Back to Paris reds....

Cerise red, watercolor, 9" x 11'

The Paris bistro is almost always rouge/red = steak frites

Is there a cafe Rouge?

Chaise rouge...

Early morning Paris cafe...

Chef's break...

Texting in a taxi = non

Eating an ice cream cone = oui

Alsacian Christian Ferber's griottes rouges...

Red/pink framboise 'fraisier'...

Lequel ces fruits rouges prefere tu?

Red jello in Paris is elegance...

A red kid's corduroy jumper is d'elegant...

A petit Parisien red coat dans le rue...

Bonjour Paris Reds!

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0 R U in Paris?

You could imagine looking at this photo, that you're in Paris...
This one too...

Mais non PBers, you're looking at a video in Barney's window honoring Vogue editor, Carine Roitfeld on Madison Ave...
Is this waiter (oogling a passing Parisienne) in a Paris resto?

Mais non encore! This is Rue 57, a New York Parisienne brasserie that serves sushi as well as croissants...hmmm

Is this a French petit gosse/little kid clutching his 'doudou'?

Like this kid on rue de Rivoli..? Non way.

New York has been invaded by the fashion types for FASHION WEEK - you can spot them by their big hair, big shoes and big cameras. Oh and they'll be eating the requisite hot dog.

More BIG shoes entering Bergdorfs...

Whoops - No way R U in Paris PBers.

Did you read Elaine Sciolino (of La Seduction) and her weekend story on the French and their addiction to short skirts?

'And I know no French woman in Paris who wears jogging shoes and carries her dress shoes en route to work.'

Only in New York do gigantic dogs roam the streets...

Does this look like Paris?

It surely tasted like Paris - pistache macaron with framboise + pistache ice cream sandwiched inside ($5) YUM/ MIAM!!

Merci M. Francoise Payard. You hit the nail sur la tete.

BONNE JOURNEE PBers!

I must book my ticket TODAY!

0 Fraise Knock Out!

I hope you didn't spend your weekend arm wrestling a jar of strawberry jam like I did...

I wasn't thrilled with last Friday's watercolor - the reds were...just too red!

Off I marched to Union Square Farmers Market...

Ringside the Day-neutral berries were just waiting for me to show up...

Across the aisle the strawberry jams were aiming to hit hard...

Mon dieu! But at $8 bucks a jar I hesitated...

To the left the $8 dollar ready-to-eat lobsters were yelling out,

"Take us home and paint us!"

I asked Beth's Farm Kitchen,

Do you have something for a little less?

Beth's:Not really, unless you want the jar that didn't jell for $4?

Me:I'll take it!

Me:Do you always have something on sale every week?

Beth's:Never! We've been making jam for 30 years!

Me:Oh...ooops

I grabed the strawbs, jam AND the lobster and headed home...

Time to duke it out with some pencil 'thumbnails'

Then a slugfest with the red pigments...

Second entree into the ring wasn't so bad, but the berries got the upper hand...

Parisian pastry chefs always keep the upper hand with their strawberries. You can't walk a block without bumping into one or two strawberry tartes in Paris... I found out from Relais Desserts that strawberries are not even a fruit. Who knew? It's those little yellow seeds, the 'achenes' that are the actual fruit. Louis XIV sent Amedee Francois Frezier (is that where le fraisier got it's name?) off to South America. He brought back many new varieties. Now there are at least 600 kinds of berries to put in your tarte, though the Plougastel, the gariguette and the mara des bois are the most popular. I was chastised in Monoprix for buying berries from Spain - mechante/naughty

Et voila

Have a BERRY Good Day PBers!

0 The Ice cream Cometh...

Can you ever have too much ice cream? BEAR says NO!
I am inclined to agree with BEAR. Perhaps that's why we get along so well...

Looking at ice cream cones is almost as good as holding one.

Don't you think?

If a French friend invites you to Berthillon you must eat your framboise ice cream in a cup. A cone is not acceptable a table.

 I love this Wayne Thiebaud etching of ice cream in a cup.

Sketching cones is great fun.

But painting ice cream 'from life' has it's drawbacks...

Ice cream refuses to sit still and will melt on you in situe...

Much as I love my ice cream in a cone I prefer not to sit on one...

Nor do I like having a cone plopped in my cuppa - who's bright idea was this?

The Italians like the idea of a half cone...

Laboratorio del Gelato's ice cream is quite pleasent in a cup yet they insist on closing their shop at 6 PM! Why do they think New Yorkers can make it to the Lower East side by 6 PM? Anyone who wants to join me in a PROTEST Demonstration let me know svp.

My latest favorite flavor is Black Sesame at Sundaes and Cones. I have big plans to make black Sesame macarons soon...

These days I'm reduced to grabbing a dixie cup in a pinch. Unlike Paris, which has ice cream shops on every corner (is that why I love Paris?) New York is not so well-endowed.

I'm happy to report Amorino, the French gelato chain has opened a shop in New York. I'm not happy to report it costs $5+. I have my limits.

I'm sorry to report that La Maison du Chocolat, who formerly scooped out their ice cream fresh is now offering only ready-filled cups. A step down in quality IMHO. 

So what's YOUR favorite ice cream flavor?

Do tell all PBers

EAT LOTS OF ICE CREAM THIS WEEKEND!