Monsieur Hermé Raids the Garden Again...

My Dearest Friends,
You know you can trust me to bring you some of the most interesting, thinking-outside-of-the-box sorts of desserts. So, once again, I bring you something that may not be for everyone, but you're not here for a devil's food cupcake, are you?

You may remember my post from almost two years ago when Pierre Hermé paired lemon, strawberry and tomato into something surreally divine. (And if not, please feel free to click here!). Once again, he is pursuing what may seem to be unusual combinations in some of his recent macaron flavors, but really the stretch is not so far:

-Métissé: Carotte, Orange et Canelle (Carrot, Orange and Cinnamon) - This seems a very natural pairing to me. I used to drink a combination of carrot and orange or carrot and tangerine juice quite often and I can easily imagine cinnamon pairing with it ina very natural way. So many vegetables are normally seen as being savory, but many, like carrots, possess so much natural sweetness that they pair very easily with fruit.

-Dépaysé: Thé Vert Matcha, Haricot Rouge Azuki, Citron Vert & Gingembre (Matcha Green Tea, Red Adzuki Beans, Lime and Ginger) - This seems another natural matching, only with an Asian twist. The deeply intense matcha with the bright/deep lime and the bite of the ginger would be fantastic together. And utilizing red adzuki beans is brilliant because they are ground into a paste and made into desserts in China and Japan, as well as other dishes in Somalia and India.

-Asperge Verte et Huile de Noisette (Green Asperagus and Hazelnut oil) - This would be the challenging flavor combination, but I can see how the common earthy notes in the asperagus and the hazelnut could combine to make something very unique! And, once again, there is a note of sweetness in the freshest of spring asperagus.

But of course, if you are one of those picky kids who just refuses to have their vegetables, I won't make you sit at the table and pout! Please go pick something else for yourself from the dear little brochures that are given at his stores!

Roses in the Snow...

Dearest Friends of The Tearoom,
I sincerely hope you all are having a fun and happy Holiday Season so far. It is quiet for Mr. and I here in The Tearoom, all the better for us.

However, as much as I enjoy a hot cup of tea from the samovar, I have never been that much of a fan of fall and winter. Now, I know that a great many people list this as their favorite time of the year. I, however, have an overwhelming desire to hibernate until I see the first daffodil bloom!

I assumed that it was with hibernation in mind that, of all things, roses persisted in creeping their way into my mind. But now I see that I am not the only one thinking of roses!

First, both the venerable Houses of Ladurée and Pierre Hermé had roses on their minds when creating their newest macaron creations!

Ladurée's newest flavor is their Rose Gingembre (Rose Ginger). It is a collaboration between the patissier and the designer John Galliano, whose new fragrance "Parlez-moi d'Amour (Speak to Me of Love)" includes the essences of rose and ginger.


Next, from the house of Monsieur Hermé is a special collection called "Show Chaud Noël" (Hot Christmas Show) including these flavors:

Rose (flavored with rose and rose petals)
Arabella (milk chocolate, banana, passionfruit & ginger confit)
Infiniment Caramel (salted butter caramel)
Infiniment chocolat (Venezuela Porcelana single origin chocolate)
Crème Brulée (vanilla & bits of caramel)
Mogador (milk chocolate & passionfruit)

I recently became aware of another patisserie, which will surely make our "must visit" list the next time we visit Paris! How can you not think of a rose garden when visiting the site of Maison Boissier? The beautiful soft colors and the flavors! I dare you to tell me that the list of flavors of their guimauves (it is very nearly an insult to call them "marshmallows") does not make you dream!. . .

fleur d’oranger (orange blossom), abricot (apricot), citron (lemon),
fraise (strawberry), framboise (raspberry),
mandarine (mandarine orange), myrtille (blueberry),
noix de coco (coconut), citron vert (lime),
vanille (vanilla), violette (violet).


Oh, and "Les Pétales", petals of chocolate in these divine flavors...
Parfums aux fruits : citron vert (lime), clémentine, fraise (strawberry),
pétale lait et noir (milk and dark chocolate petals)
Parfums aux fleurs : rose, violette, verveine (lemon verbena), lavande, jasmin
grué noir (dark chocolate nibs), caramel thé (caramel tea),
menthe lait et noir (mint with milk and dark chocolate).

So, until I can relish the warmth of spring as life returns once again to the earth, these roses are here to bring their stored sunshine to us! Before we know it, we will all be exchanging sprigs of lily-of-valley once again on May Day!

(How nice that the DaDa Dolls will keep us company while we wait!)

5 Degrees of Inspiration House Party

Welcome Friends and Friends-I-Do-Not-Yet-Know,
Happy Blog Party to you! As a member of the Inspiration Avenue Team, I welcome you!

What inspires me? Anyone who knows me or reads my blog probably has a pretty good idea of a lot of the topics that inspire me, as my artwork or blog give life to most of them. Here are some images of inspiration for me. I hope they do the same for you.

Welcome to the House of My Imagination. All the rooms are decorated with extra glitter and sparkly bits in anticipation of your visit . . .

. . . and so we begin in Room One,
the Dining Hall,
so that you might sample food that inspires me. . .

. . .by taste. . .
(These pastries from Ladurée make me dream! Your first experience with the scentflavors of rose and lily-of-the-valley are something you will never forget!)

. . . by sight . . .
(Madame Joconde Eclairs from Fauchon)
Read my previous post about them here.
What is this lovely-looking item? You might think it was a dessert, but you would not be correct! It is Saint-Honoré Printanier de Légumes from Dalloyau, a tart made of tiny spring vegetables, fresh cheese and fresh flower petals!

. . .by anticipation . . .
I will definitely want to try this Wasabi Macaron the next time I visit the House of Pierre Hermé!

. . . by scent . . .
With which tea may I tempt you? Kusmi's Bourbon Vanilla, redolent of the exotic and beautiful vanilla pod, Caramel, warm and sweet, Spicy Chocolate with warm spicy notes or beautifully floral Violet?


. . . now, on to Room Two,
the Gallery,
so that you might see images that inspire me . . .

(An Ad for the coffee company Lavazza, a large sign with this ad on it was one of the first things I saw when we arrived in Paris at 7 am after not having slept all night!)

(An Ad from Fauchon)

(An Image from the Italian artist Nicoletta Ceccoli)

(An Image from the collection of Les Museés de Strasbourg)


. . . next,
on to Room Three,
the Library,
so that I might share with you
words that inspire me . . .

The Fig Eater, by Jodi Shields
This is a beautiful, dark, hypnotic book, meant to be savored over and over again. To read this book is to live in turn-of-the-century Vienna.

Paris Out of Hand by Karen Elizabeth Gordon, Barbara Hodgson and Nick Bantock (author of the Griffin and Sabine series)
This gorgeous book is a tour guide of Paris, but not Paris as it actually exists. It is a surreal, dadaist tour of the Paris of the Mind. This lovely little jewel box of a book will make you dream of visiting The City of Lights.

. . before we leave the library, I hope you find inspiration in some quotes by my favorite poets and writers . . .

"Poetry is . . . the human soul entire, squeezed like a lemon or a lime, drop by drop, into atomic words" - Langston Hughes

"Very much so. Hopelessly. I just love that time so much. It’s unfragmented and velvety. My mind is very free at night.” - Karen Elizabeth Gordon, when asked if she was a night person.

"And the day came when the risk (it took) to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." - Anais Nin

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage" - Anais Nin

(For further inspiration, please consider reading anything by Colette or Edward Gorey)


. . .and in Room Four,
The Listening Room . . .
. . . I hope you find yourself inspired by the music that currently inspires me . . .

a strange, joyful mix of the following:

almost anything from Joy Division (always "Love Will Tear Us Apart".
Consider this a shout-out. He knows who he is.)

"Sketch for Summer" by Durrutti Column

"Sunshine and Love" by The Happy Mondays

"Six Bells Chime" by Crime and the City Solution

"Fistfull of Tears" by Maxwell

"Song to the Siren" by This Mortal Coil (this came to me as inspiration from V by way of something posted by J.
You inspire me always. I love you so much.)


. . .Finally. . .
in Room Five. . .
the Observatory. . .
Please gaze with me at the Number One Place that has inspired me:
. . .being watched over by our Dear Friend,
Mademoiselle Moon!

Goodbye Dear Friends and New Friends!
Please have fun visiting the other parties being hosted by the other participants of The Inspiration Avenue Blog Party!
May you be inspired!

Betty

Some Important Things to Remember When Visiting Paris

Dear Friends,
When visiting Paris, there are some very important things to remember. One, the very most important phrase you must know in French is "à emporter". It means "to go" and that means that whatever wonderful, yummy thing you are about to order, you will be able to take with you and eat in whatever wonderful, yummy park or garden you may choose! And another important thing to remember is that the House of Dalloyau has invented a very cute, very sweet little "to go" box for carrying four of their delicious macarons anywhere you might want to eat them! This extra adorable box has been given the ULTRA elegant name "Eat Bag"(!), but nevermind that! As they describe it, this is the perfect packaging for when you want to "succumb to the desires of irresistible macarons ... " And when you hear about their two new flavors for spring, succumb you will!:

-abricot et riz-soufflé - filled with unctuous puree of apricot and topped with crispy puffed chocolate rice
-fraise - filled with fresh strawberry compote and topped with bright green shards of crunchy pistachios

Plus, as Grace Kelly said to Jimmy Stewart in "Rear Window" when she went to change into her beautiful nightgown: "A preview of coming attractions...", Dalloyau's special macaron flavors for summer will be melon and peach melba!

Spring, As Definined By Laduree

Spring in Paris is beautiful, made even more so by some of the patisserie houses' spring collections of pastries. In particular, Laduree's two spring and summer flavors are definitely some of the most wonderful things about the warm-weather seasons!

Some excerpts from their press release:


"A Romantic Spring at Ladurée:
Ladurée is celebrating spring with a Château de Versailles theme. A romantic decoration made up of interlaced designs, medallions and flower bouquets with antiquated colours houses the new box of macaroons with various spring flavours and a definite boudoir feel."


"Ladurée is particularly fond of the month of May and pays homage to it each year by creating a limited edition of its famous, irresistibly-flavoured Lilly-of-the-valley macaroons.

. . .Fleeting and traditional at Ladurée, on the occasion of the first of May, this macaroon is filled with a light and creamy white cream,flavoured with a touch of Lilly-of-the-Valley.
- A Creation by Philippe Andrieu -"



"It is with the sun and summer in mind that Pastry Chef Philippe Andrieu devised the new Ladurée macaroon. Its radiant sun-yellow shell encloses an unctuous, Bergamot flavoured cream which is both sweet and bitter. Tangy and sun-drenched, this new flavour macaroon will make the perfect summer treat this year."


The lily-of-the-valley macaron was one of our very favorite flavors, one I describe as a "scentflavor", as they taste just like they smell. Indescribably delicious and unusual.

We so wish we were there to get to try the bergamot flavor! One our favorite teas is Earl Grey and it is the oil of bergamot that is used to give the tea its beautiful perfume-like scent and flavor.

Tea with a Mermaid Princess

Please meet Anemone-Clotilde, Mermaid Dauphine of the Chateau Fleur de Sel. She lives in a beautiful castle, deep below the sea, off the northern coast of France. She is most pleased to meet you!


On the clearest of nights, if you were to look out from the top of the monestery at Mont St. Michel, you might see some lights faintly glowing in the water and mistake them for the reflection of stars or the light of our dear friend Mademoiselle Moon, but it would be the lights from the Dauphine’s home, shining in the darkest part of the ocean.


When the Dauphine entertains other Royal Mermaid Heads of State, this is the crown she wears. Isn’t it beautiful? Please notice the inside, her favorite color! It takes a great deal of concentration and grace to keep a crown of bubbles on your head!




Have you ever noticed how a crown can look just like a drop of milk, like the ones you might add to your tea? (Thank you Mr. Harold Edgerton for his iconic photograph.)






The Dauphine has made certain that all her favorite tea-time treats were prepared for you! Please have a sip of tea made of the rarest of blooms of sea heliotrope blossoms, lovely little sandwiches of smoked twinkle-fish and of course, a chocolat fleur de sel macaron!

Farewell to the Dauphine! She has been so pleased to have made your acquaintance!


Thank you to Moonfaires World (our wonderful hostess Lisa) and Asunder Ephemera for the images used in creating The Dauphine.

Le Jour de Macaron

This Friday, March 20th is Jour de Macaron (Macaron Day) in Paris! If we were all there, we could be standing in line, waiting for our treats together!

This news came in an e-mail from Pierre Hermé (I’ve translated the list of macaron flavors, so you can begin your drooling quicker!):

In a gourmet retrospective, this assortment of 24 macarons is an opportunity to discover or rediscover the original flavors designed by Pierre Hermé for 10 years.
Within this package, the presence of a red macaron shows support of the House of Pierre Hermé Paris for the Fédération des Maladies Orphelines, an organization which helps break the silence of 4 million people in France living with 8,000 rare and unknown diseases.

Pierre Hermé - Special Box of Macarons for Macaron Day - March 20 -
Chocolat et Foie Gras - macaron biscuit, chocolate ganache, foie gras jelly
Café - coffee macaron biscuit, coffee cream
Éden - macaron biscuit, peach cream with saffron, pieces of soft apricot
Azur - chocolate macaron biscuit, chocolate and yuzu ganache
Pistache - pistachio macaron biscuit, pistachio cream
Menthe Fraîche - mint macaron biscuit, fresh mint cream
Plaisirs Sucrés® (Sweet Pleasures) - macaron biscuit, milk choclate ganache, praline flakes
Inca - macaron biscuit, banana compote, chocolate ganache
Mogador - macaron biscuit, passionfruit and milk chocolate ganache
Rose - rose macaron biscuit, rose petal cream
Lemon - lemon macaron biscuit,lemon cream
Mosaïc - vanilla macaron biscuit, pistachio and cinnamon cream, bits of sour cherry
Huile d’Olive & Vanille - macaron biscuit, olive oil and vanilla bean cream
Chocolat au Lait & Thé Earl Grey - tea macaron biscuit, milk chocolate and Earl Grey Tea cream
Infiniment Vanille - vanilla macaron biscuit, vanilla cream
Arabesque - macaron biscuit, apricot cream and bits of soft apricot, crunchy pistachio praline
Églantine & Marron - macaron biscuit, rosehip cream, chestnut cream with bits of roasted chestnut
Caramel à la Fleur de Sel - caramel macaron biscuit and grains of salt, salted butter caramel cream
Americano Pamplemousse - macaron biscuit, Campari and grapefruit cream, bits of candied grapefruit
Plénitude - chocolate macaron biscuit, caramel/chocolate ganache, salted chocolate chips
Jasmin - (macaron biscuit, cream of jasmine flower and jasmine tea)
Porcelana (chocolate macaron biscuit, ganache of single origin Venezuela Porcelana chocolate)
Ocumare (chocolate macaron biscuit, ganache of single origin Venezuela Ocumare chocolate)
Cassis (macaron biscuit, ganache of black currant and black currant seeds)

New item for The Gossamer Tearoom

Good Evening!  There is a new item for the Tearoom tonight, one of two new cards I have made for my Etsy site.  This one is called "Macaron Card".  Please visit the Etsy site (http://www.gossamer531.etsy.com) for more information.