And now I must confess. My grammar class was next door to a pâtisserie. A pâtisserie is a pastry shop and well, if you're going to eat a pastry, Paris is most definitely the place to do it! While looking in the window of the pâtisserie one day, I made a little deal with myself. I decided to make it my mission to try to eat every type of pastry served at this particular pâtisserie before I left France to return to the United States. Now, this shop was known for having hundreds of types of pastries! I did the math in my head and realized that at some point, I would be eating two pastries a day! It seemed worth it to me, however. Who knew when I'd ever return to Paris? Wasn't I there to experience everything? Wasn't Paris the pastry capital of the world? (I had thought I heard that somewhere before...) Wasn't it my duty to get as much as I could out of my time living in Paris? And so I entered the pâtisserie one day and never looked back -- pain au chocolat, croissant, pain au raisin, macarón, napoléon, petits fours, éclair -- these words rolled off of my tongue better than any words I ever had to pronounce in that grammar class of mine...and no one asked me to squish my cheeks!
Please note that I accomplished my goal. Please also note that I walked a good ten miles every day because that's what many people do who live, work, and study in big cities. Were there times that I tried a pastry and didn't finish it? Oui. Were there times when I tried a pastry and wanted five more of them? Bien sûr! But I did not do that. I would order my one pastry a day (or two towards the end!) and that was that. If I enjoyed it, I savored it. If I didn't particularly care for it, I was still happy that I tried it. I'm not saying that we should all start eating pastries every day in order to get the most out of life nor am I saying that we all must walk ten miles every time we want to treat ourselves to something. What I simply mean is this: there are times in a person's life when he or she should just experience "joie de vivre" and this was one of my times.
I still cannot believe that I never took a picture of this special place, but I guess I was so caught up in the smells and wonder of the pastries, that I never once thought to take a photo. Thanks to google images, however, you will be able to see all kinds of treats. Simply type in "patisserie" and you'll be amazed with the photos! And guess what? I have a former French student who is studying to be a pastry chef! Maybe I'll be visiting her pâtisserie one day soon...
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27 comments:
That. Sounds. Awesome. I absolutely adore pastries, and being able to try a different one each day? I would totally go for that!
Sally, do you have a favorite pastry? I know that I surely do! :-)
Pain au chocolate from Standard Bakery in Portland, they make them *really* well. That would probably be the first thing I eat when I visit France. Pain au chocolate....yum!
You have good taste, Sally! Pain au chocolat is my favorite, too! I have never had one from Standard Bakery, however, but may just need to get there soon! :-)
Wow. That would be like living next to scratch bakery. Only having the pastries be original and be home made. I would like to try a chocolate croissant (if they made them). In track total we run about 5 miles a day, not even close to what you walked in a day!
OH MY GOD! I would die if I ever got to eat one or two pastries a day that would be like a dream come true. But I would run for a little while but not ten miles because I can't even run one mile. So sad, but I would really love to have french pastries other than a croissant.
Where is her patisserie going to be, in Paris or somewhere else? I think that sounds like a wonderful way to experience Paris! I really hope Paris is as beautiful as my mind's eye is picturing it. I am also somewhat interested in French entrees as well- for example I've tried escargot once in my life and I didn't enjoy it, but I would want to be adventurous and try it in France. I also love French onion soup, so I'm sure it's ten times better there as well. The closest I've come to trying a truly French pastry was in Providence with my aunt. In Providence, there is a tiny, baby blue building with the word PASTICHE in gold letters on the top. I had a piece of vanilla bean cake, and it was amazing. The frosting was buttery and thick and almost indescribable. Naturally we had to go back the next day and I had a fabulous chocolate eclair.
Being able to walk over to a French patisserie and get a new pastry each day must be the single most amazing experience EVER.
My mom tries to make pastries and I love them, but I'm sure the ones in French are the best!
You totally lived the dream of every person! I would love to be able to 1. live and study in Paris! and 2. eat a pastry everyday!
Hannah, I do not know yet where her patisserie will be...the world is her oyster, as they say! Speaking of oysters, that reminds me of your question about other French foods! I will share more about their cuisine with you, for sure...it's just amazing! And I love your story of being in Providence with your aunt.
Ben, I hear such great things about Scratch Bakery...have not yet been there! Sounds like Sally knows a place to get pain au chocolat (chocolate croissant), but maybe they make them, too?
Elsa, I hope you get to study in Paris (and eat pastries!) someday, too! If you dream it, it can happen!
And Emma, your mom makes pastries? I'm so very impressed!
Okay fantastic now I'm really hungry for like a eclair. I love those they're my favorite. Did they have cheesecake there? I don't know if that's considered a pastry though but I really like that too. OH! Creme brulee I bet they had that there. I love that and it's pretty French too. I like to crack it open. Good stuff.
Well if I had something I really loved and had to walk ten miles just to get to it I would! I never really have tried a pastry, or any that I know are a pastry, maybe I have and I just don't know it yet. How long were you in Paris for? And was that the only closest patisserie to where you were staying? Oh and one more question, how many patisseries did you have? I have a feeling, if I am going to go to Paris one day, I will go to a pastry shop and eat all my belly can handle. It would be something fun to try, but I don't think I'll eat as many as you tried. You were so lucky to experience all of these things in your time in Paris, I hope someday I will do the same.
MMM. I have many short comments...
1. I've had a chocolate croissant, handmade by my friends' mom. (And they are delicious!)
2. I live almost next to Scratch, and you have to go there! The Ring-ding-a-ling cake is especially good.
3. Ten miles?! Ugh. I guess it would be worth it for the pastries, though.
Yum. The word bakery makes me happy.
Well you stopped me at éclairs! I love éclairs so much, that's the only thing I get from Tony's bakery. I have no idea what it would be like to have a pastry everyday, I only go to the scratch baking company 1 every 3 months! Then again I live right next to reds, so I know what it feels like somewhat.
Scratch does not make pain au chocolat, but isabella is right. their ring-ding-a-lings ROCK.
That's so awesome! I would love to eat a French Pastry every day, although it would be pretty hard only to have one.
I have to say, that is the best deal I have ever heard. I think that most of us in our french class would love to try every pastry in a pastry shop, and I know I for one would love that chance! Sounds delicious!
That sounds like a good idea! To try one of each pastry but im sure you have to have a pretty big sweet tooth! I don't like sweets that much but I would like to try some of them maybe not all of them though.
I have always wanted to go to France and i'm not gonna lie one of the biggest reasons was to try the pastries. Being able to eat a different pastry everyday just hearing that makes me jealous.
This is one of the reasons I want to go to France! All this food sounds so good and the deserts sound even better! Did you ever go to the Eiffel Tower?
That sounds really good! I live right near Scratch bakery and I have probably tried every pastry there (and they are all delicious!). But 10 miles a day? Wow! That's a lot more then I ever would have walked in a day. At least that the fat from the pastries burns off in a snap!
I could never eat that many pastries in one day, I actually don't care for most pastries. Donuts and deserts are really the only pastries I eat. I live right near Scratch took, but I don't go there much.
ok so living near a pâtisserie is now one of my life goals! It sound so amazing to eat a pastry every day!!!
But TEN MILES!! that must have been exhausting! I could never walk that much!
I knew that Paris was one of the best places to get food to just indulge in. But I probably I would be able to get different thing because I would find something that I really like and then I would keep eating it.
My cousin visited Paris while she was at school in Scotland, and she loved the pastry's and crepes as much as you do, she got them all the time. My grandpa said that when I go to college he's going to send me to Paris or somewhere in Europe so I can at least visit Paris, then I can eat as many pastry's as I want!
well i htink trying a pastry everyday would be so awesome, but only if i was walking a lot because if not, i htnk one would gain a lot of weight!!!
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