Sweet Paris

Sweet Paris A Love Affair with Parisian Pastries, Chocolates and Desserts by Michael Paul published byHardie Grant 2012. With thanks to the Publisher for my review copy.

Be still my beating heart! I’m a card carrying Francophile, well if there were such a thing I would be. I LOVE Paris, have done since the first time I went there 20 years ago. Since we had our little one we have only been back once, and it felt like I had reclaimed a bit of myself from ‘before children’.

We stayed at Euro Disney or Disneyland Paris as it is now known, but I was overjoyed when we went for a bus day trip into Paris itself. It was just as I remembered it, a huge bustling yet laid back city. Where life is being lived everywhere you look – and yet it is timeless too. I’m not saying Paris is perfect but it has left such an imprint on me that I need to live life knowing I will be going back again someday.

Now you are probably thinking what has this to do with Sweet Paris the book? Well, I’m coming to that bit! Michael Paul the author and photographer, is a very talented man. His pictures are fantastic, the scene setting ones in Paris, the pictures of sweet things from famous eating establishments and his recipes pictures too.

Chapters are: *The Chocolate Capital of the World* Paris – A Taste for Fashion* Patisserie and Salon de The Classics* Traditional Viennoiserie* Decadent Desserts* Ice Cream, Gelato and Sorbets* Confiserie – Favourite Parisian Confectionery* - there are also a couple of extras at the back - * How to Make Perfect Pastry the French Way* and * Bonnes Adresses a Paris*. There are more than 20 recipes, so not an A-Z of Paris desserts, but I think the recipes here have all been done really well – and they all have lovely photographs. Next on my list to try is Meringues Modernes, which are meringues filled with raspberry and white chocolate cream, French Style Chocolate Chip Brownies, Classic French Chocolate Eclairs and Traditional Madelines with Orange Glaze.

Picture from P116 posted here with permission from the publishers, thank you. I thought this page was just beautiful.

I’ve bought a number of English language French cookbooks on trips to Paris over the years, this one is a winner. One to buy if you are planning a trip, or if you are home again and would like a taste of Paris at home. Something to tide you over until next time…

Old Fashioned French Chocolat Chaud

When I first read this book I was overcome with a longing to go back to Paris, preferably now. Right this minute, if I leave now I thought, well I could be having hot chocolate and a Mont Blanc in Angelina’s by the afternoon! There is a picture of their Mont Blanc in its paper case on the Angelina’s plates. A Mont Blanc is a disc of meringue with whipped cream and piped sweetened chestnut puree covering the cream. There isn’t a recipe for this in the book, and I’m actually glad, for my waistline could not cope with being able to conjure up a batch of them at any time – and who would eat most of them (maybe all) that would be moi. So for my first recipe I made Michael’s Hot Chocolate. Oh my! It was just glorious, a perfect blend of sugar, chocolate milk and cream. Hats off to Michael he really gave me a taste of Paris in my own kitchen. Yum.

Next Up: Biscuit by Miranda Gore Browne