This week didn’t go exactly as planned after I came down with a stomach bug on Monday. I spent two days in bed and spent the rest of the week trying to catch up (surprise, I’m not there yet). When I was sick it looked like the weather was gorgeous. Since Wednesday it’s been very grey – welcome to January in Paris! This week’s Five Friday Finds from France features Cédric Grolet’s gorgeous book for pastry lovers Fruit: The Art of Pastry, a cannelé recipe from Caudalie, my Paris apartment search and more.
Paris Dans l’Oeil de Ses Habitants Book
If you read Five Friday Finds from France regularly you might remember I mentioned an upcoming book about Paris featuring photos from people who live here, including me. Paris Dans l’Oeil de Ses Habitants is officially out and I’m thrilled to be a part of it.
The 300 page book “by the lovers of Paris, for the lovers of Paris” features over 250 places in the French capital. You’ll learn more about these places as the photos are accompanied by text, both in French and English. You’ll find my photo and more about Galerie Vivienne on page 140. You can order your copy here – there’s worldwide shipping available!
Fruit: The Art of Pastry Book
Cédric Grolet is part pastry chef, part artist. His creations are pretty unreal, especially the fruits that trompe l’oeil (trick the eye). They look like real pieces of fruit but are in fact pastries. Grolet has two boutiques in Paris – one on Avenue de l’Opéra and one connected to Le Meurice where he is the pastry chef. There is almost always a line at both boutiques, so if you want to give his creations a try I recommend using the click and collect option. If you want to treat yourself you can also enjoy his pastries at Le Meurice.
If you’re ready to give his recipes a try at home you can with his Fruit: The Art of Pastry book. I’m not sure my pastry skills are quite there yet, but it’s something to aspire to!
Caudalie’s Cannelé Recipe
I recently had a birthday, which meant lots of emails with discount codes etc. My favorite email was definitely from Caudalie and included 30 loyalty points and a recipe for cannelés. Cannelés are a speciality from Bordeaux, which is also where Caudalie is based. The email says “In Bordeaux, there are two specialities: Caudalie and cannelés.”
The Caudalie recipe for cannelés is as follows (it’s helpful to have a food scale!):
Makes 30 Cannelés
- 50 cl of milk
- 50 g of unsalted butter
- 1 vanilla bean
- 2 eggs
- 40 g of egg whites
- 30 g of rum
- 250 g of sugar
- 150 g of flour
- Boil the milk with the sugar, butter, and vanilla
- Once the mixture is lukewarm, add the eggs and egg whites
- Finish by adding the flour and rum
- Let the mixture rest for at least 24 hours
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F) and bake in a cannelé mold (you can use silicon, but a copper mold will give the best caramelized crust) for approximately 50 minutes.
Let me know if you try them! It looks like a fairly simple and straightforward recipe with a little advance preparation.
My Paris Apartment Search
I’ve lived in the same apartment since moving to Paris. I didn’t think I would stay as long as I have, but I fell in love with the location and my neighbors. It really feels like home. Even though I desperately need more space, part of me wants to stay until I absolutely have to leave. I started visiting a few places this week and was quickly reminded how difficult it is to find the “perfect” place, and even if you do manage to find it how difficult it is to actually get it.
I’m not in a rush, but decided to start the inevitably long, arduous process now. If you’re curious about apartments in Paris I recommend searching on SeLoger – I now spend lots of time there each day!
Laetitia Rouget Love Mugs
These adorable Love Mugs are unfortunately backordered and aren’t available before Valentine’s Day, but they would make the perfect belated gift. They’re available with “Je T’Aime, Ti Amo, I Love You” or “Oui” text. There are sweet dessert plates to pair with the mugs that read “Oh La La” and “Kiss Me Quick” that are also backordered. If you want something that will ship before Valentine’s Day there are also vases. To read my Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas for Francophiles, click here.
I hope you enjoyed this week’s Five Friday Finds from France. I’ll be back tomorrow with Weekend Links!
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