0 Paris Baguette

 When you come to New York to see the Met's Stein's Collect show you must go to Paris Baguette on 6W.32nd st. open everyday 8am-10pm in Koreatown.

 I only discovered Paris Baguette on Saturday! I wonder if Sweet Freak has been..?

 Tons of Fr handwriting on the walls, which Connie said is the key to authentic French bakeries.

 I got a 'Twist Pie' and it was OMG delish.

 I did not get a Berry & Choux tarte...

 Or la Cheesecake...

 Or a chocolate butter(?) cake - all too big. 

 A dozen macarons was just too many for a gouter/snack.

 I did get one canele ($1.50).

 Tres caramelized outside...

 And properly pudding-like inside (though a bit larger than her French sisters).

 Charmante hot chocolate cups..

 Malheuresement the PB Bear is no longer available. I asked, traitor that I am...

 But you can buy a PB delivery truck...

 

I went back to PB on Monday to make sure everything was as delish as my 1st visit. It was. While you're munching on your caneles you can watch France2 News 3X a day. Oui, at 8h, 13h and 20h online here. Excellent for practicing your French. Then run up and down the stairs 10X for the caneles,ahem.

0 Antonin Careme

We have Antonin Careme to thank for exquisite French pastry...
In my recent studies comparing American pastries with...
...French pastry,
I discovered there is a serious lack of gloss, glitz and l'abricotage on the home turf.
L'abricotage is that generous application of apricot jam syrup...
Parisien patisseries fling it about with abandon. This New York tart lacks shine and sparkle.
A dusting of powdered sugar can do in a pinch...
Gerard Mulot's beauty combines powdered sugar AND l'abricotage...
Elaborate Parisien desserts are no accident...
When there is such a long tradition. Check out Cooking For Kings,The Life of the First Celebrity Chef, Antonin Careme (it could say pastry chef par excellance).
Merci M. Careme.

Why you'll find divine fantasies in every Paris pastry vitrine.
Bonne Mercredi!

0 French Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Another French bone of contention today. I got steamed up over the weekend after reading Raids-Patisserie's evaluation of the best chocolate chip cookies in Paris(!?) You're looking at a Laura Todd 'classique' (burp) chocolat noir here.. Here's your basic New York chocolate chip($3.) from City Bakery. OK maybe the sugar is too carmelized etc. but the texture and surface is day and night from those Frenchie chocolate chips.
How could it be otherwise, when the flour, water, eggs, bla, bla, bla are completement different. Even the altitude counts I was told in France. Not to mention the chocolate...ahem

These sad looking samples were being sold dans le rue in Montmartre...

For a celebration of terroir/regional products. OUCH

I know the French love new trends and maybe choc-chip cookies are 'cool', but I'm very chauvinistic about these. Disclosure: I'm not a chocolate chip cookie connosisseur. I'll eat a chocolate-chocolate chip before I go for the classic. My fav is at Cafe Petrossian but they were cleaned out by 2 pm on Saturday (and they're a FRENCH cafe). Even mass-market Whole Foods cookies look better than the Fr samples. Wish I'd gotten the pumpkin-walnut...

Union Sq. Farmers Market gets them right.

Laura Todd is a huge very clever chain that introduced choc chips to France. I broil when I see their stands at the salon du chocolat or Galeries Lafayette Gourmet. Grrrrr

HMPH

Did you know New York cheese cake is big in Paris?

Fortunately our pound cake (or is it British) they will never get but that's another post...

Why the French can't be satisfied making the most seductive pastry on the planet..

Is beyond me...

Photo by Robyn Lee

If you want to know the 10 best choc chip cookies in New York here's a list from Serious Eats.

Au Revoir French Chocolate Chip Cookies!

0 The New Choux!

Another French pastry lecon today deconstructing the basic creme puff or French choux. Sharpen your pencils svp.

Everyone knows the traditional French croquembouche wedding cake - a tower of choux pastry filled with chantilly whipped creme, then dribbled with molten caramel. Here a mini version minus wedding, obligatory hat and gloves. Indulge yourself!

What is the religieuse but a double-decker stack of choux?

La Maison du Chocolat helps you out with a nice cross-section view. Not so helpful since you can only buy these on Fridays/ Saturdays in October in Paris. I missed out...

I loved this decorative drawing on the walls of new patisserie Sebastien Degardin...

If you buy a how-to eclair book you can also make choux - same pastry.

Different shape.

Sadaharu Aoki deconstructs the creme puff by slicing in half and exposing a naughty chou a la creme.

Another new patisserie, Cyril Lignac gives the religieuse a modern twist...

Angelina makes the religieuse's pate a chou crustillant, a newish pastry look = crusty, crunchy texture.

Angelina has a book out showing the revisited Saint-Honore - more choux innovation...

At hotel Mandarin Oriental pastry counter a Saint-Honore of creme puffs de-stacked (8 euros).

Their trio de choux(8 euros) - some say the choux is the new macaron. What do you think?

Some choux you don't want to bite into!

Choux/religieuse do NOT travel well. Avoid the Metro and order a limo for gawds sake!

BONJOUR THE NEW CHOUX!