A ficelle is a small baguette, whose name actually means ‘string’. But in French bakery lingo it means a thin little crusty baguette. A ficelle makes a perfect petit snack, especially one like this that’s crusted with lots of poppy and sesame seeds. One of my all-time, tip-top favorite breads in Paris is the ficelle apéritif baked at Moisan bakery. Although primarily known for their…
[Update: In 2018, new owners took over Blé Sucré. Some of the items have changed and these madeleines may no longer be available. You can find my Lemon-glazed madeleine recipe here.] The best Madeleines in the world are right here in Paris. Well…duh. You don’t need to visit my blog to know that, do you? I’ve never been one of those people who waxed poetically…
At last count, there are 1263 bakeries in Paris. On just about every street, there’s at least one, if not two, or even three bakeries. Some of them are very good, a few are perhaps not so fabulous, and several are excellent. Parisians eat a lot of bread, far more than their American counterparts. Visitors often wonder, “How come we don’t have bakeries like this…
If you’ve never had financiers before, prepare yourself for a treat. But even if you’ve had them, you’ve likely never had financiers from Kayser bakery. Each little moist button is the perfect taste of ground almonds and French butter. They’re available in a few flavors, such as dark chocolate, and nature (Almond). I can never resist getting a little bag of them at the bakery,…
Americans often wonder how French people some know we’re American before we even say one word. It used to be our sneakers; they were the dead giveaway. Nowadays, wearing sneakers, or les baskets, is as French as carrying a baguette. The other way they can tell us-from-them is that Americans tend to smile. A lot. We are a rather happy tribe. And Americans tend to…
One of the great things to do in Paris is to wander. I’ll often catch a film, search for a monument, of just mètro to a far-off neighborhood…then walk. The 13th arrondissement of Paris is a real cross-cultural quartier. Part of it is the quartier Chinois, where there’s huge and small shops selling exotic Asian fruits and vegetables, as well as unidentifiable cuts of meat…
Since we’re on the subject of beignets, I spotted these enticing looking pastries at one of my favorite out-of-the-way boulangeries in Paris. It must be a global trend. Boulangerie au 140 140, rue de Belleville Paris Tel: 01 46 36 92 47 Métro: Jourdain
I’ve dedicated a healthy portion of my life walking the streets and boulevards of Paris to find grainy bread here. In a city where there’s a boulangerie on every corner, you can get excellent baguettes or a nice loaf of pain au levain just about anywhere. But it’s hard to find a loaf of bread with lots of seeds and stuff in it. Maybe it’s…
One of my favorite bread bakeries in Paris is L’Autre Boulange. Located a short walk from the Marché d’Aligre, the bakery features a lovely selection of wood-fired breads, and others with Nordic roots. The baguettes are also excellent, as are the rustic French pastries. L’Autre Boulange 43, rue de Montreuil (11th) and 12, place de la Nation (12th) Note that the bakery on the rue de…
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