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A Play in Three Acts:
Les Boulangeries Français de Paris,
AcT One
Written by Gia Lovelady
A Play in Three Acts: Les Boulangeries Français de Paris, Act One
As many pastry and bakery shops, (pronounced pâtisseries and boulangeries in French), continue to believe that la vie a faite de petits bonheurs, (life is full of little treasures), some pastry and bakery chefs help to perpetuate this idea by placing their shops within the best culinary spotlights in Paris. It is no secret why Saint-Germain is Paris’s best neighborhood for chocolate. This is true in particular within this marvelous Saint-Germain des Pres location of Paris in which one might ask the question: which French boulangeries are best? After careful realization, can some of the attributes of a culture, (a language, an operetta, an oil painting, a play, and a culinary classic like the mille-fueille or Napoleon), completely personify it?
Saint-Germain des Pres is one of the most substantive, eloquent, and vibrant regions in France and is located in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. Saint-Germain des Pres has as much international notoriety, as much splendor as Hugo & Victor, or as the original circa 1665 oil on canvas painting, (residing at the Royal Cabinet of Paintings, Mauritshuis at the Hague), “The Girl with the Pearl Earring.” Therefore, are the best French desserts more supreme in their daintiness, and is their presentation most polished than most? The shiny egg-like quality of the pearl reflects an iridescence reacting to light, and the Indian yellow in the before mentioned oil painting is equal to the allure, passion, and is not dissimilar to the appetite for a delectable apricot French pastry. One can almost imagine Scarlett Johansson entering a French boulangerie in 18th century Paris, standing in her long, flanked lace and satin dress while politely asking for:
A chewy, dark, and rich bread like Pain au Levain; a light crisp one like Pain de Épi; or a buttery croissant to dip into cafe au lait; savory Quiche Lorraine or a sweet fruit tart; as well as a tempting French dessert including pound cake, a poached pear, and Pots de Creme. (American Boulangerie)
It would only be after Johansson received such a rich concoction of a French dessert, that would she then cross the River Schie and return to pose for the rendering of her likeness for the 17th century Dutch painter, Johannes Vermeer. Are some visionary boulangerie desserts truly like classic works of art, or like beautiful commissioned oil paintings? Eventually one may find the answer to this question, as one begins to search for the best boulangeries in Paris, but where does one capture this spotlight?
Some of the ways bakery chefs help to place their shops within the best culinary spotlights of Paris is by focusing on embellishing their boulangeries with an abundance of chocolate and artwork. When one thinks of some of the best bakeries, one would be amiss if one did not start thinking in French. So, to start, let’s be French! Where there are French people, there is chocolate bread, which is how the French start the day. Starting with chocolate bread or Nutella for breakfast means that life only escalates from this point. The author of, Chocolate Bread, Sacred Rice: Continental Ways of Looking at Things says that he loves to just say the word, “boulangerie,” and to eloquently pronounce this French word. One may accompany chocolate bread with the raw materials of the coffee bean, cacao bean, and tea leaf, commodities which arrived from corners of the globe newly drawn into France’s commercial map from 1670 to 1700. Artisans known as “Coffee Men,” worked many angles to bring rich delicacies from Ghana, Nigeria, and Cote D’Ivoire to the Europeans. Other countries that are top producers of cocoa are Brazil, Ecuador, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
The oldest bakery and pastry shop in Paris is La Maison Stohrer, which was erected in 1725, when Louis XV married a Polish princess. The Polish princess bride, Marie Leszczynska, along on her journey brought her father’s bakery chefs to Versailles. The now infamous pastry shop is located on Rue Montorgueil in Paris. Visit the crème de la crème of Paris pastry shops: Maison Stohrer located at 51 Rue Montorgueil. Nicolas Stohrer, who is the pastry chef, was credited with inventing the “baba au rhum,” which is a booze-soaked brioche. Many who frequent La Maison Stohrer also mention that one should cease being mesmerized by the crammed pastry cases to view the in-shop frescoes, which were created by artist Paul Baudry in 1860. Yes, it appears there is a thin line between French pastry and a commissioned oil painting, with both demanding only the finest in presentations. But what about the other fine boulangeries of Paris?
One of the finest restaurants in Paris, Les Deux Magots, also located in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, has these two very fine desserts on its menu:
Café Littéraire, Desserts: Les Deux Magots
Ispahan
Biscuit macaron à la rose, crème aux pétales de roses, framboises et letchis
(Biscuit macaroon pink, cream with rose petals, raspberries and lychees)
“2000 feuilles”
Pâte feuilletée caramélisée, praliné feuilleté aux noisettes du Piémont crème
Mousseline au praliné
(Caramelized puff pastry, praline puff Piedmontese hazelnut praline cream chiffon).
(Les Deux Magots: Café Littéraire)
Les Deux Magots isn’t an exclusive boulangerie, however, it is worth mentioning since almost every tourist in the world dreams of visiting Saint-Germain des Pres’ most infamous restaurant, if only to taste its “2000 feuilles”.
When we think of some of the best bakeries, one would be amiss if one did not frequent Coquelicot, and Du Pain et des Idees bakeries. Du Pain et des Idees has a delightful menu of French breads, or has much to say about du pain. At current, there is much talk in Paris about the true bakers of French bread, in that the real bakers of authentic French bread are definitely hard to find. While mentioning du pain, seventy percent of the flavor is in the crust. In contrast to bread, and in just mentioning pastries alone, what are the top historical pastries of Paris?
Conde Nast Traveler Explains What the French Eat
One of the most introspective visuals into the French bakery came just last year with the simple look into simply, what Conde Nast Traveler’s What Parisians Eat. If one is going to look at the basics of French desserts, one cannot help to notice the massively produced Bonne Maman brand of Crème Brulee. The French dessertier, Bonne Maman states of its Crème Brulee:
Bonne Maman Crème Brulee
Bonne Maman répond à vos envies d’authenticité avec ses recettes alliant simplicité et gourmandise. Des desserts de toujours pour tous les jours et le plaisir de retrouver le goût incomparable d’autrefois.
Bonne Maman meets your desires with its authentic recipes combining simplicity and delicacy. Desserts always every day and the pleasure of seeing the incomparable taste of the past.
Macarons to Swoon Over in Paris...
The most notorious French pastry is the French macaron. If one doesn’t know what a simple macaron looks like, they are those brightly pastel colored French meringue-like cookies with ground nuts and a chocolate ganache. The reigning champion considered to have the best macarons, is Laduree. The reasons why Laduree has the best macarons? Well, Laduree invented the French macaron and has the largest macaron house in the world. The story of the Laduree macaron begins in the 20th century with Pierre Desfontaines, who invented the macaron by taking two macaron shells and filling them with a delicious ganache. Laduree macaron flavors are insanely delightful. Incidentally, the Laduree best French dessert website is stunning and supremely well managed. View the dessertier: https://www.laduree.fr
La Gâteau of Gâteaux
It would be with sin to not mention the all too buttery croissant, éclair, the Paris-brest, or the Opera cake. The Opera cake, the most elegant gâteau, is made of coffee buttercream and a chocolate ganache, which is soaked in coffee syrup. With all of the erotic goodness’s so far contained, at last we have the final act.
What would the famous playwright, Molière, say about the infamous boulangeries of the most romantic and beautiful city in the world, Paris? Molière, or Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, was the infamous Parisian actor and playwright prominent in 17th century France. However, if one wants to know about the Boulangerie Molière, one can walk right into the Boulangerie Molière located at 23 Rue Molière, 75001 Paris, France. (This is an actual bakery establishment). In the abstract of the play, Mole’s Interpretation of Molière’s Misanthrope, it is noted that Molière plays a sympathetic character. In the original performance, it was Molière who is well loved and is a readily amusing comic on the French stage. Mole was able to portray a level of exaggeration of his character in Molière. However, in “Molière, a Play in Three Acts,” written by Philip Moeller, the playwright answers the question as to what Molière would say concerning a boulangerie or pastry shop:
Molière: A Play in Three Acts, (Moeller 1919)
Colinge
There’s some news
La Forest
Who cares? Since when has there not been news? The serpent started
news in Eden.
Colinge
They were whispering at the pastry shop.
La Forest
Well?
Colinge
So, you do want to hear it after all?
La Forest
No, you poor old man.
La Forest
Well, what is it?
Colinge
Who do you think was at the pastry shop?
La Forest
Any one of all the fools in Paris.
Contributions:
Beurteaux, Danielle. “Classic Confectionary: Europe’s Oldest Pastry Shops.” CNN.com
Bonne Maman. Café Littéraire. C’est toi que J’aime tant. Bonne Maman Suisse
Boulangerie Molière. 23 Rue Molière, 75001 Paris, France
Conde Nast Traveler. 12 Things You Can Only Buy in a French Grocery Store
Conde Nast Traveler. Saint-Germain is Paris’s Best Neighborhood for Chocolate
Girl with a Pearl Earring. Girl with a Pearl Earring. Johannes Vermeer. Royal Cabinet of Paintings. Mauritshuis, The Hague. 1665
Jones, Christine A. "Exotic Edibles: Coffee, Tea, Chocolate, and the Early Modern French How-To." Journal of Medieval & Early Modern Studies 43.3
Kaplan, Steven Laurence. Good Bread Is Back: A Contemporary History of French Bread, the Way It Is Made, and the People Who Make It. Duke UniversityLes Deux Magots. Café Littéraire. 6 Place Saint-Germain des Prés, 75006 Paris, France
Maison Stohrer. Café Littéraire. 51 Rue Montorgueil, 75002 Paris, France
Moeller, Philip. “Moliere: A Play in Three Acts.” written by Philip Moeller. 1919
Trip Advisor. Best Bakeries in Paris, France
Parisianist. Parisianist: Top 10 Best Macarons in Paris
Rigo, Pascal. “The American Boulangerie: Authentic French Pastries and Breads for the Home Kitchen.” Russell, Keith. "Chocolate Bread, Sacred Rice: Continental Ways of Looking At Things." Design Issues
Sullivan, Edward D. "Mole's Interpretation of Moliere's Misanthrope." Modern Language Quarterly 9
Vogue Magazine – The Best Bakery in Saint-Germain: Hugo & Victor
LE JOURNAL LITTÉRAIRE is an online French literary journal. The journal is currently accepting new works that document global travels by other travel writers, especially writers depicting Parisian culinary. LE JOURNAL LITTÉRAIRE insists on portraying research on any of the boulangeries of Paris, France, and desires for writers of Parisian pâtisseries and boulangeries to submit their very best meringues, éclairs, mille fieulles, opera cakes, baguettes, and croissants to the online journal. The journal accepts culinary articles depicting the rich histories of Parisian shops along with their recipes encased in creative fiction creative nonfiction. Submissions with photos will be published in LE JOURNAL LITTÉRAIRE in Summer 2020. (A Play in Three Acts: Les Boulangeries Français de Paris, Acts Deux & Trois, will be published on this site in Spring, 2020).
Contact/submissions:
JOURNAL.LITTÉ[email protected]
Work may be submitted in English or in French.
<-back to ESL Carnival Academy
<-back to ESL Carnival Academy - Submit French Writings to Le Journal Litteraire
<- go to our sister site
Coming in April 2020:
Le goût sucré de ma
vie passée de
Parisienne
By Gia Lovelady
LE JOURNAL LITTÉRAIRE is an online French literary journal. The journal is currently accepting new works that document global travels by other travel writers, especially writers depicting Parisian culinary. LE JOURNAL LITTÉRAIRE insists on portraying research on any of the boulangeries of Paris, France, and desires for writers of Parisian pâtisseries and boulangeries to submit their very best meringues, éclairs, mille fieulles, opera cakes, baguettes, and croissants to the online journal. The journal accepts culinary articles depicting the rich histories of Parisian shops along with their recipes encased in creative fiction creative nonfiction. Submissions with photos will be published in LE JOURNAL LITTÉRAIRE in Summer 2020. (A Play in Three Acts: Les Boulangeries Français de Paris, Acts Deux & Trois, will be published on this site in Spring, 2020).
Contact/submissions:
JOURNAL.LITTÉ[email protected]
Work may be submitted in English or in French.
<-back to ESL Carnival Academy
<-back to ESL Carnival Academy - Submit French Writings to Le Journal Litteraire
<- go to our sister site
Coming in April 2020:
Le goût sucré de ma
vie passée de
Parisienne
By Gia Lovelady
LE JOURNAL LITTÉRAIRE is an online French literary journal. The journal is currently accepting new works that document global travels by other travel writers, especially writers depicting Parisian culinary. LE JOURNAL LITTÉRAIRE insists on portraying research on any of the boulangeries of Paris, France, and desires for writers of Parisian pâtisseries and boulangeries to submit their very best meringues, éclairs, mille fieulles, opera cakes, baguettes, and croissants to the online journal. The journal accepts culinary articles depicting the rich histories of Parisian shops along with their recipes encased in creative fiction creative nonfiction. Submissions with photos will be published in LE JOURNAL LITTÉRAIRE in Summer 2020. (A Play in Three Acts: Les Boulangeries Français de Paris, Acts Deux & Trois, will be published on this site in Spring, 2020).
Contact/submissions:
JOURNAL.LITTÉ[email protected]
Work may be submitted in English or in French.
<-back to ESL Carnival Academy