Chocdoc Goes to France!

[Kerry Beal]

So I'm sitting in the Maple Leaf lounge at Pearson International Airport waiting to head out for Paris.  I will be escorting a group of Ecole Chocolat grads to a course at Valrhona.  I herd them onto a train on Sunday morning - 3 days of classes - then back to Paris where I am to show them the chocolate shops.  It's a tough job - but somebody has to do it!

 

The airport lounge has a pho bar!  How cool is that.  Now if they just had the right kind of noodles and my jet lag diet would allow it - I'd be all set.

 

They also have big chunks of fresh coconut - I've been enjoying munching on a couple of them.

 

I'm not sure the sort of time I'll have for posting but I hope to put up a little something every day about what I'm up to so you can follow along. It may take a bit to get my wifi up after arrival.

[Darienne]

Bon Voyage, Kerry.

[Kerry Beal]

Had a little brain fart - was supposed to have had 3 cups of black coffee around 6 pm for my jet lag program.  Forgot - while I sipped on my caffeine free tea.  Apparently I have to wait until we are in the air before they can make me some.

[Smithy]

This is going to be fun!

[Tri2Cook]

Safe trip and have fun! Look forward to hearing about your adventures... tough job though it is.

[LindaK]

Lucky you!

 

If you don't already have it, you might want to download David Lebovitz's Paris pastry app, which covers a lot more than just pastry--there's an entire category of chocolate shops. It doesn't try to be completely comprehensive, it's a catalog of David's favorite places. Searchable by arrondissement, so you can find good places easily wherever you are,  A lot of fun.

 

https://itunes.apple.com/app/paris-pastry-guide/id902435227?mt=8

 

edited to add link.

Edited April 15, 2015 by LindaK (log)

[curls]

Yippee! I was hoping that you were going to report on this trip. Hope you can find a way to enjoy this soul crushing assignment. ;-)

Looking forward to reading about your adventures.

[Shelby]

I'm in      safe travels!!!!  

[Kerry Beal]

Here's what they fed me on the plane

 

 

Mixed nuts and a nice little glass of Dow Port

 

 

A shrimp, a chunk of lobster and a scallop with some mango relish

 

 

Mushroom ravioli

 

 

Cheese

 

 

For breakfast quiche and yogurt 

[Kerry Beal]

I'm afraid these are going to be random - too lazy to reorder them.

 

 

Another quiche was had - considerably nicer than the one on the plane.

 

 

Fishes in Patrick Roger's shop

 

 

Can't recall the name of the shop - but they had these lovely rectangles with nuts and inclusions on the top that made such a nice pattern.

 

 

 

Easter is apparently not over until you've sold all the bunnies you've made.

 

 

 

 

Late afternoon snack at Fauchon. 

 

 

Random chocolates from somewhere.

 

 

 

Eclair de genie - loved the caramel sauces in the tubes.  

 

 

 

For lunch - can't recall the name of the restaurant - but my salad was the Super Papa - pays to know the language - you might not end up with a huge bowl of chicken livers - not that there is anything wrong with that.  The lady at the next table was eating a large salad - and when Jess went inside to use the facilities - this lady suggested that I might pay for her lunch as well. We politely declined when the time came to settle the bill!

 

 

They wanted 4.50€ for one marshmallow with 4 little pieces of graham wafer attached to it and enrobed - I'm undercharging I tell you!

 

 

More random chocolates from the place that get's so much money for air.

 

 

 

 

 

Eggs and easter island eggs from Jacques Genin.

 

 

 

Lenotre.

 

 

 

 

[Shelby]

Some of those chocolates are works of art, I tell ya.  Gorgeous.

 

 

The plane food looks pretty good.  Even the mixed nuts look better--we always get stale pretzels.

 

 

A total stranger seriously wanted you to pay for her lunch????  

[Kerry Beal]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are all items that Patrick Roger originally carved in chocolate and have now been done in metal - some bronze. 

 

One of them is still chocolate.  

[Smithy]

Wow! There's some really great (and surprising) stuff there! I'm surprised these days to see civilized airline food. It looks as though you fared well.

[Shelby]

Hmmmmmm.........trying to decide which is chocolate......

 

I'm going with the big square one.

[Kerry Beal]

DInner tonight at Tante Marguerite - a restaurant next door to the hotel

 

 

An amuse - foie gras mousse with grape gel and gougere.

 

 

 

Breads.

 

 

Cold cucumber soup with a shrimp floater and a nice violet.

 

 

Duck carpaccio with pineapple and fried chickpea mush (panisse)

 

 

Squid ink pasta tagiatelli with clams and butterfish.

 

 

Rhubarb and strawberry dessert with biscuits in Dulcey chocolate.

 

 

Mignardises

 

 

 

[Kerry Beal]

Some of those chocolates are works of art, I tell ya.  Gorgeous.

 

 

The plane food looks pretty good.  Even the mixed nuts look better--we always get stale pretzels.

 

 

A total stranger seriously wanted you to pay for her lunch????  

Indeed she did!  If she truly didn't have any money as she stated - then the waiter was going to be pissed when she dined and dashed.

[Smithy]

Hmmmmmm.........trying to decide which is chocolate......

 

I'm going with the big square one.

I'll play! My first thought was that it was the squatting guy with the hat, but looking at it now he seems to be a bit too well bronzed. OTOH Kerry has turned out some brilliantly smooth, shiny confections that look like gold. I'm leaning toward it being the gilded, er, hyperendowed woman in the bottom photo.

Kerry, you'll let us know after a bit more time guessing, I hope?

[Kerry Beal]

I'm not totally sure that I know myself - but I think it is one of the skinny ones with the big hips sitting in the back.  

[Kerry Beal]

Breakfast this morning at Angelina - we were amazingly late getting out of bed - I don't think I've slept in until after 10 in years.   My fitbit did mention that we had walked 19,990 steps yesterday - perhaps that had something to do with it.  Today we have walked a mere 18,278.  

 

 

Coffee - now that my jet lag restrictions are over.

 

 

We shared foie terrine with brioche and fig jam.  

 

 

Croque madame for me.

 

 

Quiche lorraine for Jess

 

 

We visited a new and very exciting new chocolate shop 'Edwart' (a name you get when Edwin and Arthur start a shop together).  Their chocolates are some of the best I have tried in nearly forever.  They are very thin and very flavourful.  The lemon ganache was perfect - the vanilla was the most pleasant in your face experience.  Edwin makes the figures.  This one from the window has marzipan appendages.  

 

 

[Kerry Beal]

 

May 1st La Fete du Travais is coming up - it is traditional to give loved ones Muguet.  And apparently ladybugs - there were lots of ladybugs. 

 

 

Gallerie Lafayette Gourmand supplied the following pictures - 5 floors of everything food related!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pate de fruit molded on transfer sheets.

 

 

Sugar cubes in wonderful shapes.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Real flowers and clover baked in to the macaron.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

But is it art?

 

Hugo Victor - they pair an alcoholic beverage with a flavour - then make a bonbon, a cake, a dessert and preserves using those ingredients. Their bonbons are packaged inside a 'book'. 

 

 

I was quite taken by these little cakes called Visitandine - which seem like financiers and madelines had a baby that was baked in a boat.  

 

 

We stopped at this award winning Boulangerie on the way back and picked up a few assorted escargot. 

 

 

Line up outside the door!

 

 

PIstachio and chocolate - eaten on the subway on our way to our next destination.  

[gfron1]

Expensive pate de fruit! But I love the idea of all those flavored sugars being available.

[Kerry Beal]

Dinner this evening at Creperie Breitz.

 

 

Cider in jug

 

 

Cider in bowls

 

 

Sarazin crepe with salmon, creme fraiche, dill, lemon and capers for Jess

 

 

Sarazin crepe with apples, cheeses, hazelnut dust and rosemary for me.  

 

There was also a dessert crepe with apples, caramel, ice cream and whipped cream which I neglected to photograph - must have been the bowls of cider!

 

 

[Kerry Beal]

Expensive pate de fruit! But I love the idea of all those flavored sugars being available.

There was nothing inexpensive in the Gallerie!

[curls]

Pate de fruit molded on transfer sheets! I did not know that you could do that; I need to try that out. Everything looks amazing, thanks for all the photos.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Why do you do this to us?