spoon 🥄  would do fine.

Financiers are mostly ground almonds with just a 1/4 of regular flour. Is there anything you cannot add lemon zest to? Next time I'll use two lemons 🍋 (untreated please).

The batter rests and cool on my roof.

Time to fill the flexipan molds. No butter required. Yay! 

Jill said, lose the spatula 😳

Drop in the dough with either a pastry bag or 2 🥄🥄 spoons.
Jill says, “it is NOT OK to eat the raw dough.”

Who says? I've been doing it since I was a kid and nothing's happened. OK, its why I don't bake much. Eating uncooked dough doesn't leave very many financiers.

I wish I'd gotten a shot of Jill's face 😨 when I liberally threw the almond slivers helter-skelter on top. Ha!

I did not have a nice flat baking pan for my tiny oven. 

Jill said just fold over several layers of tin foil and use as a base.

Do you like my appropriate knife & fork rug?

Aren't they gorge? I had no clue I could bake but Jill's Teatime in Paris makes it easy to make real French pastry. 

If I can do it, you can too.

Frankly I'd recommend losing the raspberries, pretty as they are. The cakes were too moist in my opinion. Just almond slivers on top make for a crunchier crust. I like the mini 'gold brick' size best. You eat more cake and feel less guilty👍

I felt obliged to taste Angelina's financier the other day for comparison. Heavy and a tad soggy. 

Much easier to make them using Jill's recipe!

Here's the Special Offer!

The first 5 buyers of Jill's book on Amazon get the Paris tea Salon map sent to them.

Buy the book and subscribe to the Paris letters or maps (6-12 months) + an original watercolor of Jill's financiers + the tea salon map.

Next batch of almond financiers will go to Ms. Piggy who lives in a houseboat on the other side of the Seine.

Tea Salon Map

The Tea Salon map is in la poste📮 Everyone is talking about Barbie exhibit at Musee des arts decorativ, but do not miss HOLLYWOOD STARS at Musee de la Poupee!

Franchement I found Barbie too big, too expansive and too impersonal.

Poisson d’Avril Paris lLetter

This morning when I got up I stepped on chocolate fish first thing.

It's total immersion around here. Yesterday was the annual French fete, Poisson d'Avril. You can buy an entire school of chocolate seafood if you like.

Gerard Mulot is Fish Central in my opinion at Easter. On the right praline-filled milk chocolate lobsters, crabs, oysters. Milk chocolate is nothing to sniff at by the way. Its harder to get the balance of milk and sugar right than straight old dark chocolate. Give it a try and forget the percentages.

Mulot has perhaps the biggest range of moulages or chocolate molds. Even Sturgeon for caviar-lovers.

Big fish are filled with little fish or fritures. Yum.

I thought at first it would be a snap to paint chocolate fish with a little help from the Aquarium. Ha

And what a mysterious and stunning place it is. Especially the 10m deep, three-million litre shark tank.

Hurry up and apply for a free overnight Airbnb is offering to sleep with the sharks (35 of them). Airfare included.

The children's 'petting pool' is a delight.

I brought Bear along but I was so enthralled I forgot to take him out of my bag until the gift shop.

Naturally he wants a stripped clown fish toy. We're giving it serious thought.

Clearly it wasn't going to be so easy to capture these exquisite fish in watercolor.

I wished I hadn't thrown away the wash doodle I'd done after visiting much smaller Aquarium de Porte Doree.

First go was a no-go :( Was I inhaling too many chocolate fish to see straight?

Enfin les fins d'Avril c'est fini! 

By the way the Aquarium de Paris is near the Eiffel Tower in Trocadero parc, a 5-minute walk from Metro Station Ilena.

Bugs emailed me, 

"Loving your French children fishing - they look like they popped out of a children's story book". 

Umm...c'est moi