pâtisserie des rêves

The dude who opened this patisserie, Philippe Conticini, also wrote a cookbook that consisted of all nutella recipes, so of course it merited a visit. Two, in fact. This place is apparently one of those new chic and trendy patisseries. Think the 'Sprinkles' of bakeries (although there are no cupcake vendors in Paris- the horror!). It uses trendy deco as opposed to your mom and pop shops with checkered curtains enticing you with the smell of old country bread (I walk by these on the way to class) or the mainstream commercialised patisseries (like brioche doree, or pain au pomme, your McDonalds of patisseries). Patisseries are everywhere in Paris- something I will definitely miss when I am back in L.A. and without my fresh bread that only costs 50cents.

Talk about presentation- all the pastries were displayed under glass cases that made them look like prized jewels. Notice the weights hanging from the ceiling- those actually come down when you lift one of the glass covers. So cool!

a close-up  

our purchase. included: cloth napkins. 

notice the cool window display!

close up shot of an apple tart (i think) sitting in the front window. 

I wanted to try everything! 

I love how their brioches look- like a little mountain of whipped cream! 

the final purchase! Apparently its a traditional Parisian pastry.

Annemarie and I took this to the park and devoured it (after taking numerous pictures)

the cross section. 

Think cream puff meets eclair meets millefeuille. 

yummmm.

I would go back if I had time, but there are simply too many places to try in the short time I have left! The first time I went, they were out of everything. No joke- most patisseries only make a day's worth of pastries, and sell out by the end of the day. Patisserie des Reves is hip enough to be sold out- I went around 3pm the first time, and they were already sold out. Lesson learned. 

I went to Angelina's the other day , and will post about that soon! Sorry I'm so spotty about posting- life is hectic, with me jetting off every few days or so. I was in Dublin this past weekend, and will be going to Mont Saint Michel this weekend!

chocolate heaven

Today, I went to the Salon du Chocolat. Basically, the chocolate convention. Picture the Comic-Con of chocolate, and there you go. Except its a million times better.

 A post about the Salon du Chocolat wouldn't be complete without some eye candy for you guys- so here's lots of pictures. I'll get around to posting them all on facebook eventually... 

The convention center- looks huge, doesnt it?

I was in chocolate heaven. There were free samples everywhere you looked, and every stand had chocolate in every flavor, shape, and size- I tasted some chocolate that I never even knew existed (and in my opinion, shouldn't). 

potpourri chocolate- looks pretty, but does not taste so pretty.

I tried hibiscus, and it tastes like pollen in your mouth, with a grainy texture. blechh.

But apparently people like it- the girls down my hall bought 2 bars.

Green tea chocolate and some kind of Japanese fruit flavored chocolate

I tasted both, and it took all my control not to spit it out. After tasting some of these chocolates, all you want is a glass of water to wash the taste out. Olive oil chocolate? disgusting! Who knew you could go wrong with chocolate? 

 Anyway, on to the good stuff!!

Stand after stand was loaded with all different kinds of chocolates in all shapes and sizes. Best of all, there were FREE samples! I sampled so much chocolate, I got sick of it.

There were not only chocolates, there were sweets of every kind- eclairs, marshmallows, jellies, cookies- including every flavor and color of macaroons imaginable. Yummm. 

a macaroon rainbow!

I never knew you could mount them on a wall like that.

So cool.

chocolate fountains- I saw so many... some were HUGE.

The Opera Garnier- lovingly memorialized in chocolate.

 another ode to the glory of chocolate. 

Of course I need a picture with a Magnum bar (that I can fit inside)

(Magnum bars in Europe are the equivalent of our Dove/Haagen-Dazs bars- so  good!)

They were handing out free Magnum bars, but I was so sick of chocolate by that point it would have made me sick. 

I know- what the heck? Since when do I turn down sugar?

Needless to say, I went home, had some salt for dinner , and I was as good as new the next morning. 

I will post about something other than chocolate next time, I promise (but it's so good...)

chocolat chaud

The days are getting colder, and its the perfect weather for hot chocolate. But who knew there were so many ways of taking it?

1. The so-thick-you-can-float-a-cookie-on-it kind.

At the Christian Constant (supposedly the best hot chocolate in Paris, but many places claim that title), the chocolate is thick. I think its meant for a true chocolate connoisseur- the chocolate is dark, thick, and complex. There are 4 different kinds of chocolat chaud to choose from, ranging from sweet and smooth to dark and bitter. There's actually a guy in the back room pulverizing chocolate and thickening it with milk for you when you order it. The one I ordered had a bitterness to the aftertaste, and it is not so rich as to be too sweet. But it was very heavy and gave me a hot chocolate coma afterwards. It comes in a little pitcher- If you ever come here, I advise you share, because one serving is too much! A friend and I ended up finishing it over 3 hours of conversation on a blustery fall afternoon. 

the cookies were delicious too!

2. The do-it-yourself style. 

This is how most streetside cafes do it. You get a cup of chocolate and little pitcher of hot milk, and you pour and mix it yourself. It definitely adds a little more fun to the experience. I forget the name of this cafe, but it was in Montmartre. I liked how they gave me my chocolate in the shape of a flower. The chocolate they serve isn't too sweet, is a little milkier and has a slightly bitter taste to it as well.

Swiss Miss will never be the same again.

laduree

The menu was like a book- so many choices to choose from! 

I was so hard to decide- pages are dedicated to macaroons, glaces, eclairs, cakes, you name it. 

So way back during the first week of September, I got to go to Laduree- home of the amazing macaroons. I just remembered today that I need to post about it before I forget, because it was definitely a lovely experience. I do think that's its worth the raves it has received, and I also think that I need to go back to try the macaroons ( I know, I know- how could I not have done that the first time around?). 

My order- a chocolate cake/ganache with a crunchy nutty top that was delicious. 

The piece in the back is a framboise millefeuille- also amazing! 

The table setting- even the carafe d'eau is beautiful!

I think the exquisite table settings just tie the package together. Presentation is such a part of the whole experience, and emphasizes the appreciation of the culinary arts as an actual art form, not just something to be devoured (but that's good too). Even when you make purchases to-go, gift wrapping of your item is complementary, and too beautiful to unwrap! It's like opening a gift to get to your food- which definitely heightens the experience. 

I love German food!

dad acting like a kid in a candy shop

Well, maybe not so much me. But my dad sure does. I think his favorite thing about Germany was the food. They love meat, and they like sausage. He's been reading about all his favorite musicians eating sausages by the river for the last 50-odd years, and he was itching to go to Germany to try them for himself. To their credit though, they really know how to cook their pork. 

Me and german fast food at the rest stop. Interesting, no? 

Cheap and hearty...

We visited tons of castles in Germany. Driving along the Rhine river, there are old castles on almost every hilltop, dating from the 1100s and on. Crazy, isn't it? There is this one castle tour that marketed 14 castles in 2 days! I think that would kill the novelty of castles and i'd be so fed up I wouldn't want to see another one for a while. 

View of the Rhine- said to be one of the most scenic drives in Germany

Mel in one of the halls of the castle...it was breathtakingly old and grand! 

(as you can see from her expression)

My personal favorite was Heidelberg Castle- its HUGE, and its literally falling apart. I think that the fact that its crumbling makes it all the more believable that people once lived and worked right there on the same spot I was standing... except dressed as courtiers or servants. You stand there and its so easy to see where the settings of all the fairy tales came from. 

Just like in the fairy tales

The tower is fell in on itself! I wonder how that happened.

Germany is beautiful, but the unfortunate thing about seeing castles and old churches every day is that after a while they all start to blend in with each other and you can't tell one from the other. We visited other castles and numerous churches, but when its a hot day and you've been walking all day, plus you're tired and hungry, the fun of it wears off a little. But nothing a visit to the bier garten can't fix.

Bartholomew and a Bier Garten in Cochem

look what I found!!! the german version (made in china).
Bartholomew: "i'm better than you."
other hippo: "ich verstehe nicht" (i don't understand you)

Our B&B in Kloten. This place was adorable. It even had a bier garten in the back!