Paris recap

What can I say, I had a wonderful time! It felt as though I hadn't been there in 20 years rather than 8 months though - that was strange. Audrey picked me up from the station (can I reiterate how amazing it is to get on a train and be in Paris in little over 2 hours?) and we went straight to my favourite sushi place! We would go every Wednesday to get our fix, so it was only fitting that this be our first stop. Amazing menu: salad and soup, sashimi and skewers and rice all for 15 euros. Scrummy.

Then we went to Audrey's apartment which, like all great Parisian starter homes, is on the 6th floor without a lift! Once you get there you feel on top of the world. I lived in a similar space in 2003 in Saint Germain des Pres. Good times indeed and staying with Audrey took me right back to them.




The following day we had an early lunch with a lovely colleague (sushi again - love it) and then I went off to my pastry class at LeNotre. It was weird going around in the Metro on my own. It felt like my town, I was at home, except it was no longer my home. It is hard to explain.

At LeNotre I actually had the same teacher who taught my croissant class 8 months back, so that was cool. Macaroons are far more do-able than croissants and the results are so rewarding, so in the next few days I'm going to put up instructions. Watch this space. It was so fun to be back in a professional kitchen and to learn with people equally passionate about pastry. I mean, you can hardly discuss icing tip width with just anyone (unless you want to lose your friends as they slowly die of boredom).

I left the class on a high for sure. I found out that retraining as a pastry chef would take at least 2 years - such a long time. A part of me wishes I had done that in my early twenties, when there seemed to be so much time. 2 years was nothing. Anyway, I will definitely be making macaroons again, and I look forward to experimenting with different flavours and creating my own. Lots of fun and mess ahead!



Audrey and I met on the Champs Elysees after that and looked at books. I love French bookshops and can browse in them for hours! There is a new Laduree book out if anyone's interested. It looked very good indeed. Finally a book that divulges a bit of that Laduree magic.

I found a fascinating novel about Sephardic Jews. These are Jews who originated in Spain rather than Eastern Europe (Ashkenazic Jews). I am a mix of both, but am considered Sephardic as this goes according to the father's background. The novel is about a Sephardic Jewess whose family comes from Morocco but lives in Strasbourg. She is about to get married and it's meant to be one of the most important explorations of Sephardic culture ever written. It's a long time since I've been so tempted by a novel, so I bought it and am certain I'll talk more about it as I work my way through.

No stop at the Champs Elysees is ever complete without a visit to Sephora! We bought some face masks, took them home and enjoyed an evening of soup and makeovers. It's fun to be a girl!

The following day we started off at Mora and G. Detout, the professional baking/confectionary shops. Mora sells every conceivable item to make cakes and to decorate them. It is replete with chocolate moulds and the like. A sight to be seen to be believed. G Detout looks like a person's name but sounds like 'J'ai de tout' (I have everything). And this is true. Anything pastry-wise that you could want, G Detout has. I went to buy a few things that were recommended in the macaroon class.

Here we have a 7mm icing tip, a whisk, a mixture that is 50% ground almond 50% icing sugar, Tonka, and violet chips. The plastic things are bowl scrapers. The pastry chef told us how important it was not to waste anything and these are phenomenal at not leaving bowl and spoon lickers anything at all to taste! I wish we had equivalent shops in London.




We also went to an amazing ribbon and button store, 'la Droguerie', where we found supplies to make our own jewellery. I loved these profile discs and chose to mount them on these flower rimmed bases. I then stuck the earring attachment on the back. So easy and so beautiful in my opinion. I've already enjoyed wearing them.


Then we walked to and through the Marais, which you all know by now I love. I love all the little boutiques and the vintage finds. It's just a delicious place to spend an afternoon. Here are a few pics. 

As you can see, the cupcake trend has hit Paris. Of course, they are mini teeny cupcakes, for the teeny 'Parisiennes'!

Love Paris' rose shops



I spotted this dog, which might be the cutest thing that I have ever seen. And I love all the flower shops everywhere. It's easy to be romantic in Paris.

Then Audrey and I were ready for a break and a treat. We thought we'd head up to Le Train Bleu, a grand and highly esteemed Parisian restaurant which also serves tea and cake. Train stations don't tend to be the most salubrious places, so I didn't know what to expect. I knew about this restaurant because Marc nearly booked it for us when I was on secondment and because a blogging friend suggested it. When we got there it was like a faded glory: grand yet sad, somehow, and a little depressing.



So we didn't stay, and headed up to Laduree, which by now feels like my second home (what a privileged person I am). I tried one of their new macaroons: fig and date flavour. Since I am in love with both figs and dates, you could say that I was in heaven.

And that wrapped up a perfect two days in Paris. I loved my reunion with the city and with Audrey. But I missed home as well, and I was happy to see Marc again and delighted that he had brought me a delectable piece of chocolate cake... which I shall review next. Suffice to say that it was the best I have ever had. Au revoir Paris, je t'aime!

Paris here I come!

I miss Paris so much! I miss the freedom I had there - I could come and go as I pleased - the ability to walk everywhere, the fact that there people still buy bread from the baker and fish from the fishmonger, I miss the markets, I miss my wonderful ex-colleagues and friends: in short, I miss the wonderful life that I lead when I was there. Don't get me wrong: I missed home. I missed Marc, my Dad, my friends and my London life. But I loved the French lifestyle and that's still something I hanker after now that I'm back home. Paris was my home twice, for a year and a half in total. It is unquestionably a part of who I am. I really need to go back every once in a while, to reconnect with it and of course to use my French. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love speaking French - and how scared I am to lose it.

Around this time last year I came home at the last minute to attend Sarah and David's Thanksgiving dinner. I was delayed by four hours and, as compensation, received a free return ticket from the Eurostar. I did make trips after that, but never used the free ticket for some reason. It expires on 30 November, so I decided to book myself on for a (free!) trip to my beloved Paris.

I leave tomorrow and will be staying with lovely Audrey. On the list of things to do are visit our favourite Japanese restaurant (I know it's Paris, but I want to revisit my Paris) as well as the little boutiques of the Marais. We may visit the Louvre on Friday (gotta love free entry) too. I'm going to pop in on my colleagues as well. After having left my firm job because I was so desperately unhappy there, being back in Paris and witnessing what a lovely atmosphere exists at the company to which I was seconded will definitely give me pangs of sadness that I can no longer be there.

The coolest thing about the trip? I've signed up for a macaroon class at LeNotre! I'm so lucky! I'm going to learn to make those stunning and delectable treats, and once I know how I will be sure to blog about it and teach you. You may be far from Paris but no-one should be far from its much loved macaroons!

Au revoir and see you soon!



Can you believe this was my walk to work? I saw this every day? Pangs, I tell you. Pangs.

Pastry class at LeNotre Paris

I have no idea why I didn't ever blog about one of my most magical Parisian adventures: a croissant-making class! On my penultimate day in Paris, I treated myself to a course at LeNotre. Remember I blogged about it way back when? The fabulous patisserie that effectively introduced sumptuous French pastry to the world? It is also a professional cookery school, and thankfully they run courses for amateurs like me!

It was such a fun thing to do before leaving Paris! I was so excited with anticipation that I could hardly sleep. So many of us imagine the lovely career we could have if we could only go to pastry school and open a cake shop. Or is it just me?

Actually, the class made me realise that professional pastry making is an extremely meticulous exercise, and an extremely tiring one at that. We were taught by a wonderful, passionate, man however, in the typical French way, everything had to be 'just so'. The flour's temperature has to be measured before the mixing even occurs and at many intervals thereafter. The dough has to be left in the oven with a vessel of water underneath it, whose temperature must be precise to the degree, and periodically checked. The flour's thickness is measured, and once the dough is rolled out the triangle that will be rolled to make each croissant is measured with a ruler (yesm a ruler!) for optimum size!

The whole croissant making process is an extremely laborious and long one, taking about 12 hours! And some patisseries really do make them fresh every day. There are croissants made from frozen pastry, of course, but you can imagine the frowns that that would elicit from the pastry chefs at LeNotre. The steps are too complicated to recount and certainly too complicated to give me the will to replicate them. Not gonna happen.

I had a wonderful insight into the mystery of a professional pastry kitchen, though, to tools I had never seen, to a level of precision to which I can only aspire. I would encourage any home baker to take a class and be exposed to the stringent standards of a professional kitchen.

And the croissants? Words cannot describe the delectable joy! Anything made of 50% butter would be sumptuous, granted, but these were a delicious beyond belief. Flaky, melt-in-your-mouth, stick-to-your-thighs-forever heaven!


Just look at how beautiful they are!


Glazing
Pain au chocolat

I am in my element
I took all these home!

The fabulous boutiques of Paris

On my penultimate Saturday in Paris, I meant business. I had a long list of delights to savour - and discover - and I set off early in order to do just that.

First stop of the day was to the Maison du Chocolat, one of my favourite chocolate shops, for some raspberry infused ganache. Yum!


Then onto Pierre Herme for the most delectable macaroons imaginable. They were not around for long enough for me to photograph, but just imagine a dark chocolate and passionfruit macaroon... I have never tasted anything better. He is just so creative, he even has a foie gras macaroon. That was a step too far even for me! Pierre Herme is my favourite patissier without a doubt. Mine and so many others'.....





I then walked around one of my favourite areas and my old home: Saint Germain des Pres, an area filled with little boutiques and wonders. Here is a picture of my walk and of my old street! I treated myself to lunch in a restaurant and felt like a real 'Parisienne' eating lunch with only the company of a book and notepad.



Next onto the foodie area of Paris: Les Halles. Here I went to Dehillerin, a renowned shop in which to buy professional cooking equipment. It is a veritable Aladdin's cave of goodies. The 'service' is curt and swift - these people are busy serving professionals and don't have the time to talk to you... which all adds to the no-fuss attitude. This is where you go for the cake tin you couldn't find, the cannelle mould... the list of products is interminable and there were so many items I had never seen before, like a croissant cutter. Fascinating!





Next onto G Detout! A pun - it looks like someone's name but sounds like 'I have everything'. And indeed it does, if you are looking for professional baking supplies and the like. Random ingredient you can't find? They'll have it. Like the long strips of dark chocolate they put in pain au chocolat. Amazing.




My next stop was Mora (aka cake decorating heaven). My American readers may not be so impressed but may I just say that all this stuff is just unattainable in Europe. I had been looking for something like this for months and months. I could hardly be made to leave...




These are all chocolate moulds in a myriad of shapes... incredible.



I came home with all of this! Crazy, I know! But I was just so excited!


Then I went to a 'mercerie' to buy some ribbon to customise some jumpers that are boring me... look at the choice and at the colours! Could you bring yourself to choose?


The lovely day ended with dinner at dear Mathilde's house. I think I've written about her before: one of the loveliest, most humble people I have met. It was so lovely of her to invite us over, and I made some heart-shaped cupcakes using my new moulds and decorations. It was a wonderful evening full of fun conversation and laughter! The perfect ending to the perfect day!

PS: If you're going to Paris and want any addresses, please get in touch!

My last week in Paris

How has it come about so quickly? I am so sad! I have had such a wonderful six months and am just begining to feel like I have great friends and a real life here - not the life of an expat. And now I have to leave! I have had so much to blog about and have so missed updating this blog but to be honest I was just too busy having fun and milking my last few weeks in this fabulous city.

I don't know where to start, so this will probably come in a few instalments! Please bear with me!

Firstly, this last week has been so touching - everyone has made me feel so special and appreciated. I was invited out for lunch at the wine museum, which was fabulous. My colleagues surprised me on Monday with a goodbye party. Normally when people leave the company orders hors d'oeuves from outside and gets champagne. But for me, as a thank you for all my baking, people made things at home and brought them in! I was so so moved! It was a surprise because my last day was Wednesday (unfortunately I therefore didn't have my camera). I received lots of cool corporate gifts: a lovely backback, swiss knife and stuff and - most exciting of all - aircraft and satellite models! I'm such a geek but I love them!

Of course, I had to do something bakeworthy to thank them all (and an early party is just an excuse for more cake later on). I made batches of biscuits in the following flavours: peanut butter, chocolate, raspberry and almond and nut and wrapped them up in little bags to give to everyone. I have to say that these were really good - I ate too many! I also made this cake, which has the company's corporate logo on it. Instead of the company's name, I wrote 'merci' on it! It was a moist carrot cake and it seemed to go down well even though I couldn't find baking soda in France and the cake didn't rise correctly (hence 3 layers!).

This was very first time decorating a cake and because the frosting was cream cheese, it was really hard going! I'm going to have to improve.

Then my lovely and gallant male officemates suprised me by ordering flowers to be delivered to the office! So so sweet!

We then all went out for a lovely meal in one of my favourite French restaurants.

I love these people. I love Paris, I really do. I'm going to post about the wonderful chocolate shops I've visited, on the patisseries I have eaten, the wondrous shops I've discovered, the views, the monuments... that's all to come. I was sad to leave Paris when I lived here before, and when I left I remember thinking of all those who love and have loved this great city. But what I will miss even more, the thing that differentiates this experience from the last, are the amazing people I have met, the truly great friends I have made.

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Tomorrow I am lucky enough to be going on a pastry course! Please keep reading for some decadent Parisian adventures to come!