Christmas shopping in Paris

[hazardnc]

hazardnc, I'm also a sucker for lovely packaging. And since I can't afford Tiffany, maybe Laduree can be my luxury fix for the trip.   It will contast nicely with the cat food when I go through customs!

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Since you're mentioning packaging, I remember something that should please you. Le Diptyque is a forty-year-old, very Parisian perfume company that has one shop in boulevard Saint-Germain (left-hand sidewalk, walking from place Maubert and métro Maubert-Mutualité to the Institut du monde arabe and the river) and recently has begun to sell at other locations in Paris (grands magasins, deco shops). They were the first to launch a line of unisex perfumes and fragrances in the 1960's, with a unique, black-on-white, hand-sketched design. They're still carrying on with a collection of about thirty fragrances, all very original and high quality. They also manufacture the nicest fragrant candles you can find, plus a few soaps and a very rare toilet vinegar. Not much related to cooking but Le Diptyque is well worth a visit. They, and L'Artisan Parfumeur, are the only perfume makers I need. Le Diptyque has wonderful gift packaging, overlapping silk papers of different shades.

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I was going to mention Diptyque as well. I love their candles - especially the John Galliano scent. I just returned from Amsterdam, where I bought the Galliano for 45 euros. I cannot get that scent locally, and the online sources (Neimans, etc) charge $52 US. Add shipping and handling, and the 45 is a much better deal even at the current exchange rate.

[Freckles]

Question: what is are the "pots de creme" used for. I've seen the Aplico ones and they're adorable... now if only I knew what they're function was!

[Ptipois]

Question: what is are the "pots de creme" used for.  I've seen the Aplico ones and they're adorable... now if only I knew what they're function was!

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As a native French, I'll have to ask: what are "pots de crème"?

[LindaK]

and fleur de sel....for SO much cheaper than fauchon or wherever...my mistake was "bonding" with the cashier, who looked puzzled at the vast amount of salt i was purchasing..."jolie cadeaux", i explained, at which her expression turned from puzzled to sour...some friend, bringing SALT home as gifts. (the giftees, however, were thrilled!)

bon voyage.

ha ha...I got much the same reaction when I bought a dozen boxes of lentils. Fleur de sel is a great idea, I see it here for outrageous prices.

A caution, not all Monoprix's are equal.   My local one often doesn't carry all the good stuff mentioned above so I get it at the one near Galeries L on Caumartin.

And add me to the BHV fans, indeed I love the basement hustle-bustle and the garagy cafe (OT but the Willy Ronis show across the street at the HV has long lines so go early or late).

Good advice, if my local Monoprix isn't very good, I'll check it out. And John, many thanks for all the excellent resto reviews and writing you've accumulated here and on your own web site. I've taken copious notes.

I think we need a BHV fan thread here, I'm overwhelmed by all the rave reviews.

As a native French, I'll have to ask: what are "pots de crème"? 

here's my offering--or did I miss the joke? I love Le Diptyque suggestion, btw, I think I will have to buy some of those for myself.

note: long day at work = embarrasing typos

Edited December 1, 2005 by LindaK (log)

[Ptipois]

here's my offering--or did I miss the joke?

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Thanks.

There was no joke. It was a real question. So you meant "pots à crème".

I wonder why they are called "pots de crème" in English.

For everyone's information, "de" means that the container already contains the stuff it is supposed to contain, for instance when you buy un pot de crème fraîche (a jar of crème fraîche). The stress is put on the containee.

"À" means that the stress it put on the container, i.e. the empty pot, supposed to contain custard when it is in use. So you never buy "pots de crème" when they're empty, but "pots à crème".

Perhaps it would be appropriate to call them "custard cups" or "custard pots", since that's what they are.

[Ptipois]

here's my offering--or did I miss the joke?

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Thanks.

There was no joke. It was a real question. So you meant "pots à crème". Cups meant for custard.

I wonder why they are called "pots de crème" in English.

For everyone's information, "de" means that the container already contains the stuff it is meant for, for instance when you buy un pot de crème fraîche (a jar of crème fraîche). The stress is put on the containee. "À" puts the stress on the container, the empty pot, supposed contain custard when it is in use.

[bushey]

hazardnc, I'm also a sucker for lovely packaging. And since I can't afford Tiffany, maybe Laduree can be my luxury fix for the trip.  It will contast nicely with the cat food when I go through customs!

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Since you're mentioning packaging, I remember something that should please you. Le Diptyque is a forty-year-old, very Parisian perfume company that has one shop in boulevard Saint-Germain (left-hand sidewalk, walking from place Maubert and métro Maubert-Mutualité to the Institut du monde arabe and the river) and recently has begun to sell at other locations in Paris (grands magasins, deco shops). They were the first to launch a line of unisex perfumes and fragrances in the 1960's, with a unique, black-on-white, hand-sketched design. They're still carrying on with a collection of about thirty fragrances, all very original and high quality. They also manufacture the nicest fragrant candles you can find, plus a few soaps and a very rare toilet vinegar. Not much related to cooking but Le Diptyque is well worth a visit. They, and L'Artisan Parfumeur, are the only perfume makers I need. Le Diptyque has wonderful gift packaging, overlapping silk papers of different shades.

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If I recall, LindaK is from Boston............ there's a Diptyque store on Newbury street. One of the things I like least about globalization and internet shopping is that it's harder to find those special little one-off places that give us a reason to keep traveling.

[Freckles]

I agree! I live in Paris and often when I return to Canada with little gifts I thought were delightfully unique, I find them sold at my local Williams Sonoma or Holt Renfrew.

Back to the Pots a creme... I now covet a set of them: so curvy and cute and lidded as they are! However, I think I've made custard less than 3 times in my life thus far. So I must ask, can one use these adorable pots for other foods? I guess chocolate mousse, but anything else?

Thanks,

Serena

[Ptipois]

I agree!  I live in Paris and often when I return to Canada with little gifts I thought were delightfully unique, I find them sold at my local Williams Sonoma or Holt Renfrew. 

Back to the Pots a creme... I now covet a set of them: so curvy and cute and lidded as they are!  However, I think I've made custard less than 3 times in my life thus far.  So I must ask, can one use these adorable pots for other foods?  I guess chocolate mousse, but anything else?

Thanks,

Serena

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How much heat can they stand? You could make chawan-mushi in them, or simply a royale. You may also make set jellies, mousses, and fools.

[Ptipois]

If I recall, LindaK is from Boston............ there's a Diptyque store on Newbury street.  One of the things I like least about globalization and internet shopping is that it's harder to find those special little one-off places that give us a reason to keep traveling. 

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Yeah, I know the feeling. At least you'd have the pleasure of visiting the original place. Diptyque has been on bd Saint-Germain since 1967 or so. The place has an atmosphere.

[Bux]

here's my offering--or did I miss the joke?

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Thanks.

There was no joke. It was a real question. So you meant "pots à crème".

I wonder why they are called "pots de crème" in English.

For everyone's information, "de" means that the container already contains the stuff it is supposed to contain, for instance when you buy un pot de crème fraîche (a jar of crème fraîche). The stress is put on the containee.

"À" means that the stress it put on the container, i.e. the empty pot, supposed to contain custard when it is in use. So you never buy "pots de crème" when they're empty, but "pots à crème".

Perhaps it would be appropriate to call them "custard cups" or "custard pots", since that's what they are.

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I think the cause is simple association. We tend not to translate names but simply reuse them as we see them, which is not always as they are used in the original language. On a restaurant menu, a custard in a porcelain cup might be listed as pots de crème. It's a name for us, not a phrase with a literal meaning. Consequently, it becomes the name for the dish as well as the dish, or for the container as well as the food. It's one word in our vocabulary, like "terrine." For us (the editorial "us") they are the cups for making pots de crème and take on the name of the dish. All I can say in defense is that many Americans eat French far better than they speak it.

[Ptipois]

It's one word in our vocabulary, like "terrine." For us (the editorial "us") they are the cups for making pots de crème and take on the name of the dish. All I can say in defense is that many Americans eat French far better than they speak it.

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I understand. But it will certainly not hurt if some of you "us" decide to enrich the vocabulary by rectifying the term to something, for once, more semantically correct. Besides, explaining why one is saying "pot à crème" instead of "pot de crème" would probably have a dazzling effect, socially speaking. Since "pot à crème" is one word in our vocabulary, and it's so close to the English equivalent, it is all the easier to get it right.

[cigalechanta]

http://www.potsdecreme.com/potsdecreme.htm

[cigalechanta]

Years ago I went to a lovely shop, " Bain Marie." I think it is still in Business. I bought several delightful menu cards that were packaged as gifts. Picturing rabbits jumping out of a huge pot, carrots in mouth, fish holding umbrellas wearing hats,

a boy chef walking as the lobsters jump out of a steaming lidded container he carries on a tray. They had antique as well as innovative gifts for the kitchen/dining rooms

Th least expensive beautifuuly boxed fleur de sel is in the Camargue.

I'd like to know if anyone has bought Angelina's hot chocolate mix and, if so, does it taste the same?

[cigalechanta]

Years ago I went to a lovely shop, " Bain Marie." I think it is still in Business. I bought several delightful menu cards that were packaged as gifts. Picturing rabbits jumping out of a huge pot, carrots in mouth, fish holding umbrellas wearing hats,

a boy chef walking as the lobsters jump out of a steaming lidded container he carries on a tray. They had antique as well as innovative gifts for the kitchen/dining rooms

Th least expensive beautifuuly boxed fleur de sel is in the Camargue.

I'd like to know if anyone has bought Angelina's hot chocolate mix and, if so, does it taste the same?

[LindaK]

So you meant "pots à crème". Cups meant for custard.

I wonder why they are called "pots de crème" in English.

For everyone's information, "de" means that the container already contains the stuff it is meant for, for instance when you buy un pot de crème fraîche (a jar of crème fraîche). The stress is put on the containee. "À" puts the stress on the container, the empty pot, supposed contain custard when it is in use.

thanks, ptipois, really. French prepositions are one of the trick of learning the language.

grammar aside, les pots themselves are a fun idea.

If I recall, LindaK is from Boston............ there's a Diptyque store on Newbury street.   One of the things I like least about globalization and internet shopping is that it's harder to find those special little one-off places that give us a reason to keep traveling. 

you recall correctly, bushey, I live in Boston--and now that you mention it, I have vague recollections of a Diptyque storefront on Newbury. I have a haircut appointment tomorrow in that quartier, I'll look. sigh. shared sentiments about globalization. All the more reason to share our unique finds.

edited because I need to make better use of the "preview" feature.

Edited December 2, 2005 by LindaK (log)

[kgaddis]

There are a lot of little Restaurant industry shops around E. Dehilerin if you are heading to Les Halles any ways, just ask Emile while you are there, A Simon is a block away from there. Place Aligre Market is great, Sur Les Quais had a lot of giftable things; oils, salts etc. Libriarie du Gourmande #4 rue Dante is a wonderful place for books, I bought an excelent charcuterie series here. And I am sure you know all the shops around Place de la Madeleine, Hediard etc. Have fun.

[cigalechanta]

Diptyque is on Newbury in the Clarendon/Dartmouth block near Fresh.

[VivreManger]

One product I love to bring back from France for the kids are the cheap mass produced packages of desserts, widely available in every corner provigo and Arab-run store. The puddings, flans, mousses, chestnut creams, fruit swirls, custards, parfaits, rum baba (ce veut dire "baba à rhum"), creams, trifles etc. are much tastier and varied than anything you can find in the States. To keep them reasonably fresh, you should buy them just within a day of departure and should bring along some solid packing material to keep them from getting crushed, but since they are mass-produced, they travel pretty easily. Depending on the season you may also want to put some ice packs in the container as well. But they usually have enough preservatives so they can stand up to a change of temperatures.

This is not elegant gourmet fare, but it is a cheap practical treat not obtainable elsewhere.

Edited December 3, 2005 by VivreManger (log)

[bleudauvergne]

I gave my sister-in-law a box of fleur de sel one year and she sent me a note thanking me for the relaxing bath salts. Be sure to tell them what it is and the uses if there is any possibility they might not know!

[Lori in PA]

I gave my sister-in-law a box of fleur de sel one year and she sent me a note thanking me for the relaxing bath salts.    Be sure to tell them what it is and the uses if there is any possibility they might not know!

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Oh, my! That is really a funny picture...

[Felice]

thanks, ptipois, really.  French prepositions are one of the trick of learning the language.

Yes, merci beaucoup. I have studied French to death and have never heard such a clear explanation of the difference between à and de. Makes much more sense now.

[Ptipois]

Yes, merci beaucoup.  I have studied French to death and have never heard such a clear explanation of the difference between à and de.  Makes much more sense now.

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Thank you. If food writing keeps on really not feeding me too well, I can always teach cuisine French.

[cigalechanta]

and be sure to tell them not to put it in while cooking. You sprinkle it on th dish just before serving. It really brings out the flavors.

[raisab]

Yes, merci beaucoup.  I have studied French to death and have never heard such a clear explanation of the difference between à and de.  Makes much more sense now.

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Thank you. If food writing keeps on really not feeding me too well, I can always teach cuisine French.

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What a great idea. I would sign up! You have no idea how many times I have been to a restaurant and had to decipher what a chef has written!

Literal: The gift of the cows in Normandie perfumed with the flowers of Provence.

Actual: Creme Brulee with Lavender scent.