Big Things Come in Small Packages

In an oversized culture, where bigger food portions sometimes mean better, it is nice to remember the adage big things come in small packages.

I’m often tempted to create larger bonbons for the shop, but I can’t do it. Mais non! non! non! Mon mari reminds me that it is just fine indulge in something really good, but make it the BEST quality when you do!

Marché d'hiver

Last weekend’s Winter Market was not entirely successful. More than half the booths were empty and our usual customers must have been too busy putting final touches on Halloween costumes than to visit a marché (not that I blame anyone). I departed the market with most of my dark chocolate brownies and decadent Quatre Quarts Gâteaux, sulking. Oh well… I admit I’m a bit of a scaredy cat during Halloween, so my vibes probably rubbed off.

Luckily, I am keen on the upcoming saison de Noël. And we do have some interesting surprises in store for our customers, such as an in house “Cocoa-Bar”. So, stay curious….

A chocolate suited for a Queen

photo by Merissa Lambert

Peut-être Marie Antoinette would have fancied my sparkling pink champagne truffles. In fact, it was this pleasure-loving Reine Française who inspired me to create a feminine chocolate!

After absorbing Antonia Fraser’s novel, Marie-Antoinette: The Journey, and obsessing over Sofia Coppola’s (same title) film, I busied myself in the cuisine with the finest 70% chocolate, Champagne Rosé, and dramatic pink sanding sugar. voilà!

à table!

At precisely 7 p.m. each evening, my Belle-mère’s stern warning call, “à table” resonates through her Paris apartment. “A table” in French means “To the table! Right Away”! (I’ve only been late to her dinner table once after falling asleep in the bathtub and I don’t recommend it for those wanting to make an impression on a proper French woman.)

Not too long ago, my Alliance Française French classmates and I decided to form a monthly potluck dinner group – a time outside of class devoted to French food and French conversation. It is no surprise that we settled on “à table” for our group’s name! It fits, right???

A recent wintry soirée d'octobre marked our first meeting, and we dined à côté d'un crackling fireplace, sipping vin rouge de Provence. Members dutifully brought quiche, tapenade, camembert, salade, baguette, pots de crème & baba au rhum. We kept our conversation – French conversation that is – on track, too (in case you’re wondering). Oui, Oui, it is easy to resort to the familial native language, but… we à table members persisted. Most notably, everyone aided one another instead of interjecting austere grammatical pointers. It worked ‘cause we’re all excited for our next get-together. Maintenant, à table!

Marshmallow ou Guimauve

J’adoooore whipping fluffy marshmallows – a dessert with “Je ne sais quoi”.

Homemade marshmallows, or guimauves, are as white as the snow that billows outside of my window and they form stiff, glossy clouds similar to French Meringue. There is something so greatly satisfying and scrumptious about the process of making this sticky confection. And yet, marshmallows require only basic equipment (hand held beaters) to make, for those of you that want to make them in your own kitchen.

While, I’ve been dreaming of upgrading our kitchen with a range plus sophistiqué and a proper batterie de cuisine, I must remind myself that a bigger mixer or fancy oven will not replace la simple joie of creating utterly delicious sweets.

Le Marché (Farmer's Market)

The Farmer’s Market drew to a close on Tuesday and resulted in one of our best sales day of the season. I realized how much enjoyment and thrill I get out of the market – in fact this is where my culinary venture began. Twelve years ago, I sold pies and tarts at this market baked in my very hot, small kitchen (and I was pregnant, too!) The passion is what drives us market purveyors more than money. The weather was cool (perfect for fresh chocolates) and many people showed up bustling through the stall aisles because they knew it would be a frigid winter to endure before the next market season. The brownies, caramel apples, and hot chocolate sold out more than an hour before nights’ end leaving us with a few left-over chocolates, which we passed on to a guy who runs a nearby stall.

I am disappointed that I didn’t have enough time to journal about each market day and will make a point to do that next year.

Wlady and I will miss our regular customers and their children and dogs. We do hope you visit our store if just to say “hi”.

Photographer: Merissa Lambert