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Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Les Meilleures Tartes au Fraises de Paris!

0 comments Posted by pece at 1:21 PM

Berries by Fantin- Latour

The French have always been mad for their fraises/strawberries...

I can't remember all the species they have (fraise de bois, gariguette, charlotte, mara des bois, ciflorette, etc.), but try to buy a box from Espana at Monoprix and you'll get a slap. Buy local bien sur!

Is there a pastry chef in Paris who dips his brush into the strawberry patch more than...

Gerard Mulot?

I think not.

Name a contender and we can duke it out.

Really it's no wonder Gerard Mulot won hands down this month's Le Figaro contest for the BEST Strawberry tarte in all of Paris.

Who does not want to be in this taste testers shoes I ask you?

Photo courtesey of Le Figaro

Are you drooling yet?

Photo courtesy of Le Figaro

There is NOTHING in my fridge that even hints of strawberries

I cannot even claim to have tasted Mulot's winning tartelette though I have taken a gazillion photos both inside his patisserie and outside...

I can claim to having eaten these horrors -faux fraise tagada, marshmellowy affairs - not really something you want to shout out about...ahem

Well here's the list of winners in order. Guess who will be using this as her guide next trip to Paris?

At least I photographed runner-up Carette's tarte - another non-accomplishment...

Meanwhile Little Bear is running his own tasting contest, if he could only decide which fourchette to use! Do pop into Le Figaro and drive youself nuts watching the video. Then run out and find something FRAISE for Gawd's sakes. That's what I'm going to do RIGHT NOW!

FELICITATIONS GERARD MULOT!!

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Tarte Citron Yellow

0 comments Posted by pece at 9:58 PM

After studying at length Le Figaro's best tarte au citron survey, I thought I better get out there and follow up. Who knew Fauchon's squared tarte would come in at #11?

I've hit on some of their best 10 in the past and a few I just didn't get to.
Please forgive!

Numero uno at Carl Morletti was a surprise winner and I'd never visited this small patisserie before, exactly 1 block from the Metro Censier Daubenton (#7) in the 5th arrondissement...

Pristine and beautiful, this domed mountain of creamy lemon curd was the perfect balance of sweet and tart. A "domed" tarte evidently is far more difficult to achieve than a flattened tarte au citron. Who knew?

I did finish this tarte - I just wanted to give you a look inside. Marletti has a little outdoor cafe where you can sit at leisure and enjoy his luxe pastries. BRAVO Carl!

Next I traipsed up to much touted chocolatier and perfectionniste, Jacques Génin in the haut Marais. This place is really haut at the exact end of the very long rue de Turrene. The interior is like a laboratoire and was fairly empty. I wouldn't have dared to bring out my camera (2 pounds of caramels here are 110 euros...ahem). Since no one was much interested in helping me, I took a pass on #2 winner of Le Figaro's best tarte survey . Ca m'enerve

#3 Figaro winner has always been my #1, Pierre Herme and easy as pie to attain thank goodness. I never mind tasting this tarte over and over for recherche. There are chunks of actual lemon in this unctuous tarte, as well as lemon peel confit, so you never lack for intense lemony flavor. This is more like an immersion!

Yesterday I hit on Patisserie Carette at #5 and again the balance was fine. You will never, well almost never taste an excess of sugar in a French lemon tarte, unlike the home experience, here the lemon is top dog.