October Fermier and Chocolate shows in Paris

[Margaret Pilgrim]

October 19 through 22 are the dates for the annual Fermier show at Espace Champeret in Paris.  200+ artisanal producers of charcuterie, cheese, seasalt, honey, confitures, confiture du lait, eau de vie, calvados, fruit wine, and more than I can remember set up booths, discuss and sell their products. Samples are offered on almost everything that is for sale. There is a raw bar set up, as well as a cafe for lunch.  This year I will come prepared with an empty carrier bag and will do serious Christmas shopping.

On October 20 and 21 at the Bourse du Commerce, the twice a year Marche du Chocolat takes place.  Over 20 of France's best chocolatiers offer samples and sell their product. There are many artisanal exhibits: chocolate molding, construction and decorating; and for the really serious, classes and seminars.

From October 31 to November 4, the Salon du Chocolat takes place at the Carrousel du Louvre, exhibiting chocolatiers from all over Europe.

[magnolia]

Would love more detail on these...i.e. registration process, costs, etc. Can you point me in the right direction?

[Orik]

A pointer for Paris fermier and Marche du Chocolat:

http://www.ccip.fr/foire/uk/efoir020.htm#258

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Magnolia, all of these three fairs are open to the public and require no advance registration.  At the Fermier show, a lot of the people in line had some kind of discount ticket.  When we reached the ticket taker, I told her we were tourists and didn't have a discount coupon.  She reached around and handed one to us, which we filled out, and received entrance at halfprice: 20FF, I believe.  

Marche du Chocolat charged an undiscountable 40FF.  After standing in line in the rain with several hundred vacationing school age children waiting to get into the Salon du Chocolat, we gave up and didn't bother to visit this show, so I don't know its entrance charge.

[Steve Klc]

Margaret--occasionally an American chocolatier or pastry chef gets invited to the Salon du Chocolat.  Last year, it was Bill Yosses and Claudia Fleming.  This year, I am fortunate to have been invited and on November 2nd, I will be part of a 4 hour collaborative demonstration of avant-garde techniques with Philippe Conticini of Petrossian, Alberto Adria of El Bulli and Herve This, a professor of chemistry and a mad scientist-type, who has spent his career figuring out the how's and why's behind what pastry chefs do.

I think it is important not to understate the magnitude of this show--and how revered pastry chefs and chocolatiers are in the European culture.  Organizers expect the Salon this year to draw 100,000 people.  (In contrast, the New York Chocolate Show, to be held this year November 16th to 18th by the same organizers, drew 15,000 last year and was considered a huge success.  It's held in the Metropolitan Pavilion on 125 West 18th Street and lines wound their way down 18th and wrapped around onto 6th Avenue.)

I'm attaching a few links for both shows--and if there is interest, I'd be glad to share a little more inside information about them.  Last year I created a haute couture dress out of chocolate, in collaboration with a designer from Tommy Hiliger using Michel Cluizel chocolate, and the fashion show, with models walking down a runway, is but one of many interesting elements of the Salon.

http://www.chocoland.com/

In the US, the website will be www.chocolateshow.com and should be launched soon.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Steve, first, many congratulations on your invitation to participate in this most prestiieous event.  I find your first hand information and knowledge of this show extremely interesting, and would very much enjoy anything else you would care to share regarding this venue.  Unless I am mistaken, I am sure I remember reading about the chocolate couture creations last year. We will be coming home the day before the Paris show opens this fall, and your input will be our vicarious attendance.

[Steve Klc]

We just finalized what we're going to do during our demo at the Salon du Chocolat, on November 2nd from 2PM-6PM.  Our theme is "La Science, le Goût et la Gourmandise"

Philippe will demonstrate various emulsions and mousseuses, and show how he uses them to construct flavor in a few original desserts;

Alberto will show 5 new chocolate techniques, including several mousses, a ganache bon bon enrobed in a paper-thin layer of caramel (instead of tempered chocolate) and a frozen chocolate "powder" that is lighter than air;

and I will do two things: a chocolate dessert--using a new technique, a caramel meringue foam and a savory "truffle"-- a ganache of foie gras, with a liquid center of Inniskillin icewine, enrobed in chocolate and rolled in brioche crumbs and caramel powder.

All throughout the demo, Professor This will provide a running commentary on the science behind the techniques that we are employing--and translate, hopefully, for Alberto and me.

There are only 80-100 seats in the demo kitchen area, so plan to get there early in order to get tastes and samples of the dishes.

[David Bizer]

I just returned from the Paris Fermier show at Espace Champeret.  While it wasn't as large as last year, there are still quite a few good finds.  Also, going today instead of on the weekend was a good call.  If you can manage to go on Monday, you might be able to avoid the monstrous crowds over the weekend.

A couple of things to look out for...

Blueberries--a stand with everything blueberry, confiture, liquers and even mustard.

Almonds--from Rousillion..garlic, spicy, salted or plain...worth picking up a jar or two

Garlic--really great looking rose garlic..the woman told me it would last until next July

Soup--there is one stand selling three soups in big jars...i immediatley purchased the potimarron (kind of pumpkin) because i love it....but she offered me a taste and a discount on another, so i tried the pistou--close to minestrone, but she claimed it's much better...which it was, so i picked up one of those as well..

There is so much more...lots of rillettes, terrines, foie gras, sausage with chevre, wine, champagne, etc.

In any case, a good show to check out and everyone is really friendly, and there are plenty of samples.

One other thing I found which might interest some of you...a new magazine...in French...they just published the first edition..."La Revue des Gourmands".  I skimmed thru on the metro ride home and it looks great, even if you are not fluent, there are lots of great tips covering all of France.

Bonne Foire!

[Bux]

We will be coming home the day before the Paris show opens this fall, and your input will be our vicarious attendance.

We've managed to extend our planned visit to Paris and arrive a few days earlier to catch Steve Klc and his illustrious chocolatiers.

[Orik]

One perculiar addition to David's message on the Paris Fermier show was a farmer that presented an amazing range of products made of Nutria (from soup and pate to dolls and key chains). It probably shouldn't come as a surprise that this creature tastes half way between pork and carp, but I couldn't help wondering what kind of response such a stall would get on this side of the atlantic...

more on this, restaurants in the Perigord, Paris and Tel Aviv (which is not in France :)) in following messages...

[cabrales]

Steve Klc -- Was a patissier named Hugues Pouget at the 2001 Salon of chocolate? Pouget might have been exploring the utilization of tea with chocolate, including with Gilles Marchal (?). Pouget has an all-chocolate buffet called "Les Instants Chocolates" at the Il Palazzo Restaurant in Hotel Normandy, Paris.  The buffet is offered every Saturday, from 1:00 pm to 5:30 pm, for 28 euros.  

"Where" magazine and TimeOut Paris Winter 2001/2002 have both reported on this buffet. The latter lists the spread as including, among other things: chocolate gateaux (paired with, separately, banana, rasberry, pear, white and milk chocolate mousse, dark chocolate); candied chestnuts; oeufs a la neige (egg white-based light dessert); madelaines coated in chocolate; dipped nuts and fruit; tiramisu; chocolate rice pudding; mousse; nougat; breads; hot chocolate, etc.  Apparently, Pouget was, at one point, the sous-chef for patisserie at Taillevent, and had also worked for Bristol and Laduree (?).

Have any members sampled Pouget's creations?

Il Palazzo

7, rue de l'Echelle

75001 Paris

Tel : 01 42 60 91 20

[Steve Klc]

Yes cabrales, Pouget is very young and the Hotel Bristol pastry chef--Gilles Marchal--also gave demos at the Salon. When I was there they had just done a few chocolate creations with tea for a French society of tea drinkers--including a good ganache with Szechuan tea that was new to me.  The Il Palazzo buffet was stylish and elegant, in a very chic setting, but it was basically a chocolate buffet, not integrated with cuisine.  No individual dish stood out as best of its type--against the likes of a Hevin, Conticini (at Peltier) or Herme. Pouget seemed to like nuts alot--using many in a variety of mousses and even a foam.  Alberto Adria went to the buffet, too, and told me he thought it was "very good."

Pouget and Marchal (Lesley was very favorably impressed with Marchal in Montreal) seem very interested in exploring new flavors and are open to new presentations--part of a younger wave exploring freely.

Many of the individual desserts that Timeout reported were different in November--and in fact their description seems too bland and inattentive flavor-wise--though the details and logistics of the buffet seemed the same.  It's in the Normandy Hotel.

[cabrales]

Many of the individual desserts that Timeout reported were different in November--and in fact their description seems bland and inattentive flavor-wise--

Steve Klc -- Sorry, the descriptions were my summaries of the TimeOut article, some of which is excerpted below:    

The buffet "groaned with a dozen gateaux, plus eclairs, chocolate-dipped madelaines, chocolate-chocolate muffins, pains au chocolat, chocolate nougat, marrons glaces, chocolate-dipped almonds and candied organge. The icing on the cake is a trolley filled with white and milk chocolate mousse, chocolate rice pudding, oeufs a la neige and tiramisu . . . ."

And you're correct on the inattentiveness; not having sampled the buffet, I couldn't describe the buffet items as good or bad.    Given my growing list of chocolate-offering places to visit (incl. Herme, Hevin, Angelina, in that order), I doubt I will sample Pouget's buffet any time soon!

[Steve Klc]

Cabrales--I of course meant inattentive on the part of the reporter or journalist--not you.

A typical "gateaux" there might contain a chocolate mousse of "unique origin," (a special, expensive varietal cacao) pistachio cream and pistachio biscuit.

But then I think it's more helpful to describe a few dishes well and completely rather than a gloss.

[cabrales]

A typical "gateaux" there might contain a chocolate mousse of "unique origin," (a special, expensive varietal cacao) pistachio cream and pistachio biscuit.

But then I think it's more helpful to describe a few dishes well and completely rather than a gloss.

Steve Klc -- I agree on depth vs. breadth. Here's a rough translation of excerpts from a French article (on www.hotelsparis.fr) that's more helpful and that illustrates a bit better the patissier's use of nuts:

"In this impressive buffet, one can choose among a chocolate mousse Saint-Domingue, pistachio cream, pistachio biscuits, a chocolate tart (the ganache (?) reminds one of that of truffles), brownies with crushed pecans, a dessert of almond, walnut and hazelnut, caramel mousse and walnut biscuits with soft caramel inside, a cake of gianduga, a marbled cake, madelines dipped in dark and milk chocolate, and hazelnut biscuits.  Among the candy, coated nicely, shaped into a puck or traditionally made and covered with Tanzania chocolate at 75% cacao -- a real wonder. The country that gave its name to the restaurant Il Palazzo is honored -- Hugues Pouget only uses Italian almonds, which he coats in a way so as to render envious even the best napolitains."

Below is an excerpt from the site www.parisvoice.com:

"a lavish buffet that offers every imaginable variation and degree of chocolate: cakes, macaroons, tarts, mousses, tiramisu, madeleines, brownies and chocolate pain d’epice set off by displays of organic contrasts and complements: ripened sugar cane, cascading mounds of kumquats, tumbling chestnuts and split cocoa pods."

The sugar cane and kumquat references in the description here make the buffet sound more interesting than before.  

[Steve Klc]

Yes, from a visual botanical perspective.  (Of course, it would be true mastery to create such organic artistic displays in chocolate to accompany the desserts.)

In the US you can't even import a cacao pod unless you're a florist and buy in bulk for "arrangements."  They're illegal to smuggle back in with your luggage.

Thanks for the translations and quotes cabrales--I suspect the one article was written about the time I was there!

[Bux]

tea with chocolate

Cabrales, communication is so rapid these days that little goes unnoticed for long. I suspect tea and chocolate is already a widely explored combination, but I can't recall exactly where I've seen it other than in the wonderful chocolates of Pierre Marcolini, the extraordinary Belgian chocolatier. Marcolini may not be a typical Belgian chocolatier and if I think he's the best if may show my prejudice. Anyway we included a number of tea flavored ganache filled chocolates in the assortments we bought in Brussels. Most of them were quite subtle. His unflavored ganaches identified with a country of origin are quite intense.

Have you been to Lyon, or are you going? You should, if you get a chance, try Bernachon's chocolate. I recall his palets d'or as being real sit up and take notice chocolate. Definitely a grown up taste and not for the candy bar trade. And we're going to spend a few days in Lyon at the beginning and end of our trip.

[cabrales]

tea with chocolate

I suspect tea and chocolate is already a widely explored combination, but I can't recall exactly where I've seen it other than in the wonderful chocolates of Pierre Marcolini, the extraordinary Belgian chocolatier.

Have you been to Lyon, or are you going? You should, if you get a chance, try Bernachon's chocolate. I recall his palets d'or as being real sit up and take notice chocolate. Definitely a grown up taste and not for the candy bar trade. And we're going to spend a few days in Lyon at the beginning and end of our trip.

Steve Klc -- Was Bernachon's the stall at the Salon that had a woman's dress fashioned from chocolate? I only tasted a tiny bit of their chocolates  :confused:  I didn't know in advance (not having been a member at the time) that you were one of the patissiers providing the demonstration. The use of the long, large mirror, at an angle, above the stove/working area was quite useful, if I am thinking about the right demonstration area.  Unfortunately, I don't remember the exact recipe being demonstrated.

Bux -- On the tea/chocolate combination, I don't remember having tasted it at restaurants.  Petrus has an earl grey tea dessert on its sample menu (Earl Grey tea cream with granité, macerated golden raisins and currents in a warm brioche, served with Baileys ice cream), but not matched with chocolate. I find the utilization of tea interesting in the smoking of duck and other meats, because of the intensity that certain tea can provide and the range of tea varities. I would imagine the bitterness of certain tea would be appealing with certain chocolate.  

On Lyons, when is your trip and have you chosen your restaurant targets? I have happily made several visits to profit from the restaurants in the area, including La Maison Troisgros.    I have also wanted to sample the chicken in half mourning dish at La Mere Brazier (not yet done), including after the restaurant's recent loss of its sole star.

[Steve Klc]

Cabrales--on Bernachon, I don't remember tasting their chocolates at the Salon and am not sure if they did a dress.  Can you describe the dress?  That might jog my memory. Hevin had a dress in his stall, Henri Le Roux had a beautiful dress in his stall.  I don't think Marcolini did a dress--he had a pretty full speaking schedule, judged the French World Cup tryouts and he was in his stall quite alot.

Those three were tops for taste within the large room of French chocolatiers.

My dress was in a separate large display area behind glass in another room--apart from the demonstration area and where the French chocolatiers were.

Tea has been used in French chocolate confectionery and restaurant desserts at least for 25 years, if not longer.  I believe Earl Grey was the first one co-opted by the nouvelle guys in the 70's that fell into regular use; even very conservative French chocolatiers have had all sorts of tea ganaches for some time.  But as to why tea works with chocolate--you already have bitterness (and usually also acidity) in the chocolate so adding a tea with acidity and bitterness is not always inuitive; I suspect it's the floral fragrance and fruitiness of certain teas, the citrusy oil of Earl Grey, the maltiness of green tea that complements.  I've never done it, but I am sure someone has taken advantage of the smokiness of certain teas with chocolate--since we know they've used cigar tobacco.

[Bux]

Cabrales, we are in Lyon on the 30th and 31st of this month and again on the 8th and 9th of April. We have reserved Les Loges if only to see what has impressed GaultMillau so much.

The purpose of our trip is to dine at Michel Bras. We will spend the better part of a week getting there and back.    That will include two nights at Le Vieux Pont in Belcastel, a little place we've loved in the past, and a night at Marcon's Clos des Cimes. There is the Viaduct de Garabit somewhere north of Laguiole that I've tried to see in the past, but has eluded me. This is one of my wild goose chases in France. The best are the ones that get away, if only because these sites inevitably turn out not to be worth the trip. The viaduct is a railway bridge built by Eiffel in the 1880s. It's a 345 foot long arch and the bridge is 412 feet abve the river. It's out of the way, but reachable with the lethargic itinerary we've set. Perhaps I'll find some other way to eat up time while we're in the region. What I like most when I travel is options, not reservations. I am the bane of a travel agent's existence--at least one travel agent anyway--my wife. Needless to say, I recognize that one doesn't chance arriving at Michel Bras without a reservation for a room as well as a table, even in the off season, but it would make me so much happier to be abe to say "we'll be there on Thursday or Friday, save me a place."   Knowing I have to be someone place on a certain date is so much less enjoyable when I'm spending a fews ambling through the countryside. C'est la vie.

[cabrales]

Cabrales, we are in Lyon on the 30th and 31st of this month and again on the 8th and 9th of April. We have reserved Les Loges if only to see what has impressed GaultMillau so much.

The purpose of our trip is to dine at Michel Bras. We will spend the better part of a week getting there and back.    . . . . Needless to say, I recognize that one doesn't chance arriving at Michel Bras without a reservation for a room as well as a table, even in the off season, but it would make me so much happier to be abe to say "we'll be there on Thursday or Friday, save me a place."  

Bux -- Ironically, I have Michel Bras reservations I am going to cancel in the next day or so (due to various planning difficulties), even though I have never eaten there.  :confused: I have, and will soon cancel, one of the smallest rooms (under 1000 FF) for the night of April 6, Saturday. I have dinner reservations that night, and reservations for lunch on April 7. This is the first (or at most second) weekend Bras will be open following his annual break. If you want the reservations, they're yours (unless, as is unclear in your post, you already have your own)

[Bux]

Thank you, but we have our reservations. Coincidently, they are for the dinner on the Friday before you would have been there.

[John Talbott]

Now that we have initiated the new "What's Happening" service that Felice is writing, editing and coordinating, I wanted to pull up this ancient thread for two reasons. First, to highlight how we can link the "What's Happening" and "Events Calendar" events members are interested in to threads such as this and this about two "salons" (chocolate and farm) that just occurred in October. Second, because it was Margaret Pilgrim's interest in food events and suggestion that we make the Calendar work better that inspired us to initiate the "What's Happening" service on the French Forum. In truth, Fat Guy had already asked all forums to do such a while back but we lagged a bit behind some others, eg NY.

Anyway, thanks to Margaret and Felice.