Fetish Ispahan

 

Pierre Herme's Fetish Ispahan collection is just hot out of the ovens as of yesterday.

The call (email) came at exactly 3:21 pm.

The collection is available ONLY UNTIL 6 DECEMBER!

Please sign up for their newsletter so you can vicariously get a chill and thrill along with me.

Voila! miam miam

Easily 20+ pieces in the latest Ispahan collection including meusli and caramels. I want to introduce you to a wonderful artist who styles all these pictures and all of Pierre Herme's books and brochures, even the little macaron accordian flavor guides - Coco Jobard. Coco has carte blanche/total freedom to do whatever she likes from Pierre Herme. All the photographs are taken by the reknown pastry photographer Laurent Fau. You should know his name. Exquisite.

I first met Coco at the Relais Desserts Buche de Noel tasting and again at the Petrossian caviar extravaganza. I was instantly smitten with her mixed up ropes of Chanel and wooden baubles.

I tried madly to recreate Coco's collier in candy for the Salon du Chocolat opening.

Back to the Fetish Ispahan. Pierre Herme with Coco Jobard and Laurent Fau have a new book out hot off the presses you must see if you come to Paris (30 euros).

Simply to die for.

If you're an enterprising baker you can make these yourself!

Maim miam

I picked myself up and ran over to 72, rue Bonaparte for a looksee. The window decor was one giant paper cutout of the rose of Ispahan (the origin of the pastry's name).

and No line in the rain.

Inside the shop was so busy no one noticed me shooting happily away.

How I would love to taste this Baba Ispahan...

Or the mini individual version.

They were just putting out the collection, adding new pieces.

These caramels are calling my name.

My haul arrived home safe and sound. The small box was placed inside a very big bag. I got all kinds of knowing smiles on the Metro and bus from sympathetic, envious observers as I tip-toed home, praying nothing moved or was desplaced. Just a rose petal or two slipped off - easily repaired.

The millefeuille Ispahan looks ginormous. Maybe you're thinking, However can she eat that by herself?  EASILY!

It's light as a feather - mostly air and whipped cream with just the meerest hint of rose water. The middle layer is litchi and raspberry plus a thin layer of cake to keep it all afloat I suppose. The millefeuille layers top and bottom are one of the lightest pastries you'll find in Paris. It should be delicate yet crunchy. This one certainly is. Altogether an ethereal eating experience and gone too soon...sigh.

As for the much-copied Fetish Ispahan, this too is light, delicate and airy. As sweet as it looks, sugar is an under note. The raspberries are the most assertive flavour plus the surprise texture of the lichi coming through in the middle. Again rose water is barely evident.

This is one of the great joys of living in Paris.

Monkey reads email.

Monkey wants.

Monkey races out the door 

munch munch munch.

Please do sign on for Coco Jobard's blog posts if you enjoy beauty of the highest order.

BONNE WEEKEND PBers!

Salon du Chocolat - last bites

5 days out of 6 I attended this year's Salon du Chocolat. That's a record for me.
 

The chocolate fountains were flowing as always...

One of my favorite tiny chocolate boxes from Jean-Charles Rochoux.
 

The other small chocolate box is from Pierre Herme.
 

Herme was very much present at this year's Salon
 

Doing hot chocolate demos and giving classes. Lots of new people at the Salon this year.

Speaking of small, these little jars of tartiner in all flavors were awfully tempting.
 

A wall of flowing chocolate from Bonnet.

Lots of chocolate machines emphasizing the bean-to-bar process at the Salon.
 

The biggest column of chocolates from Belgian Leonidas.
 

Slabs of chocolate stacked like greeting cards. What a nice way to say "Hello!"

I've yet to get a good view of the annual chocolate fashion show without parking myself for an hour ahead.
 

The closest I got to the daily show at 4:30. Forgetaboutit!
 

Fortunately the outfits are on display as well.
 

Two of my favorite gowns.
 

Where would the Salon be without all the young student chefs helping out? Me, I'm ready for some serious detox and minceur/thinning teas bien sur.
 

Salon du Chocolat - the color Orange

Project: match the orange of this hatbox...

It took several hatboxes (filled with macarons by the way) to get the color right...

Et voila!

I thought it was just Frederic Cassel who was mad for orange...but there was orange everywhere I looked at the Salon du Chocolat.

Orange is a color well-loved by chocolate makers including Arnaud Larher and Henri le Roux..

Orange is the perfect backdrop for caramel au beurre sale evidently...

Doing a little color research I found out why the prevalence of orange

Orange is also stimulating to the appetite.

If you love having people around the kitchen table, orange will keep them talking and eating for a long time. Many restaurants use pastel versions of orange, such as apricot or peach or deeper versions such as terracotta, for their décor as they are more subtle than red, yet still increase the appetite and promote conversation and social interaction, which in turn encourages patrons to have a good time and to eat and drink more.

The color orange is obviously the worst color to have in the kitchen if you are trying to lose weight!

Ah ha!

More on Orange

Enthusiasm: Orange is optimistic and extroverted - the color of the uninhibited.

Rejuvenation: Orange helps to restore balance to our physical energies.

Stimulation: Orange is not as passionate or as excitable as red, but it is stimulating, particularly to the appetite - the worst color to have in the kitchen if you want to lose weight.

Courage: Orange helps us to take account of our lives, to face the consequences, to take action and make appropriate changes, and then to move onward and upward.

Vitality: Orange has a more balanced energy than red, not as passionate and aggressive, but full of vitality

A preponderance of orange makes perfect sense since all this chocolate is made with oranges.

Are you a fan of orangettes?

Chocolaterie Bellangers very long chocolate-covered orangettes were calling my name but the purse was empty. Georges says I should come to the Salon with no money and no carte bleu...Hmmmm

This is my second helping (in 2 days) of Basques Paries tres delish home-made ice cream (flavor pistachio. What else?). They have it in their Paris store as well...uh oh.

Orange-flavored pain d'Epice makes perfect sense...

The sign of a true chocolate aficionado are all-orange pants no?

Does your orange ginger cat want to go to Paris?